1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:22,996 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Today on the show, we'll be hearing from sylvan Essos, 2 00:00:23,156 --> 00:00:26,836 Speaker 1: Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath. They've been making music together 3 00:00:26,876 --> 00:00:30,756 Speaker 1: since twenty thirteen, when Amelia asked Nick, a music producer 4 00:00:30,756 --> 00:00:34,116 Speaker 1: and bassist, to remix her band Mountain Man's hit single 5 00:00:34,236 --> 00:00:37,836 Speaker 1: play It Right. He did. End as they say, the 6 00:00:37,956 --> 00:00:42,076 Speaker 1: rest is history. From the very beginning, sylvan Esso's had 7 00:00:42,116 --> 00:00:46,596 Speaker 1: a very sleek electro pop feel to their production. Amelia's 8 00:00:46,636 --> 00:00:49,956 Speaker 1: powerful voice is front and center, surrounded by harmonies and 9 00:00:50,236 --> 00:00:54,676 Speaker 1: samples of her own voice. Nick's genre destroying bass creates intricate, 10 00:00:54,716 --> 00:00:59,116 Speaker 1: pulsing grooves for Amelia's voice to inhabit. Now, the married 11 00:00:59,116 --> 00:01:02,556 Speaker 1: couple and electronic duo have released their fourth studio album, 12 00:01:02,876 --> 00:01:06,116 Speaker 1: No Rules Sandy. It's a follow up to the band's 13 00:01:06,116 --> 00:01:10,596 Speaker 1: Grammy nominated twenty twenty album Free Love. This new album 14 00:01:10,676 --> 00:01:14,996 Speaker 1: is a mix of improvisation and experimentation, recorded primarily in 15 00:01:15,036 --> 00:01:17,916 Speaker 1: the span of three weeks at a rented studio space 16 00:01:17,956 --> 00:01:22,356 Speaker 1: in La just earlier this year. On today's episode, Bruce 17 00:01:22,356 --> 00:01:24,996 Speaker 1: had them speaks with Amelia and Nick about their creative 18 00:01:25,036 --> 00:01:28,636 Speaker 1: process and how No Rule Sandy came to be. They 19 00:01:28,676 --> 00:01:33,996 Speaker 1: also play songs off their new album Live for Us. 20 00:01:35,116 --> 00:01:38,276 Speaker 1: This is broken record liner notes for the Digital Age. 21 00:01:38,556 --> 00:01:42,396 Speaker 1: I'm justin Richmond. Here's Bruce had them with Amelia Meath 22 00:01:42,556 --> 00:01:58,636 Speaker 1: and Nick Sandborne of sylvan esod banging coming fine watchman, 23 00:01:59,156 --> 00:02:10,996 Speaker 1: I'm looking fine streets back in the same body. Try 24 00:02:11,116 --> 00:02:17,236 Speaker 1: to where be wait wait just for me me. There's 25 00:02:17,236 --> 00:02:22,836 Speaker 1: a lot of down fallow down. When she said, when 26 00:02:22,916 --> 00:02:37,956 Speaker 1: they got down beating down to follow, follow to let 27 00:02:40,756 --> 00:02:45,596 Speaker 1: see the lading, be let the echo, gut your v 28 00:02:47,436 --> 00:02:52,956 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people down down fall down, she stays, 29 00:02:53,156 --> 00:02:59,196 Speaker 1: when they got drive beating baring all around, everybody played 30 00:02:59,356 --> 00:03:07,196 Speaker 1: down to how there's a lot of em falled down. 31 00:03:07,396 --> 00:03:15,796 Speaker 1: When she stays, when they got laid down, you want 32 00:03:15,996 --> 00:03:34,596 Speaker 1: to do now, there's a lot of people want people work, 33 00:03:35,276 --> 00:03:42,156 Speaker 1: they don't. You don't work. They don't. They don't work. 34 00:03:42,916 --> 00:04:08,396 Speaker 1: They don't. Don't You don't work, they don't. So fortu listen, 35 00:04:09,396 --> 00:04:15,116 Speaker 1: you were were so many many as among you. I 36 00:04:15,356 --> 00:04:22,196 Speaker 1: was waving a small mon bye bye bye bye bye 37 00:04:22,876 --> 00:04:31,716 Speaker 1: bye bye bye thane bye bye bye bye bye thne 38 00:04:32,396 --> 00:04:41,236 Speaker 1: bye bane bye bye bye b bye bye bye bye 39 00:04:41,916 --> 00:04:51,756 Speaker 1: bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye 40 00:04:52,396 --> 00:05:47,196 Speaker 1: bye fine fine, fine, do now do play down right? 41 00:05:47,436 --> 00:05:54,796 Speaker 1: No right now no right no no no no right 42 00:05:55,036 --> 00:05:59,436 Speaker 1: no no no r no no no no no no 43 00:05:59,876 --> 00:06:03,796 Speaker 1: no no no. Well, thank you so much. That was 44 00:06:04,516 --> 00:06:09,516 Speaker 1: a live version of Echo Party from Sylvan Esso's new album, 45 00:06:09,796 --> 00:06:13,396 Speaker 1: which is No Rule Sandy. All. That sound was created 46 00:06:13,436 --> 00:06:16,916 Speaker 1: by just two people in the studio with me Amelia 47 00:06:17,156 --> 00:06:20,436 Speaker 1: Meath and Nick Sandborn. Thank you so much for coming, 48 00:06:20,836 --> 00:06:23,196 Speaker 1: thanks for having us, and thanks for that great version 49 00:06:23,236 --> 00:06:25,596 Speaker 1: of that song. I will also mention that the new 50 00:06:25,676 --> 00:06:29,716 Speaker 1: album got a rave review from the New York Times, 51 00:06:30,276 --> 00:06:33,756 Speaker 1: which does not often give rave reviews. Before we get 52 00:06:33,796 --> 00:06:37,116 Speaker 1: into how you create so much music just the two 53 00:06:37,156 --> 00:06:39,876 Speaker 1: of you, let's talk a little bit about this new 54 00:06:39,916 --> 00:06:43,236 Speaker 1: album how it came about. Nick and I have started 55 00:06:43,276 --> 00:06:47,756 Speaker 1: a tradition where every January we load our car full 56 00:06:47,796 --> 00:06:50,836 Speaker 1: of things and drive from North Carolina to Los Angeles. 57 00:06:51,796 --> 00:06:55,116 Speaker 1: This January was no different. We were on our way 58 00:06:55,356 --> 00:06:57,836 Speaker 1: to go both do a bunch of songwriting sessions and 59 00:06:57,876 --> 00:06:59,236 Speaker 1: also go to the Grammys at the end of the 60 00:06:59,316 --> 00:07:02,196 Speaker 1: month and gets in Los Angeles sunshine. And then when 61 00:07:02,236 --> 00:07:05,156 Speaker 1: we got there to our rental, the omicron variant had 62 00:07:05,196 --> 00:07:08,476 Speaker 1: spiked and everything was canceled. So Nick and I found 63 00:07:08,516 --> 00:07:11,636 Speaker 1: ourselves like a little baby studio set up in this 64 00:07:11,836 --> 00:07:14,836 Speaker 1: house with no one to hang out with other than 65 00:07:14,916 --> 00:07:19,396 Speaker 1: each other. And so every day we tried to write 66 00:07:19,396 --> 00:07:22,116 Speaker 1: a song, and the most magical part of it was 67 00:07:22,196 --> 00:07:25,796 Speaker 1: that every time we tried we could. We wrote all 68 00:07:25,876 --> 00:07:29,276 Speaker 1: these songs about the span of three weeks together. Yeah, 69 00:07:29,356 --> 00:07:33,436 Speaker 1: it was just kind of this magical, totally unexpected time 70 00:07:33,916 --> 00:07:36,196 Speaker 1: that neither of us really saw coming, and it was 71 00:07:36,236 --> 00:07:39,476 Speaker 1: all kind of born out of this wild trip that 72 00:07:39,596 --> 00:07:43,036 Speaker 1: like where everything went wrong except this. Do you write 73 00:07:43,076 --> 00:07:45,996 Speaker 1: every day when you're in Durham as well or only 74 00:07:46,036 --> 00:07:47,916 Speaker 1: only when you have to put out an album? No, 75 00:07:48,196 --> 00:07:51,116 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't. I find that when I'm in 76 00:07:51,236 --> 00:07:55,236 Speaker 1: the practice of songwriting it won't be like around a 77 00:07:55,396 --> 00:07:58,716 Speaker 1: record necessarily, but I'll do it in a short period 78 00:07:58,796 --> 00:08:01,556 Speaker 1: of time, pushing towards something. But normally I have to 79 00:08:01,636 --> 00:08:05,596 Speaker 1: like chill out between writing. Otherwise I only write songs 80 00:08:05,636 --> 00:08:07,996 Speaker 1: about writing songs, and you can only write so many 81 00:08:08,036 --> 00:08:11,916 Speaker 1: of those when you are writing, because you, guys, this 82 00:08:12,076 --> 00:08:15,116 Speaker 1: is electronic music. How does the song typically begin? Does 83 00:08:15,156 --> 00:08:17,716 Speaker 1: it begin with a loop? Does it begin with a sound? 84 00:08:17,876 --> 00:08:20,916 Speaker 1: Does it begin with a lyric. How does this come together? 85 00:08:21,556 --> 00:08:24,876 Speaker 1: It happens in all sorts of different ways. How it's 86 00:08:24,916 --> 00:08:27,996 Speaker 1: been happening most recently is Nick and I will sit 87 00:08:28,036 --> 00:08:31,316 Speaker 1: in the same room and we'll Nick will start making noise, 88 00:08:31,916 --> 00:08:35,436 Speaker 1: and I will encourage him in the directions that I like, 89 00:08:36,116 --> 00:08:38,356 Speaker 1: so like if he finds like a beautiful section then 90 00:08:38,396 --> 00:08:40,436 Speaker 1: he makes I'll be like, loop that, Let's loop that 91 00:08:40,596 --> 00:08:46,356 Speaker 1: and then let's build something around that. Or sometimes he's 92 00:08:46,876 --> 00:08:53,476 Speaker 1: just doodling around and then I begin responding by writing lyrics. Yeah, 93 00:08:53,556 --> 00:08:56,476 Speaker 1: it doesn't feel like we haven't We haven't never found 94 00:08:56,556 --> 00:08:59,116 Speaker 1: like a formula, or the minute we do come up 95 00:08:59,116 --> 00:09:00,956 Speaker 1: with anything that works more than once, I think we 96 00:09:01,156 --> 00:09:02,996 Speaker 1: immediately get sick of it or it doesn't feel its 97 00:09:03,036 --> 00:09:06,636 Speaker 1: inspiring anymore. It's kind of it's kind of this process 98 00:09:06,676 --> 00:09:08,756 Speaker 1: of each of us is trying to kind of shock 99 00:09:08,836 --> 00:09:11,796 Speaker 1: or prize the other one into maybe something we wouldn't expect, 100 00:09:11,916 --> 00:09:14,956 Speaker 1: and it's yeah, it's kind of this Jacob's Ladder kind 101 00:09:14,956 --> 00:09:16,756 Speaker 1: of situation where we're trying to hit the ball a 102 00:09:16,796 --> 00:09:19,596 Speaker 1: little higher than the other one. Well, there's a host 103 00:09:19,676 --> 00:09:22,516 Speaker 1: of great songs on this record. Tell me how this 104 00:09:22,756 --> 00:09:25,876 Speaker 1: one came about? The one you just performed Echo Party. Yeah, 105 00:09:26,236 --> 00:09:29,236 Speaker 1: we got the chorus first because Nick had that beautiful 106 00:09:29,316 --> 00:09:31,436 Speaker 1: bass part. Yeah, we had we had like the beat 107 00:09:31,476 --> 00:09:34,316 Speaker 1: in the bassline, and we knew sometimes that's all you 108 00:09:34,476 --> 00:09:37,636 Speaker 1: need to know something's gonna be cool. Like you know, 109 00:09:37,756 --> 00:09:40,396 Speaker 1: you can see you can't quite see the whole song yet, 110 00:09:40,436 --> 00:09:41,916 Speaker 1: but you have this this piece of it that's so 111 00:09:42,076 --> 00:09:44,956 Speaker 1: promising that you almost don't want to mess with it 112 00:09:45,076 --> 00:09:47,756 Speaker 1: too much for fear that you might overcook it or 113 00:09:47,796 --> 00:09:49,956 Speaker 1: screw it up somehow. Yeah, that was the loveliest part 114 00:09:49,956 --> 00:09:51,556 Speaker 1: of this song. As we got the chorus first, and 115 00:09:51,596 --> 00:09:54,156 Speaker 1: then the chorus had no words. It was just me 116 00:09:54,316 --> 00:10:00,676 Speaker 1: going like yeah, and Nick and I got so stoked, 117 00:10:00,756 --> 00:10:02,236 Speaker 1: and we kept on trying to play it for other 118 00:10:02,316 --> 00:10:06,556 Speaker 1: people and everyone would be like, h but I do that. 119 00:10:06,676 --> 00:10:09,916 Speaker 1: It was Nick and I were like this loally great. No, 120 00:10:10,596 --> 00:10:13,076 Speaker 1: we could only hear it in our heads though, Yeah, 121 00:10:13,076 --> 00:10:14,356 Speaker 1: and now you got to like kind of let it 122 00:10:14,436 --> 00:10:19,196 Speaker 1: reveal itself. Yeah. And then one day I just sat 123 00:10:19,636 --> 00:10:23,476 Speaker 1: Unlike all of our other records, usually I agonize about 124 00:10:23,716 --> 00:10:26,876 Speaker 1: lyrics and they either they either appear right when I'm 125 00:10:26,876 --> 00:10:30,756 Speaker 1: writing the melody on top, or they are incredibly elusive. 