musical mondaze

After overcoming personal struggles and self-doubt to find the strength to achieve her dreams as a recording artist, Hilary Roberts is now giving back, projecting a message of positivity and redemption through her songs. Her latest creative endeavor is the music video for her most recent single, “There For You,” which tells the story of people helping one another.

We recently sat down with Roberts to discuss the benefits of making music videos, why she was so drawn to the message of “There For You,” and how she persevered through difficult circumstances to find the value in who she is as a person and artist.

TrunkSpace: The “There For You” video dropped today. What emotions do you juggle with as you gear up to release new material to the world?
Roberts: Surreal. Gratitude. Excitement. Joy. Wow. Unbelievable.

TrunkSpace: In our current multi-media, multi-platform age, how important is it for artists to put time and energy into producing music videos? In 2018, are videos meant to give existing fans more content or to help establish new listeners?
Roberts: I think it is a wonderful way to share your vision of the song and to connect with your fans. It takes it to a personal level. I love seeing what artists create visually after hearing what they have done sonically. We are creatures that love to see, touch, feel and hear and a video adds another dimension to experiencing the music. It is another way of connecting with people. Both…for people that already love the sound of what you have created it gives a visual connection to your fans. It also invites new eyes and ears to hear and see what you are about.

TrunkSpace: The ‘80s and ‘90s were the golden age of the music video thanks to MTV, but we also consumed what MTV told us that we had to. Today, anyone can access any music video that they like. While accessibility is off the charts, what’s the key to engagement? How does an artist get people to listen to his or her music and watch their videos in 2018?
Roberts: I love this question because to get peoples’ attention. You need to give them something they are craving. A lot of people are craving a higher elevation of thinking. They are wanting positive messages along with a great sound. They are wanting something that is uplifting and helpful. You also have to have a ton of talent and absolutely love and be excited about what you are doing… and never give up.

TrunkSpace: Can you tell us a little bit about what “There For You” meant to you when you were crafting the song and how you wanted that vision to be reflected in the music video?
Roberts: When I was faced with a life and death surgery, I told God that if He would let me stay here on earth that I would spend the rest of my life being there for His kids. So when Damon Sharpe and Eric Sanicola sent me the rough foundation of the song “There For You,” it really resonated with me. So we took that foundation and transformed it into a song that was personal to me and conveyed my message. As for the vision of the music video, with the vignettes/stories I wanted to show people helping one another. Some of the stories are examples from my own life. In the dance scene, I wanted to show a celebration because when you go through the darkest of times you think it will never be better, but when you walk it through and get to the other side, then you can celebrate! You survived. And you celebrate with the people you walked it out with.

TrunkSpace: You’ve been open about the struggles that you have faced and have had to overcome throughout the course of your life. Do you view your music as an outlet for telling those stories in a way that can help listeners to feel like they are not alone in what they themselves are going through?
Roberts: Absolutely. I think feeling alone and thinking you will always be alone and that you have no value are some of the reasons why we have lost so many beautiful people to drugs, alcohol, depression and suicide. I have learned that sharing the pain of my past is one of the greatest gifts I can give to help others deal with their pain and give them hope.

TrunkSpace: When did you discover your voice as an artist?
Roberts: I discovered I could sing when I was 10 years old. That is when I found my physical voice. In this last year, with the music we have been creating, I feel that I have found the sound and the message I was meant to give to the world.

TrunkSpace: Where did your journey with music begin? At what point did you decide to pursue it as a career?
Roberts: I have wanted to be a performer since I was a little girl. I had to walk out some very traumatic circumstances from childhood and things that I drug myself through, which always stopped my dreams. Once I started walking through the healing, I could pursue my goal of becoming a recording artist. This past year I have done just that with nothing able to hold me back.

TrunkSpace: Where are you hardest on yourself as an artist and how do you overcome self-doubt when it comes to your creative endeavors?
Roberts: I have to be diligent about not beating myself up for past mistakes and just let myself create. I overcome self-doubt by realizing it is not about me. I am here to give to others.

