When Rivers Cuomo first started teasing OK Human back in 2019, he described it as being “in mortal combat” with the hard rock-inspired Van Weezer, the album that was originally supposed to be Weezer’s 14th LP before it was pushed back due to the pandemic. Based on their titles alone, you might expect both albums to land high on the list of Weezer’s most gimmicky full-length efforts; but if the title of Van Weezer seems to give a clearer indication of the sounds the band will attempt to emulate, OK Human appears, at least on its surface, to have little in common with the existential paranoia of the seminal Radiohead album it knowingly nods to.
Instead, the pop-rock giants’ latest is essentially a quarantine chamber-pop album that’s heavily inspired by records like Nilsson Sings Newman and Pet Sounds. Though Van Weezer doesn’t come out until May, it’s safe to assume that while the two albums are billed as opposing forces, they at least use the same ammunition: that being, of course, nostalgia, even if in this case it’s a little more off-brand. But while the influences behind OK Human might point to a band eager to explore a more interesting – or at least, different – sonic direction, the results are middling: partly because it does little to either really recapture or build upon what made those influences resonate in the first place, and partly because, even with the guitars swapped out for strings and horns, this is still unmistakably a Weezer album.
Which, of course, can be both a blessing and a curse. As is typical for a Weezer project, the quirks that occasionally cause the album to fall flat are the same ones that render it both annoyingly relatable and often compelling, both qualities that are amplified by the fact that they’re tapping into the all-too-familiar experience of lockdown. But what sets OK Human apart is that Cuomo seems genuinely more intent on embracing, well, the humanity of it all, as opposed to the smirking irony that’s been integral (and at times detrimental) to their approach. The best songs on the album are those that either pare things down to accentuate a very real and pervasive sense of melancholy, like on the Eleanor Rigby-esque ‘Numbers’ or the melodic ‘Dead Rose’, or find ways to playfully capitalize on the music’s dramatic heft, as on the surprisingly effective ‘Playing My Piano’.
As endearing as it is to hear Cuomo sing about wishing he could avoid Zoom interviews because of how absorbed he is in the creative process, it feels like the band’s undeniably whole-hearted commitment to the album’s concept is seldom accompanied by a clear artistic vision. Aided by a 38-piece orchestra as well the producer/arranger duo of Jake Sinclair and Rob Mathes, the arrangements here are vivid and refined (though Pat Wilson’s drums are often awkwardly blended), but a track like ‘Bird with a Broken Wing’ finds Cuomo struggling to either adequately carry or play off of that emotional swell. These are songs that aspire to a kind of pop universality, but whose observations about our shared experiences in the modern world end up sounding more dull than incisive. ‘Screens’ has nothing original to say about our obsession with technology (and manages to throw in a questionable BLACKPINK reference), but in case you’re tempted to mock the album’s title in the tradition of a certain meme, ‘Grapes of Wrath’ – basically an ad for Audible with no real punchline – reminds us he’s just as culpable of mindless consumption as everyone else (“I’m gonna rock my Audible/ Headphone, Grapes of Wrath/ Drift off to oblivion/ I just don’t care, I just don’t care.”)
Perhaps that’s putting too much thought into the album’s lyrical trappings. After all, Cuomo seems to always be one step ahead of the listener. But that doesn’t change the fact that, rather than the bold undertaking might one might be primed to expect, OK Human ultimately stands as a charming if innocuous artistic detour, one that seems unsure of itself as it straddles the line between sincerity and irony but at least manages to deliver some serviceable tunes in the process. It’s on the album’s briefest non-interlude track that Cuomo offers a glimpse into something greater: ‘Mirror Image’, essentially a coda to ‘Playing My Piano’, finds him shifting focus to venerate his relationship; but it’s when the orchestra subsides to give room to Cuomo and his piano that a sense of vulnerability seeps through the cracks: “Heaven, Heaven turned his back on this man/ Heaven shuts the door on this man,” he mutters. The album repeatedly hints at the fear of standing at the edge of oblivion, of becoming entirely disconnected with a world that seems to have left you behind – but it never fully channels it, instead falling back on the familiar comforts of aimlessly wandering around.
When walking into an underground rave in London back in 2018, classically trained harpist TATYANA saw the sense of community that surrounded the scene and wanted in. She made it her mission to perform in a similar setting and not only did she achieve this a year later, she also signed to Sinderlynand curated a genre-blending EP. With an eclectic background, moving from place to place and living a quasi-transient existence, TATYANA brings this sense of experimentation and amalgamation of influences into her music. Featuring the electro pop gem ‘OOT’, the brooding cut ‘Wild Card’ and titular single ‘Shadow On The Wall’ that set TATYANA’s harp skills against a smooth R&B beat, her debut EP Shadow On The Wall plays like a living and breathing exhibition of TATYANA’s experiences. Her latest track, ‘Lock U Down’, taken from her forthcoming mixtape MELT, sees TATYANA continue to mix up her sound, with a heavily synthesised bassline complimenting her digitised, AutoTune-inflected vocals. She can be playful, sombre, or introspective, but what’s always guaranteed is that TATYANA won’t fail to surprise you.