126 00:10:31,596 --> 00:10:34,276 Speaker 1: But with this record, I just sat down and would 127 00:10:34,356 --> 00:10:37,276 Speaker 1: make myself just write them out, so like one day 128 00:10:37,356 --> 00:10:39,276 Speaker 1: we got all the lyrics. I knew that it was 129 00:10:39,316 --> 00:10:42,516 Speaker 1: going to be about like being in an empty city 130 00:10:42,596 --> 00:10:45,356 Speaker 1: at nighttime and like trying to find the party of 131 00:10:45,396 --> 00:10:48,316 Speaker 1: your dreams. Well, you had that idea of the of 132 00:10:48,436 --> 00:10:50,676 Speaker 1: there being less people every time you go back to something, 133 00:10:51,516 --> 00:10:54,076 Speaker 1: and that's kind of where that that echo party phrase 134 00:10:54,156 --> 00:10:56,156 Speaker 1: cards started happening, and that kind of became like the 135 00:10:56,276 --> 00:10:59,156 Speaker 1: central like everything kind of not looking around that. Yeah, 136 00:10:59,396 --> 00:11:03,156 Speaker 1: it's about how it fades in everybody verberation. Oh yeah, 137 00:11:03,356 --> 00:11:07,916 Speaker 1: that's really interesting now because of the way the songs 138 00:11:08,036 --> 00:11:10,076 Speaker 1: are put together and they're or loops and then there's 139 00:11:10,076 --> 00:11:13,756 Speaker 1: a baseline, often very syncopated. Are you guys thinking in 140 00:11:13,996 --> 00:11:18,236 Speaker 1: terms of conventional chords? Are you like you ever say 141 00:11:18,316 --> 00:11:20,356 Speaker 1: well this sounds good, but here I'll I'm going to 142 00:11:20,436 --> 00:11:23,196 Speaker 1: play a C minor on top of that, because that's 143 00:11:23,236 --> 00:11:25,556 Speaker 1: how most people write. They sit at a guitar or 144 00:11:25,596 --> 00:11:29,596 Speaker 1: they sit at the piano and they play a few chords. 145 00:11:30,476 --> 00:11:33,156 Speaker 1: Whereas you, guys, it feels like you're on a high 146 00:11:33,196 --> 00:11:36,356 Speaker 1: wire with what you're doing because it doesn't have that 147 00:11:36,396 --> 00:11:38,716 Speaker 1: sort of harmony running through the whole set. I think 148 00:11:38,756 --> 00:11:41,956 Speaker 1: a big thing we do is more like reharmonizing. That's 149 00:11:41,996 --> 00:11:44,236 Speaker 1: a big we want. A second earlier about trying to 150 00:11:44,236 --> 00:11:46,516 Speaker 1: surprise each other is something that I will do a 151 00:11:46,636 --> 00:11:49,236 Speaker 1: lot is She'll have a melody that we really love, 152 00:11:49,636 --> 00:11:51,556 Speaker 1: but like, let's say the third time it happens, I 153 00:11:51,636 --> 00:11:53,716 Speaker 1: want to it's like she changed, the lyrics change, and 154 00:11:53,796 --> 00:11:56,036 Speaker 1: the feeling of what she's saying changes, even if the 155 00:11:56,076 --> 00:11:59,076 Speaker 1: melody doesn't. So like, in that way, we'll absolutely think 156 00:11:59,076 --> 00:12:01,316 Speaker 1: about in a more theory kind of base menthet of like, Okay, 157 00:12:01,356 --> 00:12:04,116 Speaker 1: how can I reharmonize the thing she's already doing to 158 00:12:04,276 --> 00:12:07,596 Speaker 1: kind of change your perception of the same idea. We 159 00:12:07,676 --> 00:12:10,836 Speaker 1: do that all the time. I love we do. I 160 00:12:10,996 --> 00:12:13,236 Speaker 1: learned how to play the guitar during the pandemic, and 161 00:12:13,396 --> 00:12:15,516 Speaker 1: all the songs that I write on the guitar aren't 162 00:12:15,716 --> 00:12:18,796 Speaker 1: as melodically interesting as the ones that I write in 163 00:12:18,916 --> 00:12:21,436 Speaker 1: the air or in like in response to what Nick makes. 164 00:12:22,036 --> 00:12:25,276 Speaker 1: So I'm sticking to that at the moment. Oh that's interesting. 165 00:12:25,396 --> 00:12:29,076 Speaker 1: You find it more confining then, yeah, or like maybe 166 00:12:29,116 --> 00:12:31,356 Speaker 1: it's also because I'm a little guitar. Baby, you know, 167 00:12:31,676 --> 00:12:35,516 Speaker 1: it's a CDG world for me in the guitar, and 168 00:12:36,116 --> 00:12:39,396 Speaker 1: if I'm just writing in the air, all chords are open. Yeah, 169 00:12:39,436 --> 00:12:42,076 Speaker 1: it's just much freer. Now. What was your music experience 170 00:12:42,356 --> 00:12:46,916 Speaker 1: growing up in your home? I'm from a theatrical singing family. 171 00:12:47,436 --> 00:12:49,236 Speaker 1: We used to sing around the dinner table a lot. 172 00:12:49,756 --> 00:12:52,756 Speaker 1: And I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and there was 173 00:12:52,836 --> 00:12:58,196 Speaker 1: a solstice celebration called the Revels, So every Solstice we 174 00:12:58,236 --> 00:13:00,996 Speaker 1: would all get together and sing folk songs. Wow, were 175 00:13:01,036 --> 00:13:04,916 Speaker 1: your parents were they performers or are they just amateurs? Yeah? 176 00:13:04,996 --> 00:13:08,196 Speaker 1: There were amateurs. My mom was in audio and my 177 00:13:08,316 --> 00:13:11,636 Speaker 1: dad was in TV. But there's a lot of singing 178 00:13:11,676 --> 00:13:15,396 Speaker 1: in musicality and creativity. So you grew up on their 179 00:13:15,476 --> 00:13:19,516 Speaker 1: folk music. Is this like sixties folk music? Or oh really, 180 00:13:19,556 --> 00:13:21,436 Speaker 1: what we're listening to in the house is like Bonnie 181 00:13:21,516 --> 00:13:26,196 Speaker 1: Ray and Foreigner and Nick Lowe. But the songs that 182 00:13:26,276 --> 00:13:30,236 Speaker 1: we would sing were all were like a mix of 183 00:13:30,356 --> 00:13:35,076 Speaker 1: those and folk songs. Okay, And then you're I don't 184 00:13:35,076 --> 00:13:38,636 Speaker 1: know if it's your first career, but you sing mountain 185 00:13:38,716 --> 00:13:41,076 Speaker 1: music with Mountain Men, which was your first group. Yeah, 186 00:13:41,156 --> 00:13:45,156 Speaker 1: Mountain Man, right, and you still perform, is that right? Okay? 187 00:13:45,956 --> 00:13:48,996 Speaker 1: Uh so, and did you play piano growing up then 188 00:13:49,196 --> 00:13:50,796 Speaker 1: or anything else? It was just it was just a 189 00:13:50,876 --> 00:13:54,316 Speaker 1: singing thing. I tried to play piano, but or I 190 00:13:54,516 --> 00:14:00,636 Speaker 1: just hated practicing, right, yeah, well hated it, couldn't do it. Yeah, 191 00:14:00,756 --> 00:14:03,676 Speaker 1: you took piano lessons, which just kills more piano players 192 00:14:03,716 --> 00:14:06,316 Speaker 1: than anything. I also think that's one of those things. 193 00:14:06,316 --> 00:14:07,996 Speaker 1: I was always jealous of people who could sing really 194 00:14:08,036 --> 00:14:10,356 Speaker 1: well at a young age because I think if you 195 00:14:10,476 --> 00:14:14,316 Speaker 1: have that, you're kind of set like nerds like me 196 00:14:14,436 --> 00:14:16,716 Speaker 1: who didn't have that. I think that's why I practiced 197 00:14:16,756 --> 00:14:19,596 Speaker 1: so much, because I really wanted to be in a band, 198 00:14:19,676 --> 00:14:22,156 Speaker 1: but I couldn't do the natural thing. You know, Well, 199 00:14:22,196 --> 00:14:24,596 Speaker 1: but you actually know what you're doing, But only because 200 00:14:24,636 --> 00:14:28,196 Speaker 1: I've sat for a billion hours looking at charts and 201 00:14:28,236 --> 00:14:30,636 Speaker 1: stuff like that, you know. I think that's cooler also 202 00:14:30,756 --> 00:14:32,476 Speaker 1: the thing that you do, like, I feel like you 203 00:14:32,876 --> 00:14:37,476 Speaker 1: get to relish the experience of having gotten good at something. 204 00:14:38,196 --> 00:14:39,876 Speaker 1: I'm much better at singing than I was when I 205 00:14:39,956 --> 00:14:43,436 Speaker 1: was six. But like it doesn't Oh is there no 206 00:14:43,556 --> 00:14:46,476 Speaker 1: like moment? No, yeah, no, it's just the thing you do, 207 00:14:47,996 --> 00:14:55,076 Speaker 1: so you never felt I've achieved this level of expertise. No, no, no, no, 208 00:14:55,436 --> 00:14:59,676 Speaker 1: I don't think so maybe I can see that when 209 00:14:59,716 --> 00:15:02,236 Speaker 1: you get your honorary degree from Berkeley. Oh my god, 210 00:15:03,196 --> 00:15:07,316 Speaker 1: I hope you feel. Oh my god, last that you've got. 211 00:15:07,556 --> 00:15:11,436 Speaker 1: Once you have that piece of paper exactly, then we'll know. Yeah, oh, 212 00:15:11,556 --> 00:15:13,796 Speaker 1: what's going to happen. When that happens, that's gonna be 213 00:15:13,916 --> 00:15:20,676 Speaker 1: great dance all around. Yeah, you're the you need the 214 00:15:20,756 --> 00:15:23,316 Speaker 1: diploma you look from the Wizard of Oz. Yeah, yes, 215 00:15:23,796 --> 00:15:28,836 Speaker 1: that's what you need. I love diplomas. Yeah. Uh, and Nick, 216 00:15:28,876 --> 00:15:32,196 Speaker 1: you need a heart. Yeah, I'm kidding weirdly, I'm the 217 00:15:32,276 --> 00:15:35,636 Speaker 1: one without a diploma, but yeah, it's true. Okay, So 218 00:15:36,116 --> 00:15:39,036 Speaker 1: what was your musical experience, Grip? Oh my my dad's 219 00:15:39,036 --> 00:15:42,116 Speaker 1: a really great manelin and guitar player. Um, and so 220 00:15:42,276 --> 00:15:44,236 Speaker 1: we always were singing in the house and he taught 221 00:15:44,236 --> 00:15:45,636 Speaker 1: me how to play a guitar when as a little kid, 222 00:15:45,636 --> 00:15:48,196 Speaker 1: and I was just always excited about it, like I 223 00:15:48,316 --> 00:15:50,196 Speaker 1: got you know, we could get into orchestra in like 224 00:15:50,276 --> 00:15:52,796 Speaker 1: the fourth grade or whatever. And it was lucky enough 225 00:15:52,796 --> 00:15:54,276 Speaker 1: to go to a public school it had a music 226 00:15:54,356 --> 00:16:00,836 Speaker 1: program and Madison, Wisconsin. Okay, so that kind of opened. 