Mima Good is NYC-born and based songwriter Raechel Rosen, whose sound and aesthetic espouses a contemporary pop sensibility with a darker atmosphere of synths, organs and guitars. The result is a moody, soulful sound that somehow calls to mind both Billie Eilish and Billie Holliday simultaneously. We first met her last year with the Good Girl EP, a series of songs that articulated the healing process from a tumultuous relationship with a former bandmate, an auditory storytelling of Rosen’s journey from attachment to abuse to self liberation. But even more than that, Rosen confronted a confusing relationship with her own femininity, in a culture that tells girls to be “good” even when the men around them behave badly.
She continues to explore the conflict of who women are and who society tells them to be on new single “Holly Golightly,” a more upbeat and danceable alternative to Rosen’s previous release. On it she plays with the concept of the “manic pixie dream girl” by sampling Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, who is perhaps the original incarnation of this archetype. She reimagines her as a neurotic millennial woman living in New York, on the grind and trying to stay one step ahead of the “mean reds.” The beat then drops into Rosen’s drawn-out vocals and her artful use of synths, manipulated to sound as though someone is plucking an upright base, to create a whimsical, jazz-tinged sound.
We had a chance to talk to her about her newfound inspiration and how it feels to create music after you’ve been able to process and let go of the heavy stuff:
How does the new single build on the Good Girl EP?
I worked on Good Girl for years, hoping for the perfect articulation of my trauma, catharsis and some form of justice for the abuse. The writing process was thick to say the least, every detail weighing heavily on my creative spirit. When I finally put it out, I felt a different kind of release than I had expected, a grounding that contextualized my pain. I began to see my story as another casualty of patriarchy, understanding that life comes with all kinds of painful learning experiences and that everyone and their mother suffers at some point. So many women and girls reached out to me personally with their stories. I felt my trauma no longer defined me and my work stopped feeling like it was just about ME. My new single comes from this zoomed out perspective, a syrupy psalm of the anxiety cloud surrounding our culture and particularly us crazies in NYC.
What drew you to Breakfast at Tiffany’s as inspiration? Tell us more about the process of writing this song.
Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is so cool and tragic at the same time. I’ve been thinking a lot about the manic pixie dream girl archetype. I’ve always felt like romantic comedies, TV, general society and all that encourage chaos and instability in femininity. It is so charming and sexy to be a hot mess! I have wanted to sample her character for a while and this scene where she describes the “mean reds” is pure poetry. “Suddenly you’re afraid and you don’t know what you’re afraid of…” And Fred just looks at her like she is this sad mystery only he can save. Come on!!! I love it so much. When I started this song I was just messing around with the sounds from that scene, using slamming doors as percussion and the piano and upright bass that accompany her antics as instrumentation. It was kind of just a personal production challenge, but when I listened to the beat the next day I was like OK this is a song!
Will this new release be part of a full length? What can listeners expect? What issues will you tackle?
I am currently finishing up a full length album. This year has been extremely creative for me, it felt like once I got my abuse story out of my system all this other music poured out. The new sound is relatively different from my EP and “Holly Golightly” played a big role in leading me to it. Everything has gotten more danceable. The BPMs have been raised. The kicks are heavier. I am having a lot of fun with the production and probably have been influenced by my nights working at a nightclub. (That unce unce unce gets to into your head!) The issues come from the same place, but the attitude is more playful.
How does the new release fit into your narrative of attachment, abuse, and self-liberation? What is Mima Good’s perspective after the therapeutic process of writing the Good Girl EP?
Once I was finished with the creative therapy that was Good Girl (for me), I was like “whoa, there’s a lot of other stuff going on internally and externally”. Human pain is so much bigger than this one piece of shit I knew, or even all the pieces of shit combined. These songs have functioned as stepping stones for me to figure out how I can survive in a world with so much pain and how I can contribute.
What’s next after you release the album?
Right now I am really focused on finishing the album!! It is so close to being done and I’m really excited by it. I’m sharing a few songs from it at my Standard Sounds showcase on Monday.
Cincinnati rapper Ronin Halloway and producer SmokeFace teamed up to release their collaborative album, Pressure. The six-track project has been four years in the making and with its release, the duo is able to reflect on how far they’ve come. Although they say the style of the record is vastly different to what they’re creating now, Pressure reveals a unique drama and depth, with Halloway spitting ferocious bars over SmokeFace’s meticulously crafted beats.
Here, AudioFemme catches up with the rapper-and-producer team as they tell us the story behind their one-of-a-kind project.
AF: How long in the making was Pressure?
SF: Four years exactly.
AF: Why did it take four years?
RH: So we started making it and it took us about—for the first version to be done—two years and we went through a long mixing process trying to get everything to sound right. This is when we were still dumb kids, and we didn’t have any proper representation or know how to properly promote it, so no one heard it, so we pulled it. We reworked it and trimmed the fat and made it a better album, and we’re going to finally let it out and give it its actual day in the sun.
AF: So it’s getting its second chance here and will get its justice this time.
SF: I definitely think so. It’s like half the length, which helps, and I already think that there’s more of a response to it than there was the first time. We did a video for the title track, which was good, and there’s a couple more visuals to follow. It’s exciting.
AF: Ronin, you’ve been putting out projects in the meantime, like your most recent EP,Icarus. How have those other projects influenced the direction of this album?
RH: I think it’s kind of cool because a lot of these songs were done and one of the main reasons we even went back to this was because we did this song called “Sirens.” We probably would’ve let [the album] just go away, but we loved that song a lot and really wanted to put it out with the project. I think it’s cool because the stuff that I’ve done recently is like way different. Him, too.
SF: Yeah, my stuff now doesn’t sound anything like this, but it’s still a great album.
AF: Does your new music sound different because your styles have evolved?
RH: Big time. Artistically, personally, I feel like I found my voice. Pressure is a lot of working out and finding out what that might be, experimenting with a lot more aggressive, industrial types of styles, which is not what I do. I think it was good though, but it’s not really my wheelhouse anymore.
AF: What were some big lyrical and compositional concepts that you were both inspired by?
RH: A lot of it is just really aggressive and crazy and some of it I didn’t even put the pen down, I just freestyled.
SF: At the time, I was really inspired and listening to a lot of El-P, specifically he has a song called “Up All Night.” I was listening to a lot of slow, dredge-y, synth-heavy, trap drums—big epic stuff. The song “Cartoons and Cereal” by Kendrick [Lamar] was probably one of my biggest influences. That song was always in the back of my mind when I was making this record. I’ve since fallen in love with sampling old records and really twisting sounds.
By Samuel Steezmore
AF: For somebody who’s about to listen to the album, what would you tell them so they can experience it in the way it’s intended?
RH: Buckle up! I think it does have a little bit of a story to it, a loose story. It starts off with this song called “Fading Blade,” which I recorded myself as a choir. It almost sounds like this Lion King-thing. And then “Pressure” sounds really, really dark, it does all the way through. I think it does end on an interesting note.
It definitely changes in the middle of the album, it goes into the “Be Okay” beat, [which is] up-tempo and manic. The track after that is probably the closest to a ’90s rap sound, and then the next track is completely left-field. And then we have “Sirens.” I would definitely categorize it as almost alternative hip-hop, like Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, Death Grips.
AF: What kind of story does it tell?
SF: One of my favorite things about the album is the backstory. You can kind of hear it in the album – it’s a coming-of-age story starting off as kind of young crazy boys. We’re kind of going through it and growing up and experiencing consequences for decisions and then, coming out on the other side, hopefully having learned something. Especially with the pair of songs “Be Okay” and “Hangover.”
AF: Are you working on any individual projects right now?
SF: I just put out a tape with some beats on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. I just want to keep doing that for a little bit, make something and put it out. I don’t want to sit around and wait around.
RH: I have a couple things I’m working on. The next project is going to be called Excalibur and I’m working with Devin Burgess on part of it. It’s going to be three parts and one of them is produced by XVII, so that’s almost done. I’ve been recording that at Timeless. So XVII and then Devin Burgess are working on a set of songs for it and then the last one will be with [SmokeFace]. It’s going to be like three EPs.
AF: But for now, just excited that Pressure is finally out?
I discovered I The Victor by chance sometime in 2018. My band and I were asked to play an artist spotlight alongside Rebecca Ramos, the heart, brain, and creative force behind the act, that, unfortunately, coincided with a tour we were going on, but I started following her then and loved her bright, open, offbeat aesthetic. Almost a year later, I got the chance to talk with the “posi-rap” artist about all things music, Atlanta, and “Hypotheticals,” her latest release.
AF: Thanks so much for talking with me! Do you mind telling me a bit about your story? How did you get into music?
RR: Of course, thank you! I super appreciate getting to chat. I got into music shortly after discovering Avril Lavigne as a living, breathing, amazing entity on earth. She just really struck me, and from there, I was interested in making music of my own. Not too long after, my parents got me one of those $40 first act guitars, and I was off to the races. I ended up writing really bad songs for a long while and, as I got older, began writing stuff that I was excited about and wanted to put out into the world.
AF: What’s your creative process like? Has it changed over the years, as you’ve toured and recorded and released more music?
RR: Usually it starts at the guitar, but sometimes a line or melody will hit me at a random time, and I try to just drop everything and give it the attention it needs to become something bigger. I try to steer clear from sitting down to write and usually wait for something to come to me, and then I’ll sit with it and flesh it out into something more full. Otherwise, if I try to sit down and be creative, I get pretty in my head about if I’m being organic and real, and usually end up scrapping whatever I write if it feels forced.
As music has become more of the main focus of my life, I have a lot of new toys that have made their way into my process, whether it’s the instrument library on Logic, weird samples, or just messing around with different plugins or vocoders. I think it’s cool, when possible, to start with something kinda eclectic or weird and to pull out some pop sensibility from it. So all that’s in the mix as far as my process, but I definitely try to keep it fluid and let lyrics or melodies come to me naturally.
AF: Who do you consider your greatest influences? How do you draw from those influences while also staying true to what makes you unique as an artist? What inspires you as a songwriter?
RR: I’ve been listening a ton to Billie Eilish recently, along with Glass Animals, Still Woozy, Hippo Campus, Jaden Smith, and so many more. I try not to pull too many direct musical influences; I like to just listen to a ton of diverse stuff, and if I hear a sound or topic that inspires me, I’ll go from there. I do, however, get super inspired just watching artists as they blossom and create worlds around their songs. That’s something I feel like that takes songs to another realm.
I also get inspired by seeing other artists’ merch or marketing rollouts for albums. I love the whole packaging and how far a song can extend into other dimensions like visuals or live shows or clothing. I’ve been really inspired by artists like Halsey or The 1975, who are very meticulous about their aesthetic and the way their visuals and songs transcend into their shows. Anytime I see something unique, I’ll screenshot it and go back to it as I brainstorm for ITV content. I never want to copy what’s been done, but there are always ways of taking cool concepts and molding them into something unique to your own song or vision, so that’s what I try to do!
AF: Everything about you — your music, your visuals, all of the messages you send out to your fans — is so positive. How do you stay so optimistic, in both your music career and your personal life?
RR: Thank you so much! I aim for that. I definitely started writing songs out of a darker and more insecure place, but the purpose was to kind of seek out hope through writing about hopelessness. So, that whole theme of staying positive has just kind of stuck throughout and become this mantra for ITV as a whole, which I am really proud of. The music industry can definitely feel dark at times; there have been times I get so discouraged that I don’t know where else to go than to go back to that place of seeking out hope. I think life is that way too in general: a constant flux and flow of failure versus success, light versus dark, or progress versus setbacks.
I just don’t know what I’d take refuge in if I didn’t have music or wasn’t creating for the purpose of finding hope and staying positive, so I feel really lucky and comforted that it’s naturally become kind of the banner of ITV songs. It’s begun making its way into my mindset day to day, too, which is also lucky. I think there’s just a ton of darkness out there and we all kinda get to feeling alone or hopeless. As ITV grows, I just want it to be a light for people where we can discuss growing pains and dark times but still do that within the lens of hope because we all need that.
TL;DR – life can get heavy. What would I have if I didn’t have hope? I literally don’t know and don’t want to know. ITV has been a vessel for finding positivity for me and I hope it can be that for others too.
AF: What’s your favorite part of the Atlanta music scene, and how has the city — and the creative community here — influenced you as an artist?
RR: I meet and find more and more amazing people in Atlanta daily, it seems. I adore it. Everything I do with ITV is super DIY or friends-only in a way. We just don’t have a label, don’t have big budgets or resources to do huge productions or outsource a lot of things. The result is myself and my closest friends getting to work on ITV things altogether, and it’s been life-changing. The output is so much more raw and organic, which makes it all the better. I’ve gone to Switchyards quite a bit with my brother and met some amazing designers and creatives there. ITV lets me meet awesome people, too, which is fortunate. It’s just so cool getting to meet people doing creative things that inspire them. It creates such a limitless space for organic collaboration and just freedom to keep doing you; it’s so exciting and definitely a huge part of how anything for I The Victor gets accomplished.
AF: What’s next for I The Victor?
RR: So. Much! So much. I keep feeling like we’re in the most exciting phase yet, and I get sad thinking about releasing it all because then this phase of anticipation and excitement will have to come to a close! But yes. A lot! Definitely some new music preceding an EP and then we have quite a bit planned to complement the songs coming out, from merch to videos to shows. Excited is an understatement and I feel really lucky for the small community growing around ITV because it’s a super exciting time right now!
Follow I The Victor on Facebook to stay up to date on new releases, music videos, and shows (and your daily dose of positivity in a crazy world).
When The Howling Tongues hit you, you know it. Atlanta’s brazen sons of rock ’n roll — Davey Rockett, Nick Magliochetti, Brandon Witcher, Thomas Wainright, and Tylor James — are best known for their signature garage rock-inspired records and over-the-top, bombastic performances, and made their name in the darkest, grimiest rock clubs around the country before taking the stage with Bon Jovi at State Farm Arena in May 2018. After spending most of the last decade wearing out the roads and leaving fans dazed and confused, the quintet is back and better than ever with a series of singles preceding their newest recording project.
Audiofemme caught up with lead guitarist and producer Nick Magliochetti and drummer Tylor James for the premiere of their newest single, “Daily Dose.” They’re gearing up their last show of the year, The Howling Tongues “It’s Not A Christmas Money Grab” Show at The Earl on December 20th. Read on and get ready to party with rock’s most devoted disciples.
AF: You’ve been together for over seven years, and friends even longer than that. What’s your secret to longevity?
NM: The fact that we were friends for so long before really set us up to be able to communicate more openly. We live together and do a lot of things together, when a lot of bands don’t go that far with their relationships. We’ve kinda just been rooted in that for so long, it’s become second nature.
AF: What’s been the biggest change within the group since you started?
NM: I think the biggest change has been streaming and availability of music. The modern DIY scene had just kind of started when we were starting out as a band. We were selling a ton of CDs in the beginning. Now with Spotify and Apple Music and others, our big sellers are vinyl and other merch items. I think Spotify is a tool that artists can use nowadays to promote themselves.
TJ: And sometimes we can charge money to go play somewhere.
AF: How do you keep the creativity flowing and evolving? Do you ever feel musically stagnant, and if so, how do you get beyond it and keep creating?
NM: We try not to put ourselves into a box when we’re in the studio, but more into a situation where a song can come out. Whether someone writes a part on an instrument that they’re not used to, or has a strange idea for a song lyric or title, that’s the stuff that’s inspiring. Having lots of options and infinite time is the real killer of creativity.
TJ: And you’ve just gotta keep listening. Everyone’s gonna get stagnant once in a while, but that can be limited by constantly seeking inspiration, whether it’s music or otherwise.