TrunkSpace: What do you consider to be success in the music industry and by that definition, have you achieved it?
Roberts: Of course, we all want the Billboard awards, the Grammys and the respects of our fellows and fans. To me that would be mind-blowing. But, more importantly I want to make a difference in this world. I have not achieved a Billboard award or Grammy yet, but I know that the music we have just released is already helping the hurting and transforming lives, so yes, I have already achieved success.

TrunkSpace: Finally, Hilary, if you could sit down with your 12-year-old self, what would she say about your current career path? Would she be surprised by the artist you have become?
Roberts: She would say she was proud of me, excited for me. She would say, “You are doing it and you are getting to do it.” She would be blown away. She would be so proud that I am helping others. And she would say, “I am so happy that you found out that you are worthy.”

View the “There For You” video below.

Sam Owens puts every bit of himself into his songs, opening up his head in a way that enables the listener to swim around in the New York-based songwriter’s brain, backstroking to thought-proving lyrics while bobbing up and down to infectious grooves that stream from his viscous creativity. His latest work, “You, Forever,” falls under the name Sam Evian and features band members Brian Betancourt (bass), Austin Vaughn (drums), Adam Brisbin (guitar), and Hannah Cohen (backing vocals). The album is available now on Saddle Creek. (See our review here.)

We recently sat down with Owens to discuss spontaneous recording sessions, why he sometimes Jekyll and Hydes himself, and the feeling he gets when listening to a favorite record that he’d love to pass on through his own music.

TrunkSpace: Your latest album “You, Forever” dropped June 1st on Saddle Creek. What emotions do you juggle with as you gear up to release new material to the world and is it ever difficult to let go and allow the universe to take over?
Owens: Releasing music in 2018 is kind of an unhealthy process. I don’t have a problem letting go, but it’s tough not to compare myself to others. The internet is a strange place for anything, and it’s kind of the opposite of heart and soul, which is what I put into my music. Anyway, I feel lucky to be able to do this dance.

TrunkSpace: Did you feel any creative pressure with this album knowing it was a direct follow-up to your debut? Is there a sense of having to deliver on expectations now that may not have existed when you went into the studio for “Premium?”
Owens: Not necessarily. “Premium” was a relatively quiet release. It kind of has its own life out there. I love hearing from people who stumble into it. I knew I wanted to try for a different sound with LP2, and I wanted to keep it honest. Beyond that, the pressure was low.

TrunkSpace: “You, Forever” has a great feel/vibe to it as a whole that really ties everything together and makes it feel like a cohesive collection of tracks. How much creative thought was put into looking beyond just the songs themselves and into producing a sort of, for lack of a better word, classic record?
Owens: Thanks! Well, I spent a ton of time preparing for the recording on the technical side. I pieced together a van full of gear to truck upstate. I even made my own mic cables. I got to the house a day early and spent a long time getting it all ready… cleaning the tape machine, setting up the patch bay, hanging blankets on the walls. By the time the band got there, I had turned this little house in the woods into a fully-functional analog studio. On the music side of things, I held off from teaching the band any tunes until they arrived upstate. I think it made for a spontaneous atmosphere, where we banished insecurities in favor of instinct and first thought/best thought mentality.

TrunkSpace: While all music you create is no doubt personal to you, this album feels like it goes places emotionally that “Premium” didn’t. Is that a safe assessment and if so, does “You, Forever” feel like you’ve put more of yourself out there than with your previous work?
Owens: Well, definitely. For me, “Premium” has its moments. Tunes like “Cactus” and “Big Car” are special to me, but are more situational and remind me of a super particular place and time. Maybe the songs on “Premium” were more like small exercises, whereas the new record digs deeper.

TrunkSpace: Did the writing process itself change for you on this one? Did the time between “Premium” and kicking off the creative for “You, Forever” inspire you to take a different approach in how you pull things from your head?
Owens: “Premium” was definitely more off the cuff. The lyrics and music came together pretty quickly. This time around I spent a lot of time demo’ing by myself. I held off from recording vocals though, because I didn’t want to commit to lyrics without really working through them. I tend to stick with ideas once I commit them to tape. I was working on final lyrics well into the process, up until the week before I mixed the record.