227 00:16:00,956 --> 00:16:02,716 Speaker 1: I mean, that was just like massive for me as 228 00:16:02,756 --> 00:16:05,316 Speaker 1: a kid, you know, being able to being able to 229 00:16:05,396 --> 00:16:08,476 Speaker 1: do that was was just crazy. So I like, you know, 230 00:16:09,356 --> 00:16:11,556 Speaker 1: got into like I think it played like violin or 231 00:16:11,636 --> 00:16:15,716 Speaker 1: something horribly. And then I started playing saxophone and ended 232 00:16:15,796 --> 00:16:18,956 Speaker 1: up playing bass in the jazz band. I really loved that. 233 00:16:19,036 --> 00:16:21,196 Speaker 1: And then when I went to college before dropping out, 234 00:16:22,276 --> 00:16:25,436 Speaker 1: that was the composition major. Where was that? You to 235 00:16:25,516 --> 00:16:30,116 Speaker 1: be Milwaukee? Okay? Yeah, And then we will have to 236 00:16:30,596 --> 00:16:35,916 Speaker 1: describe your setup because this is electronic music and I'm 237 00:16:35,956 --> 00:16:38,716 Speaker 1: looking at a table with a bunch of different modules. 238 00:16:39,116 --> 00:16:43,716 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, including one that has many many patch chords 239 00:16:44,276 --> 00:16:46,596 Speaker 1: running in or out. I don't know how to describe 240 00:16:46,636 --> 00:16:49,916 Speaker 1: it except to say that if your breaker box at 241 00:16:49,996 --> 00:16:54,156 Speaker 1: home looks like this, call an electrician. It's just an 242 00:16:54,236 --> 00:16:56,756 Speaker 1: utter chaos up here. Tell me what you've got, and 243 00:16:56,996 --> 00:16:59,076 Speaker 1: can you give me a sample two or two of 244 00:16:59,636 --> 00:17:02,556 Speaker 1: the sounds you create? Yeah, so we have I kind 245 00:17:02,596 --> 00:17:04,476 Speaker 1: of have this whole computer setup that has kind of 246 00:17:04,516 --> 00:17:07,516 Speaker 1: all the individual little pieces of our songs, and it 247 00:17:07,636 --> 00:17:09,596 Speaker 1: set up kind of in this like really a Abert 248 00:17:09,996 --> 00:17:13,596 Speaker 1: DJ style, Like I'm DJing each individual little piece of 249 00:17:13,676 --> 00:17:16,716 Speaker 1: a thing. So that's one side of it, and then 250 00:17:16,756 --> 00:17:19,516 Speaker 1: I'm sampling Emilia's voice, and then I also have this 251 00:17:19,556 --> 00:17:21,956 Speaker 1: whole other side that's all these other instruments. Uh, the 252 00:17:22,156 --> 00:17:24,356 Speaker 1: the breaker Rocks who were referring to my modular synth 253 00:17:24,516 --> 00:17:27,316 Speaker 1: is doing a bunch of drums and processing and stuff 254 00:17:27,356 --> 00:17:31,436 Speaker 1: like that. Um, but it's all Actually, is that a 255 00:17:31,556 --> 00:17:34,156 Speaker 1: mugue or I'm never sure if it's mug or moug No, 256 00:17:34,316 --> 00:17:35,956 Speaker 1: there is a moge. I think it's I think it's 257 00:17:36,036 --> 00:17:38,716 Speaker 1: mug it is. There's a mug in here. This thing 258 00:17:38,756 --> 00:17:46,396 Speaker 1: called a d fan which sounds like this. It's this 259 00:17:46,476 --> 00:17:50,396 Speaker 1: little like kind of does a lot of drums and 260 00:17:50,436 --> 00:17:54,316 Speaker 1: stuff like that. Right, you know, it's all getting the 261 00:17:54,356 --> 00:17:57,396 Speaker 1: clock from the computer. But then there's also all sorts 262 00:17:57,396 --> 00:17:58,956 Speaker 1: of little drums in here. I've got this little thing 263 00:17:58,996 --> 00:18:06,116 Speaker 1: that makes kind of a it's kind of weird little 264 00:18:06,156 --> 00:18:08,596 Speaker 1: wavetable thing. All this is just to kind of bring 265 00:18:09,316 --> 00:18:13,196 Speaker 1: like a live edge, and it's all things where I 266 00:18:13,196 --> 00:18:16,916 Speaker 1: can replace something that's happening from the record, or alter 267 00:18:17,036 --> 00:18:19,796 Speaker 1: it in some way, or stretch it out. I always 268 00:18:19,836 --> 00:18:22,636 Speaker 1: like it when I see a show and it feels like, 269 00:18:25,036 --> 00:18:27,236 Speaker 1: you know, there's this beautiful painted picture of the song 270 00:18:27,316 --> 00:18:29,076 Speaker 1: as it was, and then you can go in and 271 00:18:29,156 --> 00:18:31,676 Speaker 1: just kind of mess it all up and then try 272 00:18:31,716 --> 00:18:35,036 Speaker 1: to snap it back into focus. So all the things 273 00:18:35,076 --> 00:18:36,836 Speaker 1: are kind of leaning into trying to make something like 274 00:18:36,916 --> 00:18:38,796 Speaker 1: that happen. I have this little sampler that I use 275 00:18:38,796 --> 00:18:41,396 Speaker 1: all the time that's got, you know, pieces of Amelia's 276 00:18:41,436 --> 00:18:43,036 Speaker 1: voice or pieces from the records that I can then 277 00:18:43,116 --> 00:18:45,596 Speaker 1: kind of pitch all around. Now, are you ever sampling 278 00:18:45,676 --> 00:18:49,196 Speaker 1: her voice live? Yeah, when she's singing. Oh yeah, you're 279 00:18:49,236 --> 00:18:52,556 Speaker 1: sampling as well? And then yeah, definitely Amelia is that 280 00:18:52,996 --> 00:18:56,236 Speaker 1: does he often surprise you? He's suddenly your voice. You're 281 00:18:56,276 --> 00:18:59,276 Speaker 1: hearing your voice in a way you didn't expect. Yeah. 282 00:18:59,276 --> 00:19:00,996 Speaker 1: I usually had to keep pretty low in my mix 283 00:19:01,036 --> 00:19:04,036 Speaker 1: because if you're if a voice comes in while you're singing, 284 00:19:04,156 --> 00:19:08,396 Speaker 1: it can pull you off pitch. But Nick is able 285 00:19:08,516 --> 00:19:12,636 Speaker 1: to sample anything that I say. Wow, I would say, 286 00:19:12,676 --> 00:19:14,996 Speaker 1: it's a it's a good thing. You guys get along 287 00:19:15,076 --> 00:19:17,876 Speaker 1: so well. It really he wanted to mess you up. 288 00:19:18,476 --> 00:19:21,156 Speaker 1: He really could. He could mess you up in a heartbeat. 289 00:19:21,516 --> 00:19:24,116 Speaker 1: And then you sometimes use a drum machine on stage? 290 00:19:24,196 --> 00:19:26,276 Speaker 1: Is that right? I do it sometimes, But honestly, I 291 00:19:26,356 --> 00:19:29,516 Speaker 1: really like when we're live. I'm like being able to 292 00:19:29,756 --> 00:19:32,716 Speaker 1: sing and connect directly with the crowd and with Nick 293 00:19:32,956 --> 00:19:36,556 Speaker 1: and have that be my role. And Nick, you are 294 00:19:36,596 --> 00:19:39,156 Speaker 1: playing this like a DJ. You don't have a keyboard, 295 00:19:39,716 --> 00:19:42,556 Speaker 1: a traditional well, I do, you know? I do? Normally, 296 00:19:42,596 --> 00:19:44,596 Speaker 1: we didn't bring it today because we weren't playing any 297 00:19:44,636 --> 00:19:46,076 Speaker 1: songs that needed it. But I have. I have this 298 00:19:46,196 --> 00:19:48,996 Speaker 1: one synthesizer that I use a lot, but none of 299 00:19:49,076 --> 00:19:52,156 Speaker 1: it even that it isn't getting I don't know what 300 00:19:52,196 --> 00:19:54,876 Speaker 1: it's all live, you know, I'm playing little or peggios 301 00:19:54,876 --> 00:19:58,036 Speaker 1: and stuff over the tops of the songs. But yeah, 302 00:19:58,116 --> 00:20:00,476 Speaker 1: most of it is just this kind of more abstract 303 00:20:01,316 --> 00:20:03,156 Speaker 1: way of thinking about it, which is my That's just 304 00:20:03,276 --> 00:20:05,996 Speaker 1: my favorite. I like it when something feels a little 305 00:20:05,996 --> 00:20:08,716 Speaker 1: bit more like an idea maybe than an instrument, if 306 00:20:08,756 --> 00:20:11,636 Speaker 1: that makes sense. How does that? How did you discover 307 00:20:11,796 --> 00:20:17,236 Speaker 1: that then? After playing guitar, after playing bass, after playing mandolin, 308 00:20:18,156 --> 00:20:21,476 Speaker 1: in which you're locked into fairly traditional role. Yeah, what 309 00:20:22,196 --> 00:20:27,996 Speaker 1: was your first encounter with electronic music and what do 310 00:20:28,036 --> 00:20:30,836 Speaker 1: you remember what grabbed you? I think a big thing 311 00:20:30,916 --> 00:20:33,436 Speaker 1: for me was when I was playing in the jazz 312 00:20:33,476 --> 00:20:36,356 Speaker 1: band and I was about to go to college. I 313 00:20:36,556 --> 00:20:40,036 Speaker 1: kind of had this realization that if I was going 314 00:20:40,076 --> 00:20:41,556 Speaker 1: to keep doing what I was doing, I was going 315 00:20:41,596 --> 00:20:43,996 Speaker 1: to be practicing like eight hours a day to just 316 00:20:44,556 --> 00:20:48,556 Speaker 1: try to be a middle level jazz player. And I 317 00:20:48,676 --> 00:20:52,076 Speaker 1: think I kind of started realizing that the idea of 318 00:20:52,196 --> 00:20:54,436 Speaker 1: what was happening was so much more interesting to me 319 00:20:54,676 --> 00:20:57,596 Speaker 1: than what I thought I had to say as a player, 320 00:20:58,476 --> 00:21:02,076 Speaker 1: and so that I leaned into that, and I moved 321 00:21:02,076 --> 00:21:04,276 Speaker 1: into composition and started going that way, and I think 322 00:21:04,476 --> 00:21:07,796 Speaker 1: electronic music was just a natural extension of that. It 323 00:21:07,876 --> 00:21:09,556 Speaker 1: was like, okay, like I've been, well, I've been in 324 00:21:09,636 --> 00:21:13,556 Speaker 1: this role playing bass and kind of filling this spot 325 00:21:13,636 --> 00:21:16,396 Speaker 1: within a band, and that's its own skill set. But 326 00:21:16,516 --> 00:21:18,356 Speaker 1: with electronic music, it was like, well, how do I 327 00:21:18,476 --> 00:21:21,756 Speaker 1: put this whole piece together? What does this full picture 328 00:21:21,836 --> 00:21:25,916 Speaker 1: look like? And that's just became way more interesting because 329 00:21:25,916 --> 00:21:28,276 Speaker 1: I could be the whole band, you know, and I 330 00:21:28,356 --> 00:21:31,236 Speaker 1: could try things out without worrying about wasting anyone else's time. 331 00:21:31,556 --> 00:21:34,316 Speaker 1: There's no set way to do it, and so everybody 332 00:21:34,316 --> 00:21:37,756 Speaker 1: who gets into it is kind of reinventing their own 333 00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:40,836 Speaker 1: wheel in a way, and that to me is really exciting. 334 00:21:40,916 --> 00:21:43,196 Speaker 1: I love thinking about like systems and how something could 335 00:21:43,236 --> 00:21:46,956 Speaker 1: work to me. One of the things that's interesting about 336 00:21:46,996 --> 00:21:49,196 Speaker 1: your music you mentioned you came in with a chorus 337 00:21:49,956 --> 00:21:56,476 Speaker 1: first on this is you move from ideas very quickly. 