AF: “Daily Dose,” and your last single, “Fever Dream,” are a step away from the sound you trademarked in 2016 with Boo Hiss. What new sounds and techniques are inspiring you guys for these latest songs, and how important to you is it to maintain The Howling Tongues’ sound?
NM: With Boo Hiss, we wanted to be more bold and daring and take some chances. We’re all about creating moments in songs and on stage, so this is really us taking that ideology and diving even further into it. We’re always trying to push ourselves and continue to make the kind of music we love. We are always pushing the studio to the limits, using different equipment and things that might be unique. Sometimes the stuff that’s broken or almost broken can be inspiring and create a really cool moment in the track. I think we did some of that with these latest singles.
TJ: I don’t know if I could cite one sound or technique specifically, but we try to never be afraid to just play around with shit in the studio until we stumble into something we enjoy playing and hearing back. The Howling Tongues’ sound is free to change as we change; we’re not Aerosmith.
AF: How has the creative process changed for you guys?
NM: Since we have our own studio, it’s good for us to put a little pressure on ourselves and create deadlines. If we don’t do that, then we sit on stuff for a long time, which is easy to do that because of infinite studio time. If you limit that, it forces you to make decisions and that usually leads to some pretty cool stuff happening.
AF: What’s been the proudest moment for you as a group over the last seven years?
NM: Every time we release something new is a proud moment for all of us. That’s what gets us most excited. We want to keep making music that people can turn up really loud and get lost in it for a moment. That’s what gets us going.
AF: How has the Atlanta music scene impacted you as a band? What’s your favorite part of the music scene here?
NM: The Atlanta scene has been amazing. We have seen so many bands come and go in seven years of being a part of the scene. Plus it’s so diverse in Atlanta. There are a lot of bands with their own unique sound, and that creates interesting shows here in Atlanta.
TJ: There are so many different and fun places to play, and some good promoters in the city that are willing to give a young band a shot.
AF: What inspired “Daily Dose?” What was the writing process like?
NM: I wrote the main riff on a bass guitar and wouldn’t stop playing it until the rest of the band joined in. It developed into this really funny jam and it kind of has this Jekyll and Hyde thing going on with the verses and the choruses being one and the end being a faster different feel.
AF: What’s your goal, moving forward? You’ve already toured the country, opened for Bon Jovi, and released an EP and two full-length LPs. What’s next?
NM: I think for us it’s always going to be to keep creating and pushing ourselves to be a face for rock ’n roll music. If we can inspire someone to pick up a guitar or drumsticks, then it’s all worth it for us.
TJ: I want to get a big corporate sponsorship, like Olive Garden or something.
A little over seven years ago, Ray Reck accepted an invitation on a whim to DJ a gig in San Francisco, and since then has been swinging beats and moving hips from Venice Beach, to San Jose, to Oakland and San Francisco. Representing the spirit of Oakland Bounce, a femme collective of bounce enthusiasts, Ray has found a seat at the table mixing all types of genres – but above all, Jersey Club. Her remix EP P. Posse pays homage to all the women who have blazed trails in influencing hip hop.
You can catch Ray Reck at Hiero Day Festival 2018 in Oakland on September 3rd, and check out our interview below.
With her latest video, Emily Jane Powers proves there’s more than one shade of blue when it comes to feeling sad. The Chicago-based art rocker’s clip for “Sullen Days” is an atmospheric meditation on the spectrum of emotions contained within a sullen or sad mood. The entire video was shot on an iPhone by Powers’ husband, bass player, and creative collaborator Alec Jensen (Dream Version). The couple’s DIY approach and clear creative intimacy yielded a raw visual that coincides with Powers’ honest songwriting.
To capture the phases of sadness, the pair wanted to portray Powers as a passive vessel, experiencing, but not engaging, in the moving world around her. “I think that one of the biggest themes of the video was that things were happening around me, but I was passive and still,” says Powers. “We’re trying to evoke an idea that there’s a loss of control as well, which I think goes along with the mood I’m describing.”
However, it’s not always easy to remain still while hanging out of a moving car, which is how the bulk of the video was filmed. “There were a few times when Alec was driving in circles and I was physically unable to hold on to the car,” says Powers. This explains some of her agitated facial expressions throughout the film, but Powers also describes how the “sullenness” she’s capturing doesn’t hold one distinct characteristic. “To be sullen or sad isn’t just one mood, it’s a range of moods that can change pretty rapidly, and the changes of the moods in the video illustrate that,” says Powers.
Powers’ voice swells and evolves, too. Starting in a calm, hypnotic tone and spiraling into a swirl of inundated emotion, she rattles off stream-of-consciousness lyrics that hint to the depths of her psyche. She even identifies the effect her peers can unwittingly have on her feeling when she sings of “transferred desire.”
“I am pretty hyper-aware of the transference of emotions when I’m with people,” says Powers. “If someone’s sad or I’m with someone that’s happy, I sometimes absorb that too easily. Desire could be a bunch of different things – desire to feel better, desire to belong.”
It’s easy to empathize with Powers’ weighted conscious in “Sullen Days,” a cathartic burst of artistic expression. Watch the video below, premiering exclusively on Audiofemme.
Death Hags is the solo project of French singer-songwriter and L.A. Musician Lola G, who last month released her first single “Metal Teeth.” It’s about “women reclaiming their freedom to be angry, strange, loud and dangerous,” and it’ll appear on Death Hags’ debut LP, slated for release via Burger Records this spring. She’ll also be heading to SXSW in March. We talked to her about her dream musical gear, the production process & her personal transformation through solo touring and living in the woods.
AF: I really like when artists create new genre names. I saw on Souncloud you tagged #doompop. Can you describe what doom pop and/or post-industrial is? How else would you describe the sound of your new record?
LG: It’s always hard to describe your own music, so when people started asking me what this new project sounded like, I would say it was “pop songs about the end of the world.” That was the best description I could come up with. I shortened it to “doom pop” because I love writing dark and doom-y bass lines but my pop sensibility won’t go away. I’m a fan of early industrial bands like Throbbing Gristle so hopefully there is a little bit of [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][post-industrial] somewhere in Death Hags.
AF: How and where did you record “Metal Teeth”? What is your songwriting process like? What kind of gear do you use? What is your dream piece of gear you’d love to use for future recordings or live shows? What’s your favorite aspect of the writing and recording process?
LG: I recorded “Metal Teeth” in LA during a session I did with my band DTCV. I played everything except drums. A few months later I ended up scrapping the whole album except for “Metal Teeth.” It’s the only song that felt right. That was pretty much the beginning of Death Hags.
To me the most exciting part in the songwriting process is the initial creative spark. Lyrics or a melody I hear in my head, or a whole song. Recording is more of a mystery. You never know how things are going to turn out. I’ve had some amazing recording moments in places that were basically crappy warehouses and completely empty sessions in professional studios. There’s something elusive about recording and I’ve learned to respect that.
For gear, I have a modified 1980s Electra guitar and a 1970s Univox bass, although I tend to record with whatever Fender P bass they have in the studio. I recently got a Microbrute analog synth that I am in love with. And of course, lots of pedals!
I don’t think I have a dream piece of gear. If I could buy anything I wanted right now, I would probably buy a bunch of synths and get a crazy custom-made pedal from Death by Audio.
AF: Tell us about the personal transformation you’ve gone through with Metal Teeth. What do you want people to take away from listening to the new record?
LG: I spent a lot of time alone in Nature last year and had some intense spiritual experiences foraging in the forest. It pushed me to tour by myself, which is probably the most transformative thing I’ve ever done. Metal Teeth reflects this need to reconnect with the untamed, with the strength and self-reliance that come from really knowing yourself. I’ve only begun the journey so I don’t know where it’s going to take me. Maybe ask me again next year?
As far as this record, if it could give people goose bumps when they listen to it, I would be very happy.
I saw Elli Perry for the first time in 2010 or 2011 (back when Brooklyn seemed to be at the height of its chillwave/synth-pop ’80s revival), wailing her lungs out with an acoustic guitar. I was too insecure and intimated to start a band, feeling surrounded by pretentious dudes who only listened to whatever had the Pitchfork stamp of approval. My pretty artist boyfriend-at-the-time brought me to this small loft party where Perry may have just have spontaneously picked up the guitar and I couldn’t be more thankful. Her authenticity and powerful voice filled me with a feeling of relief that there were inspiring women in Bushwick who could express themselves at any time, without inhibition. Her new intimate and bluesy number “Without You,” from her EP Totality, captures this magic totally. Her performance encompasses a swaggering attitude that reflects her spontaneity and freedom balanced with a sweet vulnerability.
Perry has long since left Brooklyn and currently lives in an RV in the southwest with her husband, allowing her to tour the country non-stop. Totality was recorded while camping out in her friend’s living room in Collins, CO inside of a blanket fort with one microphone. The EP as a whole is a prime example of how much power she can harness in her vocal performance alone by utilizing such a minimal set up. Totality comes on the heels of her second record, which included members of Deer Tick and My Morning Jacket as collaborators. We had a chance to chat with Elli Perry about her nomadic lifestyle and what happens when you accidentally cross the Mexican border without a passport.
AF: Can you give me a brief synopsis of all the places you’ve been to and important experiences that have happened since the last time I saw you in Brooklyn?
EP: I moved out of Brooklyn in the spring of 2011. Since then, I’ve lived in New Orleans, in an adobe geodesic dome on a mesa outside of Taos NM, in Fort Worth TX, on an island off the south coast of Georgia, in a small stone cottage in the French countryside, in a wallless shack on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, for one very long year in Nashville, and in more Walmart parking lots, public lands, and random driveways than I can count since moving into our RV in February of 2017. Some of the moments and experiences that stand out from those years and places are dancing in Mardi Gras super parades with the carnival krewe I was a part of while living in New Orleans; getting a crash course in self-sufficiency while learning how to homestead, grow my own food, maintain a composting toilet, and other such things that come along with living off grid; getting a divorce; touring 200 days a year for multiple years on end out of my beat up Nissan Cube; lying on the floor of a bistro in the 10th arrondissement of Paris the day after the 2015 terrorist attacks, during the midst of what was thought to be a second attack (but was fortunately a false alarm); recording to tape for the first time while I was tracking my last LP Little Thieves in Nashville; meeting my husband, who I married during the total solar eclipse in August of last year; renovating our RV together; experiencing the kind of confidence and peace that comes from knowing you are making art you truly believe in; and adopting our dog, who is the weirdest creature in the world and my best friend.
AF: 2017 looks like it was an incredibly momentous year for you! How have your performances, creativity, and songwriting evolved over the year?
EP: 2017 was as humbling as it was momentous for me. I had taken several years off from touring and releasing much music, as I had gone through a dark season in my personal life, and needed a lot of time to write and release my last record. By the time it came out and I was back on the road promoting it, I had changed so much that I kind of had to relearn how to be a performer and how to tour. I had gotten sober during those years, which really blew the doors open on my creative output. I can’t overstate the impact sobriety has had on both the quality and quantity of my artwork. But I also had to figure out how to get on stage and then talk to people afterwards without a drink in my hand. That was a challenge, as someone who deals with social anxiety, and who is also front and center by herself all the time – I don’t tour with a band, so there’s no one else who can help be my buffer or take up some of that interactive slack with the audience. I’m also touring with my home, husband, and dog with me now, which is about as different as can be from road-dogging it out of a car and living in motels or sleeping on air mattresses in the living rooms of strangers. But once I started to work out the kinks of those new logistical elements, it ended up being one of the most powerful creative periods I’ve ever experienced. Releasing a record that I had spent so much time on cleared up vast stretches of mental real estate for other creative work. I’ve grown a lot as a writer, and my writing process has changed significantly. I’m also a visual artist, which was something I concentrated on a lot last year. I painted all of the artwork for my last album packaging, and collaborated with my husband on the artwork for this EP (he’s a photographer, so we spend a lot of time working on projects together). I decided to make Totality about halfway through last year, and was chomping at the bit to get into the studio by the time I was able to actually plop down and record it somewhere. I’m about halfway through writing my next LP, which I plan to record later this year. Suffice it to say, 2017 left me with a lot of inspiration and drive.
AF: How did you come to the decision to move into an RV? How did you find your RV, does it have a name and what is your favorite RV-related story that’s happened so far?
EP: I started thinking about buying an RV after establishing the release date for Little Thieves. I didn’t want to be away from my husband for months on end, we didn’t like where we were living nor did we want to keep paying an exorbitant rent to be there, and I knew I wanted to tour differently than I had before. As you know well, road life burns you the fuck out. I just didn’t want to go through that again. The idea of being able to cook my own dinners and crawl into my own bed after shows sounded very appealing. I started obsessively scouring online sales listings, and finally found our rig in Savannah, Georgia, about an hour from where my parents live. It is named “The Turtle.” We gutted and renovated it ourselves – that was a story and experience in and of itself. Apart from that, my favorite RV story is no doubt when my husband accidentally drove us into Mexico without passports, and we were detained by Border Control while they searched the RV with dogs for nearly an hour. They were so convinced that two people who look like we do, who “accidentally” crossed the border were packing something illegal. We weren’t. Stress and subsequent hilarity ensued.
AF: After creating a super-polished full length record and a more bare-bones EP, which recording experience did you enjoy more and what do you think you would like to do next production wise?
EP: I loved both recording experiences equally. For all their differences, they share two significant commonalities. First, they’re both projects I was immensely proud of, and material that I really needed to get out of my head/heart and into the world. Second, and probably most importantly, both were collaborations with my friends. The musicians who played on these two records are folks who I admire to no end, and they also happen to be people I love. You can’t ask for much more than that when bringing a record to life. I will say that from a technical perspective, I far prefer analog recording to digital. For the next record, I hope to marry the two experiences by bringing together collaborators from both projects. Adam Landry, who produced Little Thieves, is such an amazing friend, and is my guitar guru. Bryan Gibson, who played cello on Totality and mixed the EP, is one of my oldest musical mates. We’ve been playing together since I was a teenager. Getting those two in the same room together would be a dream. The next record will be full band again. But I’ll probably follow it with another stripped down EP for the hell of it. I don’t want to have to choose one approach or the other. And I certainly don’t want to ever go three years without releasing a record again! That shit is for the birds.
Listen to the full Track of The Week Playlist below…
Ever been to a karaoke night and heard a voice rise up that actually sounded… really good? Christine Fink has one of those voices. She’d relegated her talents to karaoke nights in crowded Alabama bars – that is, until her sister Orenda, well-known for her work with Saddle Creek mainstay Azure Ray, dragged her into a bigger spotlight.
Christine moved to Omaha to form High Up with her sister, brother-in-law Todd Fink (also of The Faint), Josh Soto, and Matt Focht. This month, they released a self-titled four-song EP that blends classic Southern rock and soul, with a little punk vibe thrown in for good measure. Thematically, its songs capture longing and love in the tradition of Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, but also critique the Capitalist machine with sassy bangers like “Two Weeks” and “Your System Failed You.”
Whether belting out a protest anthem or crooning an ode to a crush, High Up is a band that feels good to listen to, like slipping on a favorite jacket you haven’t worn in a while. Their debut album You Are Here, slated for release next month via Team Love, continues along the same lines, mixing up bluesy, heartfelt ballads and raucous shout-along refrains, like on album opener “Alabama to the Basement,” which we’re premiering below.
The song is a celebration of letting go and rocking out, with clear autobiograpical vibes regarding the band’s origin story. As a kid in middle school, there were certain songs I would set my radio to wake me up to; this song has that same rush, that energy you need to fight through another day, or push through a shitty situation on your way to something better. It’s the perfect introduction to an album that that tonally runs the gambit from high energy cheer to soulful sorrow.
We sat down with Christine to talk about loving your parents music, what it’s like writing with her sister, and when we can see High Up out on the road.
