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| Interview: Patrick Cleandenim |
| Tuesday, October 16, 2007 |
IBaby Comes Home, the debut of Patrick Cleandenim, is a surprisingly fresh collection of big-band pop with a flair for the dramatic. It's even more impressive when you consider the record was made by a man barely out of his teens at the time. The arrangements are grand, delicate, and surprisingly intricate; they are show tunes for Broadway noir, if such a thing existed. Cleandenim is a soft-spoken, thoughtful young man, and as you'll read below, he's a man with a vision for his art--even though the idealistic vision might overlook practicalities. No matter; being young means trying different things, and what he does next is an exciting prospect.
I've read several reviews of Baby Comes Home, and many of those reviews focus on comparing your work to artists such as Scott Walker and Burt Bacharach, and yes, it is easy to understand where those comparisons come from. What struck me, though, was reading an article where Elvis's name was mentioned, and when I went back and listened to the record, to me, that comparison overrode the others. Because I do hear stylistic shades of Elvis's recorded work, especially his 1970s work. Was he an influence on your style?
Oh, certainly, I'd have to say that Elvis was a huge influence for me growing up. For me, I'd have to say that, at least initially, it was mostly his early work that I really immediately fell in love with, and then I fell in love with some of the work of his later career, such as the late 60s, "Suspicious Minds" and the more orchestral work he did.
I'm a big fan of his work in the final years, because to me there's just something so wonderfully transcendent about the bombastic nature of that era. Well, it's not bombastic in a negative way, but when you play it loud, it hits you like a wall of sound. When I listen to your work, I hear a young man who is trying to do the same thing, who is trying to make a sound and make it BIG, while at the same time making it colorful.
Yeah, that was definitely one of my goals when I worked on the arrangements for the album. I wanted to create an imaginative space for the listener, where I would have the music existing on one level, where it's not so one-dimensional, as if it were coming out of a radio, but almost like you were surrounded by the source of the music.
I know that Elvis tried to do that with his material, where he would have a sound that was loud and big and would transmit the same energy as his live performances--and that he could easily perform for his stage show. If you turn up the volume when listening to some of those songs, you could easily think you were in a live show. Were you trying to create that feeling, composing arrangements in a move towards having a big live show?
It's definitely something I have been working really hard on now. Unfortunately, the way I was working with those songs and the production of the album, I was creating that sound within a studio, and we didn't have a live show prepared for when we came out of the studio. So once we were finished, we had a big question about how we could achieve that live. I have tried on a smaller scale with a smaller orchestra with a few horn players and a rhythm section, and it worked OK, but it didn't hit me with the same impact as the recordings. The live work I am doing now, it is on a smaller scale. It's a four piece, with keyboards, bass, a conga player, and a drummer.
Are you satisfied with the arrangement?
I think that arrangement suits the new material. I'm certain that setup can't begin to represent the album, so currently we're playing primarily new music, and very little from the album. I want to be able to perform those songs to their fullest capacity, and what I'm waiting on is to try to settle the means of achieving those sounds. It's not something I am able to do right now. As you could imagine, it would be very expensive to have so many people to perform and tour live.
I understand. I don't think that the songs would work any other way.
I think that's true, and that's why the new band is--and it is a new band, completely different players from Baby Comes Home, except for my brother, who played drums on the album, and he now plays congas and auxiliary percussion in the new group. Because I know it doesn't work to play those songs
When you wrote the songs that made up the debut, did you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get the arrangements just right, without taking into account the ability to reproduce them live, or did you simply come up with arrangements because you had the live show in mind?
The way I was writing then was with the intention of recording them directly, right off the bat. I'd been working on writing for about a year or so before I really entered the studio. I had been working on the songs for a long time, and my goal was to pick out arrangements piece by piece for each instrument, and once that was completed, that pretty much settled how each song would be. Then we went into the studio, and for many of the players you hear, some of their parts are the first takes. It was a very developed project before we went into the studio.
I'm sure that as an artist, you must feel conflicted by the excellent material you composed and the material you're almost forced to perform live.