TrunkSpace: You’re also a producer. Do you tend to wear the two hats simultaneously – songwriter/musician and producer – and do they ever butt heads? Is what musician Sam wants not necessarily always what producer Sam wants?
Owens: Sometimes I Jekyll and Hyde myself. Producer Sam usually says, “This vocal isn’t good enough. Do it again.” Musician Sam doesn’t always want to do that. Other times the two roles seem to merge. Writing/recording become one in the same.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with “You, Forever” and why?
Owens: I’m not sure… I love how it all came together. It was a ton of work but it felt fun the whole time. I’m proud of my bandmates for their work. They really threw themselves into the process and trusted me/themselves/each other.

TrunkSpace: Over the course of your songwriting career, have you written songs that you weren’t particularly happy with at the outset, only to end up learning to appreciate them more later down the road?
Owens: Sure… unfortunately I usually trash those songs. There were a couple songs that we recorded for “You, Forever” that I decided I couldn’t deal with. They made it all the way up to the final mix stage and I canned ‘em. Maybe I’ll come back around…

TrunkSpace: What does music give you as a participant that you are unable to achieve as a listener? What is the draw for you to be constantly creating?
Owens: I think I’m always chasing the experiences I have as a listener. My favorite records give me chills and make me weep. It’s rare and fleeting but when it happens it gives me such a positive feeling for life on earth. I’d love to be able to pass on that feeling.

TrunkSpace: What is the single greatest music-related moment of your career thus far and why?
Owens: Moving to New York City. It was the best thing I could have done for myself and my career. If you are out there in a small town somewhere, know this: it gets better.

“You, Forever” is available now on Saddle Creek.

With their self-titled debut recently released on Burger Records, the members of the dream pop quartet Crystales have finally figured out how to “present” themselves. Growing up together, the Los Angeles natives have been writing and performing as a unit for years, but they pumped the brakes on going into the studio to record a full-length until they knew that the album they would produce was one they themselves would listen to. Satisfied with the creative direction of the debut but eager to move on to the next chapter of their musical existence, Crystales is now hoping to bring their laid back California sound into a sophomore follow-up as soon as next year.

We recently sat down with guitarist and vocalist Billy Gil to discuss sonic similarities, why they’re ready to tackle new tunes, and where the Hollywood Bowl comes into play.

TrunkSpace: Your debut album dropped on Friday the 13th. Did it prove unlucky or lucky?
Gil: Very lucky! We’ve been really happy with the response so far.

TrunkSpace: Do you think there is an added layer of pressure in creating a debut full-length album because in a lot of ways, it establishes who the band is sonically and vibe-wise to a wider audience? It sort of sets the table for those people who may not be familiar with you, particularly in the streaming age where listeners seem more likely to try out new artists.
Gil: Yes. I think we consciously kept certain elements similar to offer a kind of unified front soundwise. A song like “When It’s Over” is kind of a sweet, Beach Boys homage whereas “Kate Blanchett” is a more straight-up rocker, but there are sonic similarities that keep it all in the same wheelhouse.

TrunkSpace: What does the album say about who Crystales is creatively at this stage in your development as a band?
Gil: I think the songs were always good, but we’ve finally figured out how to present ourselves well. Adding a layer of synths and calming things down a bit, leaning into what our strengths are as a band, which is more in texture and depth. That said, some of these songs are getting old and we are excited to already record something new! We have about a half an album’s worth of songs in various stages of completion, so hopefully next year we can do another.

TrunkSpace: What would you prefer – writing a single album that the world adores, or writing a lifetime’s worth of music that a select group of people adore?
Gil: Definitely the second option, although there are plenty of bands that made one great album, like Television’s “Marquee Moon,” but that one album had more of an impact than most artists’ entire careers.