338 00:21:56,516 --> 00:21:58,276 Speaker 1: If you were if you were in a big band 339 00:21:58,916 --> 00:22:01,676 Speaker 1: or the kind of bands you grew up with, you 340 00:22:01,716 --> 00:22:03,916 Speaker 1: would be you guys would get a groove and then 341 00:22:03,996 --> 00:22:06,796 Speaker 1: someone would be soloing. But it's very much about kind 342 00:22:06,796 --> 00:22:10,356 Speaker 1: of finding that one thing and finding people playing over it. This. 343 00:22:10,596 --> 00:22:14,276 Speaker 1: You move very quickly from peace to idea to idea, 344 00:22:14,836 --> 00:22:17,596 Speaker 1: and just when I think, oh, you know, I like this, 345 00:22:18,036 --> 00:22:20,876 Speaker 1: and then it veers into something else. Is that just 346 00:22:20,956 --> 00:22:23,956 Speaker 1: part of playing electronic music for you? I think we 347 00:22:24,156 --> 00:22:29,196 Speaker 1: definitely love surprising each other, and I think that leaks 348 00:22:29,276 --> 00:22:33,196 Speaker 1: is lean into contrasts, you know, So I think generally speaking, 349 00:22:33,316 --> 00:22:35,636 Speaker 1: we love having things that feel like there's a bunch 350 00:22:35,676 --> 00:22:39,036 Speaker 1: of hard left turns being made and that feels really engaging. 351 00:22:39,476 --> 00:22:42,236 Speaker 1: But it's also pop music, so every part that appears 352 00:22:42,356 --> 00:22:46,556 Speaker 1: usually comes back, unless it's the bridge, So if it veers, 353 00:22:46,796 --> 00:22:49,676 Speaker 1: usually it returns once more. That's I think the most 354 00:22:49,716 --> 00:22:51,796 Speaker 1: interesting part too, is like seeing how hard of a 355 00:22:51,876 --> 00:22:55,356 Speaker 1: turn you can make and still make it make sense 356 00:22:55,396 --> 00:22:57,396 Speaker 1: that you got back where he started, Yeah, and live 357 00:22:57,476 --> 00:23:01,436 Speaker 1: inside the pop music structure. And maybe that's maybe when 358 00:23:01,476 --> 00:23:03,836 Speaker 1: I said high wire earlier, maybe that's what it is. 359 00:23:04,236 --> 00:23:06,516 Speaker 1: That is like jazz and that like how far can 360 00:23:06,596 --> 00:23:08,476 Speaker 1: this guy go on a solo or how far can 361 00:23:08,516 --> 00:23:10,916 Speaker 1: she go on al Yeah? Is she gonna be able 362 00:23:10,916 --> 00:23:12,756 Speaker 1: to find her way back? Is always kind of the 363 00:23:13,156 --> 00:23:16,636 Speaker 1: fascinating question. I love that idea too, of like communicating 364 00:23:16,876 --> 00:23:22,476 Speaker 1: intent to the listener, like figuring out ways to show 365 00:23:22,556 --> 00:23:24,436 Speaker 1: them that they can trust you to make their make 366 00:23:24,476 --> 00:23:26,076 Speaker 1: your way back, or that you're not just going to 367 00:23:26,156 --> 00:23:28,316 Speaker 1: waste their time. We think about that a lot, with 368 00:23:28,436 --> 00:23:31,556 Speaker 1: things like how can we design a song or a 369 00:23:31,676 --> 00:23:36,676 Speaker 1: recording that shows somebody that we made this wild choice 370 00:23:36,796 --> 00:23:40,156 Speaker 1: on purpose so that next time we do, you know 371 00:23:40,316 --> 00:23:42,836 Speaker 1: that we're not gonna fake you out like we're gonna 372 00:23:43,036 --> 00:23:46,756 Speaker 1: This is all like an equation, like we're getting somewhere. 373 00:23:47,436 --> 00:23:50,356 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more from Bruce Headlam, Amelia Meath, 374 00:23:50,676 --> 00:23:58,476 Speaker 1: and Nick Sanboy. We're back with more of Bruce's conversation 375 00:23:58,836 --> 00:24:02,676 Speaker 1: with Amelia and Nick. Now, Amelia, was your first encounter 376 00:24:02,876 --> 00:24:07,996 Speaker 1: with electronic music when you guys met oh No I've 377 00:24:07,996 --> 00:24:10,196 Speaker 1: always been a fan of a like music. Okay, what 378 00:24:11,036 --> 00:24:14,116 Speaker 1: in particular was you know? What did you like? Yeah? 379 00:24:14,156 --> 00:24:20,076 Speaker 1: I started with Elo naturally, and then got more excited 380 00:24:20,116 --> 00:24:24,036 Speaker 1: about the the independent music of the early ADTs, you know, 381 00:24:24,116 --> 00:24:29,756 Speaker 1: Animal Collective, Caribou, Fortet, just the people who were popular 382 00:24:29,876 --> 00:24:32,396 Speaker 1: or interesting when I was like a little baby going 383 00:24:32,436 --> 00:24:37,356 Speaker 1: to shows. And then when and when Nick and I met, 384 00:24:37,436 --> 00:24:40,436 Speaker 1: it was the first opportunity I'd had. I thought to 385 00:24:40,556 --> 00:24:45,116 Speaker 1: find a collaborator with whom I could make pop music. Now, 386 00:24:45,636 --> 00:24:47,676 Speaker 1: there is the story that the first time you met 387 00:24:47,796 --> 00:24:50,956 Speaker 1: you asked him to arrange a song that you had written. 388 00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:53,956 Speaker 1: Is that true? Yeah? It was a song that was 389 00:24:54,036 --> 00:24:57,196 Speaker 1: for Mountain Man, and I wanted to do a remix album, 390 00:24:57,956 --> 00:25:00,556 Speaker 1: and so I asked Nick. And that was the first 391 00:25:00,556 --> 00:25:06,316 Speaker 1: time you'd met. Shortly thereafter, yeah, shortly thereafter, yeah, because 392 00:25:06,356 --> 00:25:10,476 Speaker 1: he opened for us in Milwaukee at the Cactus Club. 393 00:25:10,876 --> 00:25:12,876 Speaker 1: And when we became friends on Twitter, it was like 394 00:25:12,996 --> 00:25:14,796 Speaker 1: the early days of Twitter when it was nice to 395 00:25:14,876 --> 00:25:17,556 Speaker 1: be on there. It was like when you could like 396 00:25:17,676 --> 00:25:20,556 Speaker 1: make friends and stuff. Yeah, it was nice. We had 397 00:25:20,636 --> 00:25:22,196 Speaker 1: followed each other on Twitter for a little while, and 398 00:25:22,196 --> 00:25:25,916 Speaker 1: I asked Nick for a remix of that song, mostly 399 00:25:25,916 --> 00:25:28,156 Speaker 1: because so many of Mountain Man's the arrangements that I 400 00:25:28,156 --> 00:25:32,036 Speaker 1: would do for Mountain Men were naturally quite sparse, and 401 00:25:32,156 --> 00:25:35,956 Speaker 1: it took him a really long time. No Pressure, well, 402 00:25:36,236 --> 00:25:39,956 Speaker 1: no pressure next year. I didn't know. What did you 403 00:25:40,036 --> 00:25:43,476 Speaker 1: think if you were you guys dating at that point 404 00:25:43,596 --> 00:25:46,956 Speaker 1: or no band? First? Oh? Yeah, but if I think 405 00:25:46,956 --> 00:25:48,436 Speaker 1: if I had known that it was going to lead 406 00:25:48,476 --> 00:25:50,276 Speaker 1: to this, it would have taken me even longer, though 407 00:25:50,556 --> 00:25:52,396 Speaker 1: I would have been I would have felt more pressure. Well, 408 00:25:52,436 --> 00:25:59,076 Speaker 1: that's good that you didn't know, here's my song. No Pressure. Well, 409 00:25:59,076 --> 00:26:01,476 Speaker 1: it was terrifying too, because the thing that's one of 410 00:26:01,516 --> 00:26:03,596 Speaker 1: the many things that's so special about Mountain Man is 411 00:26:03,756 --> 00:26:07,396 Speaker 1: just what isn't there? And so the idea of trying 412 00:26:07,476 --> 00:26:10,916 Speaker 1: to add instentation to a Mountain Man song as a 413 00:26:10,996 --> 00:26:13,356 Speaker 1: fan of theirs was like terrifying to me, because every 414 00:26:13,396 --> 00:26:14,956 Speaker 1: time I put something in, I made the song worse, 415 00:26:15,236 --> 00:26:17,956 Speaker 1: you know. And there was a kind of light in 416 00:26:17,996 --> 00:26:21,156 Speaker 1: the attic moment when I figured out that if I 417 00:26:21,316 --> 00:26:25,436 Speaker 1: used their voices as the extra instruments, that that was 418 00:26:25,516 --> 00:26:27,596 Speaker 1: a way in that was that kind of unlocked the 419 00:26:27,636 --> 00:26:29,836 Speaker 1: whole thing for me, And then kind of defined a 420 00:26:29,916 --> 00:26:31,236 Speaker 1: lot of what we still do now. I mean, even 421 00:26:31,316 --> 00:26:34,236 Speaker 1: that last song we played Echo Party that started on 422 00:26:34,316 --> 00:26:37,876 Speaker 1: a as a loop of Amelia's voice, that little backbeat, 423 00:26:38,556 --> 00:26:39,916 Speaker 1: like we do that all the time to this day. 424 00:26:40,116 --> 00:26:43,156 Speaker 1: To explain that to me again, that so like we 425 00:26:43,396 --> 00:26:46,236 Speaker 1: I took her voice, like she sang. We were trying 426 00:26:46,236 --> 00:26:48,116 Speaker 1: to find a way to start, yeah, saying this. One 427 00:26:48,196 --> 00:26:56,396 Speaker 1: day I did a stack yeah, like and then I 428 00:26:56,476 --> 00:26:59,076 Speaker 1: did another part on top of that, and yeah, and 429 00:26:59,156 --> 00:27:02,076 Speaker 1: then like another part on that, and then you know 430 00:27:02,276 --> 00:27:03,916 Speaker 1: a thing that we say all the time to each 431 00:27:03,916 --> 00:27:05,676 Speaker 1: other's and then we chopped it up and made it 432 00:27:05,756 --> 00:27:07,516 Speaker 1: into a beat, which is what we did well. So yeah, 433 00:27:07,556 --> 00:27:10,036 Speaker 1: so then I took this local loop of hers and 434 00:27:10,516 --> 00:27:13,116 Speaker 1: put it in this uh what did you call it? Earlier? 435 00:27:13,836 --> 00:27:17,316 Speaker 1: The breaker box put the scary looking Greg, Well, it's 436 00:27:17,356 --> 00:27:19,276 Speaker 1: what the breaker box looks like in my play. Yeah, 437 00:27:19,276 --> 00:27:22,316 Speaker 1: that's I just reminded that my house might be burnt 438 00:27:22,356 --> 00:27:25,516 Speaker 1: down by the time I get there. But yeah, so 439 00:27:25,596 --> 00:27:27,916 Speaker 1: I just kind of kept playing with it and and 440 00:27:28,716 --> 00:27:30,636 Speaker 1: changing the way it was sequenced and moving the little 441 00:27:30,676 --> 00:27:34,516 Speaker 1: bits of it around and and found that initial loop, 442 00:27:34,716 --> 00:27:38,236 Speaker 1: that little that little thing just kind of popped out, 443 00:27:38,316 --> 00:27:39,796 Speaker 1: and the minute we found it we were like, oh 444 00:27:39,876 --> 00:27:42,076 Speaker 1: that here we go, now we can start. Okay, now 445 00:27:42,396 --> 00:27:44,796 Speaker 1: that you've been doing this emelia for eight years, how 446 00:27:44,876 --> 00:27:47,436 Speaker 1: has it changed how you sing? At first? I imagine 447 00:27:47,476 --> 00:27:50,476 Speaker 1: you were singing and he was grabbing parts of it, 448 00:27:50,596 --> 00:27:54,956 Speaker 1: samples and manipulating it. Wouldn't it become tempting after a 449 00:27:54,996 --> 00:27:57,276 Speaker 1: few years to like, well, I'm just gonna I'm gonna 450 00:27:57,316 --> 00:27:59,196 Speaker 1: sing a sample. I'm not going to sing the way 451 00:27:59,196 --> 00:28:01,756 Speaker 1: I used to sing. I'm going to try and sing 452 00:28:01,836 --> 00:28:05,756 Speaker 1: almost in in a kind of in a sampled way, 453 00:28:05,916 --> 00:28:08,476 Speaker 1: in a sampled or electronic in a sound bite way. Yeah, 454 00:28:09,516 --> 00:28:12,476 Speaker 1: I think, if anything, I'm more In order for the 455 00:28:12,556 --> 00:28:15,116 Speaker 1: samples themselves to be good, you have to be singing 456 00:28:15,996 --> 00:28:18,476 Speaker 1: like I really have to be solidly in my lane, 457 00:28:18,596 --> 00:28:23,796 Speaker 1: doing exactly what I'm doing, and then the sample will shine. Otherwise, 458 00:28:23,836 --> 00:28:26,916 Speaker 1: if you're being tentative or if you're not, if you're 459 00:28:26,996 --> 00:28:30,716 Speaker 1: trying to do something as opposed to actually doing it, 460 00:28:31,436 --> 00:28:35,756 Speaker 1: then it gets lost. So I think, if anything, I 461 00:28:35,756 --> 00:28:39,836 Speaker 1: have just become a better, a better and more confident singer. 