It's something I've been struggling with, and there's also the issue of time passing. This December will mark two years since the recording of the album, and that was when I was 20. I'd just turned 21 when we finished the album. I'll be turning 23 this December, so it's almost a feeling of wanting to catch up with myself. I am disappointed that we have not been able to totally follow through with the aesthetic of the album live.
Do you see yourself more as a songwriter or an entertainer?
I see myself as an entertainer primarily. I have also been investing my time in directing and acting some films, and I think that...I dunno. I also see myself as a songwriter, but it's harder to identify a specific identity as a songwriter, as I see that my style is going to be something that is constantly changing. It would be easier to call myself a "folk songwriter" or a "rock songwriter," I guess, but the way I perceive myself in my head is as an entertainer who is going to pursue a number of different angles with what I am doing.
Does your new material tone down the feel of what you did on Baby Comes Home, or is it something different? In a way, I'd say it's a refinement of the songwriting. My main goal with writing every song is to create infectious and memorable pop melodies and hooks and to make each song have an emphatic element that singles have. I wanted every song on the album to be a single; I want every song I write to be a single. That is definitely consistent with what I'm doing now. I am still writing music with the same approach; I want my music to be interesting yet appealing to the ear immediately the way all of my favorite songs do. I still see myself as a pop songwriter, but I would say my songs are wearing a different veil now, because the instrumentation I'm working with is different and the players I have now are different. They sound dramatically different, but it's exciting. It's exciting to work with the foundation of each song, and in my head I might see the result as being something closer to the material of Baby Comes Home but working with the songs and working with these new restrictions, these songs turn out as something entirely new.
Are you consciously addressing the live element with your new songs? Are you intentionally performing your songs live over a an amount of time before you take them into the studio?
Absolutely--that's been the overarching design of the process I'm working on now. We rehearsed the material constantly and have performed it every week for several months now as a group, as a 4-piece. Going through that rigarous routine of rehearsal and performing for an audience and seeing what works and what doesn't, that's going to help my music a lot, and it's certainly a different process than what I've done before. It's a much more collaborative process, and there's a physical toll--I spend less time at a piano and a lot more time running about, working with my bandmates, which is great.
I see these things as working out to your benefit. I know that people focus way too much on how you sound like someone else instead of accepting what you do for what it is. (Agrees) I'm sure those Scott Walker comparisons must get old after a while! (Laughs)
Oh, it got old really fast. (Laugh) I understand that for an artist putting out their first full-length, they need to create a framework for what they might hear as a point of reference, as there is a pressure to create these comparisons to get people interested in a band or an artist. So I understand it from that angle, but I hope as people are exposed to the new material that they understand my focus is on growing as a songwriter, vocalist, arranger, and performer, that my music is not tied down to one specific genre.
Again, I think it's a really good record, and I think that the changes you've made will work to your benefit, as people will expect one thing and be presented with a whole other facet of your style.
I hope so.
Patrick Cleandenim's debut, Baby Comes Home is available now on Ba Da BingLabels: Ba Da Bing, Interview Time, Patrick Cleandenim |
posted by joseph kyle @ 5:06 PM  |
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| Interview: Ulrich Schnauss |
| Monday, October 1, 2007 |
Who knows what some journalists expect from an artist? I sometimes wonder if there's too much emphasis placed upon what they feel an artist should do. It's like critiquing a military strategy; it's really easy for the observer to say what the next move should be, but sometimes the easy, "obvious" answer isn't the correct strategy--one must wait to see what the ultimate result will be. That being said, I have yet to understand the logic behind the reviews for Goodbye, the latest album by German composer Ulrich Schnauss. Instead of appreciating that Mr. Schnauss has created another album of beautiful, relaxing instrumental album, other reviewers seem to focus on some indefinable negativity, or they focus on how he hasn't really done anything new. No matter, though; what others have missed, though, is that Ulrich Schnauss has simply improved on the qualities that made his last two albums so wonderful.
Listen To: "A Song About Hope"
Some songs, like "Einfeld" and "Never Be the Same" sound like the work of an individual composing by himself, yet other song, like "Goodbye" and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" sound like the work of a full band. When you started writing Goodbye, did you start in one of these styles and gravitate towards the other, or did you simply write and compose songs without an afterthought about how they sounded?