AF: You’re originally from Birmingham, Alabama correct? What did you grow up listening to as a kid?
CF: Yes, born in Birmingham, but spent varying years of my life in other towns – Ashville, Oneonta, and Muscle Shoals. My parents exposed me early on to stuff like Pink Floyd, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Hank Williams, Graham Parsons and the like. I was really into oldies as a kid – Frankie Valli, Beach Boys, etc. My first real exposure to soul I think was when I saw Smokey Robinson on Sesame Street in the late ’80s. I was never really the same after that. As I grew older, I developed a taste for punk and indie as well, and all those styles kinda melded to form my tastes as an adult.
AF: I always find it funny when people initially reject their parents music, only to come back to it later on with more perspective. Music can be so interesting when styles collide.
CF: Absolutely. I don’t remember really ever having disdain for what my parents listened to. They have great taste! Of course, they might remember differently!
AF: The story goes that your sister and band member, Orenda Fink, saw you perform karaoke in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. She was blown away and immediately thought you should start a band together. Was this a scary proposition?
CF: I jumped at the idea. It was really a big reason for me moving to Omaha to begin with – giving up the corporate grind and pursuing more creative endeavors. I’ve always had such great reverence for Orenda and her work, and wanted a chance to work with her creatively. The scariest part is probably the financial instability of playing music more or less full time. And rejection of course. But those fears come with the territory and the rewards outweigh the risks in my eyes.
AF: What were your go-to Karaoke songs?
CF: I love trying out all genres, so I pepper in a little bit of everything. My go-tos are usually midnight train to Georgia – Gladys knight and the pips, whole lotta love- Led Zeppelin, sometimes I’ll throw in some Radiohead or Dolly Parton for kicks.
AF: Can you tell us a bit about the songwriting process for High Up? Is there a lot of back and forth between you and Orenda? Or does she take lead when it comes to composition?
CF: Orenda does the bulk of the songwriting, but I co-write and we have a few other co-writers. The whole band collaborates on the tunes to varying degrees. It’s very open and collaborative.
AF: I love the video for “Two Weeks.” It really nails the playfulness and soul of the band. What was the production process like?
CF: Thanks! We recorded the video over the course of two days I believe? Harrison Martin directed and filmed and we had so many friends help. It was a blast and very low stress. It’s important to have a good time and we wanted to reflect the good vibes of the group who gathered to help us. It was a relatively quick and easy process because of the professionalism and talent of everyone involved. The scariest part was probably me having to stand on the table without busting my ass!
AF: “Blue Moon” really hit me in the gut. Can you give me a little background on its genesis?
CF: It hits me too to be honest. I’ve struggled with mental illness most of my life, and the song is really a way to express an almost constant sinking feeling, of feeling like I’ve exasperated those I care most about. There’s a little glimmer of hope in there: “I can’t take it much longer… Or so I say.” Because I can, I hope we all can, and can learn compassion, patience and love for those in our lives who are struggling.
AF: It’s wonderful that you felt comfortable sharing that kind of emotion. I myself struggle with anxiety and depression. It can be comforting to hear someone else’s journey. Were the lyrics difficult for you to share with the band? Or was it more of an unburdening?
CF: I feel like not sharing that emotion would be disingenuous. It’s who I am and I’ve gotten such comfort from other musicians who have been brave enough to open themselves up. Orenda and Morgan Nagler of Whispertown actually wrote that song for me, culled from many tearful admissions on my part. They took what I was experiencing and their reactions to it and wrote the song. It was heartbreaking to read for the first time, but also very cathartic. I’m so very grateful for their talent and ability to fine tune my messy emotions.
AF: Many of the songs on the album take their subject matter loosely from the Bible, such as “Glorious Giving In.” How does spirituality (or your reaction to it) play into High Up’s themes and material?
CF: I can’t speak for other members of the band, but I don’t have any kind of religious belief system. I love religious iconography and many of the allegories associated with religion, but I don’t subscribe to the actual belief system. We use spirituality and references of such because they do speak to the human condition a lot, and I appreciate that. I’m more of a nihilist, with a heavy dose of the Golden Rule.
AF: Can we expect to see High Up on tour soon?
CF: Yes!! We have a nationwide tour in the works for the month of March in support of our first full length, You Are Here, which comes out February 23rd on Team Love.
AF: What do you hope the audience takes away from a High Up show?
CF: Lots of merch! Just kidding… My goal is to entertain and connect. I want people to have fun, get mad with me, get sad with me, laugh and cry with me. We’re all pretty fucked up, right? And so many times we feel like we’re the only ones, but we’re not. It’s important to reach out to others and say hey, you’re not alone, we can get through this together. If you can dance and sing along through the anger and tears, so much the better.
Preorder High Up’s debut album You Are Herevia Bandcamp, and be sure to check them out on tour this Spring.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Katharina Stenbeck is a prolific Swedish artist who creates thought-provoking electronic music as Galleriet, a solo project she launched in the spring of this year. Stenbeck’s impressive DIY approach led her to self-engineer and produce her debut album Romantic Gestures, premiering today on Audiofemme.
The record is informed by Stenbeck’s varied background in the performing arts. She studied acting in adolescence, experimental and classical theatre in Stockholm and New York City as a young adult, and then broadened the spectrum of expression when the band Folding Legs was formed with friends in 2009. After six years of performing together in New York and honing her skill as a frontwoman and musician, she uprooted herself to Los Angeles where she painted, cleared her mind, and ultimately birthed a solo project with the purpose of presenting a different perspective of what it means to be a “female artist”.
For each of the record’s first three singles, Stenbeck created a music video accompaniment combining dance, theatre, and at times symbolic imagery, like in the video for “Right Wavelength,” to confront themes of gender, death and rebirth. She most recently released a stop-motion video for “Allting är som Vanligt,” a song in her native tongue, that explores the depths of female sexuality.
Audiofemme had the pleasure of speaking with Katharina about the making of Romantic Gestures. Listen to it below!
Audiofemme:Galleriet is Swedish for “the gallery”…what is the significance of this word to you and the art you are producing?
Katherina Stenbeck: I came upon the name “Galleriet” while reading works by the Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer. “Galleriet” is the title of one of his poems and the name stuck with me. It also felt fitting, as I aim to marry several different art forms into this music project, turning it into a gallery of sorts. I felt passionate about having a Swedish name, as I’m born and raised in Sweden and wanted this project to connect to my roots.
AF:How do you typically write and record your ideas? What is your demoing process?
KS: An idea for a song can come to me at any given time, which I’m sure most creatives can relate to. However, sometimes the vessel just feels more open, and several ideas can come through at a rapid pace. I’ve gotten up in the middle of the night to hum a melody into my iPhone if I think it’s a keeper. Sometimes those hummed or garbled sketches will be the beginning of a song when I sit down at my computer. Other times, I’ll just start playing around on my keyboard with a clean slate and see what comes out. For Romantic Gestures, I wrote everything on a midi keyboard and my laptop, in GarageBand, as I didn’t want to wait to learn Logic while I felt the ideas were coming through.
AF:What is the process like of taking your demos and sketches into the studio and final stages of production? Who do you like to collaborate and produce with?
KS: For this recent album, which is also my first as a solo artist, I worked in a very solitary environment, at home. I self-engineered and self-produced, as I think I needed the autonomy to find my own voice and sound for the project. For future albums, I would definitely be open to exploring a collaboration of some kind.
AF:What influences your music, visuals, performance?
KS: I draw a lot of my inspiration from theatre and performance art, as my adolescence was spent studying at acting conservatories in Stockholm and New York. I also have a soft spot for old European illustration and animation, as well as somber stop motion videos. People like Jan Švankmajer, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Niki de Saint Phalle, Roy Andersson and the music of The Knife have all been very influential on my art in different ways.
AF:What do you find appealing about creating electronic/dance music?
KS: Electronic music is very empowering, as you are able to draw from all the colors of the musical palette even if you don’t have access or ability to master all the different instruments you desire to incorporate into your soundscape. I love the freedom of being able to create something lush from nothing but my keyboard, my laptop, and my voice. On future songs, I’m definitely curious about incorporating some more organic instrumentation along with my electronic sounds, to see where that takes me.
AF: What is your favorite gear for writing and performing?
KS: For writing/recording, I use a midi keyboard (currently a Novation LaunchKey 49), my MacBook Pro and a good mic for recording vocals (I use a Mojave MA-301FET mic with an Apogee Duet audio interface). For this recent album, I recorded in GarageBand, but I’m in the process of learning Logic now. If all you have is GarageBand, definitely don’t frown upon that – get to work and create your music! GB worked great for me as I was getting my project on its feet. I haven’t gigged with Galleriet yet, but I’m currently in the process of organizing a setup for that, most likely involving Ableton Live and Resolume Arena. I’m really looking forward to playing live again.
AF:What is the theme of the latest video “Allting är som vanligt”? What does that translate to in English? Why did you choose stop-motion for this video?
KS: I have always been drawn to stop motion as a medium. In general, I often find myself gravitating to “DIY art forms” like papier-mâché, sewing and to a certain extent installation art and performance. The title means “Everything is as usual” in English. It’s a rather ironic title, as I wrote the song during a time in my life where a lot of things were changing around me. The video explores that theme of metamorphosis along with meditations on female sexuality, animal instincts, love, and death.
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]Still from “Allting ar som vanligt” video
AF:What did you learn about performance with your time fronting Folding Legs? Is your stage presence or performance style different in Galleriet?
KS: Folding Legs was a great forum for me to experiment with my stage persona as a vocalist, and it was with the band that I first started incorporating visual art and performance art on stage. With Galleriet, I’m planning to start out by gigging alone with backing tracks, accompanied by some very curated visual effects. Being alone on stage will be quite a departure from my days in the band.
AF:Are you currently living in LA? What are some differences you see between NYC and LA, especially as an artist?
KS: I’m currently living in Ojai (north of LA), after a couple of years in LA and several years in NYC. I really enjoy the openness that LA offers, and the wave of creativity that the city is currently experiencing. New York will always hold a very special place in my heart since it’s where I spent most of my 20’s and where I cut my teeth as a creative. Both cities have unique qualities to offer, and I hope to gig on both Coasts.
AF:What influence has Swedish culture had on your art? Do you travel to Sweden? Do you still have family there?
KS: Swedish culture is my DNA, so it influences everything I do to a certain extent. At the same time, I’ve been living in the States since I was 18, so I feel very at home in the US, too. I think the duality of that is omnipresent in my person and my work. Most of my family and old friends are still living in Sweden and I usually go home a couple of times a year. It really means a lot to me to go home, speak my language and reconnect. One of the most influential aspects that Swedish culture has had on my art would be the normalization of non-commercial creativity and the open-mindedness regarding art that challenges, stupefies and discomforts an audience. Swedish culture doesn’t shy away from the dark, the ugly and the surreal.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Stalwarts of NYC’s DIY scene, experimental noise punk band Weeping Icon released their debut EP Eyeball Under on Kanine/Fire Talk Records in July. Thematically, the record touches on hard-hitting topics like street harassment, religion, anxiety, sexism and secrets in “safe places” like the doctor’s office, as well as anger and frustration with current events in politics. Weeping Icon are uncompromising and display a brutal honesty that is sure to weed out those that can’t handle the truth.
While listening to Eyeball Under I can vividly recall the live shows I’ve experienced with my jaw on the floor and hair whipping around in front of my face. Sara Fantry’s searing guitar tones, Sara Lutkenhaus’s dizzying noise progressions, Sara Reinold’s driving bass lines, Lani Combier-Kapel’s kinetic drumming, and vocal deliveries that range from sultry to electrifying battle cries are key elements to the band’s sound. Luckily, the band has found a way to capture the raw energy of their live performances in these recordings.
AudioFemme had the pleasure of dissecting the collective mind of Weeping Icon. Stream their latest record while you read the interview below, where we discuss the making of the album, the growth of NYC’s music scene, and empowerment through music.
Audiofemme (AF): How did you come together? When did Weeping Icon form?
Lani Combier-Kapel (LCK): Sara Fantry and I played in ADVAETA for 7 years together and towards the end would jam alone on harder, noisier riffs. When that project disbanded in fall 2015, we started jamming more and decided to start another project. Two more Saras later and voila!
AF: What is the significance of the band name? What does it mean to you?
LCK: If you look up weeping icon in google image search, you’ll find all of these Christian paintings with water damage coming out of their eyes and it looks like they’re crying. A lot of them are of the Virgin Mary and some of them supposedly have a funny smell. I’ll leave the rest to interpretation, but it’s a real crazy image to work with.
Sara Fantry (SF): I’ve always been fascinated by idol worship, and the hugely physical reactions people have to their own religious truths. No level of contesting information seems to sober fanatics. Weeping icons are often said to cry blood. Thousands of people show up to witness and experience them. To me, they represent the morbidity in extreme dogma.
AF: How long have you been working on Eyeball Under?
LCK: The whole thing was written and recorded in less than a year. All the songs on the EP are the first ones we had written together – actually, “Jail Billz” is the first song we wrote. It feels good to just spit it all out instead of taking an overly long time to perfect it. The album was recorded live and all instruments were recorded in one day!
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]“Eyeball Under” Album Art by Justin Frye
AF: Can you tell me more about the album artwork and working with Justin Frye?
Sara Lutkenhaus: (SL): We love all of Justin’s visuals so we sent him our album and let him run wild.
Sara Reinold (SR): Justin was great to work with – he came up with a few variations and we were able to pick and choose aspects that we liked in each, He was open to ideas and suggestions, allowing us to really shape the perfect cover. It was a great experience, hope we can work together again in the future!
LCK: PC Worship is a huge influence for me musically and we all love Justin’s visual work. I love what he ended up doing and it helped frame the rest of the art and photos for this release.
AF: How did you translate the wild live energy into your recordings? What was the process like? Who did you work with?
SR: We recorded pretty much in a live setting, with all of us playing together in the same room – then we overdubbed vox and some extra synth parts afterward. The connection between the four of us and how we communicate when we play live is very important to the music and our sound. If we had recorded any other way I don’t think we would have gotten a correct representation of the band.
We tracked with Jeremy Backofen at Kirton Farms in upstate New York. The studio sits on an amazing piece of land with views for miles and bonfires aplenty. We took a long weekend there and had a great time. We mixed with an old buddy of mine, Alan Labiner, who’s worked with some artists known for experimenting: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Celebration. Alan was amazing to work with; he really understood what we were going for. He worked quickly, translating our many thoughts and ideas into exactly what we wanted. You can badly describe a weird noise to him and with a few clicks, that weird noise is a reality.
LCK: I don’t play to click tracks, sorrynotsorry. Also, Joe Plourde helped us overdub the vocals and I’m glad we did – they sound so much better than the originals did.
SF: One thing I think has become very specific to our live show is playing without pauses in between songs. We try to turn every transition into its own ambient or harsh noise experience. We wanted our album to retain that, so three of the tracks are noise transitions. Also on the tape and vinyl (out in September), the tracks flow into one another seamlessly. To continuously make sounds for a half hour without a break for thought, applause, or pulling your bra strap up after it fell down, means listening to one another, filling in gaps differently, and facing down new challenges every time. I’m excited to see how this idea manifests on our next album!
AF: What gear do you use to create noise elements?
SL: I record a lot of different sounds onto my sampler at home. There are 2-3 synths I mostly use and then I contact mic pretty much whatever I can find.
LCK: I’m still figuring out my drum machine. It’s broken and half the pads don’t work on it but I guess I don’t use many sounds anyway. On “Jail Billz,” I overdubbed some metal drum sounds using Lutkie’s gear! She’s a noise goddess.
SF: I use some weirdo pedal sounds, plus I try to incorporate non-traditional noise making items to play my guitar with. Those may or may not be secret things.
