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{"id":25492,"date":"2018-08-30T14:37:55","date_gmt":"2018-08-30T18:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/?p=25492"},"modified":"2018-08-30T15:42:11","modified_gmt":"2018-08-30T19:42:11","slug":"premiere-cillie-barnes-mudslides-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/premiere-cillie-barnes-mudslides-review\/","title":{"rendered":"PREMIERE: Cillie Barnes “Mudslides”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vanessa Long is the woman behind Cillie Barnes,\u00a0a five-piece “avant-pop” project out of Happy Valley, California. It’s her Ojai style, her witchy lyrics, and her shaman (that’s right, I said shaman) that make this band feel intrinsically LA. It’s an easy aesthetic to dismiss nowadays. Every band north of the 101 carries crystals in their pocket and has a reiki master on speed-dial. It may be trendy, but Cillie Barnes is careful to craft music with a genuine story and message attached.<\/p>\n

As I prepped this interview, I found myself humming Cillie Barnes’ single “Brainwash” off of 2013’s Happy Valley<\/em>. It has an\u00a0effervescence, a cheeriness to it that’s refreshing. “Mudslides” goes in an altogether different direction: Long’s sweet, often childlike voice creates an eerie, unsettling vibe. “‘Mudslides’ is trip down memory lane with an ex-lover, a shaman and a ghost. And a reflection on how sometimes, they can all seem like one in the same,” Long says of the song.\u00a0It’s an interesting duality that plays with the message of the song; memories of a romance can feel sweet and sour at the same time.<\/p>\n