Usually, I have an idea for the overall sound for a song. Most of the time, I start with a rough sketch of a song I have written on a piano, and I write those ideas. When I have those ideas completed and when I am ready to take them into the studio, I do have an idea for what the overall style should be and what the overall sound should be like.
Do you feel that the remixing that you do for bands has helped change your own notions about what you want to do in your own creative process?
I wouldn't necessarily say remixing that much, but working with other people in collaboration certainly does. If you collaborate with other musicians, whether it is singing or bands, or whether it's recording or reworking a track, you have the opportunity to be a part of the creative process as well, and you get to talk to them and interact, and doing that helps to educate you in ideas where you can take your own music as well. I think remixing itself is a bit more formal and a bit more than distant in that respect, because it doesn't really involve direct interactions with the creative process.
Do you try to work with people you like simply for that experience of working with them?
Yes and no. I generally enjoy working with other musicians and other people, but obviously the other criteria isn't just to work with other people randomly, but also that it makes sense in a musical way. I think it just kind of happens automatically. If something works personally and musically, I expect interesting things to come out of that relationship.
If a record label says, "We'd like you to remix this track" by an artist you don't like, then would you do it?
That's not really my priority. Well, I mean, you do have to do the occasional bread-and-butter projects to pay the rent, but I still do a lot of projects and collaborations that don't involve money at all, simply because I like to do them. The same goes for remixes as well. There are a lot of remixes I have done this year I have done for free simply because I thought the people who approached me had made really interesting music and I wanted to be a part of that as well. I think it is a compromise between both things, in a way, because you have to be able to survive, obviously, but also because you want to be able to do the things you love to do, which is not necessarily something that pay the bills.
Speaking of collaborations, I understand you've recently collaborated with Jonas Munk. How was that experience?
Wonderful! We've been working on that for quite a while, actually. I think Jonas has probably been a bit more efficient about things that I have been! (Laughs) I think most of the guitar work that needed to be done has been done now, but the songs still need some treatments. That's number one on my list to do when I return from my American tour. I want to concentrate on it for a few weeks when I get back, because we want to make sure it is finished and ready for release by the end of the year. I love Jonas' work; I think he's a wonderful musician, and I was really happy that the opportunity came up to work together.
On your recent EP, there were two remixes by Robin Guthrie. Are there any plans to work with him in the future?
I certainly would be up for it! He and I were talking about it but not in a serious way. Obviously Robin is very busy and I am about to be, so I don't know when we would have the time to do it, but I would love to work with him.
On Goodbye, all your song titles relate to themes of loss and of change. Does the common theme mean that you were trying to create something of a 'concept' album related to a general theme or feeling?
I definitely would agree. The word "concept album" is a difficult one, because if you say, "I've just made a concept album," it comes across in a real pretentious way, so I would definitely avoid that term, but there's definitely a common theme with these songs. That happened somewhat accidentally, though. I didn't sit down and say, "Oh, I want to write an album about my situation." I just realized that many of the songs, after I'd written them, kind of hinted at that, so to me it just made sense to allow the songs to keep following that path.
Do you enjoy playing live?
To be honest, until recently I didn't really enjoy it that much, because my live set, I always felt it was compromised because I was playing backing tracks from the hard drive with little keyboard bits. I didn't like that way of performing. But over the last few months, I've put a lot of work into more improvisation, developing things that are more open to improvisation, so it is a setup that can definitely and rightly be called live. I think I will probably start enjoying performing a lot more now.
Goodbye is available now on Domino RecordsLabels: Domino Records, Interview Time, Ulrich Schnauss |
| posted by joseph kyle @ 9:44 AM |
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| Interview: Pissed Jeans |
| Tuesday, September 18, 2007 |
Philadelphia's Pissed Jeans' Sub Pop debut, Hope for Men, caught me by surprise. The quickest way to cure burnout by a thing is to find something that reminds you of why you initially loved it. Such was the case with Pissed Jeans; theirs is a sound that is intense and hard, but it also possesses a devil-may-care attitude. You may recall a few other Sub Pop bands that possessed that kind of attitude. Yeah, you might say that Pissed Jeans kind of has a "Sub Pop sound." But so what? Theirs is good music; Sub Pop happens to be one of the reasons I love music. How could you not love something that positively reminds you of why you fell in love with music almost, um, two decades ago? Talking to drummer Sean McGuinness was a real treat, as you'll soon read. His powerful drumming is a highlight of Hope for Men, but he's a very down-to-earth dude who loves music. Our conversation could have gone on longer, and we did ramble on a bit more than the following interview. Seriously, these guys are great--what more needs to be said than that?
