Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.
On this week’s list, we have the lead single from Spoon’s upcoming classic rock-inspired 10th LP, ‘The Hardest Cut’, which is driven by heavy detuned guitars and a catchy hook; the War on Drugs’ stunningly cinematic ‘Change’, the final pre-release single from their new LP; the lead track from SASAMI’s newly announced album, ‘The Greatest’, a natural yet exhilarating progression of her shoegaze-inflected sound (though the cathartic nu metal of ‘Skin a Rat’ is also worth a listen); a hushed, affecting new track from Toronto duo Babygirl called ‘Born With a Broken Heart’; ‘Electricity’, the infectious and thrilling collaboration from Ibibio Sound Machine and Hot Chip; and Hana Vu’s latest single ‘Gutter’, a heavier, grungier preview of the Los Angeles-based artist’s forthcoming album Public Storage.
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place last night (October 30), and among the artists honoured this year were the pioneering electronic group Kraftwerk. They were inducted by Pharrell, who delivered a video speech presenting them with a Music Excellence Award. This was later followed by a video tribute featuring artists including Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, the Human League’s Philip Oakey, and Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels. Watch it below.
“The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a very special place. But I’m going to suggest that we create a new hall within the hall, reserved for artists who actually invented their genre, because Kraftwerk belongs there,” Pharell said in his speech (via Rolling Stone). “Today, electronic music is everywhere. But what Kraftwerk did was groundbreaking and revolutionary.” He continued:
And for many of us, we were influenced by Kraftwerk without even realising. Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter created Kraftwerk in Düsseldorf, Germany, and in the early Seventies, starting making experimental music that was unlike anything the world had never heard. It was truly a seismic moment for music, as we know it. But when Afrika Bambaataa reached into a crate of records and found Kraftwerk and funnelled that sound into ‘Planet Rock’, that’s when millions of hip-hop fans around the world, including myself, heard Kraftwerk’s infectious beats and alien vocals for the very first time.
I’m so lucky I got to meet the late Florian Schneider and let him know how much his music meant to all of us. We should all be thankful for Kraftwerk. It’s why this recognition is so important. Welcome Kraftwerk to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
LL Cool J, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads were also honoured with the Music Excellence Award this year.
Backxwash has released a new track called ‘Rosemary’s Revenge’ to celebrate Halloween. “I have been really interested in the story of this Zambian forklore story about Rosemary so I decided to write her a soundtrack,” Backxwash explained in the song’s Bandcamp description. “This is probably the most nu metal I have ever sounded lol.” Take a listen below.
Those who’ve seen the new adaptation of Dune have offered mostly positive reviews (Note: one really should see it a theater – preferably an IMAX theater). Dune (2021) is impressive and it isn’t fair to call it a ‘remake.’ Denis Villeneuve’s take on Frank Hubert’s sci-fi classic 1965 tome is his own, and it is good. It’s impossible, however, not to compare it to David Lynch’s 1984 film Dune, which was hated by most and adored by a select few. A recent re-watch of Lynch’s version (which the director disowned, claiming he was denied final cut privileges) shows time hasn’t done much to rehabilitate it, but it’s fun to see a young Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Steward, and singer Sting amble their way through Lynch’s messy, strange film. The one awesome element of the original Dune is music by Brian Eno and Toto, but it’s a terrible score for the movie.As a standalone piece, the soundtrack is great. Hans Zimmer was brought on for the 2021 movie, and while he might not be as “creative” as Eno and Toto, the movie music legend nails the score with haunting choruses and epic horn blasts. The new Dune is, unsurprisingly, much more visually arresting and features vivid scenes only possible due to the leaps in technology since the mid-1980s. Denis Villeneuve is more faithful to the book compared to the rather theatrical movie Lynch helmed… but of course, David Lynch is David Lynch – a polarizing director if there ever was one.