We caught up with TATYANA for this edition of our Artist Spotlight Q&A series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk about their music.
Perhaps the most important question in these most trying times; how are you? What’s been motivating you and keeping you above water?
Oof, yes. I’m well. 3rd national lockdown here in the UK, but I can’t complain. I’ve been praying, and eating very little and living moment to moment. One tiny little footstep forward at a time. It helps me to break things up and remember that we’re just dust floating out into the universe…sorry if that’s too dark!
You’ve travelled vastly and lived in Russia, Holland and Boston to name a few! What effect do you think this movement has had on your music?
It would have made me really good at touring if that was still a thing. I don’t really feel at home anywhere and I don’t know if I ever will! Music is sort of transient in that way too. It can go anywhere.
What’s been the personal highlight of your career so far, something that’s given you a sense of appreciation for your place in the music industry?
I was thinking about this just the other day. It’s easy to forget how far we’ve come. I’m working with a musical hero of mine on something special and if 14 year old me could see me now – she would freak out! Dreams can come true, big and small.
Your debut EP Shadow On The Wall dropped last July. What was the biggest thing you learnt whilst making the EP?
I learnt patience. It’s actually nice to sit on music for a bit before it comes out into the world. I didn’t feel that way before, I was always in a rush. Now I’m better at slowing down.
You describe your sound as “blue” but not in the sense of melancholia, more the aura of the colour. Describe this more, what does “blue” mean to you?
No, I think I did mean melancholy and tinged with sadness at the time. I’m not sure if I feel that way about my sound anymore! I don’t know. I like the colour blue. It’s the colour of my harp, and I love my harp.
Is there an album that for you is truly seminal in some way? One that speaks to who you are and your music?
The Sensual World – Kate Bush. It took awhile for me to get it, and I still don’t really get it but it’s very moving. Also, ABBA’s Gold. I love perfect pop music, and that’s about as perfect as it gets.
Talk me through the creative process behind your latest track ‘Lock U Down’ – do you tend to focus on the music first then lyrics or is it a smorgasbord of procedures and facets?
I worked on it with my mates, Exmoor Emperor. I remember going into the session thinking, I just wanna make a super sugary, fun pop song. I was quite inspired by PC music and that hyper pop sound at the time. We started with the bass, and then the words and melody came out together. That’s usually how it goes. Everything at once!
There are an abundance of ways to explore your creativity through different mediums. Sometimes we just need to dive a little deeper to encourage that creative part of us to flourish yet sometimes it is just waiting to be unleashed and the ideas are flowing naturally. Everyone is different. The only way to discover if this is a suitable avenue for you is of course to attempt it.
Capturing Moments
Capturing precious moments whether unintentional or meticulously planned in detail, photography is a wonderful way to explore your creative side. You can then enjoy editing the image and altering the color ratio or adding additional features in post production to create the desired effect. Using a professional camera would be ideal, but with cell phones having more technically adept cameras attached to them, it has become even easier to tap into your inner photography skills.
Putting Brush to Canvas
Of course the most traditional method of being creative would be considered to be applying paint to canvas. It enables you to play about with the different textures and layers of paint on canvas in order to create your ideal vision. The more carefree you are with throwing the paint on the canvas the more passion and natural flow there is. Yes it is nice to plan what you are going to do, but when you just go with the flow, you really are tapping into your creative side and just allowing the work to progress in a more natural direction.
Pencil/Pen to Paper
Another classic example is to obtain some blank paper and either a pencil or pen. As you do not require specialist material with this method anyone can get access to pencil and paper and start etching away, whether it is from memory or following a particular image. The blank paper is your canvas.
Studying Still Life
This is a particularly effective way to improve your drawing skills. It enables you to improve on your basic drawing ability by studying various different shapes and practising different levels of shading in with the pencil. You can utilise everyday objects to study from, like vases of flowers, fruit and vegetables or a naked model. It is the ideal opportunity to master your techniques in bringing to life the human body on paper by studying the nude model in front of you.
Body Art
Another form of creativity is designing your own body art and allowing a professional tattooist to inscribe the artwork, which is something to explore when you visit this website. Whether you opt for an image or inspiring poetic words, there are endless possibilities to what you can have done. It is also a very touching way you can express your love for your partner, or to commemorate someone special to you by getting some body art.