462 00:28:40,796 --> 00:28:44,716 Speaker 1: Now a lot of Mountain Man's songs were a cappella, 463 00:28:45,516 --> 00:28:48,276 Speaker 1: so I think you must have already felt comfortable singing 464 00:28:48,396 --> 00:28:51,916 Speaker 1: without a kind of full arrangement behind you or a 465 00:28:51,996 --> 00:28:55,316 Speaker 1: piano or a guitar to kind of establish what you're doing. 466 00:28:55,796 --> 00:29:00,676 Speaker 1: What's it like singing in this music? Because you very 467 00:29:00,796 --> 00:29:03,396 Speaker 1: very distinctive style the way you do it, and you 468 00:29:03,676 --> 00:29:08,316 Speaker 1: interact with the sounds in this unique way. I think 469 00:29:08,356 --> 00:29:11,596 Speaker 1: there's big because of the way that I naturally write 470 00:29:12,236 --> 00:29:14,436 Speaker 1: in the air or in response to what Nick is doing, 471 00:29:14,516 --> 00:29:16,996 Speaker 1: and I write lyrics and melody usually at the same time. 472 00:29:18,116 --> 00:29:22,316 Speaker 1: My voice is in general, I kind of think of 473 00:29:22,396 --> 00:29:25,796 Speaker 1: it like a percussive instrument more than I do like 474 00:29:25,916 --> 00:29:29,196 Speaker 1: a like a narrative device, or or both things are 475 00:29:29,236 --> 00:29:32,276 Speaker 1: happening at the same time. So that's the thing, is it? 476 00:29:32,356 --> 00:29:36,276 Speaker 1: Because because I think of it as an instrument, unto itself, 477 00:29:36,356 --> 00:29:39,636 Speaker 1: it's more percussive. It's actually quite easy. It's like being 478 00:29:39,676 --> 00:29:44,196 Speaker 1: a you know, water and more water. M Can we 479 00:29:44,276 --> 00:29:57,716 Speaker 1: hear another song? Sure? Great? It's a jump two right. 480 00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:08,116 Speaker 1: I don't know that it's a step inside its cloud. 481 00:30:09,116 --> 00:30:11,236 Speaker 1: I don't know how to work in this girl, Come onder, 482 00:30:11,476 --> 00:30:21,156 Speaker 1: teach you hull we hope, let me remember how to 483 00:30:21,556 --> 00:30:29,676 Speaker 1: live my life. The room, so each new lening out 484 00:30:30,076 --> 00:30:44,596 Speaker 1: to be seing, but true, it's c real, dy, it's 485 00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:59,236 Speaker 1: your reality. It's a jump two right, lift off right now. 486 00:31:00,156 --> 00:31:02,956 Speaker 1: I don't know he is women the come on teach 487 00:31:03,196 --> 00:31:08,956 Speaker 1: Hull to step inside the strad is God, don't know. 488 00:31:09,156 --> 00:31:11,196 Speaker 1: I don't walk to this guy. Come on that teach 489 00:31:11,236 --> 00:31:18,276 Speaker 1: you her. We let me back back. Let me remember 490 00:31:18,836 --> 00:31:24,676 Speaker 1: up to the b lamy was a rich Now say 491 00:31:25,436 --> 00:31:31,036 Speaker 1: don't any to be sent me, don't let me building 492 00:31:31,636 --> 00:31:36,996 Speaker 1: now watch my chance now that when waking at this train, 493 00:31:38,836 --> 00:31:44,596 Speaker 1: say so, don't snow the same, send my note to 494 00:31:44,756 --> 00:31:51,476 Speaker 1: do so so so resumes you know it's serious, say 495 00:31:51,596 --> 00:32:08,916 Speaker 1: that it sus serious for ba trainer, it's seriously you know. 496 00:32:39,836 --> 00:32:42,236 Speaker 1: So that's on your reality. Nick and I hear the 497 00:32:42,316 --> 00:32:45,796 Speaker 1: one in a different place, and we decided as we 498 00:32:45,876 --> 00:32:48,956 Speaker 1: were writing it that we were going to affirm each 499 00:32:49,036 --> 00:32:54,076 Speaker 1: of our counting styles in it. And I knew in 500 00:32:54,236 --> 00:32:57,996 Speaker 1: order to justify the second rotation of the verse, I 501 00:32:58,196 --> 00:33:04,156 Speaker 1: wanted to have a backup part that would roll continue 502 00:33:04,196 --> 00:33:07,556 Speaker 1: to roll the song forward, but like add add kind 503 00:33:07,556 --> 00:33:13,236 Speaker 1: of a different count to it for myself. So I 504 00:33:13,316 --> 00:33:17,916 Speaker 1: wrote that no rules part, no rules, Sandy, no rule, Sandy, 505 00:33:19,156 --> 00:33:22,116 Speaker 1: tell me what that means. Normally, when Nick and I 506 00:33:22,356 --> 00:33:27,996 Speaker 1: are recording or writing together, I'll like secretly write something 507 00:33:28,116 --> 00:33:30,396 Speaker 1: and then the first time he'll hear it is when 508 00:33:30,916 --> 00:33:34,036 Speaker 1: I record it, And that was the case with this, 509 00:33:34,116 --> 00:33:36,876 Speaker 1: So it's kind of a joke to him and we 510 00:33:36,996 --> 00:33:40,956 Speaker 1: kept Also it just felt like, well, when we played 511 00:33:40,956 --> 00:33:43,996 Speaker 1: the song for our friend Jen, who we play everything for, 512 00:33:44,396 --> 00:33:46,036 Speaker 1: she immediately was like, Oh, that's got to be the 513 00:33:46,116 --> 00:33:49,796 Speaker 1: title of the record. And I think the thing that 514 00:33:50,036 --> 00:33:51,676 Speaker 1: she was pointing out that we realized she was right 515 00:33:51,756 --> 00:33:54,796 Speaker 1: about was just that it kind of perfectly encapsulated everything 516 00:33:54,876 --> 00:33:57,076 Speaker 1: that we were feeling when we were making this thing was, 517 00:33:57,996 --> 00:34:00,236 Speaker 1: you know, just the last couple of years and everything 518 00:34:00,316 --> 00:34:02,836 Speaker 1: everyone's going through this great re examination of like what 519 00:34:03,036 --> 00:34:05,956 Speaker 1: matters and what doesn't and what did I think was 520 00:34:06,036 --> 00:34:09,756 Speaker 1: important that I'm now realizing actually isn't, And did I 521 00:34:09,916 --> 00:34:14,556 Speaker 1: make the box that I see myself in? And I 522 00:34:14,756 --> 00:34:16,716 Speaker 1: think for a lot of different reasons, that just felt 523 00:34:16,756 --> 00:34:19,236 Speaker 1: like all of that was wrapped up, not only in 524 00:34:19,316 --> 00:34:21,716 Speaker 1: this song, but in this whole process of making this thing. 525 00:34:22,356 --> 00:34:26,716 Speaker 1: And it's also just inherently silly, which is I think 526 00:34:26,916 --> 00:34:30,596 Speaker 1: another thing we loved about it was that it's it's 527 00:34:30,716 --> 00:34:35,636 Speaker 1: very true, but it's also kind of unserious in a 528 00:34:35,716 --> 00:34:40,276 Speaker 1: way that felt the way our lives feel. I don't know, 529 00:34:40,796 --> 00:34:44,596 Speaker 1: I think I feel like silliness is a it's such 530 00:34:44,636 --> 00:34:47,036 Speaker 1: a huge part of my emotional experience, like as a 531 00:34:47,116 --> 00:34:51,116 Speaker 1: human being alive. But I hear it in almost none 532 00:34:51,156 --> 00:34:53,876 Speaker 1: of the music that I listened to. But it's such 533 00:34:53,996 --> 00:34:56,676 Speaker 1: to me. It's it's the it's the it's the other 534 00:34:56,836 --> 00:35:00,356 Speaker 1: side of that doom coin. You know. It's like it's 535 00:35:00,436 --> 00:35:05,196 Speaker 1: such a natural way of processing horrible things, and it's 536 00:35:05,236 --> 00:35:10,236 Speaker 1: such a like an important like seasoning in in at 537 00:35:10,316 --> 00:35:14,756 Speaker 1: least my emotional experience. And there's so much silliness even 538 00:35:14,796 --> 00:35:16,996 Speaker 1: in this record to me, even when it's pointing at 539 00:35:17,036 --> 00:35:21,436 Speaker 1: something that's very serious. And the minute she pointed that out, 540 00:35:21,556 --> 00:35:23,436 Speaker 1: it's like we couldn't unsee it. Like that had to 541 00:35:23,476 --> 00:35:25,116 Speaker 1: be the name of the record. I'm going to do 542 00:35:25,196 --> 00:35:29,676 Speaker 1: a little rhythm nerd thing for our older listeners out there, 543 00:35:29,876 --> 00:35:32,116 Speaker 1: because you said you hear the one in a different 544 00:35:32,156 --> 00:35:36,196 Speaker 1: place where you did, meaning the first beat of the bar. Yeah, 545 00:35:36,516 --> 00:35:38,676 Speaker 1: is that right? And so you maintained that you you're 546 00:35:38,876 --> 00:35:44,276 Speaker 1: playing basically you're you're starting at different points. Yeah. Normally 547 00:35:44,356 --> 00:35:46,916 Speaker 1: we that's the kind of thing we would resolve or 548 00:35:47,116 --> 00:35:48,636 Speaker 1: one of us would end up, you know, being quote 549 00:35:48,676 --> 00:35:54,196 Speaker 1: unquote right about but what oncet quote unquote It changes 550 00:35:54,236 --> 00:35:56,516 Speaker 1: every time. Oh okay, but I think once once she 551 00:35:56,596 --> 00:35:58,156 Speaker 1: had written the lyrics and they were about what they 552 00:35:58,156 --> 00:36:00,076 Speaker 1: were about, it was like there was no like we 553 00:36:00,236 --> 00:36:02,716 Speaker 1: had to justify both those things. Like the whole song 554 00:36:03,796 --> 00:36:06,276 Speaker 1: is about letting go of that kind of arbitrary decision 555 00:36:06,556 --> 00:36:11,756 Speaker 1: and having two different experiences of the same moment. Here's 556 00:36:11,796 --> 00:36:14,756 Speaker 1: the rhythm nerd part of this, which is the song 557 00:36:14,876 --> 00:36:17,156 Speaker 1: in the air tonight, the Phil Collins song. Yeah. Yes, 558 00:36:17,956 --> 00:36:20,476 Speaker 1: the drummer who played with him, who's this famous jazz drummer, 559 00:36:20,956 --> 00:36:23,436 Speaker 1: Chester Thompson, always had trouble with that song. That was 560 00:36:23,516 --> 00:36:26,316 Speaker 1: Chester Thompson. I didn't know that. Yeah, yeah, well I'm 561 00:36:26,316 --> 00:36:28,436 Speaker 1: not playing on the rod the record, but he played 562 00:36:28,476 --> 00:36:31,836 Speaker 1: with him live, and it's because in that drum pattern 563 00:36:31,876 --> 00:36:36,356 Speaker 1: there's no one him out. I mean, but that's different 564 00:36:36,356 --> 00:36:38,316 Speaker 1: than what you're doing. You're starting in the one different places, 565 00:36:38,516 --> 00:36:40,276 Speaker 1: which is really interesting. Yeah, we just said we are 566 00:36:40,316 --> 00:36:45,596 Speaker 1: brains interpret that melody differently. I think I'm right. The 567 00:36:45,716 --> 00:36:47,636 Speaker 1: funniest part though, is that we brought to other people 568 00:36:47,676 --> 00:36:50,636 Speaker 1: in on that. So Gabriel Kahan Kahane did the string 569 00:36:50,716 --> 00:36:54,356 Speaker 1: arrangement and t Jmianni played drums on that. And the 570 00:36:54,436 --> 00:36:57,796 Speaker 1: wildest part was that Gabriel heard it the way I 571 00:36:57,956 --> 00:37:00,236 Speaker 1: hear it and TJ heard it the way Amelia hears it, 572 00:37:00,956 --> 00:37:03,316 Speaker 1: and they each tried to lean into making it so 573 00:37:03,436 --> 00:37:06,156 Speaker 1: that neither of us was right. But we were split 574 00:37:06,276 --> 00:37:08,196 Speaker 1: evenly of all the people who played on that song. 575 00:37:08,636 --> 00:37:10,756 Speaker 1: That's how it should be. I love the string arrangement 576 00:37:10,756 --> 00:37:12,876 Speaker 1: on that it and I don't know if this was conscious. 