But the one thing that has not changed nor could be changed in the new film is the “hero’s journey” plotline. Dune will strike those unfamiliar with the tale as almost ‘religious’ in tone. Featuring a character who is seen by the natives of the ‘spice’ planet as the ‘Mahdi,’ an Arabic term meaning ‘the savior,’ or ‘the guided one,’ Paul Atriedies(portrayed by 25-year-old American actor Timothée Chalamet)must discover and learn to control his powers before going through a period of suffering and then undergoing a literal wandering through the wilderness. On the TV side of things, while everyone is talking about Squid Games or some other passing binge craze, aChristian app with another hero’s journey ‘remake’ is remaking both the story and the way you make TV shows. The Chosen (now at the end of season two) is a ‘modernized’ version of the life of Jesus. No, it’s not set in modern times, but it’s earning rave reviews and racking up hundreds of millions of views because it shows the life of Christ and the lives of the people around him as if they lived on planet earth, in the Judea of the first century. This shouldn’t be unique, but it is. Until now, Jesus on film was a distant, unapproachable character… and you couldn’t imagine yourself being there or doing any of the things you see on the screen. In The Chosen, however, you find yourself nodding and saying, “yeah, I probably would have felt/done/not done that, too.” Also, asthe world’s biggest crowdfunded project,The Chosen has upended old business models by using “equity crowdfunding” – offering investors a share in a film project rather than asking them to simply chip in.
Frank Hubert’s Dune is oft-cited as an inspiration for Star Wars, which no doubt it was. But Hubert clearly got some of his inspiration from even older stories – stories that include the one being retold in the TV series The Chosen. It’s the hero’s journey, which is, has been, and will likely always serve as a template for all great tales. Joseph Campbell’s 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces is often assigned as college reading or given to you by a friend who says, “Dude, you’ve got to read this!” And you do and should. Thebook is a hugely important tool for understanding human psychology as it relates to all of our myths (including the ones in movies and books, as well as the myths we tell ourselves about ourselves). Everything from the Biblical tale of Moses to Harry Potter falls into Campbell’s cycle. The hero’s journey starts with a call to adventure, then features some supernatural aid, then there is a mentor or helper who assists the hero as they face challenges and/or temptations. Then comes an abyss; a death and rebirth that leads to a transformation, the transformation becomes an atonement that finally ends with a triumphant return. Sound familiar? Despite knowing the trajectory a story such as Dune must take, that knowledge never seems to subtract from the pleasure ofwatching the cycle. The Dune 2021 version only makes it to the halfway point of the story (and the movie definitely feels like half a story). We agree with those calling for Villeneuve to bring us part two as soon as possible… as, while we know how it ends, the joy of seeing it never gets old.
Demonic voices are dangerously hissing at us as Susie is walking towards the airport’s exit doors. As soon as she leaves the safe space, she enters wind, storm and torrential rain. The voices are overshadowing her chat with the cab driver. Bright green and red lights flicker over her face. The final destination is a ballet school; a red and gold painted building, resembling a far eastern temple rather than a German institution. A panicked young woman is standing at the door. She appears to be out of her mind and yelling something into the night before she frantically runs away. They won’t let Susie in and force her to stay elsewhere. She is not supposed to be anywhere near that town, let alone enter that ballet school. The same night, a spectacular killing occurs. A virgin-like figure dressed in a white nightgown, covered in blood as red as the walls surrounding her ends up hanging from the ceiling after a graphical stabbing in close up. And this is only the beginning.
Suspiria is a spectacle from start to finish. A celebration of femininity, beauty, art and sounds, wrapped up in some gory splatter here and there, all while we bask in its colourful glory, deafened by bloodcurdling screaming. Argento has created a horror extravaganza that does not lack any suspense despite its stylised visuals. The robotic acting and dubbed over voices can seem off-putting at first, but it only adds to its artificiality, thus alerting the viewer even more that something eerie is going on. Throughout the film, we don’t know what we are fearing, fighting or running away from.
The overbearing emotionality and erratic behaviour are intensified by the dubbed voices. At first, it can seem slightly off-putting, but it only adds to its mysticism and blends in with the girls’ behaviour.
The rooms display an eclectic mix of furniture and wall painting. The interior design is a mashup of Art Deco and Art Nouveau, adorned by Mondrian style mirror frames, everything is lit in saturated blues and reds. The girls’ personal spaces are drenched in blue light, which can be seen as a symbol of temporary serenity before the reds take over, luring them out of their safety into danger. Out there is no such structure and the colours get swapped, tricking the girls that the blue is safe only for them to fall into a deadly trap. The entire production design is set out to emphasise primary colours, particularly red without any other hues, rendering it more cartoonish, and it’s therefore adding to the film’s nightmarish qualities. If you’re a fan of David Lachapelle’s photography, you will love Suspiria.