Listen To: "I've Still Got You (Ice Cream)"
It's nice that I'm speaking to you, because Hope for Men has some really powerful drumming.
Oh, thanks a lot, man!
Something I've noticed is that when the drums are in the forefront, it invariably seems that the creative process for that song or album was a very spontaneous one. Was that the case for Hope for Men?
Yeah, I'd say about half and half. Brad and I wrote about half the record over six months, and the other half we came up with pretty spontaneously in the studio. We wrote about three or four songs in there and I think they came out really well. That's not to say we didn't do lots of planning; we just do it. I don't think you can really have a band without a level of spontaneity. What's the point of collaborating with people if you can't play off of each other's ideas? To me, it wouldn't be worth it.
Some bands have one or two primary songwriters who introduce the songs to the rest of the group, and then others are more open in the creative process and they write the songs together as a band. How does it work for Pissed Jeans?
We do a lot of jamming. I'm not an original member of the band; when I joined, about a week later, we had a deal for a Sub Pop seven inch. So we went in, banged it out, and then we thought, "Um, we better get working on an album." We had a definite goal in mind for an album; we wanted to have ten songs. The first song we came up with was "The Jogger." There was a definite spontaneity at the time. "Fantasy Time" was also written really fast. The guy who was recording us said he had to take a break to go to the post office. Right as he went out, Brad came downstairs and said he had an idea. So he played it, and we said, "Let's slow it down" and he was into that. We started playing it and had it completed in two takes. So yeah, there's definitely an amount of spontaneity--especially when we play live. I don't think we've ever played a show that's gone smoothly. (Laughs)
That sounds like fun, though!
Oh, it's completely fun! But it's stressful as well. Because even though you're wanting to have a wild and crazy time, you still want things to go well, and you want to put on a great show.
To me, some bands' records are completely secondary to their live show. And when I heard Hope for Men for the first time, I thought, "I bet these guys are freakin' amazing live," because of the structure of the songs.
(Laughs) Thanks, man! I think it's cool you think that. We, when we play live, we try for our best, and shit always goes wrong.
But in retrospect, aren't some of those shows where nothing goes right and things seem like a disaster, aren't those some of the best?
Well...I wouldn't necessarily say "best." But they are memorable. We played a show in DC where our bass player wore nothing but his bass, and after two songs, the power went off on the stage and was out for fifteen minutes. So he just stood there naked, awkwardly, wondering what to do. (Laughs)
(Laughs) I have a feeling people in bands don't really remember shows where everything goes according to plan, where everything goes right. It's like a normal, uneventful day of work. (Agrees) Now, I'm an old bastard, and when I heard your music for the first time, I instantly thought of twenty years ago, because what you do reminds me a lot of the Sub Pop-era of two decades ago. Forgive me if this is a subject you're sick of...but did that sound cause Sub Pop to be attracted to you, or you to them, or was that not even a consideration for any of the parties involved?
We do get that a lot, yeah, but it wasn't a conscious thing. But I honestly have no idea what attracted them to us, because I was new to the group and that kind of happened before my time. The story I've heard is that our guy Andy, who works there, listens to a particular WFMU show every Thursday night. He missed it one week and looked up the playlist for that show, to see what he'd missed. He saw our name on it, and he said to himself, "Man, I really gotta check them out; with a name like that, I HAVE to hear what they're about." He looked us up, listened to us, and lo and behold , three months later, we're on Sub Pop. I hadn't even recorded anything with the band when we'd signed. When we went out to Seattle, they were all into us and really super-supportive, and at first I kinda thought they were blowing smoke up our asses. After three days, though, I started to believe them; I really liked them, and it was really cool to realize, "Hey, this amazing label, they're really into us and want to help us out!"