577 00:37:12,916 --> 00:37:16,196 Speaker 1: It reminds me of a Steve Reich piece. Oh thanks, 578 00:37:16,636 --> 00:37:19,756 Speaker 1: that's what gave when I talked about that when he 579 00:37:19,876 --> 00:37:28,956 Speaker 1: was going through a strung Steve Reich phase, no pun intended. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 580 00:37:29,276 --> 00:37:31,836 Speaker 1: And we wanted we wanted to talk about the Yeah, 581 00:37:32,236 --> 00:37:35,716 Speaker 1: that that first loop particularly, Yeah, he's moving in and out. Yeah, 582 00:37:35,796 --> 00:37:40,196 Speaker 1: he's just so he's so good at that feeling of 583 00:37:40,956 --> 00:37:44,436 Speaker 1: having the strings almost like they're like a flock of birds, 584 00:37:44,516 --> 00:37:47,956 Speaker 1: like swarming over the top of the song. You know. 585 00:37:48,036 --> 00:37:49,836 Speaker 1: We talked about that a lot, that feeling of something 586 00:37:49,956 --> 00:37:53,036 Speaker 1: fluttering over the over the top of it, and he's 587 00:37:53,116 --> 00:37:56,236 Speaker 1: just that it's I don't know that you feel the 588 00:37:56,316 --> 00:37:57,956 Speaker 1: movement of it. You almost want to like swirl your 589 00:37:57,996 --> 00:38:00,116 Speaker 1: body around. I want to as I'm as I'm listening 590 00:38:00,156 --> 00:38:03,076 Speaker 1: to it. That's so cool. We'll be right back with 591 00:38:03,196 --> 00:38:06,756 Speaker 1: more from Nick Sanborne and Amelia Meath. After a quick break, 592 00:38:11,316 --> 00:38:13,876 Speaker 1: we're back with the rest of Bruce Edlum's conversation with 593 00:38:14,116 --> 00:38:17,756 Speaker 1: Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath. I'm not going to express 594 00:38:17,836 --> 00:38:20,436 Speaker 1: this very well, but I'm going to try, which is, 595 00:38:20,476 --> 00:38:22,596 Speaker 1: lots of people perform music and then you're there, Oh, 596 00:38:22,636 --> 00:38:25,556 Speaker 1: they're they're singing this song, they're doing this. There's something 597 00:38:25,596 --> 00:38:30,956 Speaker 1: about your music that you seem that you're inside the song. 598 00:38:31,996 --> 00:38:33,916 Speaker 1: And that's the only way I can express it. I 599 00:38:34,076 --> 00:38:36,316 Speaker 1: don't I'm not even entirely sure what it means. It's 600 00:38:36,316 --> 00:38:41,396 Speaker 1: more of a feeling, but it's it's though something swirling 601 00:38:41,436 --> 00:38:43,236 Speaker 1: around and you're in the middle of it. It's very 602 00:38:43,316 --> 00:38:46,876 Speaker 1: different kind of performance. Does that make any sense? Yeah, 603 00:38:47,436 --> 00:38:51,436 Speaker 1: I think if you're going to performing over Being a 604 00:38:51,596 --> 00:38:53,836 Speaker 1: musician is such a strange thing in general, because you 605 00:38:53,956 --> 00:38:56,916 Speaker 1: have like two main products. You have your performance and 606 00:38:57,036 --> 00:38:59,196 Speaker 1: you have the recording, some would say you also have 607 00:38:59,276 --> 00:39:02,476 Speaker 1: your persona. At first, I was really into performing and 608 00:39:02,596 --> 00:39:05,756 Speaker 1: Nick was really into recording, and now we've kind of 609 00:39:05,836 --> 00:39:08,276 Speaker 1: like met in the middle and maybe shifted a little bit. Yeah, 610 00:39:08,316 --> 00:39:12,076 Speaker 1: definitely a very strong belief that, like, if you're performing 611 00:39:12,116 --> 00:39:16,476 Speaker 1: a song for somebody, it's an energy you're going through 612 00:39:16,596 --> 00:39:19,756 Speaker 1: an energetic shift, and you're you know, anytime you try 613 00:39:19,796 --> 00:39:21,596 Speaker 1: to get someone to listen to your music, you're literally 614 00:39:21,676 --> 00:39:24,356 Speaker 1: holding out your hand being like, here, come with me 615 00:39:25,316 --> 00:39:28,476 Speaker 1: to this place. And it's much more easier to get 616 00:39:28,516 --> 00:39:32,396 Speaker 1: them to come with you if you promise a journey, 617 00:39:32,796 --> 00:39:34,796 Speaker 1: if you go there with them. Well, I also think 618 00:39:34,836 --> 00:39:38,396 Speaker 1: there's a thing a lot of on the records. At least, 619 00:39:39,876 --> 00:39:43,116 Speaker 1: we're both really resistant to the idea of the vocals 620 00:39:43,196 --> 00:39:48,396 Speaker 1: sounding like a performance and we want it to really 621 00:39:48,476 --> 00:39:50,876 Speaker 1: feel intimate and to feel like you're there with us, 622 00:39:51,596 --> 00:39:53,676 Speaker 1: And so a lot of times that leads us to 623 00:39:54,516 --> 00:39:57,476 Speaker 1: using the very first take that Amelia does, like the 624 00:39:57,556 --> 00:39:59,636 Speaker 1: minute after she writes it, she'll sing it into a 625 00:39:59,676 --> 00:40:01,436 Speaker 1: microphone and we'll kind of think it's going to be 626 00:40:01,556 --> 00:40:04,316 Speaker 1: for the demo or whatever, but like that ends up 627 00:40:04,356 --> 00:40:06,236 Speaker 1: being the real take, And every time we try to 628 00:40:06,316 --> 00:40:08,716 Speaker 1: redo it inherently, we kind of hear it as some 629 00:40:08,876 --> 00:40:11,916 Speaker 1: version of a performance rather than her living the song. 630 00:40:12,756 --> 00:40:15,556 Speaker 1: And it's it's a really sensitive and really specific thing, 631 00:40:15,676 --> 00:40:18,636 Speaker 1: but so much of our music is about inviting the 632 00:40:18,716 --> 00:40:23,076 Speaker 1: listener in, and I think that's just another way that 633 00:40:23,156 --> 00:40:27,996 Speaker 1: we're really sensitive to that. But it's everything's very integrated somehow. 634 00:40:28,196 --> 00:40:31,076 Speaker 1: And again I'm struggling to explain this, but it's not 635 00:40:31,236 --> 00:40:32,756 Speaker 1: as though, you know, if you're listening to an old 636 00:40:33,396 --> 00:40:35,276 Speaker 1: Gerald record, you're like, well, here's where she hits that 637 00:40:35,396 --> 00:40:37,316 Speaker 1: high note. You're not really thinking what the band's doing 638 00:40:37,396 --> 00:40:39,956 Speaker 1: behind her. It may be a great record. It's not 639 00:40:40,036 --> 00:40:42,996 Speaker 1: a criticism, but your records seem to be it's the 640 00:40:43,196 --> 00:40:46,956 Speaker 1: space or something that you're in. Thanks. I also think 641 00:40:46,996 --> 00:40:50,316 Speaker 1: a part of that maybe is that everything that's not 642 00:40:50,636 --> 00:40:53,476 Speaker 1: her voice that's in the track we try to make 643 00:40:53,516 --> 00:40:55,596 Speaker 1: it a thing that came from her voice in some way, 644 00:40:55,676 --> 00:40:57,276 Speaker 1: So if even if it's just the musical idea, like, 645 00:40:57,636 --> 00:41:00,236 Speaker 1: all of it to me is intended to point back 646 00:41:00,396 --> 00:41:04,836 Speaker 1: towards her voice, like because that's the doorway, you know, 647 00:41:04,836 --> 00:41:06,996 Speaker 1: at least emotionally, for me, when I'm hearing something, it's 648 00:41:07,076 --> 00:41:10,236 Speaker 1: usually the vocal. If it's a vocal record, I'm that's 649 00:41:10,276 --> 00:41:13,396 Speaker 1: what I'm hearing. So a lot of our songs, the 650 00:41:13,516 --> 00:41:16,996 Speaker 1: minute something distracts me from her voice, will usually get 651 00:41:17,076 --> 00:41:19,596 Speaker 1: rid of it. Well, we want all of it to 652 00:41:19,676 --> 00:41:22,596 Speaker 1: be like kind of like like the realization of a 653 00:41:22,716 --> 00:41:25,676 Speaker 1: dream that she's having. Well, it's interesting because a lot 654 00:41:25,716 --> 00:41:33,436 Speaker 1: of electronic music almost ideologically wants to eliminate human sounds 655 00:41:34,396 --> 00:41:37,436 Speaker 1: or acoustic sounds. But ironically, to me, it's like, but 656 00:41:37,596 --> 00:41:39,596 Speaker 1: all those instruments were still made by humans with this 657 00:41:39,756 --> 00:41:43,156 Speaker 1: idea of perfection in them, like like even like an 658 00:41:43,196 --> 00:41:45,516 Speaker 1: eight to eight drum machine, Like that's a fascinating device 659 00:41:45,596 --> 00:41:49,036 Speaker 1: to me on a human level, just because somebody sat 660 00:41:49,116 --> 00:41:51,156 Speaker 1: down and thought, all right, well it's in four to 661 00:41:51,236 --> 00:41:53,996 Speaker 1: four and there's sixteen steps, and these are what these 662 00:41:54,076 --> 00:41:56,276 Speaker 1: drums sound like, and this is what swing sounds like. 663 00:41:56,596 --> 00:42:01,036 Speaker 1: It's like, it's like, by creating your idea of a perfection, 664 00:42:01,956 --> 00:42:06,796 Speaker 1: idea of perfection, you're showing the humanity of it. You're 665 00:42:06,836 --> 00:42:10,036 Speaker 1: showing kind of like what we what we think of 666 00:42:10,396 --> 00:42:13,676 Speaker 1: as the right quote unquote thing to do. That's super 667 00:42:13,756 --> 00:42:16,476 Speaker 1: interesting to me. I love I love incorporating those things, 668 00:42:16,516 --> 00:42:20,076 Speaker 1: and especially when they're right up against very broken human elements, 669 00:42:20,796 --> 00:42:22,396 Speaker 1: because I think it draws out like kind of the 670 00:42:22,516 --> 00:42:24,556 Speaker 1: humanity the whole thing. If that, I don't know if 671 00:42:24,556 --> 00:42:26,756 Speaker 1: I'm saying that quite excularly. I think you're totally doing 672 00:42:26,756 --> 00:42:28,556 Speaker 1: it right. Also, it's the most human thing in the 673 00:42:28,636 --> 00:42:32,396 Speaker 1: world where where we're like, well, it's electronic sound, as 674 00:42:32,436 --> 00:42:38,956 Speaker 1: if electronics were born and not made, you know, yes, well, 675 00:42:39,076 --> 00:42:42,436 Speaker 1: mandolins and guitars are made, yes too. You know. The 676 00:42:42,876 --> 00:42:46,876 Speaker 1: early electronic music, a lot of those people were obsessed 677 00:42:46,956 --> 