Hair and makeup seem to be the only constant that helps determine the time in which the movie is set. However, Costumes differ from feminine 70s dresses to 20s glittery accessories such as shoes and sparkling scarves, alongside surprisingly conservative but colourful swimming suits and black ballet attire.
The fashionable glossiness is just as much a leitmotiv as is its splatter genre. Ahead of its time, Suspiria is one of the most striking and shocking horror movies as it is a feast for the eyes and ears. Even if you can manage to forget the free-flowing blood, colours or overall design, the haunting soundtrack will keep ringing in your ears way after you leave the theatre.
The third season of Netflix’s hit dramedy Sex Education recently premiered to an overwhelming response from fans around the world. Otis and Maeve are no longer running the sex clinic at school, Jean is pregnant, Eric is dating Adam, and Aimee is beginning to heal from her trauma in season 2. Moordale’s new headteacher, Hope, brings shame upon the once proud student body, including new student Cal, who quickly catches Jackson’s attention.
Season 3 is clearly an ensemble effort, with each character seeing significant individual development. In fact, prior to its release, the new series was promoted under the tagline “Growth is a group project,” something that is very much reflected in the show. The grey uniforms and freshly painted school hallways accentuate the new, darker tone of this season. Many elements of the show’s production still feel familiar, though – including the nostalgic soundtrack. With a new EP from Ezra Furman, whose songs also feature in the first two seasons, season 3 of Sex Education continues leaning into its anachronistic aesthetic, lending the series a unique tone.
Here are thirty memorable songs from the extensive tracklist of effectively-used music in Sex Education.
I’m Coming Clean – Ezra Furman
Love You So Bad – Ezra Furman
Care – Ezra Furman
Restless Year – Ezra Furman
Amateur – Ezra Furman
Body Was Made – Ezra Furman
Can I Sleep In Your Brain – Ezra Furman
Every Feeling – Ezra Furman
Good Book – Ezra Furman
I Can Change – LCD Soundsystem (performed by Ezra Furman)
Mysterious Power – Ezra Furman & The Harpoons
F**K All The Perfect People – Chip Taylor, The New Ukrainians
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones (performed by DEVO)
The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk 3
This Is The Day – The The
Destination Unknown – Missing Persons
New Sensation – INXS
Mind Your Own Business – Delta 5
When You’re Young And In Love – The Flying Pickets
Sigur Rós’ Jónsi has released his third solo album, Obsidian, which was announced just yesterday (October 29). The project coincides with his art installation of the same name, which will run through December 17 at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York. The record was co-produced and mixed by Paul Corley (Yves Tumor, Oneohtrix Point Never, Ben Frost, Koreless) and Nathan Salon. It follows Jónsi’s 2020 album Shiver, which arrived ten years after his solo debut Go, as well as his score for Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse. Stream Obsidian below.
The exhibition was inspired by the recent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland. According to a press release, the album “centers on the Icelandic natural wonder. Recorded and produced in tandem with the works on view, the parallel formats inform one another and interweave through their embodiment of volcanic energies. Over the course of 10 tracks, each with evocative titles referencing sights, textures, and aromas of the ashen terrain, Jónsi takes his listeners through narrative arcs between erupting flares.”
When the world went into lockdown in March 2020, Charlotte Cornfield was in the middle of an artist residency founded by Howard Bilerman at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. It had almost been a year since she had issued her remarkable third album The Shape of Your Name, which was longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and as she hinted when we caught up with her over email around the release of her 4-track In My Corner EP that month, she was just starting to write material for her next full-length project. Though she had to cancel her tour when the pandemic hit, the Toronto-based musician was able to use this unexpected stretch of time to focus on writing, calling it “the most focused writing period I’ve ever had.” Cornfield, whose songwriting stands out for its evocative and autobiographical qualities, naturally reflects on the sense of anxiety that pervaded those months on her brand new album, Highs in the Minuses – out today via Polyvinyl/Double Double Whammy – but she mostly uses this space to delve into past experiences that have shaped her with newfound clarity, most strikingly on songs like ‘Blame Myself’ and ‘21’.