Your Hands Are Your Tools
You could demonstrate skill and creativity through a more hands on activity such as pottery making, glass blowing, glass painting, or sculpturing, which require more training to reach the level where you could just roll out each creative piece, but it is a great way to unleash your creativity through a hand based artistic activity once you are more of a pro.
Listening to Music Whilst Being Creative
When you are feeling more relaxed you are more inclined to be creative so if you enjoy listening to music whilst being artistic, it could prove beneficial for inspiring your creative work.
The Power of Foods
Diet can also play a pivotal role in aiding creativity, so aim to get a good amount of quality sleep each night to keep you brian in a positive state. Exercise is also useful if you want to remain in your creative phase as it is beneficial for the whole body and for inspiring your creative juices. Overall it can be beneficial to relieve any stress and anxiety you are feeling through creative activities, even if you believe you are no good. The main thing is to try.The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are going to be at your creative peak. You do not need to try and enforce it, it will occur naturally. So give some of these examples a go and see how you flourish when you set your mind to it.
Your search for an agency providing creative direction is not one that should be taken lightly. No matter whether you need creative direction for the production of a theatre show or a live dance performance, the weight of your decision is massive. It could make or break the production you are putting on. After all, this person is going to be responsible for helping you to realize your vision and translating your wants on screen or on stage. Therefore, you need to choose an agency carefully. Let’s take a look at some of the points you should consider…
Look at the portfolio of the industry and individual you will be working with
There is only one place to begin and this is with the agency’s portfolio. You want to work with professionals like Vince Offer who have a long-standing reputation in the entertainment industry and can, therefore, offer you exceptional, unique advice. Take a look at their track record in the industry. All good companies will have a section on their website whereby they give an insight into the work they have done so far. You will be able to see some of the events, productions, and performances they have had a hand in. Why not research the production in question to see whether it went down well or not? This is the best way to get an insight into the agency’s capability.
Read reviews that have been left by those who have benefitted from the company’s creative direction before
Aside from this, it is highly recommended that you go for an agency with a good degree of experience. You definitely don’t want to be someone’s practice project. Creative direction is not a service whereby you can afford to take risks. You should also make sure the agency boasts excellent standing within the industry. Read reviews that have been left by previous clients in order to determine whether they have been happy with the service they received. Did the production go down well? Was the company easy to work with? You will get the answers to the questions you really want to know.
Can the creative direction agency cater to your needs and vision?
Last but not least, you need to be certain the agency can cater to your time and budget demands. It is likely you will already have a deadline in mind. This needs to be revealed from the offset and you need to be one hundred percent certain the agency can make it, otherwise you can find yourself in seriously hot water.
So there you have it: an insight into some of the factors you must consider if you are looking to work with experts in creative direction. We hope that this gives you a good understanding of the important elements that must be considered when you are looking for the perfect agency for you. This is never a decision that should be rushed into, as there is a lot riding on it.
Every month, over 197 million people around the world visit Amazon. That is more than the whole population of Russia! However, while Amazon has undoubtedly made the online shopping experience generally easier and more affordable, there are several products sold on Amazon that you should avoid purchasing.
Chargers and Cables for Apple Devices
Despite Amazon being one of the largest and most reputable retail stores online, not all products listed on the site are genuine. According to Apple, over 90% of Apple chargers and cables that are sold as genuine on Amazon are actually fake. It is not only items sold by third-party vendors. Even some products sold directly by Amazon are not legitimate Apple items. No one wants to buy a counterfeit item, so avoid buying Apple chargers and cables from Amazon. After all, in addition to the products not being as high-quality as genuine articles, fake chargers and cables have probably not passed safety tests.
Paper Products
With Amazon’s popular Subscribe & Save program, you sign up and get paper goods like paper towels, diapers, and other household items sent to you automatically on a pre-scheduled basis. It may sound like a good deal. However, you can actually end up paying a lot more for paper products that you can buy cheaper elsewhere. For instance, a box of four rolls of paper towels costs $27.54 as part of the Amazon service. In comparison, you can buy a similar product for only $5.98 at Walmart. Do the math. You can also compare the price of paper towels on sites like Buyer’s Guide, which may help you save a lot of money in the long-run.
Batteries
Seeing as batteries are needed for a wide variety of gadgets, they are items you will probably need to purchase regularly. However, buying standard batteries like AA and AAA on Amazon can actually be much more expensive than purchasing them from your local store. But the danger of buying batteries on Amazon is not only about the price. Many third parties on the virtual shopping platform sell cheap and poorly manufactured batteries. They will not last anywhere near as long as batteries that you can buy from reputable manufacturers elsewhere. But more importantly, they could damage the products you use the batteries in, or even worse, poorly manufactured batteries could catch fire or explode.