00:42:50,516 Speaker 1: with the sounds they were hearing in everyday life, which 678 00:42:50,596 --> 00:42:54,236 Speaker 1: was industrial. Yeah, and that's what they they thought, well, 679 00:42:55,076 --> 00:42:58,956 Speaker 1: music needs to reflect people's everyday soundscape, which is now. 680 00:42:59,076 --> 00:43:01,116 Speaker 1: They thought everybody lived in the city, so it wasn't. 681 00:43:01,356 --> 00:43:05,076 Speaker 1: There were a lot of synthesizers that imitated cows. We 682 00:43:05,156 --> 00:43:07,916 Speaker 1: were talking about this before. We live in a digital world, 683 00:43:07,996 --> 00:43:09,996 Speaker 1: and those are the kind of sound you're dealing with. 684 00:43:10,796 --> 00:43:13,236 Speaker 1: To me, the most interesting things happen when you when 685 00:43:13,276 --> 00:43:16,236 Speaker 1: you push all those textures up against each other. When 686 00:43:16,276 --> 00:43:19,556 Speaker 1: there's this you know, kind of idealized drum machine sound 687 00:43:20,036 --> 00:43:24,836 Speaker 1: next to a very raw feeling vocal next to you know, 688 00:43:25,476 --> 00:43:28,596 Speaker 1: a scratchy sounding acoustic guitar. That is that you can 689 00:43:28,636 --> 00:43:30,996 Speaker 1: tell has been manipulated. I love that feeling when when 690 00:43:30,996 --> 00:43:34,996 Speaker 1: you can tell somebody's changed something, the kind of human 691 00:43:35,196 --> 00:43:38,556 Speaker 1: fingerprint on that, even if it's an electronic sound, that's 692 00:43:38,596 --> 00:43:42,156 Speaker 1: when that's when all those kind of feelings of humanity 693 00:43:42,236 --> 00:43:45,156 Speaker 1: come out more to me. So, for example, the last 694 00:43:45,196 --> 00:43:48,396 Speaker 1: song in your album is a big surprise because it 695 00:43:48,476 --> 00:43:53,356 Speaker 1: starts with somebody's drumming an acoustic guitar, which I don't 696 00:43:53,356 --> 00:43:54,716 Speaker 1: know if that's the first time you've done that in 697 00:43:54,716 --> 00:43:56,676 Speaker 1: a song, but it's it's a it's a surprise when 698 00:43:56,716 --> 00:43:59,556 Speaker 1: those acoustic sounds come in. It's it's a it's a 699 00:43:59,676 --> 00:44:03,436 Speaker 1: jeweled Yeah. So you have the acoustic but then but 700 00:44:03,556 --> 00:44:05,596 Speaker 1: then I think your your vocal is treated. Isn't it 701 00:44:05,676 --> 00:44:08,476 Speaker 1: that you ran it through something? It's not just he's 702 00:44:08,476 --> 00:44:11,476 Speaker 1: a really old vocoder. O oh is that Ryan? We 703 00:44:11,596 --> 00:44:14,356 Speaker 1: love that. We love the old vocoders, Yeah, because most 704 00:44:14,396 --> 00:44:17,156 Speaker 1: of them are broken and so they do really wild 705 00:44:17,236 --> 00:44:19,396 Speaker 1: and strange. Again, you like hear the chip like, I 706 00:44:19,516 --> 00:44:22,556 Speaker 1: just love that feeling. But that one, like you know, 707 00:44:22,756 --> 00:44:26,596 Speaker 1: like we to me that the vocoder in that song 708 00:44:26,676 --> 00:44:29,436 Speaker 1: as just as much humanity as Sam saxophone. You know, 709 00:44:29,556 --> 00:44:32,676 Speaker 1: it's it's because it's all coming from her voice. Like 710 00:44:32,796 --> 00:44:35,796 Speaker 1: both the vocoders sound and Sam's melodies that he's that 711 00:44:35,876 --> 00:44:38,956 Speaker 1: he's playing are all are both from this very raw 712 00:44:39,076 --> 00:44:42,876 Speaker 1: vocal take that she did, and it feels like they're 713 00:44:42,916 --> 00:44:46,516 Speaker 1: all leading back to that same thing. It's been amazing 714 00:44:46,636 --> 00:44:52,316 Speaker 1: watching you work here circuit board there um your toy 715 00:44:52,396 --> 00:44:55,276 Speaker 1: train sat yes, my trains. Yeah, it reminded me of 716 00:44:55,796 --> 00:44:58,556 Speaker 1: m I don't know if you've seen those famous probably 717 00:44:58,596 --> 00:45:02,556 Speaker 1: in documentaries, you know, George Martin or Paul McCartney will 718 00:45:03,316 --> 00:45:07,636 Speaker 1: demonstrate how they used faders on tomorrow never knows. Oh yeah, 719 00:45:07,676 --> 00:45:09,516 Speaker 1: those are great and and I don't know if this 720 00:45:09,596 --> 00:45:11,316 Speaker 1: is actually the case. I'm sure it's not the case, 721 00:45:11,436 --> 00:45:13,436 Speaker 1: but it's probably the case in pop music. It's the 722 00:45:13,516 --> 00:45:18,156 Speaker 1: first time the performance was really the engineer's performance that 723 00:45:18,276 --> 00:45:20,956 Speaker 1: really made that. Yeah, mixer is still an instrument. That's 724 00:45:20,996 --> 00:45:24,876 Speaker 1: what I love playing a mixer. Yeah, um, well you 725 00:45:24,996 --> 00:45:26,956 Speaker 1: did it. Well. It's just it's just amazing to watch. 726 00:45:27,036 --> 00:45:31,036 Speaker 1: It's it's a very if someone's used to more traditional instruments, 727 00:45:31,076 --> 00:45:35,156 Speaker 1: it's it's just an amazing thing to watch. Thanks I 728 00:45:35,236 --> 00:45:38,076 Speaker 1: mean for people who kind of perform in this space, 729 00:45:38,796 --> 00:45:41,636 Speaker 1: it's kind of digital space. I would say two things. 730 00:45:42,036 --> 00:45:46,436 Speaker 1: You seem fascinated by analog technology. You've got a song 731 00:45:46,516 --> 00:45:50,076 Speaker 1: about a train, you got a radio song. And is 732 00:45:50,116 --> 00:45:52,716 Speaker 1: it true you used old tape of your Is it 733 00:45:52,836 --> 00:45:57,196 Speaker 1: your mother used to cut tape for radio? We used 734 00:45:57,236 --> 00:46:00,636 Speaker 1: her old, real real for that. Yeah, oh that's amazing. 735 00:46:01,076 --> 00:46:03,716 Speaker 1: The second thing is, and you know you've got little 736 00:46:03,756 --> 00:46:07,916 Speaker 1: snatches of conversation and phone messages. Musicians now have to 737 00:46:08,036 --> 00:46:11,796 Speaker 1: live in that world. They have to be active on 738 00:46:11,916 --> 00:46:14,196 Speaker 1: social media. They have to interact with fans in a 739 00:46:14,276 --> 00:46:16,796 Speaker 1: way they didn't before, not like in the good old 740 00:46:16,876 --> 00:46:20,916 Speaker 1: days of Twitter. Good old days Twitter so nice on there, 741 00:46:21,076 --> 00:46:24,476 Speaker 1: and music has made in a very different way. Now. 742 00:46:24,916 --> 00:46:29,036 Speaker 1: I'll put on a record at home and my son 743 00:46:29,116 --> 00:46:30,996 Speaker 1: who's eight, will say, well, it hasn't started yet, and 744 00:46:30,996 --> 00:46:33,396 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, no, it's just really quiet, like you're 745 00:46:33,436 --> 00:46:37,396 Speaker 1: not used to quiet music anymore. Just wait for the 746 00:46:37,476 --> 00:46:39,076 Speaker 1: vocal to come in. Actually it's been on, like the 747 00:46:39,116 --> 00:46:41,396 Speaker 1: piano has been there for thirty seconds. But you know, 748 00:46:41,476 --> 00:46:44,636 Speaker 1: the range is different everything. I know every musician is 749 00:46:44,676 --> 00:46:49,276 Speaker 1: in this world now, you guys sort of also exploit 750 00:46:49,396 --> 00:46:52,916 Speaker 1: those things as part of your sound and I think 751 00:46:53,036 --> 00:46:56,956 Speaker 1: almost part of your philosophy. What's it like being those 752 00:46:57,076 --> 00:47:00,156 Speaker 1: kind of digital creatures. The only way I figured out 753 00:47:00,196 --> 00:47:04,116 Speaker 1: how to do it is to do it authentically, which 754 00:47:04,276 --> 00:47:09,716 Speaker 1: isn't as glamorous looking as the way other people do it. 755 00:47:10,076 --> 00:47:12,516 Speaker 1: In order to be able to interact with the Internet 756 00:47:12,636 --> 00:47:15,716 Speaker 1: in any way that feels honest, I have to be myself, 757 00:47:16,196 --> 00:47:19,596 Speaker 1: which is kind of unfortunate because being yourself is embarrassing 758 00:47:19,836 --> 00:47:22,836 Speaker 1: most of the time, particularly when you're when you're doing 759 00:47:22,916 --> 00:47:25,876 Speaker 1: it for your job. But that's the that's the only 760 00:47:25,956 --> 00:47:28,316 Speaker 1: way I've been able to do it. It takes a 761 00:47:28,316 --> 00:47:31,236 Speaker 1: lot of energy, but because of that, because of the Internet, 762 00:47:31,316 --> 00:47:33,436 Speaker 1: like here we are, we're able to do this. This 763 00:47:33,596 --> 00:47:35,716 Speaker 1: is our job because of the amount of people we 764 00:47:35,796 --> 00:47:39,756 Speaker 1: were able to reach. But your your song radio addresses that. 765 00:47:39,916 --> 00:47:43,196 Speaker 1: It asks about how many clicks and have you done 766 00:47:43,236 --> 00:47:47,196 Speaker 1: something so you can make the news it does it does? 767 00:47:49,036 --> 00:47:53,596 Speaker 1: Was that performed with or was that written with some ambivalence? Yeah? Yeah, 768 00:47:53,716 --> 00:47:55,516 Speaker 1: I was in a phase of songwriting where I was 769 00:47:55,596 --> 00:48:00,556 Speaker 1: really into being very direct and talking about what I 770 00:48:00,716 --> 00:48:05,436 Speaker 1: was feeling. I'm with that song in particular, I wanted 771 00:48:05,476 --> 00:48:07,836 Speaker 1: to write about, you know, wanting to get on the radio, 772 00:48:08,036 --> 00:48:11,676 Speaker 1: trying to make our sound something that was consumable by 773 00:48:11,716 --> 00:48:15,356 Speaker 1: a lot of people, or to be able to convince 774 00:48:15,436 --> 00:48:18,996 Speaker 1: a radio promoter that it was consumable by a lot 775 00:48:19,076 --> 00:48:21,756 Speaker 1: of people, but also trying to be authentic at the 776 00:48:21,836 --> 00:48:25,476 Speaker 1: same time, and the way that those two things interact. 777 00:48:26,116 --> 00:48:30,236 Speaker 1: Also how pop culture and media is just an excellent 778 00:48:30,356 --> 00:48:35,636 Speaker 1: distractor from disaster. You've mentioned disaster a couple of times 779 00:48:36,196 --> 00:48:39,156 Speaker 1: during this interview, So do you see yourself sort of 780 00:48:39,196 --> 00:48:42,716 Speaker 1: as a bulwark against disaster your music or is it 781 00:48:42,836 --> 00:48:45,556 Speaker 1: just what people have to do if they feel they're 782 00:48:45,596 --> 00:48:50,596 Speaker 1: facing something terrible in life. Oh my god, no, I can't. 783 00:48:50,676 --> 00:48:53,356 Speaker 1: I would never even I think, you know, an important 784 00:48:53,436 --> 00:49:00,156 Speaker 1: part of living is experiencing destruction and heartbreak and sadness. 