After working on the demos with her collaborator and guitarist Sam Gleason, she contacted Bilerman and was able to book some time to record the album at his studio in Montreal. Intent on channeling the energy of a live performance, she recruited bassist Alexandra Levy (Ada Lea) and drummer Liam O’Neill (Suuns) and tracked the whole record in just five days – a contrast to her last album, which she wrote alone and recorded incrementally over the span of several years. Highs in the Minuses works not only because of the raw immediacy of the production, but because of how starkly it foregrounds Cornfield’s skill as a songwriter capable of both gut-punching vulnerability (‘Drunk for You’) and surprising playfulness (‘Pac-Man’). “You’re not capable of telling lies, you tell me/ Everything I wanna know,” she sings on ‘Black Tatoo’. Honesty has always been one of Cornfield’s greatest assets – here, you get the sense she tells us only what we need to know, but holds nothing back.
We caught up with Charlotte Cornfield to talk about some of the inspirations behind her new album Highs in the Minuses, including an Elliot Smith song, the TV show I May Destroy You, and Montreal itself.
Elliott Smith’s ‘Everything Reminds Me of Her’
This was deep in the winter of the pandemic – I guess spring here, but it still felt like winter – I was listening to a lot of moody songs, and I hadn’t heard that song before. I was just struck by his phrasing on it, what he did with rhyming and not rhyming and how it felt very conversational, and the words just kind of flowed out of him, but it also felt really emotionally intense. And I just couldn’t stop listening to the song. I think because I was writing around that time, I was writing thinking about that song, and that’s sort of where my song ‘Pac-Man’ came out of. The way that Elliott Smith played guitar was very unique and I can’t even scratch the surface of what he does, but I was really drawn to his chord choices, and whether it was conscious or not, I think I was thinking about that when I wrote ‘Pac-Man’. And trying to be really loose with words, not be too precious about words, and not necessarily try to rhyme but just kind of let them domino out of me.
At first, I was like, well, maybe this could be a sort of Elliott Smith-style acoustic recording, and so on my first demo, I doubled acoustic guitar, I doubled my vocals, but then I was like, no, this song needs to be a big rock song with the band. So I went there with it, but that’s one song that I can say led to the creation of ‘Pac-Man’.
One thing I found interesting is that there’s obviously a lot of vulnerability and honesty in Elliott Smith’s music in general, but this song is also kind of about being honest, which is something that also comes through on your record.
Yeah, for sure. It’s interesting that you pointed out the lyrics to ‘Everything Reminds Me of Her’, because it even has that line, “Why should I lie?” And I just so appreciate that, because it’s kind of bold to say that. And I think I am really into, not necessarily telling the truth, but being honest to my experience and trying to capture the feelings as accurately as possible. So a song like that, when I hear it, this is exactly what I want to do. But at the same time, you can have fun with it and not be so intense and heavy and verbose, but also kind of clouded in a dream state or whatever. Honesty – I just find it’s a very powerful tool, and it has been for my songwriting over the years something that I keep turning to.
There’s even a line on this album about embracing your “honest representation of self.”
That’s from the song ‘Blame Myself’, and that song is a reflection of who I was in high school and trying to have empathy for being young and making mistakes and figuring things out. That was a really pivotal time for me: the first time I played a song for people that was a love song, and the reaction I got. That was just interesting to look back on, and the line is like, “I’m happy as I embrace my honest representation of self,” so I’m kind of looking back at myself and being like, who I am now is very true to who I was then.
Pavement’s ‘Cut Your Hair’
I definitely noticed that reference in the lyrics for ‘Out of the Country’ [“Heat burning holes into the asphalt/ The construction guys made me laugh my ass off/ I’d say, ‘Hey come on, focus on the pavement’/ And then I’d walk home just wondering where the day went/ And who was gonna cut my hair”], which I thought was very funny.