Mercedes Benz Wheel Caps
Although only specialist buyers tend to buy Mercedes Benz wheel caps, the items are still hugely problematic when bought from Amazon. A lawsuit was filed in 2017 by the German automaker Daimler, which alleged Amazon refuses to take any reasonable steps to prevent infringement of intellectual property, enabling counterfeit items like Mercedes Benz wheel caps to be bought from third-party vendors and Amazon itself.
Stationery
Some items on Amazon may seem like fantastic deals until you start shopping around and you realize the deals are anything but good! This often applies to low-cost items like stationery. For instance, you can buy a 100-sheet notebook for $9.94 on Amazon, plus shipping costs, while the exact same notebook is available in Walmart for only $2.76. Stationery items like notebooks can often be more than 300% more expensive on Amazon.
Cosmetics Products
Although you may find good cosmetics bargains on Amazon, you need to be aware of third-party sellers offering counterfeit cosmetics and beauty products. The problem is not just on Amazon. You will also find ingenuine cosmetics products on sites like eBay and Alibaba. Despite Amazon being aware of the problem of counterfeit cosmetics, there is only so much the company can do to stop the items from appearing. As a buyer, it is best to simply avoid counterfeit cosmetics. Not only are they fake. They can even contain toxic levels of chemicals like mercury and arsenic.
Handled with less care and empathy, some of Arlo Parks’ attempts at providing comfort in times of crisis might come off as familiar platitudes. Following a string of highly successful EPs and singles, the London singer-songwriter’s hotly-anticipated debut is filled with such affirmations of hope: “Just know it won’t hurt so/ Won’t hurt so much forever,” she promises on ‘Hurt’; on a track simply titled ‘Hope’, she intones, “You’re not alone like you think you are/ We all have scars, I know it’s hard.” Typical of Parks’ songwriting, both songs are marked by a stark specificity in the verses that gives way to a more universal framing in the chorus: ‘Hurt’ introduces us to the character of Charlie, who “drank it ’til his eyes burned/ Then forgot to eat his lunch,” while the latter is about a friend, named Millie, who “tried to talk the pleasure back into being alive/ Reminiscing ’bout the apricots and blunts on Peckham Rye.”
Being pegged as the voice of a generation certainly has its drawbacks, but the reason Parks’ songs resonate so widely comes down to her ability to invite the listener into what appears to be an intimate conversation and make them feel seen. You can come up with a myriad ways to undermine or subvert cliché, or you can take the more useful path of imbuing it with meaning and affect – which Parks does by treating her words more like gestures of generosity. ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’, the title track that also opens the album, is a spoken-word piece that not only establishes Parks’ poetic lyricism, but also reveals the way she tends to approach her subjects: she starts by establishing her point of view (“I see myself…”), before bringing others in (“We’re all learning…”) and ultimately utilizing the unique power of the second person: “You shouldn’t be afraid to cry in front of me,” she says, then mutters, “I promise.”
Collapsed in Sunbeams is populated by an assortment of different characters, but their struggles – often relating to issues surrounding mental health, queerness, identity, and body image – bear at least some resemblance to those of Charlie and Millie. Most intriguingly, Parks is equally adept at relaying the experiences of those close to her as she is at harnessing the poetic gift of writing about strangers: with its gentle simplicity and candid songwriting, ‘Black Dog’ is among the best of the first category, while ‘Caroline’ – a song about watching a couple argue while waiting for the bus – stands out in the latter. But even when trying to spin a narrative out of a 30-second conversation, she pauses briefly to call attention to the moment we can all relate to: “I saw something inside her break/ Everybody knows the feeling.”
Though Parks’ perspective is never quite distant, the songs that center more on her own experiences possess a different kind of emotional directness. Over a lilting instrumental, ‘Green Eyes’ recounts the story of a queer relationship that quickly falls apart due to societal pressures, highlighting how those pressures can in turn erode one’s sense of self-worth and disrupt the process of self-discovery. Meanwhile, ‘Eugene’ is one of the few points on the record where Parks’ voice can be seen as carrying a hint of bitterness: “You play him records I showed you/ Read him Sylvia Plath, I thought that that was our thing/ You know I like you like that/ I hate that son of a bitch.” But even then, Parks’ conversational tone is laced with the kind of sensitivity that makes it feel more like an ode to friendship than a pang of envy.