785 00:49:01,396 --> 00:49:03,116 Speaker 1: And I think for me, the thing I like to 786 00:49:03,276 --> 00:49:09,036 Speaker 1: think that my hope is that the music can be company, 787 00:49:09,676 --> 00:49:13,796 Speaker 1: a friend, something that people can look at and say, 788 00:49:15,596 --> 00:49:20,156 Speaker 1: here's this this this happened to them, or this is 789 00:49:20,236 --> 00:49:22,876 Speaker 1: my song for for feeling how I feel right now. 790 00:49:23,516 --> 00:49:31,356 Speaker 1: It's something that can float float people through the saddest times. Okay, 791 00:49:32,636 --> 00:49:35,716 Speaker 1: you guys made a terrific film and during the pandemic 792 00:49:36,436 --> 00:49:38,676 Speaker 1: where you you did a bunch of your songs with 793 00:49:38,756 --> 00:49:42,556 Speaker 1: a full band, yeah, which and it's called with Love, 794 00:49:42,596 --> 00:49:44,516 Speaker 1: and I suggest everybody would go out and watch it. 795 00:49:44,676 --> 00:49:46,316 Speaker 1: What was that like? Is that the first time you 796 00:49:46,356 --> 00:49:49,556 Speaker 1: would you had rearranged the songs for no, we had 797 00:49:49,596 --> 00:49:52,156 Speaker 1: done so we right in the fall of twenty nineteen, 798 00:49:52,276 --> 00:49:54,556 Speaker 1: we took that same band out on tour and we 799 00:49:54,676 --> 00:49:58,396 Speaker 1: did like seven shows. We did like four cities. We 800 00:49:58,436 --> 00:50:00,876 Speaker 1: didn't do very many, and then we put it. There's 801 00:50:00,876 --> 00:50:02,636 Speaker 1: a there's a full length doc of that out that 802 00:50:02,716 --> 00:50:04,916 Speaker 1: you can find on the It's just called with And 803 00:50:04,996 --> 00:50:07,316 Speaker 1: So that was kind of the first time we had 804 00:50:07,396 --> 00:50:09,996 Speaker 1: really leaned into that wed I tried playing stuff with 805 00:50:10,236 --> 00:50:11,876 Speaker 1: people before and it had been great, but this was 806 00:50:12,036 --> 00:50:14,156 Speaker 1: the first time we like really put a show together 807 00:50:14,276 --> 00:50:17,236 Speaker 1: and put it on for people. And then when the 808 00:50:17,356 --> 00:50:21,356 Speaker 1: pandemic hit and we were putting this record out, we 809 00:50:22,156 --> 00:50:24,596 Speaker 1: realized that this could be a great excuse for us 810 00:50:24,676 --> 00:50:26,636 Speaker 1: all if we could figure out a way to safely 811 00:50:26,676 --> 00:50:29,836 Speaker 1: get together, that this could be a just an amazing 812 00:50:29,916 --> 00:50:32,076 Speaker 1: thing for all of us involved. That we missed each 813 00:50:32,076 --> 00:50:36,236 Speaker 1: other so much, and we really wanted to find a 814 00:50:36,316 --> 00:50:37,676 Speaker 1: way to do it, and so you know, it was 815 00:50:37,676 --> 00:50:40,796 Speaker 1: like right when testing was getting really available and you know, 816 00:50:40,916 --> 00:50:43,676 Speaker 1: we had this whole thing worked out. But that was 817 00:50:43,716 --> 00:50:47,476 Speaker 1: kind of the whole impetus was just we miss our friends. 818 00:50:47,836 --> 00:50:51,316 Speaker 1: And the craziest part has been hearing other people who 819 00:50:51,436 --> 00:50:53,956 Speaker 1: watch it who weren't there, saying that they connected with 820 00:50:54,036 --> 00:50:56,516 Speaker 1: that same thing about it, that it made them feel 821 00:50:56,556 --> 00:50:58,956 Speaker 1: more together. It was it was I'm so grateful for 822 00:50:58,996 --> 00:51:02,196 Speaker 1: the entire experience. It was really fun to shoot, mostly 823 00:51:02,196 --> 00:51:04,436 Speaker 1: because we hadn't gotten to play music with other people 824 00:51:04,996 --> 00:51:08,556 Speaker 1: in you know, a year, and we'd put out a 825 00:51:08,596 --> 00:51:13,076 Speaker 1: record during the pandemic, Free Love. Everyone who released an 826 00:51:13,196 --> 00:51:17,396 Speaker 1: artistic feat during the pandemic knows the strange feeling of 827 00:51:18,556 --> 00:51:22,916 Speaker 1: like dropping a pee down at a plumb line or something. 828 00:51:23,596 --> 00:51:27,156 Speaker 1: So it felt really great to get to celebrate with 829 00:51:27,356 --> 00:51:30,636 Speaker 1: our friends for a live stream for something that had been, 830 00:51:30,996 --> 00:51:34,436 Speaker 1: you know, a way of revisiting the songs that we 831 00:51:34,516 --> 00:51:37,236 Speaker 1: hadn't gotten to play yet, and it was just it was, 832 00:51:37,516 --> 00:51:40,836 Speaker 1: it just existed for its own sake. That was I 833 00:51:40,876 --> 00:51:42,236 Speaker 1: think one thing I loved about it was that there's 834 00:51:42,276 --> 00:51:46,076 Speaker 1: no nobody had to do that. I mean, we weren't 835 00:51:46,356 --> 00:51:47,916 Speaker 1: making a ton of money or anything. It wasn't like, 836 00:51:47,996 --> 00:51:50,796 Speaker 1: you know, it's just it just existed because we wanted 837 00:51:50,836 --> 00:51:53,756 Speaker 1: to be together. It was great. Well, I recommended to everybody. 838 00:51:53,956 --> 00:51:56,956 Speaker 1: So you've got this new album out, What is next? Oh, 839 00:51:57,316 --> 00:52:00,876 Speaker 1: we're going a tour forever? Yeah, right now. We put 840 00:52:00,916 --> 00:52:04,436 Speaker 1: the record out so fast. For the first time in 841 00:52:04,476 --> 00:52:07,356 Speaker 1: like seven years. Were opening for a band right now, 842 00:52:07,476 --> 00:52:10,556 Speaker 1: which is really fun. But we'd already signed up to 843 00:52:10,716 --> 00:52:14,516 Speaker 1: open for them before we'd written the record. So now 844 00:52:14,556 --> 00:52:16,276 Speaker 1: we're in this interesting space where we just put this 845 00:52:16,396 --> 00:52:20,876 Speaker 1: record out and we're opening an arena tour. Who are 846 00:52:20,876 --> 00:52:26,036 Speaker 1: you opening for? Oh? Okay, yeah, so tell me. What's 847 00:52:26,076 --> 00:52:29,236 Speaker 1: it like playing this music to so many people, to 848 00:52:29,356 --> 00:52:34,236 Speaker 1: such a big audience. It's nice, it's good. Yeah. Well, 849 00:52:34,356 --> 00:52:36,916 Speaker 1: you know, when we play shows, it's usually it's like 850 00:52:38,516 --> 00:52:42,516 Speaker 1: four thousand less people, but not that they're comparable to 851 00:52:42,596 --> 00:52:46,396 Speaker 1: our to our size. It's like side too. It's yah yeah, yeah, no, 852 00:52:46,476 --> 00:52:53,236 Speaker 1: I didn't mean like they ever played to like I 853 00:52:53,396 --> 00:52:57,876 Speaker 1: wish I miss bars. It's really nice. It's interesting. It's different. Uh, 854 00:52:58,036 --> 00:53:01,636 Speaker 1: it's different group of people than like our fan base, 855 00:53:02,436 --> 00:53:04,876 Speaker 1: and it's a whole different job to open shows. Than 856 00:53:04,956 --> 00:53:07,836 Speaker 1: it is to host them. So we're like getting our 857 00:53:07,916 --> 00:53:10,356 Speaker 1: chops back. Yeah, this part is that's all we used 858 00:53:10,396 --> 00:53:11,996 Speaker 1: to do. Like that's how we kind of came up. 859 00:53:12,036 --> 00:53:13,836 Speaker 1: We got a couple of great opening slots, like for 860 00:53:13,956 --> 00:53:16,196 Speaker 1: two Yards and Volcano Choir, like right when we started, 861 00:53:16,316 --> 00:53:21,516 Speaker 1: kind of miraculously, and we just like loved, we relished 862 00:53:21,556 --> 00:53:24,156 Speaker 1: that feeling of like having thirty five or forty minutes 863 00:53:24,236 --> 00:53:26,836 Speaker 1: or whatever to like convince everyone to like you. And 864 00:53:26,996 --> 00:53:30,516 Speaker 1: we've been pretty much headlining ever since. And so it's like, 865 00:53:31,716 --> 00:53:33,356 Speaker 1: I don't know I've said this before, but it feels 866 00:53:33,356 --> 00:53:35,116 Speaker 1: like I'm like working out every night. It feels like 867 00:53:35,196 --> 00:53:38,276 Speaker 1: we're like getting a muscle back that we lacks, you know, 868 00:53:38,596 --> 00:53:40,876 Speaker 1: through the cushiness of everyone already knowing all the words 869 00:53:40,916 --> 00:53:44,036 Speaker 1: to our songs. Yeah, it's been great. I love it. 870 00:53:44,116 --> 00:53:46,316 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, trying to figure out what they're 871 00:53:46,316 --> 00:53:47,916 Speaker 1: going to react to on any given night is so 872 00:53:48,236 --> 00:53:51,236 Speaker 1: it changes so wildly. It's cool exactly. So we're going 873 00:53:51,276 --> 00:53:54,916 Speaker 1: to finish this tour and then hopefully in twenty twenty 874 00:53:54,956 --> 00:53:59,556 Speaker 1: three will actually to our new rules. Sandy, right, and 875 00:53:59,716 --> 00:54:02,516 Speaker 1: this is how musicians make their living now. Oh yeah, 876 00:54:02,836 --> 00:54:04,676 Speaker 1: that's right, that's the only place where the money is 877 00:54:05,636 --> 00:54:10,036 Speaker 1: that and you know car commercials looking forward to both. 878 00:54:10,516 --> 00:54:12,356 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for coming in. It's been just 879 00:54:12,476 --> 00:54:15,156 Speaker 1: fabulous and the performances were wonderful. It's just great. Thank 880 00:54:15,196 --> 00:54:17,036 Speaker 1: you for so much for having us. Yeah, thank you. 881 00:54:19,876 --> 00:54:22,356 Speaker 1: Thanks to Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn if silvan Esso 882 00:54:22,436 --> 00:54:24,956 Speaker 1: for coming through Broken Record to talk about their lives, 883 00:54:25,196 --> 00:54:28,916 Speaker 1: creative process and their new album. And you're all of 884 00:54:28,956 --> 00:54:32,156 Speaker 1: our favorite Sylvaneso songs on a playlist at broken record 885 00:54:32,236 --> 00:54:35,956 Speaker 1: podcast dot com. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube 886 00:54:36,076 --> 00:54:39,716 Speaker 1: channel at YouTube dot com slash Broken Record Podcast, where 887 00:54:39,716 --> 00:54:42,156 Speaker 1: you can find all of our new episodes. You can 888 00:54:42,236 --> 00:54:45,916 Speaker 1: follow us on Twitter at broken Record. Broken Record is 889 00:54:45,916 --> 00:54:49,556 Speaker 1: a producer of help from Leah Rose, Jason N Brow, Vantaladay, 890 00:54:49,836 --> 00:54:54,076 Speaker 1: Eric Sandler, and Jennifer Sanchez. Our editor is Sophie Crane. 891 00:54:54,356 --> 00:54:58,996 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Mio Lava. Broken Record is a 892 00:54:59,076 --> 00:55:01,956 Speaker 1: production of Pushkin Industries. If you like this show and 893 00:55:02,036 --> 00:55:06,156 Speaker 1: others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus 894 00:55:06,276 --> 00:55:09,876 Speaker 1: is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content an uninterrupted 895 00:55:09,956 --> 00:55:13,196 Speaker 1: ad free listening for four ninety nine a month. Look 896 00:55:13,196 --> 00:55:16,796 Speaker 1: for Pushkin Plus on Apple Podcasts, subscriptions, and if you'd 897 00:55:16,836 --> 00:55:19,276 Speaker 1: like the show, please remember to share, rate, and review 898 00:55:19,396 --> 00:55:22,276 Speaker 1: us on your podcast app. For Things Expect Any Beats, 899 00:55:22,596 --> 00:55:23,556 Speaker 1: I'm justin Richmond,