AF: Why is noise important to your expression? What does it represent?
SL: Noise can describe things so perfectly when words can be awkward or inadequate. It’s also sensitive to every environment, which means it’s always going to sound slightly different. It demands being present to try to respond.
SR: Noise allows us to tap into that primal energy. As the bassist, I get to express all of these pent up emotions by a gut rumbling sound. The four of us exerting this primal energy in our own different ways is at the core of the band, especially on this EP, where we see themes of anger, retaliation, fear… All this built up energy has to go somewhere, and the noise elements help us to express it beyond the constraints of the English language.
LCK: Even when you’re alone in silence, you can still hear noises – houses creaking, the A/C on, water dripping from a leaky faucet, upstairs neighbors. This is the real world we live in. Unless you’re in a controlled environment like an anechoic chamber, you’re gonna hear random shit. We’re just taking these kinds of noises and ramping them up a few notches – sort of like our environment is screaming at us.
SF: My parents would never understand my appreciation for noise. Their generation is dubious over whether rap music even qualifies as music (IT DOES). To me, noise is the next frontier. It’s what hasn’t been done and never will be finished. It’s limitless.
AF: Did writing “Jail Billz” give you more power when facing street harassment? Was there a particular encounter that broke the camel’s back and drove you to write this song? How do you deal with catcalling and harassment? When I am catcalled lately this song comes to mind. It reminds me that I don’t have to take their shit for a single second. I feel it is empowering in those moments to have this song in the back of my head and know that I am not alone and that I have the power and the right to retaliate.
LCK: Honestly, this song was written so subconsciously that I think my mind just started yelling out those words without me thinking much about the context of it. Of course, I went back and rewrote them but I remember just yelling out “I’ve got a sword!” out of nowhere, and who else would I want to kill other than shitty men? Heheheh. In all seriousness though, being catcalled and being touched without permission just plain sucks and is predatory behavior. The fact that it’s still so common is a societal flaw that keeps women afraid and weak because we feel unsafe. We need to all stand together and maybe create our own Mafia.
SF: You know, I do think this song & Lani’s lyrics have empowered me more. Lately, I walk down the street feeling tougher, fiercer, the words “I’m not afraid to slit your throat” running through me like a mantra. None of us condone violence of course, but it’s interesting how we teach the subordinate half of our species to be non-violent, and the dominant half that violence is sometimes justifiable. If (certain) men were afraid of us the way they are often afraid of each other, they would think twice about bullying us with their desires, words, and touch. I want to feel ready with that violence, not to abuse, but to keep myself and other women or bullied people protected. And thanks for saying that — we aren’t alone, and it’s important to remember that.
AF: What have you learned from your previous projects that drive Weeping Icon?
SR: What I have learned from being in so many bands over the years is you really have to take the time to learn about each member’s personalities and how they will react to things if you want to be in a healthy collaborative relationship. It’s important to know how to share ideas and opinions without stepping on anyone’s toes, and how to take criticism without getting angry about it. I’ve been in many different kinds of band formations, all who had very different writing processes and different ways to be collaborative. Maybe one person writes all the parts and brings it to the band, maybe they write just the main chords and let everyone write their own parts, or maybe everyone writes songs separately… It’s important to be open to the many possibilities. What I LOVE about Weeping Icon is we all actually sit down and write the songs together, collectively, in the same room at the same time. I love this approach as everyone has a say and we can be honest with our opinions. Being in other bands has helped me appreciate this approach so much more.
LCK: Collaboration is great but you’re never gonna see eye to eye with everyone on everything. So in my experience, it’s important to just give someone what they want every once in awhile, especially if it’s not something you super care about. I like to sit on a scenario for a moment and think, “how much do I REALLY care about getting my way on this?” Most of the time, I don’t actually mind all that much! Not reacting in the moment is hard but ideal.
However I always keep in mind: someone who likes getting their way will try and come to a compromise – but they are still getting their way! Letting other people take control is and should be okay as long as it’s not taken advantage of. This the most important lesson and is something I now take into account every time I work in a group.
Also, being able to try all ideas without question and letting go of ideas is a big one. Let go of that ego. Your idea is NOT always the best one! Use that idea for something else!
AF: Do you feel empowered by the NYC/Brooklyn DIY scene? How has it changed over the years? How do you give back to the community?
LCK: I’m a big optimist when it comes to the NYC music scene – it really has the capacity to grow musicians in a way that’s toughening because there’s just so much out there. You really have to be part of a community or be proactive to play shows. So that’s what I did – I immersed myself with as much underground music and communities as I could handle by going to shows and eventually working shows.
All of us in Weeping Icon are regular flies on the walls at local shows. Sometimes we won’t say yes to playing a show simply because we want to see another one that same night. We’ll be the ones at the apartment noise show and there’s like five other people. My partner sometimes says, “you’re always out!” and I’ll answer “no way, I hardly went out this week! I just went to four shows and had two band practices.”
I’ve been on the Programming Team at Silent Barn for four years now and I listen to so much random music submissions every single day because of it. Now, when I hear something unique, my ears immediately perk up and I know it’s something I should take a closer listen to. Music that I play is affected since I kinda know exactly what I’m into when I’m practicing or writing songs. I guess the more you immerse yourself in something, the more developed your taste gets.
AF: What are some local bands you are inspired by?
SL: Oh man, Signal Break, Dawn of Humans, L.O.T.I.O.N., Palberta, and Macula Dog. But I think we all got schooled by Martin Rev when he played in June. He is so good.
SR: Bambara, Ritual Humor, Yvette, also, Russell Hymowitz is my bass idol. He’s an inspiration.
SF: So much stuff! I’m sure to leave out so many: Parlor Walls, Pill, Heaven’s Gate, PC Worship, Smhoak Mosheein, Gold Dime, Conduit, Uniform, Dead Tenants, Squad Car, Shimmer, HVAC, so much more…ALL THE WOMEN / QUEER + NON-GENDER BINARY PEOPLE IN THE SCENE PLAYING BALLS OUT TITS TO THE SKY.
LCK: PC Worship (have to second this), Moor Mother, Boy Harsher, Heaven’s Gate, The Dreebs, Deli Girls, Beech Creeps, Lutkie.
AF: Do you have plans to tour?
SF: Oh ya, it’s happenin’ soon!
LCK: You have a hookup in St. Louis?
Weeping Icon’s Eyeball Under is available for purchase on cassette and digital formats now via their Bandcamp. Keep your eyes peeled for the vinyl release September 22; follow Weeping Icon on Facebook to keep up with live shows and upcoming releases. [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
A well-worn cliche is that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but Brooklyn band Friend Roulette has taken it a step further: their latest release, The Matt Sheffer Songbook, Vol. 1, is a collection of songs an old friend wrote, but rejected, deeming them unworthy for the world to hear. To prove him wrong, they recorded their own versions and released the five songs as an EP on 6/16 via Pretty Purgatory.
The result is a quietly beautiful, albeit short, collection. If you search for Friend Roulette, you’ll quickly see adjectives like “whimsical” and labels like “chamber pop.” That doesn’t quite cut it, but it seems impossible to write a succinct description of their unique sound; it’s orchestral, and incorporates pop, folk and psychedelic elements. The Matt Sheffer Songbook brings together all of those things in turn, beginning with the somewhat somber “You’re A Fox,” moving into the funky “Snow Pea,” and eventually ending with a playful ditty about killing a spider, “Bacon And Raisins.” There’s a certain antiqueness to the songs, as if they’re the soundtrack to a black and white movie, or heard in a dream that stays in the back of your mind all day. Though they were simply Sheffer’s unfinished sketches of songs, the only thing that’s missing is more of them.
We spoke to several members of the band before their release show at Silent Barn, and they filled us in on the man behind the songs, their recording process and more. Read some of our conversation, and listen to the EP, below.
AudioFemme:Let’s talk about your friend Matthew Sheffer. Your new EP is a recording of some of his old songs, but I was reading that he’s maybe not so happy about that.
Julia Tepper (Violin & Vocals): He’s more recently become a confident and powerful and musician in his own right, and I think he’s still coming to terms with the fact that people love his old stuff too.
Matthew Meade (Guitar & Vocals): I just hung out with him a couple of weeks ago in Texas, and, you know, a good review would come and out and he would be like, “I don’t really care.” I talked to him about how we might do Volume II, and he was like, “Eh, you don’t really need to do that. There’s so much bad stuff.” But I’ve got over two hours of material of his to sift through.
Julia: We recorded them without asking. But I think he knew it was coming from a good place. And we’re not trying to say that they’re our songs, or anything. The band is all about us being friends, and being supportive of each other as musicians, and we feel that way about him, even if he doesn’t feel that way about himself.
AF: Is the EP an exact copy of his old songs, or did you just go by the lyrics and melodies?
Matt: I had to find all the old MP3’s he made and transcribe them, because they were really, really bad recordings. But yeah, it’s like the same songs.
Julia: They’re pretty similar. And on the cassette we released, the B side is actually his original recordings. I think the coolest thing about it is hearing them both.
Nate Allen (Bass): We barely even changed arrangements or anything like that.
Julia: Which is why they’re so short, for the most part. He never finished them. They’re sketches of ideas, and they still hold up anyways.
AF: Which songs are your favorites?
Matt: I like “Snowpea.” Well, I like “Snowpea” but “Joan” is my favorite song of all time. If I were to die, and someone was like, “What was his favorite song?” tell them it’s “Joan.” It’s a great funeral song.
Nate: I think I like “Bacon and Raisins” the best.
Julia: Yeah, that’s my favorite, too.
AF: You went to school together, where you studied jazz. Would you say that you use what you learned there now?
Matt: I want to say no…
Julia: I love that one metaphor, I forgot who said it: you drink from the fountain of jazz, so it can’t help but, um… come out…
Matt: Yeah, that’s Robert Wyatt. “I drink from the fountain of jazz, so I can’t help but piss it out.” And that’s really us.
AF: But it seems like you guys are sometimes still stuck with that “chamber pop” label.
Matt: Yeah, we got slapped with that on right from the get go.
Julia: It’s more of… I don’t know how to describe what genre we fit into, but when you work in an industry, and you want to play shows with other bands, they ask, “What are you?” And then you kind of have to see, well, what other bands would want to play with us? So we get paired with chamber pop and math rock. That’s not what we are, but also, who else would we play with? It’s confusing.
AF: What was the recording process like for this EP?
Matt: We recorded it in Ryan Weiner’s apartment. He’s in the band Tiny Hazard, a good friend of ours. We didn’t go into a studio at all. But that was two or three years ago.
AF: What made you decide to release it now?
Matt: Oh, we had every intention of releasing it. We’re just slow as fuck. And it’s not even like we’re working that hard. It’s not like we’re geniuses or anything, perfecting our craft. We’re just really irresponsible.
AF: Do you have any memorable moments from your tour this week?
Matt: Yeah, Richmond was memorable. We got shut down during our first song, by the landlord. He made a random visit to the apartment, and he shut it down and said, “The devil’s had its fun!”
Nate: We were playing a really quiet ballad, it was a very sweet song. Everyone was leaving and bummed as fuck, but then we realized, everyone was on their phones, making calls, sending texts, looking for a new venue. People weren’t like, oh, cool, I’m gonna go home.
John Stanesco (Bass Clarinet & EWI): What you see on the tour is, the DIY scene is so strong in so many cities and towns. I was thinking, I wish we had something like that in New York, but then I was thinking back to when Shea Stadium shut down, or when Palisades shut down, and there really is that community here. People band together to find new venues to hold shows that were rescheduled.
AF: Any upcoming Friend Roulette projects we should watch out for?
John: I think we’re trying to get back into really doing things, just putting out stuff really fast now. We’re not sure if we’re going to stick with the traditional EP, followed by a full length formula. We were talking about some other strategies to maybe just, keep releasing. And we’re also getting better as producers, getting better gear, where maybe we could self release stuff, you know, to keep in the public eye. So to speak. Rather than just waiting for the machinery of labels and PR to churn.
“I’m so hungover, I’m dying. You guys, I’m dying for water.” Fraidycat must think I’m tremendously professional right now, my head throbbing, my pores seeping sweat, regret, and hastily applied gardenia rollerball perfume. I’m waiting with the three-piece—made up of Andy Kinsey, Charlotte Kahn, Danny De Juan—for a table at Jimmy’s Diner, and while they’re saddled up with iced coffees I still need to hydrate. It’s the second day of a pre-summer clump, and you know how people get reckless in hot weather. The climate-tolerable friend-of-friend rooftop parties! The tallboys with tall boys! The early morning Uber Pools of Shame from Bedwick-Stuywood!
I’m talking in generalities, of course. On to our guests of honor.
Fraidycat works quickly. After just over a year together they’ve released Other Better Places with Bushwick-based cassette label GP Stripes. Taking a bite out of the lead track “Best Pie” gives you a proper taste of the band’s slop-pop neurosis. In less than a minute and a half Andy and Charlotte rattle off all the fears one has when hearing about an old love’s new S.O. (“Is he in a band and does he smoke the same cigarettes as me?”) Fraidycat is very successful at making your anxieties sound upbeat and fun. So I’m sure this band, this brunch, and the tall glass of water calling my name (“Come over here, Mary Grace, you idiot.”) will distract me properly from this pain in my temples. It’s gonna be a lovely pre-summer day!
The Scene: Jimmy’s was an apparent no-brainer; Charlotte had already eaten there twice that week and the host had warmly welcomed the band when they put their name down for a table. It’s neat, a typical American diner with the excepted Williamsburg-approved touches of hipness: breakfast bowls, retro Christmas lights, fuzzy punk rock and boozy milkshakes (oof, pass).
12:41 “Are you guys excited for your release show? Do you have any special activities planned?” I wonder, water long acquired. “Pin the tail on the donkey, or…?”
“Besides music at the show?” Charlotte asks. Yes. The band starts shooting off ideas: beer pong, cornhole, a glitter station so people can glitter their face, or, as Danny suggests, “that thing in church where you take a moment and turn to your neighbor and say ‘Peace Be With You’.” Sky’s the limit, but Andy isn’t sure any of these ideas will come to life.
“‘I always get ideas and I think, “That’s going to be so cool to do,’ and then the time comes and I’m like, ‘I can’t do that,’” He says. “I went to see Kool Keith once, and in the middle of his show he stopped the music and passed out Handi-Snacks.”
That could work, too.
12:57 “I’m so glad that you called this because I was honestly drawing a blank…” Andy starts.
“On places to go?” Charlotte finishes. “Well, I wasn’t.” Andy asks to try some of her grits and hot sauce and then mentions the band is going on tour soon.
“We’re going to play in Newport, Rhode Island,” He says. “We went to Boston last summer with Thick because Charlotte’s girlfriend is the drummer – you know Kate Black?”
“I know of Kate Black,” I say (like in a several-mutual-friends-on-Facebook way).
“Kate is our mutual friend who introduced us. And when we go up to Rhode Island and Conneticut we’re going with True Dreams, they’re like our new friend-band.”
I perk up at this: “That’s so exciting that when you’re in a band you can become friends with other bands, ’cause it’s like you become little collectives, little entities.”
“Even if one person in one band might hate the other person in the other band, the bands are still friends,” Danny says.
“Right, the bands are still friends, it doesn’t unravel it,” I nod.
“They’re such little sweeties though, aren’t they?” Danny asks.
“There’s nothing I hate about them,” says Charlotte.
1:03 Andy’s an alumni of the band I’ve routinely referred to as “Shark Question Mark” (i.e. Shark?) and he’s talking about how this project works to break away from the typical, “dude band” mold.
“So kind of the rough idea of starting Fraidycat was, as much as possible, I wanted to work with women. Dara from Operator mixed our album.” Which I think is such a cool concept but, “There’s an element of it that makes it a little bit grossed out,” he confesses. Why’s that?