In terms of its production, the album is at its best when it gives Parks’ lyrics room to shine, or when the reverb-heavy guitars and spacious synths accentuate the warmth that underlies her soft delivery rather than dampening it. Even if the influence of Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Portishead’s Dummy, and The xx’s self-titled debut is prominent on many of the tracks here (Parks is interestingly not the only rising Gen Z star whose debut heavily draws from that particular Radiohead album, but she even goes as far as to reference Thom Yorke directly), it’s a sound that she and producer Gianluca Buccellati incorporate tastefully throughout the LP. In fact, it’s mostly when Buccellati is absent from the production – like on the groovy but flavourless ‘Too Good’ or the laid-back electronica of ‘Bluish’ – that the music lacks the texture and depth of feeling Parks so aptly captures in her lyrics. Indeed, the fact that the deluxe edition of the album comes with “lo fi lounge” renditions betrays the album’s occasional tendency to convey more of a vibe than a compelling sonic vision.
But on the whole, Collapsed in Sunbeams is a deeply affecting and delicately crafted debut. One can easily imagine how utilizing more of her diverse range of influences might have led to a somewhat more eclectic and distinctive-sounding effort, but in retaining her focus, Parks has managed to preserve the emotional impact and simple optimism of her message. On the closing track, ‘Portra 400’, she recognizes the beauty in “making rainbows out of something painful,” which echoes an Audre Lorde quote Parks has often referred to: “Pain will either change or end.” Here, none of the characters’ pain seems to really change or end. But through her incisive observations and mellow, unshowy vocals, Parks is capable of articulating its looming presence in a way that, if not powerful enough to alleviate it, can at least make the air feel a little bit lighter.
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.
This past week, UK post-punk outfit Squid previewed their upcoming debut album with a phenomenal, shape-shifting single featuring Martha Skye Murphy; Xiu Xiu announced a duets album with a surprisingly accessible collaboration with Grouper’s Liz Harris; Charlie Hickey tapped Phoebe Bridgers for the evocative ‘Ten Feet Tall’, from his forthcoming debut EP; Sophia Kennedy delivered the sparkling, infectious ‘Cat on My Tongue’, while Porter Robinson returned with the lush, uplifting progressive house cut ‘Look at the Sky’. And finally, just a day before the music world was shaked by the tragic news of SOPHIE’s death, we got to hear a previously unreleased B-side from the PRODUCT era, ‘UNISIL’, which serves as a testament to how ahead of its time SOPHIE’s boundary-pushing, futuristic production sounds even all these years later. RIP.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still on-going, we’re all spending much more time at home than usual. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of entertainment options on offer. However, if your bills are racking up and you want to cut your spending, expensive subscriptions aren’t so attractive. To keep yourself occupied without blowing your budget, take a look at these five tips for finding free entertainment online:
1. Take a Virtual Tour
Visiting major attractions or traveling to new cities might be off the agenda for now, but you can explore the world without leaving your home when you take a virtual tour. Experience different countries, see the latest exhibitions at world-class museums, or simply watch a live webcam streaming what’s going on in your corner of the world.
2. Try YouTube
YouTube has an endless range of videos to enjoy, and you don’t need to be a premium user to make the most of them. From full-length movies and TV shows to documentaries, influencers, and skits, you’ll find every form of entertainment you can think of on the world’s biggest video platform. If you want to listen to music, why not convert YouTube to Mp3 and enjoy hit songs at any time? Whether you’re into pop, RnB, soul, trance, techno, dance, or swing, your favorite tracks of all time are sure to be there.
3. Download Free Games
If you’re into gaming or you want to try something new, you’ll find plenty of new and classic games available to download for free. Both iTunes and Google Play offer free apps, while sites like GOG have made a selection of DRM-free titles available for no charge on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Lots of developers are offering free games to keep people entertained throughout lockdown, so keep your eyes peeled for the latest promotions.
4. Free Classes
Sites like MasterClass give you the opportunity to learn anything you like from high-profile industry figures, such as Dan Brown, Martin Scorsese, and Gordan Ramsey. While you do have to pay if you want to enroll in an entire course, introductory sessions are available free of charge and with no obligation to sign up. Try a taster session and make the most of the chance to learn from the greats without parting with your cash.
5. Become a Conservationist
If you dream of traveling the world, saving endangered species, and exploring unchartered territory, now you can. Wildwatch Kenya is inviting volunteers to help them review images from 100 motion-activated cameras and identify and count the animals. This provides valuable information to researchers and helps to create effective conservation strategies to protect species, so you can keep yourself entertained and protect endangered animals at the same time!
Make the Most of Being at Home
It won’t be long until life returns to normal, albeit a ‘new normal’. Until then, you can make the most of being at home by taking advantage of the free entertainment that’s available online. No matter what your interests are, there is a ton of content for you to stream, download, and enjoy.