I find it kind of ironic; Pissed Jeans is tapping into a style that Sub Pop made famous twenty years ago, yet the label now is more known for releasing and producing softer, gentler music, so you guys might seem like a throwback.
I don't see ourselves as a throwback. (Pauses) It's very hard for me to be objective about my band. I view it in a way where I...(pauses) I just really like playing music. I'm really, really fortunate to be included with people who think about music the same way I do. I've played in a bunch of bands, and not all of them have been amazing, but most of them have been, by my standards. I really love to play the drums. When I joined, I didn't have any notions in mind, other than to play music.
You must get that Sub Pop/grunge question a lot.
Yeah, we do. Some guy actually asked me, "What's it like to be the second coming of Mudhoney?" That's flattering, but really, I don't see the comparison. I dunno. When I was in high school, I had this theory that punk and hardcore would be circular. I just think that art--ideas come around, and new ideas today are simply derivations and reinterpretations of ideas from the last time that sound was being made. It's about taking influence, building upon your influences, and making something new and fresh.
That question must get tiresome. But hey--at least I didn't ask you about your name! (Laughs)
(Laughs)
No comment, eh?
(More laughter)
Yeah, yeah, I know, that "what does your name mean" question is one of those things a good journalist must not ask. But hey, I'm not a journalist. I'm just a guy who simply likes music and likes to write about what he likes. And, honestly, I've been burned out and have been on a self-imposed hiatus for about six months now, due in large part to taking a job that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with music. But when I started to come out of my funk, I found myself gravitating towards music that I loved when I was younger. What made Hope for Men so great was it reminded me of a period of time when I really loved music, when I first started getting into music. So when I hear "A Bad Wind" or "Scrapbooking," I hear Mudhoney, but screw it, man--Mudhoney's a great band!
Wow, that's really nice to hear. You know, we were in Seattle, meeting with Sub Pop, and we saw Mark Arm, but what do you say to the guy? We were in Seattle for a few days, and we were hanging out with everyone at the label, but man, I was trying to come up with something to say to him. What do you say? "What was Kurt like?" Can you say to the dude, "Hey, could Mudhoney play a show with us?" And then Brad just blurted out, "Hey, when can we play together?" And Mark just smiled his big smile and enthusiastically said, "Whenever you want!" I was sooooooo freaked out when he said that! Fuck yeah, I'll play with Mudhoney! Bring Soundgarden back from the dead, and we'll totally play with them--shit, that's great music, it fuckin' rules! You know, dude, if there's any musical club to be in, it's this one.
You're not just in a club, son; you're on a label with history.
I totally agree, man. I'm lucky. It doesn't matter how well the record does or how much money it makes or how many units shift or any of that non-music business related bullshit. I'm having a fantastic time. This is a fun band to be in. I am playing with people I love, and the people behind us are the best we could have for our band. I'm lucky, man. Completely lucky. I'm fortunate, and I tell myself that every day.
Hope for Men is available now on Sub PopLabels: Interview Time, Pissed Jeans, Sub Pop |
| posted by joseph kyle @ 12:52 PM |
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| Interview: New Buffalo |
| Friday, September 7, 2007 |
I am a sucker for a painful piano ballad. Hence, I have quite quickly developed a love for New Buffalo's new album, Somewhere, Anywhere. Sally Seltmann sings as if a heartbreak will simply destroy her, yet she sounds as if she’s callous and numb to yet another heartache. It’s a strange dichotomy, true, but it works. Unlike her debut album, Somewhere, Anywhere is stripped-down, vulnerable, and ultimately a moving and emotional work. The album’s standout track, "It's True," feels like an answer to the Beatles' "She’s Leaving Home," and is a painfully beautiful--if not ultimately enlightening--ballad of empowerment.
Listen To: "It's True"
In your album credits, you mention using a nearly century-old piano. It's an interesting fact, because the overall tone of Somewhere,Anywhere seems older, more antiquated, and a bit more mature. Do you think using this instrument helped set the mood for the creative process?
Oh yes, I think so. It's a very old, beautiful instrument and though I don't think it necessarily influenced my lyrics, it did affect the production tones I was going for. I love the wooden finish of the piano, too. It's just so beautiful. I wanted this record to be quiter than my first album, a bit more frank than my first album.