TrunkSpace: Did you have any sense of feeling sort of creatively lost when you were officially done with the album because from a headspace perspective, it must be difficult to put so much of yourself into something and then have to step away and leave it to fate?
Gil: We’ve been really grateful for the support it’s gotten so far. I don’t think it left us creatively lost. It’s sort of the opposite: in the studio, we finally figured out how to put together some of the songs we had been kicking around for a while, like “Agrias,” for example, which took on a new life in the studio, or “Seance,” which has a difficult balance to pull off, but we ended up really happy with the final product. Now it’s just left us happy with what we have, but also a little sick of it already at the same time and ready to make new stuff.

TrunkSpace: The band formed in 2012. Why did it take you six years to write and record a full-length album? Was it a conscious choice to put it off or did the path taken thus far just not call for one?
Gil: We’ve actually been playing together longer than that. We grew up together – Nick and I are brothers, Tony’s our cousin, Jason was our neighbor – but we all had school and other bands and things that took priority. I think we’re all very critical as well. It took this long before we were really happy with what we had, where it’s the kind of thing I’d listen to on my own even if I wasn’t in this band and we’re not just pushing something on people that we don’t fully believe in.

TrunkSpace: As you mentioned, the band consists of three family members and one neighbor. Does that closeness allow for a more democratic creative space or one where creative differences are more likely to get personal? What are the Crystales band dynamics like?
Gil: It’s very democratic. It’s kind of a constant brainstorm, although Nick mostly brings in the songs about 2/3 finished and we fill out the rest. I think we’re all good at taking the bare bones of a song and figuring out what the best way to get it across is. We don’t overthink it either. There’s no voting or anything, but if two or more people are on the same page, the rest of us usually trust the others enough to say that’s probably the best course. It’s never personal, I think we all understand we’re just trying to make the songs the best they can be.

TrunkSpace: You guys played together in various projects prior to Crystales, but how long did it take you to find your cohesive groove (and overall sound) in the band’s current form?
Gil: If we’re being honest, probably more than 10 years! Since the other guys were in high school.

TrunkSpace: What do you consider “success” in music?
Gil: Getting to do what we want, make great music, play with friends, make new ones, and play the Hollywood Bowl.

TrunkSpace: And finally, an era or genre of music that deserves a comeback? GO!
Gil: I’ll say jangle pop, space disco and early ’80s style hip hop.

The band’s self-titled debut is available now on Burger Records.

Honesty in music is a necessity. It not only helps listeners connect in a way that goes beyond the surface layer, but it also plugs the songwriters into the art on an emotional level, creating a loop of authenticity that circulates throughout the process. When an artist then translates that honesty to the promotion of new music, the result is both refreshing and unexpected, especially in our current social media age where people tend to put their best selves forward.

We recently sat down with Joan of Arc founder Tim Kinsella just days before the release of the band’s latest album “1984” and received a dose of that refreshing honesty. Unfiltered and straightforward, Kinsella talks about stepping away from the microphone, how making records totally dominates his life, and why he never emotionally carries more than he needs to.

TrunkSpace: “1984” is due to drop on June 1st. What emotions do you juggle with as you gear up to release new music to the world, especially after spending so much time with it personally? Does it get easier given how many albums you’ve recorded over the life of the band?
Kinsella: Most of the emotional juggling happens long before the thing becomes public. Through the process of making a record there is the constant tension between the guiding principle of what you think the thing might be and gently steering it towards that, while also remaining open to allowing it to guide you. So that is a lot of tension and release and surrender and control. By this point in the process I’m just excited for people to hear it and I’m excited for it to be largely off my mind so I can concentrate better on what’s next.

TrunkSpace: What does “1984” say about Joan of Arc in 2018?
Kinsella: Obviously the big difference on this record is Melina (Ausikaitis) doing all the singing. And hopefully me stepping aside is impactful since my voice is largely the only constant identifier across JOA records up until now. In deference and respect to the cultural shifts gaining traction with the #metoo movement etc., I am happy to publicly step aside from the mic and let our sister do all the talking. So that’s why 2018. But why “1984” in 2018? “1984” is obviously shorthand for dystopian totalitarianism. And “1984” is a long time ago now. As shown on the record artwork, we were little kids then. And now we’re all in our 40s. We are way beyond that shit – and when I say “we” I don’t mean us as a band, I mean humanity in the most inclusive sense.