Norii, a rising San Diegan artist, released her latest single ‘Exocoetidae’ — just yesterday. To talk about the song, and her journey into music, Norii joined us for an email interview.
Hi, how are you?
Hi, I’m doing well. the “t” on my keyboard is broken, so I have to copy and paste the letter every time I wanna use it. A vibe, I guess.
So, how did you journey into the music world begin?
Whenever I felt lost in other aspects of my life, I always found solace in music, so eventually I started imagining the possibilities if I practiced being more intentional with how I listen to other people’s projects, and began learning how to make my own songs that I liked. that half is all cerebral, but what kicked off my music journey in real life was when these two producers (supperclub sounds) found a Little Dragon cover I produced on youtube, and reached out to ask if I had any originals. I sent some, they liked one of them, we got coffee, we clicked, and then we recorded our first worktape!
‘Exocoetidae’ is your next single, what was the inspiration for the song?
I found this video from BBC Earth where a bunch of flying fish were being eaten from the birds above and the bigger fish underneath. Me, being pretty sad and isolated at the time, made up a bunch of parallels between my hopelessness and the doomed life of flying fish, aka, “exocoetidae.” Once I ended up revisiting the song after going through a family tragedy, it went from essentially being like, “I’m depressed sometimes, will stay this way, and that’s that” into being about how despair and exuberance depend on one another. It’s about accepting both of those inevitabilities, and even feeling empowered by them. the silver lining of rock bottom is that it’s humanity in its purest form, which is worth appreciation. And yeah, flying fish can swim and fly. that’s two things. that’s duality.
Did you have any challenges creating the song?
I did have challenges creating the song. I originally wrote the first verse as me asking my dad for advice, and the second verse as him giving me the advice I needed. Between the time I pitched the song and when we were scheduled to record it, my dad and I had a permanent falling out. that’s to say that I obviously couldn’t write the song as I’d originally intended. It ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it made me realize I had the perfect advice within me from the start! I mean, I wrote it. Once I realized that I was all I needed, the song changed into the meaning it has now.
As such a personal piece, how does the song reflect your wider discography?
Lyric-wise, my songs tend to be a linear train of thought about way-too-specific experiences or emotions that I’ve got backlogged in my brain. Exocoetidae included. I’m a big believer in specificity making everything universally relatable, so I’ll be testing just how far I can push that. In terms of the production, the common theme of the songs I’ve got in store is that they all kinda require active listening. In other words, they’re not songs to just sit back and drink your tea to. they’re in-your-face and demand attention. I like it that way. In terms of the production, the common theme of the songs I’ve got in store is that they all kinda require active listening. In other words, they’re not songs to just sit back and drink your tea to. they’re in-your-face and demand attention. I like it that way.
What do you hope to achieve with the song?
I hope that Exocoetidae encourages anyone listening to start viewing pain and displacement as a chance to learn and fly.
Our final question, what are your plans for 2021? Any potential albums?
No albums coming in 2021, unfortunately, but I’ve got three more songs coming in the first half of the year! I’ve been sitting on them for the longest time, so it’ll be so exciting to finally let other people listen.
‘Exocoetidae’ is now available to be streamed via all major platforms.
Spoiled Love marks the debut full-length album from Buzzy Lee, the moniker of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Sasha Spielberg, but it’s far from her first foray into music. She and her brother Theo have been making music with their indie-folk project Wardell for over a decade now (following the release of their debut EP, Brother/Sister, a New York Times article advised readers to ‘Forget Their Dad; Just Listen to Them’). Around the same time, Spielberg began collaborating with her college friend and renowned producer Nicolas Jaar, resulting in 2018’s somber and ethereal Facepaint EP. They’ve teamed up once again on Spoiled Love (out today via Future Classic), an album that feels like a natural evolution for Spielberg as musician, songwriter, and collaborator. Conceived in the aftermath of a break-up, the LP format affords the songs, as well as the reflective sentiments they tend to encapsulate, the necessary space to breathe and swell, with Jaar’s minimalist production serving as a guiding presence as it moves from melancholy piano ballads to more spacious and expansive compositions. If Facepaint saw Lee coming into her own as a songwriter, then Spoiled Love feels like a reaffirmation of her talents as an evocative storyteller, capable of not just crystallizing a memory but also turning it into something bigger than itself.
We caught up with Buzzy Lee for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about her earliest influences, collaborating with Nicolas Jaar, perfumes as a means of time travel, and more.
I read that watching Almost Famous was part of what made you want to be in a band. I don’t know if that’s true,but I recently rewatched the film, so I’m curious to hear more about your experience with it.