That one is actually, in addition to being Pavement reference, I have a song on my first record Two Horses called ‘Construction on the Street’. There’s one line in that song where I’m listening to Pavement and wondering where the day went, so I’m like double referencing. I was just having fun with words, honestly, but I think Pavement was a big influence on this record, for sure. This record feels like there’s some moments that are a lot scrappier and more uptempo than my last record, which is a very sort of melancholy, downtempo record. And this one I was just like, I don’t want to hold back, I want to tap into that teenage thing, so ‘Blame Myself’ and ‘Out of the Country’ in particular are these more scrappy songs that are very Pavement-influenced. And I do really love Steven Malkmus’ wordplay and wit, and the way that he captures really intense emotions but through this dry lens. And of course, the songs are super catchy.
An old Musicmaster guitar she borrowed from her friend Leif
My friend Leif Vollebekk, who’s a really great songwriter from Montreal, he lent me his guitar. And I don’t know what year it’s from, but it’s a Gibson Musicmaster, and it looks like an SG but it was before the SG existed, so it was something like an early ’60s guitar that he bought in Australia while he was on tour. And before I went into the studio, I was stressing about what guitars I was going to use, because I knew I wanted to play electric for most of the record, but I felt like I wasn’t confident about the sound I was getting from the guitars that I had. And he was like, “You should just take my Musicmaster.” It’s the most gorgeous guitar and it’s got this really specific, old tone to it, and I think it brought so much life to the record. The studio that we recorded at, Hotel2Tango, is full of vintage gear, so they were just beautiful, the amps and drums and everything that we were playing through. And having this guitar, it felt like this awesome instrument to be able to express myself on, and I’m really grateful to Leif for lending it to me because it’s really everywhere on the record. It’s on most of the record, except for the piano tunes.
Yo La Tengo’s ‘Sugarcube’
I know your In My Corner EP included a cover of a different Yo La Tengo song, but tell me why you chose this one.
I love Yo La Tengo, and I was listening to them a lot while I was writing the tunes for this record. I love the simplicity of the recordings, how the choices that they make are really minimal but also bold at the same time. When we were recording ‘Blame Myself’, we were trying to figure out the drum groove, and Liam, who played drums on the record, gave us ‘Sugarcube’ as a reference. He was like, “What if we did this shaker thing?” And then we all listened to ‘Sugarcube’ and we’re like, “Yes, that’s the vibe.” And even though ‘Blame Myself’ sounds much different than ‘Sugarcube’, that was a really important reference for us.
The Roches’ ‘No Trespassing’
This song I had never heard before, and I don’t even think it’s on Spotify. I had heard of the Roches, for sure. But I have some friends in Toronto who are a supergroup of Toronto musicians – Tamara [Lindeman] from the Weather Station, the folks from the band Bernice who are a great band, Luka Kuplowsky who is really great songwriter – and they do this thing called the Holy Oak Family Singers, where they get together and they cover a record or certain songs that they love for a live performance. And I’ve done a couple of things with them – we did a Joni Mitchell night and a Mary Margaret O’Hara night – but ‘No Trespassing’ specifically, the first time I ever heard it, was Tamara from Weather Station and Robin and Felicity from Bernice singing it together, and it blew my mind. I was like, “What is this song?” And then I found two YouTube videos, one where they played the song live, one where it’s the recording. I like how weird the harmonies are, and how heart-wrenching the song is. Just the line, “The sign says no trespassing unless it’s you,” it’s simple, but it’s just so effective, and I think that embodied what I was going for with this record. I wanted it to be simple but powerful.
Joan Armatrading’s ‘Woncha Come on Home’
It’s a simple sentiment, but there’s so much emotion packed into her voice, and I really am drawn to that. Also, it’s very unconventional phrasing and lengths of phrases, and I like how, similar to ‘Everything Reminds Me of Her’, the song kind of meanders instead of having [these distinct parts] – it’s a loose form, but she takes a lot of liberties with it, which I love.
Did it inspire the songs on Highs in the Minuses in any specific way?
I think it probably indirectly inspired ‘Drunk for You’. Because there’s no particular chorus or bridge or whatever, but I sort of used that song as a reference to push out my rigidity around how things are supposed to be and let myself convey what I wanted to say. And then I realized it’s done, it doesn’t have to be more than what it is already. It doesn’t need any kind of formula.
When was that moment that you realized it was ready?
That was the one song that was written before all the other songs on the record. I wrote it and then I put it away for two years, because I was just too in the moment when I was writing and I needed some space from it. And then when I revisited it, in my head it wasn’t done yet, but then when I played it for a couple of people, it felt done. Two years after it was written, I realized it was done.
