By: Lisa Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) We were described as “post-disco” by a reviewer once, and that stuck.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) I grew up listening to a lot of Astrud Gilberto, which has influenced my singing style. I’m also inspired by Emily King and Lianne La Havas. Wil [Bakula] and I both really like Everything Everything, Penguin Prison and The Whispers.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “EDIBLES.”
A) This is a semi-fictional song! I had been talking to a lot of different people about their awful early experiences with weed and I mashed a few of those stories together into a song. But it’s not intended to just be a song about weed; I wanted to capture the feeling of relief that some from being in my late twenties. So much pop culture romanticizes youth, but I feel a way more stable and normal the older I get. Life is genuinely more pleasant now.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) Even if you didn’t get too high at junior year prom, you’ve probably done something really dumb or unhealthy in your teen years. I also think it’s a pretty peppy song for us, which I think people like!
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) The video is meant to be fun, playful and a little trippy? We like to play with camcorders and green screens. The video connects to the levity of the song for sure.
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) Generally, Wil cooks up a beat and emails it to me and then I write a melody and lyrics over it. From there we figure out the song form/composition together. Writing asynchronously works pretty well! We started doing it this way during 2020. I usually have a backlog of lyric ideas that I’ll pull from, so I don’t necessarily need the music first.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) Wil produces everything! Justin Kiatvongcharoen is our usual recording engineer and mixer.
Q) Where does the title for your EP lime, knife, time, hand come from?
A) The title is a reference to the first track on the EP. It’s the last word of the last four lines of the song. I just thought it was neat.
Q) There are six songs to the EP. Which track holds a special place in your heart and what makes it so significant?
A) I gotta choose “on my mind.” This was the first time we’ve worked with another singer on a foamboy song and the result is 10/10. I think Ben’s voice sounds like my voice if you pitch-shifted it down an octave, which makes for an amazing blend! I feel like I’ve been reunited with my long-lost twin. I just recorded some harmonies for a song of his, and I’m excited to keep working with him.
Q) Is there an emotion or message that you would hope listeners take away from listening to lime, knife, time, hand as a whole?
A) The common lyrical theme of this collection of songs is social awkwardness and isolation. It’s about dissociating at the party. It’s about not feeling quite like yourself or not understanding why you’re acting so weird while everyone else is having fun and being normal.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) See above: I wanna work with Bendrethegiant! His voice and writing are amazing and I think we make an unstoppable singing duo.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Searows makes the best devastating, atmospheric, gloomy folk music. His voice is amazing and I’m super inspired by his ability to take his time in his songwriting. I tend to write really short/succinct songs, but Searows will make a six minute song and take up all that time well. Go listen to Searows!
Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?
A) Ah, I don’t like social media. I think phones are bad. We actually have a song coming out about that (date TBD). I’m grateful for working in a musical partnership because it means that I don’t have to do ALL of the posting by myself. I think it is one of the ways you connect with fans in the modern era, but lately I feel more interested in alternate forms of communication, such as email lists, Discord servers or even postcards.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Thank you! It’s cliche to say, but making music is something I feel like I have to do. I feel very lucky to be able to do it and I feel grateful that we have listeners who love us. Thank you to all who listen, buy our music or come to our shows.
All Questions Answered by Katy Ohsiek