“Like it feels kind of gimmicky, but at the same time I have a daughter and she’s always come with me to recording sessions. And I think about it and I’m like…she’s a little kid, she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. But if she can see other women playing drums or see other women recording…You have to create that.”
I’m very endeared by this. “Honestly, I love that. It’s so important to get representation in media or within the workforce because then little girls see it to and they think, ‘Ok, cool, I can be like that.'”
In a shocking reveal, Andy had tried out a girl for guitar before joining forces with Danny, and Charlotte, as previously mentioned, touched base with the two after hearing about them from Kate. Charlotte also plays in Rat’s Mouth, so they showed up at her show wearing leather jackets (everyone laughs at this), having clearly done some light Internet stalking before hand – but possibly not enough.
“One of you went up to my sister and thought it was me and introduced yourselves and she was like, ‘Wrong person.'” Charlotte recounts.
“Close enough” I say. “I mean, maybe not close enough, but close. It was like, ballpark.”
“Genetically it was close,” Charlotte says.
1:12 We’re chatting about the common practice of seducing crowd-goers through Tinder on tour, because what else is there to do in Asheville? Charlotte is issuing a sarcastic example with, “‘Come get this pussy. Just kidding, but don’t fucking talk to me. Come to the show but don’t look at me.'”
“‘Come to the show but I don’t actually want to talk, hang out, or make eye contact at any point.'” I phone in.
“I would always do that but they would always match us like the day after and I’d be like, ‘Oh, you’re so cute, but yeah, I’m in Kentucky.'”
“‘Can you drive here, it’s only seven hours away?'” Charlotte says. And then Andy has a story for us:
“There was one tour with a friend’s band where this guy got stuck in a dungeon.”
“What, like a dungeon-dungeon?” I ask.
“Like a sex dungeon. And they had to go pick him up the next day. They couldn’t find him – he had wandered off and he was like, ‘Yeah, I went on this Tinder date and ended up in this dungeon.’ It’s a pretty awesome story. Like, ‘Come on guys, we gotta pick up Nick, he’s in a basement out in Toledo.'” I asked if he ended up ok, and Andy says he only lost his shoes and his phone.
“Well, he gained a few psychological scars, so there is that,” I say.
“We’ll have to see what the dungeon life is like in New England.”
“Gin and tonic tumblers.”
“They all have extensive heritage.”
“George Washington actually passed through this sex dungeon.”
“He slept here.”
1:20 “I feel like this is a good representation of how I conduct myself in my romantic life,” Andy says of the painting hanging over our table. “I’m always like, ‘Is this…good? Is this how you do this?” I know that feel.
Danny starts telling us a story about something that happened at a work luncheon. “The account manager who was running the event asked beforehand if I had a fun fact she could use to introduce me. So I mentioned the band and that we had our first record coming out. And she gets up there in front of all these IT security professionals and is like, ‘And an interesting thing about Daniel is that he’s in a band called The Fraidy Cats.”
Everyone cracks up at this.
“And then you skipped out like, ‘Hiiii, I’m Daniel,'” says Charlotte.
“Danny and The Fraidy Cats” Andy adds.
“You lost all your credibility before you could fucking speak,” Charlotte says.
1:44 I’ve never watched the Alien series, but Charlotte and Andy are binging each movie and I’m learning that every movie has an android who has “cream of wheat instead of blood” and that Andy pronounces Sigourney Weaver’s name as “Suh-ger-nee” (either way, it’s “not what you name a baby”). But beyond sci-fi movie marathons, the band hopes to fit in some beach hangs once tour is over. Charlotte has it all planned out: “Bring a guitar, write some songs, stress about how bad the songs are, not enjoy the ocean, maybe cry a little bit about how we’re never going to make it as a band. And maybe swim a couple of times.”
“Let the ocean wash the tears away,” Andy concludes. They also have designs on playing an acoustic set (with stand up drums!) and recording a song with all of their own equipment.
It’s clear by now that Fraidycat works fast and frantically, but I assure them they have time. “You can probably pencil it in between now and death.”
Charlotte chokes on her water at this.
Despite nearly killing off 1/3rd of the band, Fraidycat walks me halfway to the BQE before we part ways. My head still hurts, but I feel better – refreshed, and not just because I finally got some goddamn water. In the midst of a million pseudo-serious Brooklyn dude bands, I love groups who can churn out rapid-fire ideas, wisecracking all the way. And like the anxiety-tinged tunes off Other Better Places, Fraidycat has the ability to make any painful moment feel fun, or at the very least funny. And that makes me feel that with the Other Better Places chapter about to start, there’s great things lying ahead for the band… distinguished WASPy sex dungeons notwithstanding.
Originally a solo project created by Brooklyn musician Ian Jacobs, Monograms is now a fully fledged band. Their latest release, Silencer, explores a grittier side of hook-filled pop music by distilling it with elements of lo-fi garage rock. There’s a sense of dreaminess that hangs over the entire EP, akin to looking through the haze of a smoky room. It gives Silencer a cohesive feeling, though the four songs were each recorded in different studios with varying lineups.
It begins with the surfy guitar riff of “Sharp Teeth,” with angsty, drawn out vocals that float dreamily over fuzzy guitars and a solid beat, as they reiterate a romantic plight: “Your smile, my disaster.” “Ok Promises” falls on the opposite side of the spectrum as an upbeat, dancey track with a breathless chorus. “Radio Controller” is slightly toned down in comparison, but still retains some of its energy in nervously descending guitar lines, while “Trails” is a straight ahead ode to late night living that ominously declares, “I’m just a vampire.”
Ian filled us in on how Monograms became a band, recorded Silencer and found the EP’s awesome cover art. Read on below:
AudioFemme: Monograms originally started as a solo bedroom project. How did you make the transition to a full band?
Ian Jabcobs: I wrote the songs that ended up becoming the first EP and recorded them as just a whatever-fun-get-some-songs-out-of-my-head kind of thing. I played a few shows solo with drum machines, and a buddy of mine asked if he could play some real drums. It took me about two seconds to realize the songs were a lot more fun with others in the room, so I just kept adding people and now Monograms is a four-piece band.
I’m still the main song writer, but the other dudes in the band create a lot of things, especially during the live show, that I could never replicate. We have some new songs that have been much more collaborative, which I’m super stoked about.
AF: Each song on this EP represents a different lineup of Monograms, and was recorded during a different session. Can you elaborate on the different lineups, and your recording process/experience?
IJ: The four songs are a mix of about a year and a half of recording sessions, most of which started at home and then finished at different studios around Brooklyn. It was an interesting ride, because this was all during that time the lineup was changing and expanding. All the tracks are from really different landscapes and head spaces, but I was just writing stuff, not thinking about a release. A couple of the tunes are from the drum machine days and some were written as a full band. It really wasn’t until just a few months before the EP was even released that I thought, hey, maybe I can make an EP out of these four tunes. So I did.
AF: Can you tell me about the Silencer cover art?
IJ: I follow a bunch of mixed media visual artists online… when I saw that image I knew right away I wanted it to be the cover. I liked that it was a person that’s there… but not really there. Also the theme of a few songs on Silencer are about how words and talking can be sort of meaningless sometimes. And I think that the imagery goes along with the EP title.
I’m actually way more interested in what it means to other people. I think that’s honestly the biggest reason why I liked it so much. It’s simple but says something loud that’s open to interpretation.
AF: What are your major influences, musically and otherwise?
IJ: That’s kind of a tough one to answer cause I honestly think everything you do or see is an influence. For better or worse, it’s in there somewhere. I also listen to a lot of things all the time – modern hip-hop and books on tape not excluded.
AF: I feel like there’s a sense of dreaminess that connects the entire EP – is this intentional? To what extent are the songs inspired by your own life and experiences?
IJ: I don’t know if the psych/dreamy stuff is intentional but it’s definitely there. It’s a huge part of a lot of the music I listen to, but it’s probably just a sense of me trying to get my subconscious to write, it’s easier to do that when you can zone out a little. I think that’s where I want to be. Thinking but not too much, or at least not realizing it. Thinking is overrated. That said, all the songs are about my life experience, currently in progress.
Silencer is out now; listen below and download the EP here.
Coachella recently broke my heart when rumor had it they had rejected Kate Bush as a headliner (they later explained that never actually happened). When I sat down and started listening to DRÆMINGS’ self-titled EP, I was immediately transported to the mist-filled, gloomy paradise in which Kate Bush fans dwell. Kimi Recor’s voice is part Pat Benatar, part Patti Smith, and all guttural emotion. DRÆMINGS put a dance beat to some dark subjects, including suicide, technology overkill, and even the Dakota Access Pipeline. I spoke with Kimi about living in Germany as a child, her writing process, and even got the scoop on the theme for tonight’s free EP Release Party at The Echo.
I’d love to dig right in and ask you about your childhood. Mostly because when I listen to your music I picture an ethereal Wednesday Addams burning sage and jamming out.
KR: Well, I was born and raised in Germany, and I lived there until I was about 12. I had a very creative childhood – my mother is an artist, so we were always super hands on with everything. I was a wild child, throwing a lot of temper tantrums when I was younger, but eventually I managed to divert some of that energy into just being a spaz [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][laughs]. I didn’t really watch much TV until we moved to the US, so my childhood to me feels like this very imaginative, open space in my life. We spent a lot of time playing in the woods outside of my house, so it was really wondrous.
What kind of medium does your mother work in?
KR: Well, my mother started off as a dancer, and then later became a physical therapist, but since I can remember she’s always painted or drawn, or done sculpture — my mother is kind of amazing, because she’s always made art for herself, not other people. She never really exhibited her artwork, even though it was and still is amazing. It made me realize from a young age that “success” in the art world didn’t go hand in hand with talent and that art doesn’t always have to be something you monetize.
That really is an important lesson. Artists so often lose their original intent looking for success.
KR: So true!
How old were you when you wrote your first song?
KR: I’m pretty sure I was always singing when I was super young, but I remember the first time I wrote a song and performed it in front of an audience. I was about 12 years old, had just moved to the US, and roped two of my friends into doing this weird acapella song that I wrote. We wore all black and berets, and the song’s lyrics were something along the lines of “Fear us, hear us, near us, fear us!” It was very goth, pre-me knowing what goth was [laughs].
It sounds very Macbeth to me. I love that you were already incorporating costumes!
KR: Oh yeah, I’ve always loved costumes. Since I was very young, my mother always had a costume trunk for us.
Was fashion ever a vertical you considered?
KR: When I was a teenager I modeled a little bit, and I think for a couple of years I wanted to be a fashion designer based on my experiences. But then I realized I would actually have to learn how to sew and make patterns, and I realized that I’d rather just thrift weird stuff and alter it than actually make something from scratch. It’s funny, because now my costumes on stage are very intricate and strange, but on a day to day basis, I dress almost in uniform.
You did an interview with Nasty Gal where you said “When I was younger, I used to cause myself a lot of pain, thinking it was the only way to access my creativity. Now, I realize I can just draw from the darker experiences of my past instead of creating new ones. It takes a little more motivation, but I think it still creates meaningful work.” Do you draw exclusively from your own life, or do you now pull from other art mediums (literature, film, etc.) during the writing process?
KR: Definitely both. Sometimes I’ll watch a TV show, and I’ll relate heavily to a scene or moment, and it will inspire me. I’m also hugely inspired by the political, economic, and ecological events that are happening in the world right now.
What were some of the inspiration points for The Eternal Lonesome?
KR: A lot of those songs stemmed from a time period during which I lost everything I had defined myself by. A relationship, my band, my home – all of those things dissipated within a matter of months, and writing was the only way I could deal with it. It was very much an album that dealt with loss. But there’s also a couple of songs on there that are about my past, moments that defined me in my life. It’s an album I’m very proud of, but that also caused me a lot of pain, because it took so long to get released.
Do you go through writing spurts or do you have a daily ritual? Have you noticed your writing habits shifting from this album to new music you’re working on now?
KR: I wish I could say I wrote every day and that I have a ritual of that sort. I try to do a brain dump onto paper every morning, but life sometimes gets in the way of that. The Eternal Lonesome was pieced together from songs I had already written, plus songs that I wrote to round out the album. The new EP we just released today was written with my band in a rehearsal space, so I think the energy between the two is very different.
How did the band DRÆMINGS come together?
KR: Chris, my guitar player, is my brother from another mother. We have been playing music together for almost 10 years. He taught me how to play guitar. When DRÆMINGS was still more of a solo project he would come play the live shows with me. Thorson, our bass player, came on board about two years ago, when I needed a bass player for a national tour I was going on. We got along really well, and he’s been in the band ever since. He produced and mixed the new EP at his studio. Nathaniel, our drummer, just joined the band last summer. My old drummer went to medical school, and we lucked out. Nathaniel is super awesome, and his personality fits right in. We are definitely a dorky band that likes really weird things.
Can you tell us a little about the themes on the new EP?
KR: There’s a few in there. “Fire in Hell” is about finding your voice after someone tries to silence you. “Great Escape” is our feminist anthem about the double standards women often have to deal with. “Holy Land” is about the current state of affairs in politics – it was written right around the time the DAPL protests where reaching their climax. “Drowning World” deals with the repercussion that technology has had on our emotional state. “Don’t Even Worry” was written about my friend’s suicide attempt. And “Tides” is the lone love song – it was written about unconditional love, something solid and never ending.
I definitely hear some recurring Biblical themes throughout. It seems like apocalyptic undertones are popping up in a lot of artists’ music nowadays.
KR: Definitely. I think we are all really feeling that heaviness. It’s hard not to live in fear.
DRÆMINGS has had a month-long residency at The Echo. I absolutely love that space. How’s it been going?
KR: Really amazing. Each night just keeps getting better. I love The Echo as well, it’s probably my favorite venue in L.A. They’ve been really great about letting us do our thing. Every night we’ve decorated the venue in accordance to a different theme. It’s been a lot of work but SOOOO worth it.
And this Monday is your release party show right? I’m excited to see what the theme will be…
KR: Yes! We’re so excited. The theme is fortune… and let’s just say we’re definitely ready to blow the last night out of the water.
Is a tour in the works?
KR: We are doing a bunch of West Coast runs this summer, and hopefully booking a proper national tour later in the year. We love touring, and can’t wait to get on the road.
Alright, the Double Jeopardy final question is: What do you want someone to feel when they listen to your music? Is there an emotion or tone you’re hoping to convey?
KR: I want people to relate. Growing up, music was sometimes my only friend. It made me feel like someone out there understood me, and that feeling probably saved my life. I would love if our music could do that for someone else.
You can find DRÆMINGS self-titled EP out now on iTunes and Spotify. In the L.A. area? Be sure to drop by The Echo tonight to dance it up at the DRÆMINGS Album Release party.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Americana folk artist Ty Cooper delivers some smooth, soulful music in the form of his latest EP Fool. The EP is full of inspiration and drips with passion, and it’s evident upon first listening to his crooning vocals that it’s a piece that Ty’s put his heart and soul into. Fool is a showcase of romance and relationships, with an emphasis on the sometimes embarrassing, awkward things love can make us do. It’s brutally honest and raw, an album that evokes a smile as well as a sobering reality check. Recently Ty made the move to Nashville where he’ll certainly be sure to draw even more musical influence for future pieces. We spoke with Ty about his new release and the creative process behind its creation, as well as some dreams and aspirations he has for his own musical future.
Can you tell me a bit about your musical history and background with performing?
