Interviews
gloomy june – Back from the Dead
By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) I’d say too pop for punk and too heavy for pop. Music that you makes you feel nostalgic for a time you can’t remember. We’ve settled on Queer Emo Pop.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) My music influences change from year to yeah, but for this current project I was really inspired by boygenius, Ultra Q and The Beths.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Back from the Dead.”
A) “back from the dead” is about rehashing old emotional patterns and about coming back into your social life after disappearing into a relationship. It’s sort of an anthem for the chronic “uhauler.”
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I’d hope they’re connecting to the fun melodies and maybe the meaning behind the song, but I couldn’t be sure.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
A) The video takes place in a cemetery, which exemplifies the “zombie” storyline of coming “back from the dead” after disappearing from your friends into a relationship. We usually make music videos with high concepts and storylines, but I feel like for years Devin [Nelson], our guitar player, has mentioned wanting to just go into a graveyard and see what happens. Filmographer Kevin Burleigh made our dreams come true with this one!
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) I generally do need music before I can write lyrics. Even if I come up with a lyric out of thin air, it’s usually born with a melody attached to it. Sometimes that melody makes it into a song and more often the lyric is attached to a new melody when Devin sends a voice memo of a song idea they’ve had. Usually, I’ll be writing lyrics in a notebook or on my notes app and when Devin sends an idea over, I’ll find something that fits. There have also been times when I listen to Devin’s idea over and over and the lyrics just come to me. Sometimes a lyric will pop into my head on first listen and become the thesis around the entire song. We have a song coming up called “Kill You” where that happened. Hopefully that’ll be out soon.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) I have zero production skills, but I’m making it a goal to gain some of those skills this year. Devin composes a lot of the synths for us and Jack [Sundquist], our bassist, has a hand in those and also records the demos of our new songs.
Q) Certainly, all of the tracks on your upcoming LP hold a special significance for you, but is there a song in particular that holds a special place in your heart?
A) Our upcoming song “Picking Scabs” holds a special place in my heart. I wrote the song about my sister who passed away due to an overdose in 2020, and it’s about experiencing life without her immediately after and since.
Q) The album is due this year, are you able to tease how you plan to celebrate the release?
A) If our timeline works out, the album should be out in June – that’s our month baby!
Q) Will there be a US or European tour to coincide with the LP’s release?
A) We’re cooking up a tour following the release. Keeping the details TBD for now, but if anyone in Europe wants to pay us to come play, please reach out!
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) I’ve been thinking about this one a lot and there are just too many options. I’ll just say Chappell Roan.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) There’s a new Ethel Cain album that just came out and I like her for a number of reasons: First and foremost, she has a concept to her art that she executes so completely, from music to artwork. Her Southern Gothic themes remind me of the author Flannery O’Connor and I eat that spooky Courage The Cowardly Dog vibe up. Second, I think she has great pop sensibilities that she chooses to only give the listener in small doses. I had this thought listening to “Vacillator” on her new album, that she reminds me of Mkgee in that way, where the pop is there, but it’s like hidden between stations on a radio dial.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Thanks so much for listening and supporting an indie band! Also, free Palestine.
All Questions Answered By Alexi Belchere
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