Oh my gosh, that’s so funny, I recently re-watched it too! I think I was sort of joking when I said that, but I also wasn’t. I was obsessed with classic rock when I was in sixth/seventh grade, and I was listening to like, Led Zeppelin and The Who and Rolling Stones, and I was just obsessed with collecting vinyl. I had a record player and I would just play every classic rock record I could find. So when I saw Almost Famous for the first time it just really fit; I mean, it was sort of mind-blowing to me, because I had been listening to all these artists and I almost was so possessive over the names, even – if anyone said they liked Led Zeppelin, I would almost get possessive over the bands that I was listening to. And I’d never felt that with music. And when Almost Famous came out, you know, they used all the bands that I’d been listening to, so I was just was blown away by it.
I don’t know if it made me want to be in a band; I feel like it made me want to be Penny Lane and be following a band. But because there weren’t any female characters who were in a band or musicians in the movie, really, and the females were just groupies, you know, it was hard to imagine. I wish I had seen a movie that was like Almost Famous but with female musicians, and then I think that would have made me want to be on stage.
At what point do you feel you grew out of it and classic rock in general, if at all? How did your music taste develop over time?
It’s really developed. I mean, I will forever love 60s and 70s music. I think that it grew in that I was so obsessed with classic rock, but my brother across the hall, he was two grades older – two years older, I still think in grades – he was listening to a lot of indie bands like The Strokes, and so then my music tastes pivoted to sort of the indie world of music when I was in ninth grade. And then I started really discovering independent artists through blogs. I was looking at, you know, My Old Kentucky Blog was one of them, Gorilla Vs. Bear, I was always on that. I was on these blogs, like, you know, downloading every new artist, and then I would see them in LA, if the shows allowed under 21. And then I got to college and I met Nico, who produced my record, and his music taste was so expansive, so he introduced me to a lot.
I was wondering if you could talk a bit about your collaborative process. Whether you’re working with your brother Theo with Wardell, or with Nicolas Jaar for your solo project, what do you feel makes for a good collaborative relationship?
For me, I think that I have to obviously know the person very well to feel comfortable and safe. Nico I’ve known, you know, 12 years, my brother I’ve known for 30. I think knowing someone really well opens up – you know, even one of my closest friends, her name is Greta Morgan, she’s an amazing musician and she also plays in Vampire Weekend. And she and I are so close and we collaborate. And so I find that the people I collaborate with are all just best friends, really. And that intimacy, the intimacy of best friendships, is unbeatable. You really can’t get better than that in a room.
How do you feel that those collaborative relationships have evolved over time, especially with Nicolas Jaar on this new project? Has the process changed at all?
Yeah, definitely. The EP was sort of more off the cuff, like, “Why don’t you come to New York and let’s record the songs that you’ve sent me.” And we did, and it was so fun. It was very relaxed, you know, I was staying somewhere else and he was living in the city. So we would go to his place at 10am and leave at 10pm and then go to the place I was staying. And you know, I was drinking, I was having fun, it was like, fun summer in the city. And this experience was way heavier – it was really just us in northern Italy, like we were even staying in the studio. You can’t get closer than that, so it was really, really close. And I think what comes out of that is just a really intimate record, because you have no choice but to really just be with each other and be with the music and then be with food. That’s it, that’s all.
The songs on the EP were already quite personal, but in many ways, Spoiled Love to me feels even more intimate. Not just in terms of the lyrics, but also just the presentation and some of the more stripped-back songs. Do you feel that’s come as a result of becoming more comfortable with vulnerability?
Well, it’s really easy to become comfortable with vulnerability when it’s just you and a piano. And so I find that that’s not the hard part. When I first write down the songs, they’re just for me. So the hardest part is then playing them in front of someone else. And then you realize, “Oh god, I’m gonna have to play this in front of – ” well, hopefully, one day, but you know, crowds of people, and then, “Oh, god, this is going to come out and people are going to hear what I’ve written.” So up until the part where it comes out, I’m actually fine with being vulnerable, because no one’s hearing it except Nico and me. So this is the time where I’m the most anxious a bit in anticipation, and I’m feeling so seen. I don’t know, it feels very naked.
There are moments where I write lyrics that just sound good with the melody, and that’s when Nico will challenge me and push me further to actually write lyrics that mean something. And so with Spoiled Love, that’s what happened. There were totally different lyrics there that were sort of just easy, like I wrote them when I was on tour in Europe, and I just wrote them at a cafe really quickly, because I was like, “I have to write these before I go to record with Nico.” And he could immediately tell that they were just swiftly written. So he looped ‘Spoiled Love’, the piano part, and I wrote for like, two hours, I just sat and wrote new lyrics.
