By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) I would say the best way to describe my sound is neither happy nor sad, but melancholy. I try to use chord progressions and melodies or the processing on them that counteract each other. For example, the chord progression might sound happy while the vocals sound sad, or vice versa.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Some of my biggest influences are Alice Phoebe Lou, Ekkstacy, Current Joys, 60 Juno and Title Fight to name a few.
Q) You often have a tinge of melancholia yet truth to your music. How did this become a hallmark for you?
A) When I write music, I just make whatever I feel drawn to the most. It is hard for me to create anything I do not genuinely enjoy or that does not give me a sense of catharsis. If melancholia comes out of that, it is because I feel it is necessary.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Lake.”
A) Most of my music is about grief. I have lost a lot of people in my life – my brother, my dad and, most recently, my uncle. The song “Lake” is about a lake I used to go to with all of them growing up. I went back recently and felt their presence there with me and that is what inspired the song.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) When I talk to fans after shows, it is usually a mix of different things because my music has a lot of different vibes. Some songs lean darker, others feel more hopeful and some are just straight vibe tracks like “Surf Scum.” Different fans connect with different sides of the music. Some really love songs like “Skateboard” or “Do You Want the Truth,” while others connect more with songs like “Boy” or “Foil.” But a lot of fans who have gone through grief seem to connect very deeply with the music and I have had some really meaningful conversations with people about that after shows.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) The video is mostly just live footage, and it is very short, but it reflects how I feel emotionally on stage. I bring all the people I have lost with me up there and I hope there is somewhere they are watching from, wherever that is.
Q) “Lake” is such a beautiful next step after your album Clean Slate. Is this a prelude to a full album or EP?
A) Yes, it is a prelude to a full album. I really love writing albums because I find them more creatively freeing. I can explore ideas on an album that I cannot always do with singles or even an EP. I love trying new things and albums allow for that.
Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) My process usually starts with me playing something on guitar and recording it right away. I am a classic bedroom rock kind of writer. I will often fully produce something in one session and have the song basically done within a couple of hours and then come back to it later if I want to add more.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) For my latest two singles, “Lake” and “Cure,” I handled all of the production, as well as for Passion Mango, Honeymoon Phase and Garden Party. For Clean Slate, I co-produced with Nic Charuk. I had the songs finished and then we went into the studio to edit, mix and add live drums. Most of the time, though, I start and finish the entire process in my room.
Q) You were recently on tour with Hotel Mira. Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) It is really hard to choose because I had special moments in every place we played. One standout was Salt Lake City. We played Kilby Court, which is an iconic venue because of the song “Kilby Girl” by Backseat Lovers. The crowd was so locked in with us and that was really fun. Honestly, though, every stop on the tour felt special, and I am just incredibly grateful to even be able to tour at all. The crowds were amazing in every city.
Q) From Honeymoon Phase to your self-titled album to then Clean Slate, what are some of your favorite songs to perform live?
A) My favorite song to perform is probably “Boy” because the live version sounds so huge. I also really love performing “Apology” because we do something different with it at the end compared to the recording, and that is really fun.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) I do have a bunch of collaborations coming up and a lot of them are with people I have dreamed of working with. I do not want to say too much right now, so I will just leave it at that.
Q) What artist or musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Alice Phoebe Lou is someone I have been listening to every single day. There is not one specific thing I could point to – I just absolutely love their music and the overall vibe they put out.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Thank you for supporting art, in general, and thank you for supporting my dream. Art is so important to humans and helps connect us no matter where we are from. If you listen to my music, it is my life goal to play for every single one of you and I am forever grateful for your support. It truly means more than I could ever express in words.