One thing that struck me was the lyrics have a deeper, more personal tone--almost cathartic.
I wanted Somewhere/Anywhere to be gentle. I wanted the production to be softer, and I wanted the focus to be on my lyrics. And I wanted the sound to be a bit more fragile, a little more delicate.
Was it a hard task, making simpler, softer arrangements?
Yes, very. It's funny--sometimes the more instruments and drums and other parts you lay on a track makes writing a bit easier, because you're working with pieces that can make a whole. With the way I wrote for this record, I had the idea I wanted it to be really simple, just me and my songs. It was extremely difficult to do. It's hard to write sometimes, because you think, "oh, it's just guitar and vocals." It's hard to make things sound good at first if you're not used to it. Making songs be more about the performance than the arrangements. Sometimes it's harder to make something simple than to make something complex--that's very true.
The one song that really resonated with me was "It's True." To me, it sounds like a reply to the Beatles "She's Leaving Home." It's an empowered song, and I take it to be about personal strength. It's also my favorite song on the record.
It's a deeply personal song, related to how I was reacting to a situation I was involved in at the time. To me, it was the key song of the album; I wanted to base the whole record around that one song. When I go to see an artist play, I am more drawn to them when they're more emotional and more open about their feelings, or at least write a song that has a lot of emotional depth. It seems more real. For me, that's "It's True."
Somewhere, Anywhere is available now on Arts&CraftsLabels: Arts and Crafts, Interview Time, New Buffalo |
| posted by joseph kyle @ 5:46 PM |
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| Bears |
| Tuesday, August 7, 2007 |
I had a friendly conversation with Charlie, the guitarist of the wonderful Cleveland, Ohio pop band Bears. Their new EP, Shortest Day of the Year is an amazing little record. it's a bit of a departure from their rather infectious, hyper pop debut album; unlike that record, the seven songs found here are sad, mopey, and reminiscent of Elliott Smith--but only in a good way. It's a different direction, but might I say I actually enjoy this direction? Yes, I shall.
As an artist and a musician, when you put together Shortest Day of the Year, were you trying to make a concise statement with your music thematically, or were these songs merely the songs you'd written at the time and you needed to put them out?
That's an interesting question. When we put out our first record, we had been writing and recording a bunch of different songs, and the majority of them were pretty upbeat, and we definitely plan on putting them on the next album. But then we had a handful of other songs, things that are darker and sadder and a bit more upfront emotionally than the other songs we'd been writing. WE weren't sure where we would go with the album, but we still wanted to put something out. So we decided, "hey, let's put out an EP," and we discovered these songs worked really well together, and the record came out of that. We'd written these songs, and we definitely didn't want to put them on the full length.
Why not?
Well, the songs we normally write--and the songs on the next album--are more upbeat and are really poppy. These new ones are a major progression from the first album. But these songs, they're totally different. Some people have said they liked them, and they see it as a progression, too. They don't see the things we write as definite and as defined as we do.
Do you see the music of Bears, by definition, as being sunny, upbeat music, as opposed to the EP's songs, which are slower and more melancholy?
Definitely, yeah. In our live show, we try to keep things upbeat, and our favorite songs to play are the poppier ones.
Have you performed the EP live?
We've only actually played one of the songs live. When we do, it's more about how we feel when we're playing live, deciding to play it. We don't have any plans to play any of the other songs live, at least not at the moment. We've sort of talked about learning "Am I" and playing it with the full band.
If you didn't want to include them on your full length and you don't perform them live, do you feel they represent something a bit more personal, or do you feel this style doesn't represent who you are as an artist?
Hmm…I think it's a combination of things in our present lives. We wrote them when it was kind of crappy weather around here, and we were a little down in our spirits, and those songs were a reflection of that, among other things. We go through phases in our music where we're writing a lot, and we're writing about everything from plants to how poppy we are, or we're not writing very much, and when we do it comes out a little slower. I think it represents a certain side to who we are--everything can't always be upbeat and happy--the world isn't always like that.
Thanks, Charlie!Labels: bears, Interview Time, it came from Ohio |
| posted by joseph kyle @ 10:14 AM |
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