As a child, I had access to all kinds of different music. My parents would listen to everything from the soul music of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding to the bluegrass music of Ralph Stanley and The Osborne Brothers and everything in between. I have always enjoyed just about every type of music there is, and I think that shows up in my music. I have two brothers ten years older than me that introduced me to a ton of music that a lot of people my age never have a chance to hear: Nineties music, from R&B to rap, rock, pop, and all kinds of stuff. I have very eclectic taste in music as a result.
I saw The Temptations movie when I was kid, and that’s what really sparked an interest in performing. I would memorize the dance moves and sing and dance in the mirror until I had a respectable rendition of their performance. I didn’t start actually performing until right after high school, but I have been [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][performing] regularly ever since.
Where do you draw inspiration from, both for Fool and in a general sense?
Inspiration can come from all kinds of places. Usually, it comes from personal experiences or things my close friends have experienced. For Fool, it was mainly the recent relationships I had been in and how I was pretty foolish in all of them, as we all are sometimes. The EP is a story of falling in and out of love and kind of the stages of how that happens.
Who are some artists, dead or alive, that you wish you could perform with? Why them in particular?
Some artists I would love to perform with are Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Avett Brothers. Otis Redding because he is a legend and has one of the greatest voices of all times, and I just wish I could have been in the building for one of his shows. Jerry Lee Lewis because, by all accounts, he was crazy on stage and anything could happen at any time, which I’m sure would guarantee for some fun. The Avett Brothers because they’ve been a favorite band of mine for many years, and I’ve seen them countless times live and they never disappoint. They were a huge influence on me when I first started playing music, and it would be amazing to share a stage with them.
I saw that you recently moved to Nashville. Was that to get more involved in the music scene Tennessee has to offer?
The move to Nashville was one I had wanted to make for a long time so I could really pursue music as a career and explore what opportunities a place like Nashville has for me. I feel like I have so much to learn about the city and the business, but I’m excited to finally take the next step and see what happens.
What are you hoping your fans will take away from Fool?
For anyone that listens to Fool, I hope I’m able to evoke an emotion in them. There’s a lot to take away from it, whether that’s happiness, sadness, or anything in between. I just want to make music that people can understand and relate to, but most of all I just want to make music that makes people happy.
What stops are you most looking forward to in your upcoming tour, and why?
The stop I’m most looking forward to is at Peach’s Grill in Yellow Springs, Ohio. I feel like I grew up as a musician at this venue. I have been going to their Tuesday Open Mic for many years, and it was a place for me to try new things and really evolve as a songwriter and performer. I have made so many great friends there, and I just feel at home on that stage. It’s a great town, and it’s very close to my hometown so I will get to see so many familiar faces that will make for a great atmosphere for a show.
It might sound silly, but I can hear Rebecca Foon smiling through the telephone. The masterful cellist behind Esmerine, Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra, and her autonomous project Saltland is nothing but lovely – her beaming positivity a bit surprising given the sonic and thematic weight of her music. Foon’s latest record A Common Truth is a moving rumination on climate change – a topic to which she has dedicated a great portion of her career. There’s a reason why the album title sounds familiar, and when its underlying motif is revealed I ask Foon if she’s alluding to An Inconvenient Truth – the global warming documentary from 2006.
“I guess you could say it’s a play on An Inconvenient Truth,” Foon admits. “I’m trying to talk about how this is our one and only planet and how climate change and the state of the world ties us all together. You can’t run away from climate change. You can to some extent depending on how much money you have, but at the end of the day we are all interconnected and we can’t hide.”
I can’t help but wonder how she remains so positive despite the world’s current state – Trump, glacial melt rates, water crises…how does she deal with the harsh reality and cynicism?
Serenely, Foon relays that she sees “problems as opportunities –climate change is an enormous problem, but it also presents incredible opportunities that can come from it by trying to address and fight it. And with that comes beautifully resilient, creative cities for example that are not dependent on fossil fuels. Imagining a world where all your favorite cities are not reliant on fossil fuels by 2050…to me that’s an exciting prospect and that’s something exciting to start to imagine and put energy into figuring out.”
Foon puts her energy into music, but also activism. A member of Sustainability Solutions Group, and co-founder of Junglekeepers and Pathway To Paris, the songwriter is a big proponent of the symbiotic relationship between art and ethics. “I think the arts and music have a huge role to play in terms of bringing a visceral, emotional and spiritual energy to politics and love,” she says. “This is our planet; this is our world. Do we want to go extinct? Let’s feel things, you know?”
You’ll certainly feel things while listening to A Common Truth, a dense ecosystem of live and looped cello – its raw and manipulated iterations conversing hypnotically. Foon’s ghostly vocals sew throughout her undulating compositions, several of which feature Warren Ellis of The Bad Seeds and The Dirty Three. It’s a match made in sorrowful string heaven.
When I ask her about working with Warren Ellis, Foon mentions that Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ recent record Skeleton Tree is one of her favorite LPs of all time. “That’s interesting because that record and A Common Truth are both sown from tragedy,” I say. Foon agrees, but her intrigue lies mostly in the chemistry Cave and Ellis conjure together.
“Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have an incredible musical connection and I really love Ellis’ chords,” she says. “The melodies that he can tap into are so deeply moving and very emotional and visceral. I think for me what stands out is that ability that they have to tap into a real emotional depth, which is something I really appreciate with music that I don’t feel very often.”
Foon is also a big Arthur Russell fan, identifying 1986’s World Of Echo as her favorite in his discography. This makes immediate sense to me. “I think your music really captures what he did as an artist,” I tell her. “You’ve both taken a classical instrument and stretched it to the bounds of its sonic potential. Has Russell influenced your approach to the cello at all?”
“Absolutely,” she assures me. “Huge influence for me. And it’s interesting with him because if you didn’t know his music, if you were to put it on it feels so relevant, you would maybe think it was made this year.”
Ok, so Nick Cave and Arthur Russell – I can see that, or rather, hear it. It’s Foon’s love for Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On that catches me off guard a little bit, until I realize that, like Foon’s crusade for climate change, Gaye was making music about the defining political movement of his era.
Foon immediately confirms this. “I’ve always loved Marvin Gaye. I’ve been listening to that album lately, and the lyrics make me want to cry! He was talking about environmental degradation and humanity and the fact that we’re facing extinction and about loving our planet – his lyrics are super intense! It’s so crazy how relevant his lyrics are today, and that he was singing them in that time. I feel so deeply moved listening to him.”
“How about contemporary protest music? Any favorites?” I inquire.
“Matana Roberts, for sure. I think there are quite a few artists who are doing that not necessarily with words, but who are very tapped in. Anne Waldman, who’s a New York poet, is definitely a big source of inspiration for me, she’s really staying engaged in the world and writing about it. Even Thom Yorke, if you listen to some of his lyrics from the new Radiohead album, you can tell he’s engaged in climate change, which makes me so happy. There are a bunch of artists on Constellation [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Saltland’s record label] who are doing the same thing; Constellation seems to tap into artists who are engaged with the state of the world, which is inspiring to be around.”
“You seem to be very appreciative of the collective in that way – can you speak about the importance of being collaborative – whether it’s in art or activism?”
I can hear her light up. “Oh yeah, I love it. I really feel that we’re only as good as our collective ideas. I don’t really believe in an individual idea. I think the best ideas come from being worked and rehashed through collaboration where ego’s not a part of it and it’s just for the sake of making the idea better. With music I think it’s really beautiful when you can collaborate with people you respect and admire and see what comes out and really put ego aside. I live for moments like that – I find it really spiritual too, that process.”
Foon’s approach to activism is collaborative as well – focusing on community-based organizing, whether it’s pressuring your Mayor to implement sustainable initiatives, envisioning a future independent of fossil fuels, or addressing climate change at city council meetings. She is a humble visionary; an altruistic artist in an often cynical industry.
So: if Rebecca Foon could have her audience take away one thing from her music, what would it be?
“I think at the end of the day, because it’s just a record, I’m just trying to create a space where I can channel music from an open heart to try to access something that’s within me and communicate with others something that’s honest,” she says. “All that I hope for is to cultivate that kind of energy amongst listeners, and to inspire an honest dialogue around the state of the world, because I do feel there is an obligation at this point with artists to honestly engage with what is really going on around us. I feel we’re in a state of emergency.”
A Common Truth is out now on Constellation Records; she’ll play National Sawdust on April 7 and tours Europe with Esmerine throughout spring.
Rambunctious, energy-fueled nu-jazz dance band Moon Hooch is in their element on a live stage. This Brooklyn-based trio found each other at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan. In their early days they performed their stimulating, rhythmic tunes on street corners and subway platforms. Incredibly, these busking scenes began to draw huge crowds of intrigued folks eager to boogie along and the band quickly became well-known.
In conjunction with the recent release of their free EP The Joshua Tree, they will showcase their considerable presence and talents at the Brooklyn Bowl this Saturday. The Joshua Tree was released as a free, downloadable album in December and shows the band is moving, if possible, in an even more kinetic direction. I was lucky enough to ask horn-player Wenzl McGowen a few questions about the band and what a live concert experience is like for them.
I went to the New School, so I’ve known about you since you first started out as a band. It’s really interesting to see how much you’ve grown. I wanted to ask about your development from around 2010-2011 to now. How do you feel about how much you’ve changed from busking in the subway to playing a Tiny Desk concert?
It’s really unbelievable, incredible. We played a show two days ago in Burlington, Vermont at the Higher Ground and it was sold out. There were 750 people there. We were kind of like, Holy crap. This is insane. We didn’t really expect at all to be supporting ourselves playing shows. We never had any intention to form a band. It all took us by surprise and is still taking us by surprise.
It really feels incredible to see the reaction of the audience after the show. People are often so touched that, you know, we just kind of look at each other, speechless. It really feels like there is a communication happening on a deeper level beyond intellect and beyond words. It’s beautiful that our music is allowing people to connect to each other on a deeper level and express themselves.
I was actually planning to ask you about that. Is there any intention to make that kind of connection? Your music is very social. I’m wondering if over time that intention has changed or the kind of connection you’re trying to make has changed.
I don’t put so much intention of what kind of connection I want to establish. I feel like if I totally remove myself and just become one with the music and be fully present – if I listen to what Mike [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Wilber, providing additional brass] and James [Muschler, on drums] are doing, just do my part – then, naturally, I get into a state of love. And that love sometimes expresses itself in different ways. Sometimes it’s more like a passionate kind of love and sometimes it’s more like a gentle feeling of gratitude. Even the parts of the music that are really intense and angry sounding, that to me is also part of that love. A more passionate, aggressive kind of love.
A cathartic feeling? Letting out your anger?
Yeah. I usually don’t channel that much anger. That’s not my kind of thing. Mike does that a lot, though. He really uses anger as fuel to put himself in a certain flow and express that part of himself. We have different angles, but we meet onstage in the present moment. Also, that we have such different personalities contributes to this really wide musical expression.
I think it’s a healing experience. Like the way that people go to ceremonies to heal. Sometimes I feel that is what our fans are feeling. We’ve had people write to us and say “I had an out-of-body experience at your show” or “after the show I couldn’t stop crying.” People are having deep experiences that could typically be associated with rituals or ceremonies. It’s insane.
We don’t have that much to with it, other than being totally present on stage and giving all of our awareness to each other. That’s how our music becomes powerful. If you really step out of the way and join forces with that presentness, then the music will become powerful.
I also wanted to ask about the way that you create atmosphere. Your music seems to very organically create an emotional connection, particular excitement. Especially when you used to play outside. It was like you were playing and then everything around you became bigger and bigger until it became this wild dance party. How do your shows evolve like that?
How do we create this atmosphere in the streets?
I meant more your thoughts about how it would evolve into this whole scene.
Well, like I said it always kind of happens. All we are really doing is trying to do our best musically and on a personal level. I think the times we’ve played the best on the streets, when we had the biggest crowds, when people were most engaged was, again, when we were present with each other and fully committed to the music. Like, if you stop worrying about what other people will think or if they’ll like it – if you stop caring about other people altogether – then your awareness is freed up from all these psychological concerns. At that point you have more energy to put into the present moment. So, looking back at it there were times we played where it wasn’t good and people didn’t like it – or liked it, just not so much. And then, times where people got off the trains and danced and it would create this insane energy. Those times happened when we just accepted was going on.
In the beginning it was hard for me to let go because we were dependent on the money. On the streets we had to make money. But I gradually got used to it and was able to surrender and not worry about what anyone thought. We started playing for each other, for the sake of playing. That’s what’s happening now on stage. I just try to be as present – I feel like I’m just saying the same thing about everything, but it’s true! I think the key to life is to just stay present.
Then, do you feel that the way it’s liberating for your audience, it’s just as liberating for you? A shared experience?
Oh yeah! I mean, I don’t drink that much. But after shows… I feel drunk after shows. Just like woahh, I can barely speak right now. The energy is so intense it feels like the music is a drug.
Do you guys still like busking at all? Or are you more comfortable with venues?
At this point our music has evolved so far beyond our busking set up. We haven’t done it in years.
That’s what I thought. Do you now have a favorite place to play? Does the atmosphere change at different venues?
I love Burlington. Higher Ground is a good venue. There are some great venues across the country and some venues that really sound like shit. I like the Blue Bird Theater, although it’s a little gloomy. It can be hard to make it sound right.
I like outdoor venues and festivals because you don’t have to deal with the acoustics in the room. It makes for a fun stage. We definitely get to know all of these venues pretty intimately, but at an outdoor festival you just plug in and it sounds good. You don’t have to queue out any resonance patterns.
One last thing – I wanted to know your thoughts on the rise of similar bands. You know, bands that have taken your style or your ideas. They seem to be becoming more prominent these days.
You mean Too Many Zoos and Lucky Chops?
(Laughs) Yeah.
Um, you know we don’t want to take ownership of anything. Like, you don’t own anything. Your life is a gift and everything you’ve learned is a gift from past generations, from every organism and being that has ever lived. What you create is also a gift. So, we just contributed to this wave of saxophone dance music and inspired other people to do the same thing. Some of them became more successful than us, which is, you know, fine and awesome. We’re actually good friends with them!
Moon Hooch close out their current tour with a hometown show at Brooklyn Bowl this weekend! Get tickets here.
Eric Nizgretsky, frontman of Loose Buttons, oozes satire. The quartet’s Facebook bio proclaims they’re “New York’s very first indie band,” and he jokes about Loose Buttons’ formation when we meet at the first night of their Pianos residency. “It was a Sunday night,” he quips, “and there was an incredible jazz band playing at Pianos, and there was a jacket chilling off to the side and I couldn’t help but keep seeing it. The buttons were so beautiful, so loose. I stared for so long that I then realized it was Wednesday, and I was actually about the play a show.” Lucky to have caught him before he could get distracted by any more loose buttons, we discussed the residency and the band’s new EP, Sundays, which drops February 24.
“The residency is kind of a way for us to promote the EP,” he says. “We usually do one or two shows a month, but we were like, let’s give people four opportunities to see us and have a good time with us.”
Lyrically, Sundays revolves around coming to terms with the end of relationship. “These four songs mean a lot to us,” says Nizgretsky. “It’s like four different stages of a break-up. You realize: wow, this person isn’t right for me; shit, I’m not used to life alone; fuck, maybe it was all my fault; [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][then] it’s time for you to really move on.”
The title of the EP is a nod to the lazy Sundays he and his ex used to spend together, but Nizgretsky emphasizes that these songs were a full-band effort. “A Loose Buttons song doesn’t become a Loose Buttons song until all four of us touch it,” he explains. “I might write the lyrics… but they kind of hone me in. I hone them in. We’re very collaborative. It’s like a fun moving company in a sense. We all have our little jobs.”
And although the EP isn’t out yet, Nizgretsky says the band is already hard at work on their debut album. “We finally feel like it’s time for us to take the big boy step, and it’s a little scary,” he says. “We figured ourselves out on this EP, and now the next ones are gonna be even better.”
