Rare Americans – Gas Mask

By starrymag | June 25, 2020

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) We’re like an amalgamation of hip-hop and punk rock. We definitely have a pop sensibility when it comes to melody and we try to write all sorts of different styles of songs. It’s our varied sound that makes us Rare Americans! We often get the Twenty One Pilots comparison.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Arctic Monkeys, Modest Mouse, Oliver Tree, Rancid, System of a Down, Lewis Del Mar, Bad Religion – it’s all over the map!!

 

Q) What were some challenges you faced while creating new song “Gas Mask?”

 

A) The biggest challenge we had was a sampling issue. I found a poem online that I thought was free for public use, but it turns out it was not!! We tried to get it cleared by the poet’s estate, but they wanted a huge sum of money for it. At the last minute I had to re-write the verse and re-track the vocal. I also had the part doubled by a female artist and she had since moved to a different city, so I had to get a different girl to sing the part then get it re-mixed and mastered!! We did this all in the span of about a week so it was a little wild. 

 

Q) What is it about this song that makes it so significant/special to you?

 

A) The song is about perseverance. We all go down rabbit holes in our minds and can be our own toughest critics. We all make bad decisions, we all face adversity and we all have to learn ways to overcome our own internal battles. This is a song about believing in yourself and finding that inner strength, winning the mental battle between your own ears. It’s an ongoing one in this life and I think something every human has in common with one another. 

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your song “Berlin.”

 

A) It’s the story of a forbidden love in post-WW2 Germany. The video’s main character Alfred (who is also our mascot) works for the East German Secret Police and falls for a girl he is not allowed to see. They try escaping to Budapest, which was a free-zone, but are followed and Alfred is severely punished. He knows he has to leave his love behind or she may be harmed as well. In the end many years later, they are both searching through records trying to locate one another again. It’s actually a pretty sad story.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) Our fans love storytelling and we try to create a narrative in all of our songs and videos. You can really sink your teeth into a good story, and it becomes more than just a song.

 

Q) “Hullabaloo” and “Berlin” have animated videos. How did you come up with the idea to use animation as a video concept for the songs?

 

A) We learned early on that animation was a great fit for Rare Americans. We had stories to tell and it wasn’t possible to achieve through live-action production due to costs and logistics. What’s great about animation is no story is too grand to tell, and it doesn’t impact the budget of a video. The world is your oyster when it comes to animation. We find that very exciting.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) My brother Jared and I share the songwriting duties and we actually work pretty differently. Jared is an amazing lyricist, but doesn’t play instruments so he always starts with lyrics first and then we work on the music after. I work 50/50. Sometimes a melody will pop into my head and that will guide the lyrics and story or sometimes I’ll write more freestyle and put music and melody to the words afterwards.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) For the most part we are self-produced. We have our own studio and really work hard on the production. Both Jeff [Quinn] and myself went to an audio engineering and production school called Nimbus Recording in Vancouver and that gave us a great foundation. We will get a song to a place and vibe we dig and then usually bring in a collaborator or co-producer to make the songs come alive or sound “bigger.” It’s always nice to have a fresh set of ears when you’ve been working on a song for such a long time.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) We’ve been releasing several singles for the past six months and it’s been great. As we are growing, I prefer releasing music consistently rather than dumping twelve songs on people who are just getting into us. It’s almost too much at one time. The plan is to continually release music every three weeks and then package them together with some bonus tracks for an album. I imagine that will happen in the next six months!

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Great question. I absolutely loved Kanye’s first few albums. He’s so melodic and fresh. I think working with him would be one hell of an experience. Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys is a huge inspiration of mine, so he would be another. Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse has been probably my favorite band since I was a young kid so him as well.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Oliver Tree has been my most played in the last year. He’s really got a cool vibe. It’s hip hop with an obvious pop-punk Blink-182 type inspiration. I think he’s really great with production. His songs are always bumpin’ and easy to sing along to. You can play them while cooking and chilling or going for a run which is a deadly combo! I also have been listening to Lewis Del Mar a lot. I absolutely love his use of single note acoustic guitars with more hip-hop, even electronic production. Super cool!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It really allows you to get to know who is listening to you. We’re very engaging and interactive with our fans. I always want to have an “open door policy,” so to speak. I don’t want to be unreachable. People ask us questions and we answer them. It’s so nice getting messages saying how our music has helped people with their mental health and to overcome challenges in their lives. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) A big warm smiley THANK YOU!!! Our fans should know we are going to consistently try and release music we think is cool and not try too hard to sound like what’s popular or what people think we should sound like. We are just going to continue telling the stories we think are interesting and share them with the world in hopes you’ll dig as much as we do.

 

 

All Questions Answered By Front-Man James Priestner

 

Watch The Video For “Gas Mask”