What kind of reaction did it get?
I remember the first night I performed it, there was some really intense reactions. It was just at a songwriting night with some friends, and I was like, maybe this song is going to resonate with people, but I think I just needed to personally take some time with it before I was ready to play it.
The TV show I May Destroy You
I’m curious how this relates to the final track, ‘Destroy Me’.
That line was kind of like a response to that, like, “Will it destroy me?” And that was something that happened, I guess subconsciously, but I did watch that show when it came out, which was peak pandemic. I just thought it was so brilliantly written, the story was so compelling and the characters are so compelling, and it was unlike anything I’d seen on TV. And that just pushed me songwriting-wise to not hold anything back and just let it come out.
Can you give me an example of moments on the record where you feel like you really pushed yourself in that way?
Yeah, I mean, definitely some moments in ‘Drunk for You’, which obviously I had written but wasn’t sure about sharing. Same with the song ‘21’, there’s a couple of uncomfortable moments in that song, where it’s like, is this something that I want people to hear? But then watching a show like I May Destroy You, that’s what’s powerful: those messy little pieces, because we all experience them in different ways.
Montreal
I don’t live in Montreal, I live in Toronto, but Montreal is a really important place in my life. I moved there when I was 17 to go to school and stayed till I was 23, but I had really important formative experiences there. Getting into playing music live, touring, being in bands – that all happened in Montreal, including important relationships in my life. So going and doing the record in Montreal felt right, especially because it’s such a reflective record. It’s a place where I feel very comfortable that’s really familiar, that’s very much a second home. And it’s definitely in the record, like in ‘Destroy Me’ I mention Montreal, the song ‘21’ happened living in Montreal, a little bit of ‘Pac-Man’, too. For me, I think the city as a muse is really an inspiring place, it’s aesthetically beautiful but it’s a little shabby in a really endearing way. A lot of my dear friends live there, so I think it was just on my mind making this record.
I was wondering if you had any conversations about Montreal with Ada Lea, who plays bass on the record, because that’s also a big focus on her latest album.
Yeah, Allie and I have known each other for about 10 years, and we have this different experience. She grew up in Montreal and I grew up in Toronto, and we met while we were both living in Montreal, but we lived in New York at the same time, and we were actually briefly roommates there.
The Brooklyn summer that you mention in ‘Out of the Country’?
Yeah, exactly, but I lived in Brooklyn for two years, and she was there pretty much that whole time because she was studying there. And definitely, over the course of our friendship, we’ve had lots of conversations about Montreal. There’s always the pull of like, should I live there, should I leave? Montreal’s got this weird allure where it’s so cheap to live there – people would argue that that’s changing, but it’s much cheaper than Toronto. And there’s a really great community there, so I think it holds people, but then some people get into these loops, and I think Allie on her record, which is so good, sings about some of these loops: of being at the same parties on the same corner of the same street. It’s almost like Groundhog Day, the same experience over and over, and I think she captured that really well on her record.
This one obviously ties into ‘Skateboarding by the Lake’, but is there more to how it inspired the album?
Yeah, I think it ties into a couple of things on the record. Because the streets were so dead at the beginning of the pandemic, and I hadn’t skateboarded in like 20 years – I knew my brother had a board that he wasn’t using, so I borrowed it. And being able to just glide around the empty streets on the skateboarders is such a freeing experience. I felt like I was tapping into my younger self a little bit, which definitely informs the sentiment of ‘Blame Myself’ and ‘Skateboarding by the Lake’. So it was like a weird homage to my childhood, but also this really a freeing thing, to be able to pick up a skateboard in my 30s and be like, I can just do it. It didn’t have any of the baggage of skateboarding when you’re a teenager and you’re trying to figure out your identity and stuff. It represents pure fun and childhood play.
What drew you to skateboarding as a teenager?
I was always into the kind of edgier sports, I guess, and skateboarding, I like that it’s almost like an art form, it’s almost like dancing. It’s so culturally connected to so many different things – like, Polyvinyl, the label that I’m with now in the US, that label came out of skateboard culture. It was something that gave me a lot of joy as a teen.