If his burst of creativity is the result of four years playing together, then the band’s residency can certainly be seen as a celebration of that. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have such incredible musicians around me,” says Nizgretsky. “If I were to go on my own, it would be an empty room, constantly.” It’s a humble sentiment, but it reflects Nizgretsky’s personal growth as well. “When I was younger, I was a little bit more insecure as a singer,” he continues. “I learned that if you perform your heart out, people will forget how bad you are.”
His wry modesty downplays his great vocal ability, but along with between-song dad jokes and his turtleneck sweaters, his stage presence compliments that of the whole band. As a unit, they have an uncanny ability to carry their danceable tunes out on stage, making sure the audience has a blast in the process.
Photo by Ysabella Monton for AudioFemme.
Check out the latest track “Between Brick Walls” from the Sundays EP, available on February 24. Until then, catch the guys at Pianos on Wednesdays at 8.
Maria Taylor has a long history of creating music – she played in her first band when she was just fifteen, and spent most of the ensuing decades as a cornerstone of famed Omaha label Saddle Creek, releasing records both as a solo act and as part of duo Azure Ray (alongside Orenda Fink). Last December, she put out In the Next Life, her sixth solo record, this time on her own label, Flower Moon Records. The album sees vocal accompaniment from longtime collaborators like Conor Oberst, Joshua Radin, Macey Taylor, and others.
In the past three years, Taylor has taken time away from music to focus on family; she got married in 2013 and has two young children, slowing her prolific musical output somewhat. The result is that Next Life is an album full of appreciation and love for family as well as a personal reflection of a life spent seeking out higher fulfillment. The tracks are delicate and intimate, the type of warm and glistening folk music that resonates deeply. She reflects on the past (“Pretty Scars”), promises made to her children (“A Good Life”), perseverance (“There’s Only Now”) and living life to the fullest (“If Only”), with wisdom, grace, and gratitude.
Taylor has been touring to showcase her latest album, and we chatted with her briefly about how it’s all been going.
I see that you recently released In the Next Life and are touring for it. How has the reception around it been so far? Was it what you expected it might be?
It seems to be well received. I never really have any expectations when I release a record, but it’s always nice to feel like your fans are on the same page as you. We are all growing up together.
What inspired you to create this album?
I had taken three years off since having two kids. I adore being a mom, but writing and playing music has been such a part of me for my whole life. I really felt like I needed to write this record to remember my identity other than just being a mom. It was also important for me to show my kids this side of me, for them to see what I love and what makes me happy.
What has it been like setting up your own label and releasing music through it? I imagine there’s a certain sense of elation and pride behind doing so.
It’s been a really gratifying experience. I couldn’t do it without my husband. He’s the label head. It’s a ton of work, but it’s been a fun process, and we’ve even released my friend Louis Schefano’s record on the label.
You’ve toured alongside many notable acts and have some fantastic features on In the Next Life. Are there any past joint performances that shine particularly brightly in your memory?
Hmm. I think that the time I played with Bright Eyes at The Town Hall in New York was one of my most memorable performances. He played seven shows in a row and had guests each night. I was on stage playing two of my songs with his amazing band plus Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, Nick Zinner, and Ben Gibbard. I remember looking around and thinking, ” Oh my god, what the hell is happening?!”
Who would be an artist or band that you’d love to play with (living or deceased)?
I’d love to play with Carole King.
When playing live or writing an album, it is difficult to keep your solo work separate from the work you do with Azure Ray?
In Azure Ray we always wrote individually, so the writing process is the same. When I’m playing live I usually don’t play any of my Azure Ray songs. I have so many newer solo songs that I want to play, it’s hard enough to narrow that down to a set.
Your musical history is quite prolific at this point. What do you have in mind for next moves?
I’ll always write music—as long as i’m breathing! But my kids are my first priority now. Their needs will dictate what I do with my time from now on.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Let’s be honest: the world is a mess lately. But on their sophomore record, Tiny Mirrors, San Francisco-based indie pop duo The New Up find plenty of ways to channel the negativity into something positive. Since fatefully meeting at a music festival, Noah Reid and ES Pitcher have self-released three EPs and one full-length, but Tiny Mirrors is their first record to reflect both the unstable political climate and sweeping personal changes, including the birth of their daughter. Any time an artist sets out to create new work, they are expected to come out on the other side completely changed, but Tiny Mirrors takes that to extremes.
A little bit grungy and dark at times, the album is a perfect reflection of both turmoil and hope. No matter where you live, there’s a palpable tension in the air lately, but there have also been acts of resistance; when The New Up ask “Do you think we should let it all go, forget about the things that we can’t change?” on “Almost Human,” it’s followed by the warning, “We’ll forget about the things that we could.” Lead single “Future is Now” is all about finding a way forward, backed by an inexorable beat. Music can be a powerful tool to help articulate our feelings and emotions when we find ourselves unable to do so, and that’s exactly what this album does.
What was some of the inspiration behind Tiny Mirrors?
In some ways we were just writing about our experiences and what we were seeing around us on a day to day basis in our own lives. But quite honestly, I think there was a part of us that was looking around ourselves and reading the writing on the wall about where the human race is headed, and we felt compelled to speak about it through our music. A funny thing happened as we got deep into the writing and producing process, though: we realized we also wanted to give people a reality check that they are the ones who are in control of their own lives, and that in order to keep their worst fears from happening they have to remember to exercise that control and not continue to be apathetic in the face of imminent threats. This was all before the election recently, of course, so after this whole alternate universe became a reality, we realized that our music was unfortunately all the more timely. But it was the desire to create a soundtrack for the range of emotions that we experience from being alive in this day and age that inspired us to make this album and give listeners something they could use every day to remind them that they are not alone in feeling alone.
What does this album mean to you, both collectively as a band and on personal levels?
As a band it means incredible growth in every way. Musically, stylistically, lyrically, sonically, conceptually, and from a production and songwriting standpoint, every aspect of the band and the music has grown immensely. To us, it feels like the growth that happens between a 12 year old and a 17 year old, where you start to look at the person differently and then one day you see them and you think to yourself, “Wow, you’re kind of like an adult now.” The music really means something deeper to the band, and we really feel like we have a message and that we’re connecting with listeners in a way that just wouldn’t have been possible for us in the past.
Personally, this album represents a metamorphosis. While recording it there were births, deaths, political turmoil, unfathomable suffering and pain, unspeakable beauty, and a shit ton of self-reflection and self-improvement and shedding of things that weren’t helping us achieve our goals. If there weren’t some underlying solid foundations, one could almost say that we’re entirely different people from when we started to record the album. Whether it was the writing and recording of the album or whether that was just something that came out of the process, it has been a downright transformative time in our personal lives.
I saw that you had some personal ups and downs in the year while you were creating Tiny Mirrors. How does it feel to reflect back on that time now that your album is set to release soon?
It’s pretty crazy. Looking back, it’s almost unbelievable how high the highs were and how low the lows were. It’s not like we’re manic depressives or anything, but life just has a way of taking you on a rollercoaster ride sometimes and all you can do is try to hold on as tight as you can and not get thrown off out into the wilderness. Ironically, it seems like since those times, things have been thrown even more into turmoil. Thinking back to how we felt then and how things are now is a real gut check. There’s an almost palpable sense of uncertainty that’s so thick you could almost reach out and touch it. As people who are pretty steadfast in our sense of morality and solid in our ability to not be brainwashed, it’s crazy to think about how crazy we thought things were then, but then to look at things now and see how the truth has been twisted into an unrecognizable pile of garbage. It just reminds us that we can never be complacent; we can never think that things are in a good place and that we can sit back and let the world go silently in the direction of unity. That reality never existed, the only difference is that now we all know that we must always stay vigilant. I think that’s what reflecting on the process now most reminds us of.
What genre would you say your music best fits in to, if it fits into one at all?
Usually we like to let writers and other music industry professionals call out what we sound like, because we’ve always felt that our music was hard to fit into one genre, and genres have become so narrow and specialized that we thought that we would never fit into one. Luckily, there’s been a little bit of pushback on the increase in sub-genres in the last few years, and we can now kind of fit ourselves into a few if we mix them together. So considering we’ve got a little garage rock in us, a little indie, a little shoegazer, a little electronic and dance, and a little alternative, we just like to wrap that all up in a little bow that we call electro garage rock.
Are there any songs on the album that you feel a particularly strong connection with? If so, which ones?
That’s a tough one. That’s like asking someone, “You’ve got 12 babies–are any of them your favorite?” We might have one that we connect with a little more strongly, but we’d be hesitant to say it as we don’t want to risk making the other ones jealous.
What have been your favorite stop(s) on your North American tour?
It’s still going, and we’ve got a lot more dates to hit, but there are a few places that we always enjoy playing. Portland is always super fun, and you can’t beat our hometown, San Francisco. One of the shows that really surprised us was when we played in Reno recently. We’ve heard rumblings that there is an artist revival going on there (’cause it’s one of the only places that’s still affordable for artists), which is why we decided to play there, but to be there and actually witness it was really cool. The arts district is undergoing a major revival, and some of our friends have moved there and are part of this exciting renaissance.
What are you hoping people take away from your album?
Kind of funny you ask that. On the inside cover of the hard copy of the album (yes, we actually still have our music available in a non-digital form), there is an excerpt titled, “Some things we hope you feel while you listen…,” and the first thing on that list is, “The wind through your hair as you drive through the hot desert.” It goes on to note things like, “winning doesn’t create real happiness,” “the power to change the world and yourself is in you,” “fear and hate, hope and love are two side of the same coin,” “blame is a diversion from the truth,” and “the inevitable is definitely NOT inevitable.” It could be confused for fortune cookie wisdom, but if you think about those things as you listen, you’ll really get the meaning. The music is really meant to be a soundtrack to the moments in your life you wish you could bottle up—the ones where you feel free for a moment or two—so that whenever you listen, you feel empowered and are reminded of the fact that you can do anything you really put yourself into. The fact that that sentiment and so many other important ideas have become cliched (or even ridiculed) is exactly what we’re fighting back against, and what we want to help listeners reconnect with by being unafraid to appreciate those feelings again. There’s a definite political element to it, and we’re hoping to inspire people to get out and do something about all of this insanity—especially vote! The politicians who are in there right now are not going to listen to anyone; they’re going to do whatever they want, no matter how much people protest. So the only thing that is really going to have an effect on the direction of where we’re going is to VOTE!
What plans do you have in mind for the future?
What’s up next depends a lot on what happens now. We’re pushing hard to make the biggest splash possible with this new album in the U.S., but we’re also making a huge push to make it a big success in the U.K. and EU. We’ll be doing a lot more touring in the spring and summer, with some East Coast dates planned for May and June. After that, as long as everything goes as planned, we will be doing a U.K./EU tour. We’ve already got the team in place to make it happen, so it’s much more likely than not that it will happen, but of course we don’t even know if we’ll still be alive in June, so we can only be so sure that anything’s gonna happen, right? After that, we’ll hunker back down in the studio in the fall to start recording the next album, and we’ll probably stop touring for a bit so we can focus on that. If everything explodes with this album, that whole timeline may get pushed up sooner by a bit, which we would welcome.
It was a dark and stormy night when I met Jack Killen at the TriBeCa bar Nancy’s Whiskey Pub. The rain outside, and the bustling, old fashioned environment inside, made it a fitting time and place to discuss his latest EP.
Dangerous Lunch Crowd is largely inspired by his love of detective novels. “I like to write about pulpy subjects, and I thought it was cool to do a concept, detective fiction EP,” Killen explained. “It’s always, there was the girl, there was the bad guy, there was this detective or cop. And that’s basically it, you can make a story out of that. I think Raymond Chandler said, if you don’t know what to write, make the phone ring. Kick down the door. Do something dramatic.”
The four songs on Dangerous Lunch Crowd are crafted with help from this formula; their plots could be taken straight off the back of a detective novel. “Genevieve,” about a troubled relationship, starts with unexpected action: “You threw a glass of shiraz on my favorite t-shirt.” It also includes my favorite, highly specific lyric from the EP, “I remember you tweaking in my crummy apartment/ Watching a slowed down version of acat video by some guy in Japan.”
Meanwhile, power ballad “Lower” narrates a dark past, and the epic “Symphony Of Skin” could be interpreted as a familiar plot line of the detective seduced by the dame who waltzes into his office. “Renegade” opens with bare piano chords, and you can almost see the sun lighting up a strange cast of characters in a smoky bar: “There’s a party for the unwanted, the desperate and the haunted.” A cheesy guitar solo starts, stirring up trouble. His girl wants the kind of life he can’t afford. He’s a straight shooter who knows the rules well enough to break them.
“Renegade is about, for sure, a criminal,” Killen elaborated. “You know ‘Atlantic City’ by Bruce Springsteen? One of my favorite lines is in there: ‘Last night I met this guy, and I’m gonna do a little favor for him.’ Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, they were all doing the outlaw rock thing. It’s like, how do you get ahead in the world? That’s what the song’s about.”
Josh Slater, who directed the videos that accompany Dangerous Lunch Crowd, shares the obsession with pulpy detective stories. Jack listed some of their favorite writers, including Ed McBain and Charles Willeford. They also share a fondness for gritty, lo-fi music videos. The three released so far share a sincere goofiness, with loose, offbeat plots that seem like something you’d stumble across while watching TV at four a.m.
Besides the literature and outlaw rockers he mentioned, what are Killen’s other influences? Musically, “If I could sound like Warren Zevon meets Sparks, that would literally be my dream,” he says. “I’m hopelessly obsessed with Warren Zevon. He’s tongue in cheek, but it’s so dark.”
When it comes to his work ethic, however, inspiration comes from an unexpected source: Charles Ives. “He was always the coolest guy to me, because he was a full time insurance salesman all of his life, but he’s also one of the most important American classical composers,” he explains. “He did a kind of bastardized American folk tunes. They’re cool as hell. He shows, if you’re neurotic enough, you can do it all.” Killen has also learned how to balance his musical life with a full time job. He’s a beer distributor, which lends its own source of inspiration. “I love the beer business because you get to go door to door, you get to talk to all the people. I’ve been living here for 11 years, and my largest influence, for sure, is just chaotic craziness of New York.”
Visiting these places ties back into the detective novelists, too. “I love Forlini’s. You read an Andrew Vachss novel, and they’re at City Hall, at that bar right there. Whether or not they make up fake names, they’re actual reference points of the city. And places like this,” Killen gestures enthusiastically at the Nancy’s Pub crowd. “It’s so exciting! Like, who are all of these people?”
Dangerous Lunch Crowd, recorded and produced by Graham Dickson of Crystal Fighters, is out now via Axis Mundi Records. Stream the EP below!
“There is a need to reweave our nation’s social fabric as it is being torn.” This is Linda Friedman Schmidt’s poignant appraisal of Trump’s America. Schmidt is one of 80 female visual artists taking part in UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN, an exhibition at Tribeca’s The Untitled Space gallery this Tuesday, just in time for the Inauguration – and nationwide marches of resistance. The exhibit will run until January 28th, and will showcase the work of artists from all over the country.
Just two months ago, enraged and stupefied by the outcome of November’s Presidential Election, artist and founder of The Untitled Magazine and Space Indira Cesarine rallied her fellow creative women to action. On The Untitled’s website Cesarine invoked artists to submit topical work embodying their post election fear, devastation, and outrage…it was an open call for artistic activism.
“The 2016 election has brought to the surface extremes of sexism, racism and discrimination,”Cesarine wrote. “A dark cloud looms over those who respect ideals of equal rights, human dignity and humanitarianism…Artists are encouraged to empower themselves and others with works for the “Angry Women” exhibit that responds to the political and social climate as well as explore themes revolving around feminism today and female empowerment.”
UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN will feature works by new and established contemporary artists, including pieces by Rose McGowan, Jennifer Dwyer, Kristen Williams, Haile Bins, Boo Lynn Walsh, and Cara DeAngelis, to name but a few.
Additionally, the exhibit has partnered with the ERA Coalition – the organization working to pass and ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in our Constitution. The Untitled Space will donate 25% of all proceeds from the exhibit to further their initiative.
I sat down with Cesarine at her gallery to discuss feminist art, a woman’s right to choose, and the importance of solidarity.
Audiofemme: What was the impetus for UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN?
Indira Cesarine: I think that every woman with any level of integrity, who has any concern with human rights and progression and the importance of diversity and equality – a lot of those people are really shocked by the outcome of the election. I think it was a wake up call to a lot of people. Right now our human rights are being put up in question, and the idea that you can take those as a given is no longer a fact.
I thought this was a great opportunity to shed light on how woman are feeling today, through the work of female visual artists, and not only address how women are feeling about the election, but about the future of women’s rights, about the challenges that women face, and the importance of solidarity.
This is the first exhibit at the gallery that is open to submissions. We had over 400 artists submit over 1,800 works of art.
Originally the show was going to be twenty artists, and I’ve decided to extend it to 80 artists, just one work of art per artist, that way we can have as many different women in the show as possible. The work is so unique and has so much passion. Quite a few works are unique pieces that have been made just for the show, while others were made while the election was going on or in the past year when everything was reaching blood-boiling temperatures.
What is your biggest fear in regards to women’s rights given the current political climate?
One of the biggest issues is [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Trump’s] determination to roll back women’s rights with regards to abortion, and I think this is one of the most dangerous and potentially horrific things that could happen to women today. I strongly believe that no one should be able to tell a woman whether or not she’s allowed to make decisions with regards to her body…particularly when it comes to the early trimesters of pregnancy.
They just passed in Ohio, a ban on abortions after twenty weeks, and in many states they’re trying to close the gap of when you can have an abortion. But the problem with that is that you can’t even get a lot of the testing for disease and various things that might go wrong in your pregnancy. Like the Zika virus; you have to be further along to be tested for things like that. It’s one of those issues where there are a lot of women that may have been raped, and, just the amount of women who can’t afford to have kids, that may be stuck in the middle of this political war over whether the government should be allowed to dictate these sort of things. I don’t think the government should have anything to do with it.
For me, it’s also a really personal issue, because my grandmother died of an abortion. My mother was eleven when my grandmother died. Her mother had already had several children. She was married to a very abusive man. This was at a time when there was nothing you could really do if you had an abusive husband, there was no legal recourse to do anything for domestic violence, and she got pregnant again.
She finds out she’s pregnant with her fifth child, they’re dirt poor, she cannot afford it…she physically and mentally was not capable of having another child. So she sought out an abortion on her own and died of blood poisoning. She was rushed to the hospital and nobody would help her.
When you look at those circumstances – I really think that could potentially happen today if we revert back to the coat hanger tactics where women have to go to back alleys to get abortions.
This whole pro-life thing, well whose life are supporting here? What about the women who are living and breathing right now on this planet? These basic human rights that people take for granted – at the end of the day that is all potentially going to be pulled out from underneath us, if [Trump] gets his way. I think it’s all a big tactic of reverting women back into the home, being barefoot and pregnant and taking away the progress we’ve made.
“Our Bodies Our Choice” by Kelly Witte
It’s absurd because people think that if you make something illegal it goes away, but it’s like Prohibition: it doesn’t go away. Women don’t stop getting abortions…they just get worse abortions.
Exactly.
You’ve formed an alliance with the ERA Coalition for this show; can you talk about the importance of their work?
The ERA Coalition was founded by Jessica Neuwirth, and they have an incredible board of directors which includes Gloria Steinem and a lot of important feminist activists. They’ve recently worked with Patricia Arquette, Jane Fonda and a lot of phenomenal women who are all very vocal about the importance of having an Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution. I think it’s incredible that in 2017 we still don’t have an Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution. A lot of people think that it’s in the Constitution, but it’s not. There are all kinds of sex discrimination issues that are in various laws and elements of our system, but when it comes down to making it to the Supreme Court, there is nothing in our Constitution that says that you can’t discriminate against women. Sex discrimination happens on a daily basis to women all over the country, and there’s very little you can do about it.
It’s up to interpretation state-by-state.
Exactly! I think that it’s very important for the ERA to be revisited and that there be a movement for it to be included in the constitution. Many years ago it was three states short of being ratified, but largely in part to this woman Phyllis Schlafly, who insisted that, ‘if there’s an ERA amendment, we’re going to have to use co-ed bathrooms and women might lose some of the rights they have as housewives, and gay men might be able to get married!’ But, guess what? All those things are commonplace now. The ERA amendment never passed because they created this fear campaign that ‘women might have to use co-ed bathrooms and they could get raped,’ and as a result, a lot of women got scared and voted against it. It’s fascinating that it was a woman who created the fear campaign against the ERA amendment, and I hope that it does have a possibility to be reconsidered.
I read in an interview that when you originally became an artist you didn’t initially gravitate towards activism; that it was something you later came to. Was there some kind of catalyst in your experiences that made you think, ‘I have to take action’?
It’s really interesting you ask that. I went to school at Columbia University and I got a triple major in art history, French literature and women’s studies. I was actively working as an artist – painting, printmaking, photography – all kinds of things before I started my path as a professional photographer. I was incredibly active when it came to feminism and women’s rights issues when I was in high school and in college, but with my photography I got steered into working as a fashion photographer. I had all these incredible opportunities that happened to me when I was so young, that diverted my attention away from my artwork and from feminism. As a commercial photographer I tried to create empowering images of women, but often the work gets diluted by the time it is published in the magazines. They edit the photos and definitely the message is lost.
Although I was one of the few female fashion photographers out there when I started in the early 90’s, so in many respects I was a pioneer of sorts as a woman in a male dominated industry. It wasn’t until many years later, after I launched my own magazine, and stopped working freelance, that my interests really shifted back to my art and interest in feminism as an important aspect of my life. I think that when I started working on the GirlPower issue of The Untitled Magazine, which was an entire issue dedicated to feminism produced exclusively by creative women. I think that was a turning point for me for sure. I launched The Untitled Space gallery that same year, which focuses on Women in Art.
Artwork featured in the UPRISE: ANGRY WOMEN exhibit, left to right, Ingrid V. Wells, Annika Connor, Lili White
How has working so many years in the fashion industry – a microcosm often accused of abetting the objectification of women – altered your perception of how society treats women? Has it informed your approach to feminism?
For many years when I was working as a fashion photographer I didn’t even tell people I was a feminist, as the fashion industry didn’t really align with feminism. It was treated like a bad word for a long time. I think that has changed now as they have seen the younger generation take a vast interest in the subject and it became “trendy” to be a feminist. For the most part I don’t really think the fashion industry (or the modeling industry) really promotes feminism with the general focus being so much on looks. Some designers are incorporating body positive fashion and there is a push for plus sized fashion in the past few years but I think we have a long way to go.
Are there any artists in the show you are particularly excited about?
We received artwork from artists all over the country, and they each brought a different message to the exhibit. I was extremely impressed with the diversity in the artwork, and the artist statements. We had such a varied response – from anger to fear, sadness, and humor. Some of the artwork is very serious, with a dark ominous undertone, while other artists created very powerful satirical works that have an enormous amount of strength in the message behind the humor. We have artwork from emerging seventeen-year-old artists, to very established artists who have exhibited in major museums. Rose McGowan created a very dynamic video art piece called “WOMANSWOMB”.
“Donald Trump with a Crown of Roadkill” by Cara DeAngelis
With exhibits you’ve done like Self Reflection and In The Raw, there was a huge focus on women reclaiming their image from the male gaze; how will UPRISE differ from past exhibitions?
Previous exhibits have had that element, but I think that this particular exhibit is very political in nature. I think that previous exhibits here were very focused on themes revolving around feminism and, like you said, reclaiming the female body. But this particular show is probably one of the most emotionally engaging exhibits. This is probably the most diverse exhibit we’ve done.
I definitely think that the undertone of the female voice as a roar is very powerful throughout all of our exhibits, and it’s my mission to make feminist art as a genre more accessible and viable in the art market, but I also felt that this show meant a lot to women who were grappling with their emotions and trying to figure out how to handle it, and how could they in some way have a positive impact. How could they inspire and empower other women to be the strong voices that we need right now to combat what we have ahead? We need to put our combat boots on.
The idea of anger is really motivating, and it’s a good thing to hear because I think people shy away from it too much.
Oh, so many people said, “do you have to call it Angry Women?” I’m playing on the stereotype of women being angry as being bad; that women have to smile all the time, be pretty, be nice to everyone; that women can’t have a stern, distinctive point of view, strong voice; that they’re not allowed to be leaders in their community or the workforce, because what happens when you have a female boss, if she’s remotely strong, everybody says she’s a bitch. Men don’t get treated that way; it’s a total double standard. I think that’s one of the biggest things holding women back. That systematic attitude that a powerful woman is angry…there’s something wrong with that.
I couldn’t agree more. I think the whole idea of just being ‘positive’ and not speaking up is such a subjugating tactic.
Of course. I think that it’s important to channel your anger in a positive way so that you can empower yourself and empower others while you’re at it.
I was thinking of the exhibition when I saw Madonna’s speech at the Billboard Women In Music Awards; what did you think of it?
I thought it was very powerful, we wrote about it in Untitled, I thought it was great. I think she said some very powerful things about the stereotyping and discrimination she faced being a female in music. I think that it is important for women to speak up and be honest on these subjects and it was a brave thing for her to do.
Within the music industry, many feminist musicians take issue with language like “Front-woman” or “Female Musician.” How do you feel that nomenclature exists within the art world? Is saying “Female Artist” empowering or limiting to you?
I know a lot of female artists who feel their gender has nothing to do with their work, and for many it’s not relevant. I think when it comes to feminist art as a genre, your work is revolving around your gender as a focus, so it’s a different story. I personally have no problem putting “female artist” in front of my name, I’m proud to be a woman and for me personally it’s something that is relevant to my work.
UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN opens Tuesday, January 17th at The Untitled Space gallery, 45 Lispenard St, NY.
“PROTEST” by Indira Cesarine[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Earlier this year a gorgeous, baroque, oddball record came out by Welshman Meilyr Jones, formerly of Racehorses repute. The album entitled 2013, was written during a sabbatical in Rome Jones took that very year. In its many rotations on my record player, 2013 continues to stun me, and will certainly be high up on my year-end list. While I still eagerly await Jones to tour the U.S., the best I can do is envy his U.K. fanbase, as he’s just added a handful of tour dates to his schedule. Oh, and I guess I could ask him about God, his Grandmother, and the pros/cons of the contemporary music industry. Read on!
Audiofemme: You’ve spoken at length about the impact of your trip to Rome. Do you have plans for returning? If so how do you think the experience will differ or affect your creativity?
Meilyr Jones: That’s interesting. I will return but I have no idea what will happen. That is the magic of the place.
You recorded 2013 on a fairly tight budget – youʼd never know it from listening – yet you still managed to feature a 30 piece orchestra as well as some unexpected instruments. What would you dream of doing if money were no object in the studio?
I think I like the fact that music/art and what you make doesn’t scale up with money. I’d probably end up making a 4-track record with a small group of people. Haha. Part of the fun was not needing a big industrial model to achieve things. I am really firm in that. Imagination, support, and passion can achieve things of big scale. I was lucky to meet so many able, and kind and talented people that I worked with. It wasn’t an already put-together orchestra; I brought the group together with help from my friends.
Looking back what are you most proud of with regards to this record?
I am most proud of my determination to complete it.
How has Welsh culture influenced your music or your way of approaching your craft? Do you feel a lot of solidarity with other Welsh artists?
I feel very lucky to have grown up in Wales and very fortunate to have bands such as Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci around when I was growing up, who were from down the road in Pembrokeshire. I saw them when they came to the Student’s Union in Aberystwyth. There’s a lot of fun in their music as well as an uncompromising and individual attitude and freedom, I and other bands in Wales were lucky to grow up with that around as an example. I was also lucky to grow up with the Eisteddfod in a way, and Welsh poetry. There was also Ankst Music which was a record label and management company who worked with Super Furry Animals and put out SFA, Datblygu and Gorky’s records who fostered a certain kind of ethos. So from all angles, good.
You clearly have a lot of passion for and knowledge of the fine art world…if music wasn’t your profession what would it be? Perhaps painting or sculpting?
I love it, but I have no skills or much of an aptitude for drawing or sculpture I don’t think. I can’t imagine not doing music. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Perhaps I would be a gardener or something.
There seems to be some discussion about authenticity in art on the record, particularly with the opening track. What does your idea of an authentic artist/work of art look like? Is there such a thing?
I think it will always take a different shape. But something you feel, that makes you want to return to it, that a work of art grows and moves you. Maybe sometimes first by remembering, then revisiting it.
As an artist, what is the greatest thing about the contemporary music industry? The worst thing? Why?
The best thing is the breakdown of it, and the fact that there is less of an attraction for big companies so there is less of a hold. The hard thing is the self-consciousness because there is so much history that we are always around. I think that our history is the best thing and the hardest.
Youʼve worked with a lot of incredible musicians in the past – your own band Racehorses, Cate Le Bon, Gruff Rhys…if you could collaborate with any living musician who would it be?
Kate Bush.
I read in an interview that you consider yourself a religious person. Would you mind expanding on that? What does religion and/or God mean to you?
I’m not sure exactly. I think there is a lot of wisdom in the past that is lacking now, also a dominance of reason and the physical/visual. I certainly believe in more than chaos, and feel more than just what I can see.
2013 suggests quite a bit of Romantic and Classical influence and I know you have a lot of affection for poets, artists, and composers of those eras, but who are some contemporary musicians that you admire?
I like Neil Young and also Serafina Steer.
Iʼm curious about something you mentioned in an interview about your grandmother being a huge source of inspiration for you. Can you tell us why?
Yes. She was full of excitement. She was imaginative and musical and encouraging. Also the character in the way she played the piano came from a different time – wartime and a mix of Welsh chapel music…it’s hard to describe the combination, but I remember it distinctively. She was a link to a past with a really clear and warm feeling. The ‘30s and ‘40s in music…
I loved learning about your reading Hector Berliozʼs autobiography, and the intense passion with which he experienced all forms of art. Sometimes I feel like modern- day audiences or “listeners” are far less engaged in the music they are surrounded by – it is merely background music and no one has the time to listen to an album in full. What is your take on this? How do you reconcile with that as an avid an active artist and art appreciator alike?
That’s a really good question. I find it hard to listen to albums. I think slowing down the pace of life, or at least spending more time doing things without too much of an intention is important. If you see everything as a goal to be achieved, things can’t grow or seep in. When you are a teenager and have fewer expectations it’s easier for things to grow on you, and to be open to listening to things I think. I think we expect to be won over in 10 seconds or we’re on to the next thing. Maybe that’s why a lot of contemporary art is quite bold, and pop music is getting harder and more reactive because the impact is more valued than growing.
A lighter question to follow that one: what instrument are you eager to learn, and why?
Haha. I’d like to learn the violin. I’ve never learned an instrument with a bow.
What other aspects of the music industry would you like to someday tackle? Are you interested in production? Film scores? Musical theater?
I’m not interested in production so much. But continue to do what I’m excited about, wherever that takes me.
Lastly: any plans to tour the U.S.? Weʼre dying to see you live!
Yes! I’m making sorts of plans at the moment for it. I hope to be with you soon.
Check out the video for Meilyr Jones’ “Strange/Emotional” below!
Ticket Giveaways
Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.