TrunkSpace: Are albums a bit like chapters of your life? Does it become a situation where it starts to feel like, “Those were my ‘How Memory Works’ years and these are my ‘1984’ years?”
Kinsella: Yeah, for sure. I often surprise my friends by being able to know exactly what year a thing happened (little things like a friend’s divorce or a movie coming out or a specific holiday party) and that ability is 100 percent the result of knowing what record happened what year. The making of the records totally dominates my life, so all the events of any year get sucked into and filed under that process. I only experience and understand my own life through the making of the records. I like my friends but I don’t need them. And I like my family and stuff. And I like having a little money when I can. But honestly, making records comes before everything else in the world in my mind. I don’t think that’s necessarily right or healthy, but it’s who I am and I accept it.

TrunkSpace: The band has been in existence for over 20 years. People change dramatically over the course of two decades. How has your own personal growth impacted the band and the music?
Kinsella: Hmm. I guess the band constantly evolves which helps me remain present, and I constantly evolve which helps the band remain present. There are some exceptions (i.e.: this one Melina does all the singing) and the process is always different every time – like this one is recorded live with no overdubs and this one is pieced together on computers etc. But in terms of content, at any point in the last 20 years I could describe whichever the newest JOA record of that year was to you, in great detail, and you would never be able to tell if I was describing the first record or the latest. It remains motivated by 100 percent the same impulse from my perspective. And it is nothing more than refining the same sensibilities and how they’re executed and expressed.

TrunkSpace: With so much writing and recording already under your belts, how do you approach a record like “1984” and look to keep the process itself fresh? What (if anything) did you do differently with this album that you have yet to try within the Joan of Arc universe?
Kinsella: Man, I’d be happy to never write another record. Thing is that the processes for making a record are infinite and I’m endlessly curious to see what the results will be. JOA would’ve broken up 100 times by now if it wasn’t for finding a new process to generate each record. I have 60-something guitar and vocal demos I like and 30-something synth/programmed songs started that I like. Some of these have been around for five years and I’ve tried to throw them away every six months but they still make the cut. So when a new process for recording is determined, then we dig into that pile and pull from it according to what song seeds will work for that specific process. In the case of “1984” only three of those things made the record. In the case of the previous record, none of them did ‘cause the process was about spontaneously generating material as a group. Bobby (Burg) got slaphappy at practice the other day when we were arranging a new song and he said, “It doesn’t matter what we do or how we do it, we can’t not sound like ourselves.”

TrunkSpace: The band has seen over two dozen members come and go through the course of its artistic lifetime. How do those different faces and points of view alter the dynamic of Joan of Arc and how do you view the current lineup and the creative output that exists because of this particular alignment?
Kinsella: That sort of open membership policy was definitely an evolutionary survivalist strategy, but it was already happening from the very first shows and first record. It just took us a little while to recognize that was how we were operating. We have a lot of friends and have always enjoyed what people might contribute. Sometimes that has been a matter of playing on a couple songs or sometimes just learning whatever part needs to be covered for some shows. It really depends on the person. For example, in the case of this record, Melina’s songs were the central force that everything organized around and I love it. But in the big picture this arrangement has its upsides and downsides. It allows us to meander and follow hunches in different directions, but it’d certainly be ideal if we could afford to pay one hotshot that could play everyone’s parts.

TrunkSpace: We’ve talked about the band growing and changing over the course of the last 20+ years, but how has the fan base changed? Are you finding just as many new fans being drawn to Joan of Arc as you are those who have been with you since the early days?
Kinsella: I couldn’t really say. The shows are sometimes a lot smaller than they were in the past. A lot of the past supporters now have kids and full time jobs and might be too tired to go out to shows and I don’t think a ton of teenagers are looking for a new band of 40 year olds to help them make sense of their rage. I imagine our fans are mostly around the same age as us, creative people, weirdos.