What’s going through your head, when you’re in that process of, “Okay, this doesn’t really work, I’m going to have to try to write something that feels more thoughtful”?
I put a lot of pressure on myself and then I become perfectionist. I don’t think I was very happy with the lyrics that I wrote, and I kept writing new lyrics and scribbling them out and then I start to get really frustrated. And in that frustration, I think, comes the emotion, which almost doesn’t make sense, but it does, and then I’m able to write really simple lyrics. Like, ‘Spoiled Love’ is pretty simple. It gets pretty direct. But it’s not about a partner or breakup, it’s actually just me cradling my own neuroses and singing them to sleep. So it’s actually not about any person.
I wanted to ask about the sound of the album as well; there’s kind of more of a cinematic feel to a lot of the tracks, especially the instrumentals, like ‘Brie’ and ‘Mendonoma’. What inspired you to go more in that direction with this album?
I think sometimes songs with no lyrics paint a brighter picture than songs with lyrics. I’ve always believed that, and I think growing up with just being inundated with movie scores, I found that because I started picturing – you know, if I heard a composition that had no lyrics, I would just paint the picture myself. And so I feel like sometimes I can get more across through instrumentals than through my own lyrics.
Another thing that I love about the album is the progression of it, especially from the first few tracks to ‘Strange Town’ and then when that groove kicks in on that track. Could you walk me through, if you remember, the process of making that song, and how you decided it would build like that?
So, we were having trouble with that one because it’s a big song, it’s a journey in itself. And Nico had to kind of conceptualize how to record that, because we tried doing the introduction. And then Nico was like, “You know what, no, let’s go to this little room, off the studio.” It’s like a tiny little room, there are all these synths. And he took out the Hammond. And he was like, let’s start with the melody, that piano melody. So that’s what we started with. And then he put a beat to it. So we actually started with the drop, and then around it recorded the softer parts. And that took a different day. So one day was dedicated to the choruses, and then one day was dedicated to the more emotional sides. And that was an interesting one, because I did a take where I did the opening very emotionally, where my voice was almost breaking, because I was, like, reliving it again. And he said, “Okay, we got the emotional take, beautiful, you can do that. You can do that 1000 times, you’re great at that. Now, let’s do a take where you’re just telling a story to your grandchildren of this great love you had, and this weird little town you’d go to with him. And just tell the story, no emotion, just tell it.” And I did that. And that’s the take we used. And so that was sort of the motto of the whole record, which is not to get lost in the emotions again, and not to get overnostalgic where I lose myself in my past, the ghosts of my past, but it was more just, “Here’s what happened. Here’s what I felt. Here’s what I feel now. And I’m gonna continue to grow.” So it’s sort of like a cliffhanger, almost. There’s not even an ending, really.
Which, I mean, you finished the record in 2019, so it’s kind of already or even more in the past for you.
Yeah, and I went through another breakup over quarantine, and now I’ve met the love of my life. [laughs] So I don’t even – so much has happened since.
Do you still feel attached to the songs, though?
Yes. I think my biggest crux in life is that I am attached to memories in such a crazy way that I have a perfume collection of 80 bottles of perfume, because every three to six months, I assign a new scent to that period. So that when I’m 90, I can time travel, so I can smell it and say, like, that was the summer of 2013, that was when I fell in love with this person. I’m like a memory hoarder. So these songs still mean so much to me. I mean, it’s impossible for them not to.
I don’t know if I’ll steal that idea, but it sounds amazing.
Take it! It’s time travel. It’s setting us up for time travel.
At the same time, do you feel eager to pursue new projects and explore different sounds and ideas once the album is out?
Yeah, oh my gosh. I start recording my second album in three weeks.
Wow, so it’s already –
Yeah, it’s already happening. Because also, I came to Nico with about 25 finished songs. And we could have picked 12 and made a 12-song album, but we were really, really picky about what would breathe on this album and then what can go on the next. My plan was to do the next album immediately after, but then COVID. So I was going to tour this album and then record immediately and then tour that, you know, so it was going to just keep going. But hopefully if all goes well, I’ll be recording in three weeks.
So these are songs you wrote at the same time as the ones on Spoiled Love?
It’s funny, there’s still some remnants of Spoiled Love. And I don’t know if I’ll change the lyrics, I don’t think I want to – again, it’s like my perfume collection. The songs that I didn’t record with Nico, if they exist in that time capsule, it’s okay that I pull them out like my perfume collection. It really is the same. So I don’t mind that I’m going to be singing about, you know, an ex who already had a baby in quarantine. [laughs] You know, it’s okay that that’s happening.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
