Soft Glas – Orange Earth

By starrymag | June 5, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I tend to say my sound is “awkward.” And I don’t mean that in a self-deprecative way. I just feel like my influences are so varied that, ultimately, I end up expressing myself in an awkward way.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I’m heavily influenced by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Radiohead, Alice Coltrane, Joni Mitchell, Beach Boys, Elliott Smith, Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean, Solange, Stereolab, John Mayer, D’Angelo, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao/Astrud Gilberto, Prince, my father (Gonzalo Rubalcaba), Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, etc. It’s all over the place. But I really do take so much from each of them.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Perks of Being a Sunflower.”

 

A) I usually overthink things. Like, over-overthink. “Perks” is me just letting go & letting my stream-of-consciousnesswrite the song. It’s such a reflexive song in the sense that I freestyled most of it in fifteen minutes. But I think there’s something cool in that. I didn’t think much of it, but I guess it’s very reflective of human nature.

 

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

 

A) I’ve heard people tell me that it’s easy to listen to and that it makes them happy. That’s cool because most of the song is a downer. [laughs] I’m singing about the push-pull dynamic of loving someone but maybe holding them back. And then in the next line I’m talking about how I can’t write love songs and I hate my voice, etc. But I guess people have connected to the spirit of the song – the honesty in it.

 

Q) In what way does this song connect with your Orange Earthalbum?

 

A) That’s a great question. I almost didn’t include the song in the album because I didn’t think it fit narratively. But I realized that it does. The song is an embodiment of my awkwardness that stems from my teenage years.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) Aaron Vazquez, Sinjun Strom and I really wanted to embody the spirit of the song. So, I thought that if we pull the curtain back (quite literally) and we show you that I’m in this fake set with fake plants and fake books, it would highlight the self-awareness that the song has.

 

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

 

A) I’m a producer before everything, so I usually make the music first. After I have chords and rhythm, I’ll work on melodies. Then I’ll usually come up with words last.

 

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

 

A) I produce all of my own music. I play a lot of the instruments as well. I have my team of collaborators: Alex Szotak (bass, composing), Cautious Clay (sax, flute, composing) and Adam Straus (strings, bass, composing). They round everything out. They help me a bunch.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Soft Glas performance?

 

A) They can expect a lot of talking. [laughs] I tend to talk a lot on stage. It relieves my nerves a bit. They can also expect a relaxed environment.

 

Q) Will there be an album or full EP coming soon?

 

A) Definitely. I’m working on the next album now.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I loved playing in Santa Ana. The crowd was so lovely. A lot of love in that room. LA always supports me a lot too.

 

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

 

A) That’s easy. I’d say Solange, John Mayer and Frank Ocean.

 

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

 

A) Unknown Mortal Orchestra is my favorite band right now. I think Ruban Nielson and I think about music in a similar way. His writing and production are perfect in my eyes. Very interesting arrangements and chords, yet the melodies are so infectious and strong.

 

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

 

A) It’s just a direct line of communication with people. I can’t get that in any other way. Social media is a crazy thing. I owe a lot of my career to it. It’s weird to say, but it’s true! A lot of people discover my music because of a tweet or an Instagram post. I’m grateful for that.

 

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

 

A) Thank you, I love you, and I’m working to make you proud.