Listen to “Mudslides” and read our interview with Vanessa below!<\/p>\n

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>You grew up in Newport Beach, California. For those who aren’t familiar with Orange County, can you give us an idea of the music scene there?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Vanessa Long:<\/strong> Haha, yes. While I was there I was pretty into the straightedge hardcore scene believe it or not. That was the bulk of the shows and the bands coming out of my area. I loved going to live shows so that was really my only option. I’d drive up to LA for other bands. I had Mark McGrath’s history book for a summer school class once too. And I feel like Train went to my high school, so all and all, kind of fun and kind of bleak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>An interesting reaction to all that sunshine. When did you first start writing your own songs? Were they in that hardcore vein?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> No – that would be amazing though. I started writing songs when I was around 20 or so. I’d always written. But 23 for me is when it really started kicking in. I started a band with one of my best friends on accident and he just encouraged\/put up with me writing a bunch of nonsense and singing on some of his tracks. Let me play the drums on occasion. Once I started writing lyrics I couldn’t stop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>Were they “gypsy-pop” from the start?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> Hmm…in a way. I’ve always liked spooky stuff. “Disney Goth” might be a more accurate representation these days. The music’s evolved since then with the band I have now and continues to do so… my writing style switches but you can always expect some sort of mythological creature or weird setting to pop up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: I very much enjoy your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cilliebarnes\/photos\/a.355020661207050\/1862368787138889\/?type=1&theater\">Maid Marian fox\/mermaid hybrid<\/a> image on The Facebook.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> Me too. She’s a bae.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/79264677\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/79264677\">Cillie Barnes – “Happy Valley” (OMG LA 2013)<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/omgcameras\">OMG Everywhere<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\">Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>You live in Happy Valley, California. I had to google it to make sure it existed. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump outside Sacramento. What made you move there?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> It’s actually in Los Angeles – it’s a part of El Sereno which is in East LA but I’ve googled that too. Isn’t that where they take Scientologists away to die secretly? W<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hich is sort of similar to our household here… j<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ust kidding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To answer the second part of your question: I found a place I liked that had lots of land all around it and I could make music at all hours of the day or night and no one cared. It’s a hillside and such a beautiful part of LA. I’ve been here for 9 years and people are just now starting to gentrify.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>Oh! There are two Happy Valleys? I was going to say it’s quite out there.<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> Haha yes, just googled to be sure. There’s a YouTube video called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uyNfEm8Vo8Y\">Scientology- Missing in Happy Valley<\/a> which I’ll for sure be watching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF:<em> In an <a href=\"https:\/\/electrotrashed.blogspot.com\/2013\/04\/cillie-barnes-interview-with-rising-los.html\">interview with West Coast Fix,<\/a> you described your writing process, saying “…I want to do a song about Ancient Egypt and the Book of the Dead. I want to meld it with fast food, acetaminophen, aliens and crystals. I want to make it sound tribally and dub-steppy and folky. Now, how can we can do that?” What stories, objects, and music did you draw on for your new album,<\/em> Cobra Lily<em>?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> Frogs are featured a lot, Luna Moths, Snake Oil Salesmen, dodgeball games, the ocean always seems to be an overlying theme, Halloween, Ursula, Freddy Krueger, Albert Einstein, dogs, natural disasters, and parties that are nice.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m sure I sing about drugs of some sort too.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or wine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jh0k7MODs24\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>Can you give us insight into your new single \u201cMudslides\u201d? What was your initial inspiration and how did you craft a song around it?<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> The verses are whirlwind, dead-end romance and the chorus is longing for someone else. I’ve listened to it a ton of times now and think it can mean lots of things. It was written about a guy and a trip to New Orleans, how it felt like the beginning and the end all in one trip. Our keyboard player Nicky, aka Nick White, started riffing around on keys and I thought the lyrics fit nicely on top. Also shoutout to my shaman, Bobby Klein, who gets a name-drop in the first verse!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-25497 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-194x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-324x501.jpg 324w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-416x643.jpg 416w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-768x1187.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-663x1024.jpg 663w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-200x309.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-400x618.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-600x927.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-500x773.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter-700x1082.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnesposter.jpg 792w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>I love the album artwork for<\/em> Cobra Lily<em>. It definitely has a different vibe than your previous records.<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong> I found her stuff online forever ago and looooved it. She’s super elusive and I couldn’t find her anywhere. I finally tracked down her real name and had to find her Etsy store where she didn’t sell her stuff, just purchased. I was a full blown creep. I just hoped it was her. I heard back from her like 8 months later when I had just finished the artwork. Haha. But I was like PLEEEASE.. she sent back two options and they are both so dope. Anyway, she goes by Bape.ril.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>AF: <em>In September, you\u2019ll be doing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bootlegtheater.org\/event\/1744149-cillie-barnes-residency-los-angeles\/\">a residency at The Bootleg Theater<\/a>. What can a prospective audience member expect from a Cillie Barnes show? I heard a rumor papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 might be involved.<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>VL:<\/strong>\u00a0I have been toiling all month creating giant jungle pieces and carnivorous plants… we’ll see how it plays out, but I want it to look really awesome. Also, we’re bringing different bands together each show that don’t normally play together. Really want each night to be a totally different experience from the others. We have some other things up our collective sleeves but one will have to come and find out…<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Cillie Barnes\u2019 debut full-length, <\/em>Cobra Lily<em>, is due out September 21st. Are you a Los Angeles native? See Cillie Barnes LIVE at The Bootleg Theater this September. Full lineup below. Get your tickets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bootlegtheater.org\/event\/1744149-cillie-barnes-residency-los-angeles\/\">HERE<\/a>!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><b><u>Bootleg Residency:<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aBn\"><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aQJ\">September 3<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div>Zach Tabori<\/div>\n<div>Special Guests<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aBn\"><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aQJ\">September 10th<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div>Christian Lee Hutson<\/div>\n<div>Sean Gadd<\/div>\n<div>Teenage Lobotomy Boy<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aBn\"><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aQJ\">September 17th<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div>Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds)<\/div>\n<div>Junk<\/div>\n<div>Palm Springsteen<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aBn\"><span class=\"m_6791451906231236632m_-7693859259854305024gmail-aQJ\">September 24th<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div>Malcom McRae<\/div>\n<div>The Chances<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vanessa Long is the woman behind Cillie Barnes,\u00a0a five-piece “avant-pop” project out of Happy Valley, California. It’s her Ojai style, her witchy lyrics, and her shaman (that’s right, I said shaman) that make this band feel intrinsically LA. It’s an easy aesthetic to dismiss nowadays. Every band north of the 101 carries crystals in their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":25496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[573,305,567],"tags":[8075,8071,8076,8072,8073,8074,8077],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cilliebarnes-by-Ledi-Lalaj.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25492"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25492"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25514,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25492\/revisions\/25514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}