Neil Young’s Zuma
I think it’s mentioned in the press bio that you were inspired by the working methods of Neil Young, but I’m curious why you picked this record in particular.
I just love the sound of that record, because it feels like a live band record in the way that I was going for, but it has so much dynamics, from ‘Don’t Cry No Tears’ to ‘Through My Sails’, which is this beautiful downtempo song. It has that sort of simple quality where it’s bare-bones, he’s just delivering the songs and the emotion of the songs without adding any bells and whistles. I think it’s the Neil record that I revisit the most these days, and it captured the essence of what I was feeling at the time, which is this immediacy, this rawness. I like production where you’re not thinking about the production, you’re just thinking about the song, and I think that was what I was trying to do with this record.
Because this live element is so crucial to your album, I was wondering if you could talk about what you feel like what the rest of the band brought to the recordings.
Liam, who plays drums on the record, he has such gravitas and presence as a drummer. Before I even knew him I would go see him play in Montreal with different bands, and he brings so much oomph and weight to what he does. There’s just an energy that he brings that I really wanted on this record and that he totally brought in the studio. He’s such a wonderful musician to work with, in that that he’ll tune things, change the timbers of things, switch up the snare drum, overdub a cymbal. He brings so much nuance to what he does, but at the same time has this really incredible presence. And he’s just a really fun person to be around as well.
And Allie, because we’re such close friends, I had been sending her the demos basically from right when I started writing the songs. And it was really great to have her in the studio, as a friend and confidant, and feel really comfortable in this trio that was happening. And she’s also an amazing and talented bass player, she studied jazz bass in New York. The dynamics that she has on this record, from the emotionally intense tunes like ‘Black Tattoo’ and ‘21’, to ‘Pac-Man’, where she just turned up a crunch gain pedal and it basically sounds like sludge metal bass. I just love it, and she doesn’t hold back.
Working with those who was amazing, and then I brought in my friend Sam who I’ve done the demos with. I brought him from Toronto for a day, and he just added some really subtle beautiful little things, like the guitar swells in ‘Drunk for You’ and some pads and stuff like that. We did very minimal overdubs, but the stuff we did do, I feel like it adds a lot of nice little touches.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
There are not many people who do not enjoy some form of art. Art can be found in so many areas of life. Clearly in the form of painting or sculpture, however, film, dance, music, poetry, etc., are all forms of art. A good piece of art has the power to create an effect in the observer. It can change their mood. It can make them feel something new. However, this effect can be so much more powerful when someone partakes in a creative pursuit. By creating art and indulging thoroughly in art, you can boost your mental well-being. There is no doubt that art serves a beneficial purpose in our lives. However, have we ever stopped to consider why? Here are a few ways art can enhance your well-being:
Your Brain-Power
If you begin a creative activity, no matter what it is, from painting and writing to dance, it will impact the brain in a positive way. It enhances your brain waves and your emotions. It can also improve the nervous system. It raises serotonin levels too, which means that you become happier. It can help you with your memory, as a lot of artistic pursuits involve remembering things. Playing music can enhance the connection between your right and left hemispheres. Some of the best benefits are felt in older people. If they take up some form of performing art, like the theatre, or dance they can enhance their physiological well-being. It is also possible for them to improve their cognitive function within a month. More and more evidence suggests that art can improve someone’s mental health in so many ways.
The Social Aspect
Art is by nature a social thing. You create something with an observer in mind. Whether it is writing or dancing, there will always be some form of social activity associated with it. Even if your particular activity appears solitary, like writing, you can always join a class or start a book club. After a while, you will want to share your art with other people to gain a deeper perspective on it. If music is your thing, you may want to play for an audience. You may join a music class and then you could visit musical events such as an Adele Concert together, to not only enjoy, but to discover more about the act of performing music.
Art is a form of Meditation
We have all heard about the positive effects of meditation. It helps you reduce stress and to develop better mental clarity, which is a huge advantage in life. Seeing things clearly will help you navigate the best path. Well, by engrossing yourself in an artistic pursuit, this is like meditation. You become so focussed on the work at hand that in those moments, only you and the artwork exist. All your worries, troubles, stresses, and strains melt away, and you are one with the work. This can help you become happier and develop a better focus in life. It can also enhance your understanding of life itself too.
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