TrunkSpace: Fan feedback can often be the fuel that powers the creative brain. What’s a profound/powerful story that you were told by a listener in terms of how your music directly impacted them that you have carried with you throughout the course of your career?
Kinsella: Honestly I talked about this with my therapist just a couple hours ago. It is so hard for me to comprehend that there are listeners that I kinda block people out when they occasionally attempt to tell me that the music has meant something to them. I hope that’s not motivated by arrogance. My therapist says it isn’t. And I am so immensely grateful every day to do what I do. But it’s such a private thing between us, the people making it. It fries my circuits to imagine being responsible for anyone else’s experience in that way. Too much pressure. So I shut down when anyone I don’t know tells me about their experience of the band. Like I can hear them and often it’s mind-boggling, but as soon as we walk away from each other I just gotta get back to my reality and shuttle it from my mind immediately. I am aware of never carrying anything more than I need to carry.

TrunkSpace: What do you consider “success” in music and by that definition, have you achieved it?
Kinsella: Yes! Literally every single day since I was a teenager.

TrunkSpace: When all is said and done and you hang up your instruments for the last time, what do you hope Joan of Arc is remembered for? What do you want your legacy to be?
Kinsella: Honestly, that question seems as likely to me as asking me about when I grow a tail someday, will I tuck it or curl it. I could not survive one day without playing music. Sometimes it almost happens and I become a miserable prick. I like that the records exist as time capsules. We are real people that lived whatever joy or confusion went into the capturing of that moment. And I like that we are a very different band live than on the records. I hope both of those modes shock people awake in some small way. Ultimately I guess I only want what I imagine everyone wants most deeply, just to appear as real to anyone else.

“1984” drops June 1st on Joyful Noise Recordings.

If you’re anything like us, sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a playlist rut. When it comes to music, many times we take an “If it’s not broke…” approach, but we don’t need to fix our horizons to expand upon them. New artists worth discovering are out there, and as is the case with this particular needle in a haystack, sometimes you just have to look DEEPER.

Hailing from Chicago, the rifftastic quartet with a bit of ‘80s flair is set to release their self-titled debut May 25 on Fire Talk Records. We recently sat down with the band to discuss the pressures of recording their first album, how they’ve changed sonically since forming in 2014, and why they hope their legacy includes… Creed?

TrunkSpace: Your self-titled debut drops on May 25. What emotions are you juggling with as you gear up to release it to the world, especially considering that in many ways, the album will be the band’s introduction to new and future listeners?
Deeper: It’s excitement more than anything else. If you had asked us when we finished the record, we would’ve probably just said we are relieved to be done. It’s been done long enough now that we are able to get excited again. The record was recorded through five sessions over the course of a year and a half, so it was consuming a lot of our time for longer than we imagined.

TrunkSpace: Obviously it’s difficult to say because this is your first release, but do you think there is more pressure on a band in the studio with a debut than there is with a second or third offering? Is it just as much about establishing who Deeper is as it is about putting quality songs out into the universe?
Deeper: Definitely more pressure on the first release – that sort of sets the foundation for the rest of our records. If a listener doesn’t dig what we’re doing initially, they probably won’t check out what we’re doing next time. We have been pretty meticulous with this record specifically because of how a first release can frame the identity of a band. Whereas when a second record comes out, there’s already at least some audience who enjoyed the first release.

TrunkSpace: What do you think the album says about who Deeper is as a band? Does it fully accomplish what you set out to do with it, both creatively and commercially?
Deeper: As a band we think it shows a variety of different sounds we’re able to realize and how we’re able to play together. Creatively, it accomplishes what we set out to do – we’re really happy with the finished product. Commercially is yet to be seen.

TrunkSpace: The band has faced roadblocks in the past, one of which saw you choosing to scrap all of your existing songs after a previous member had left. Did that creative clean slate serve to put the band on stronger songwriting ground? Are you a better unit for it?
Deeper: The old version of Deeper focused on a sound that we were excited about at the time, but ultimately led to creative roadblocks as we progressed. The creative clean slate allowed us to experiment in ways we weren’t able to with the old version.

TrunkSpace: Did your overall sound change at all between who the band was then and who the band is now? Did bringing in Drew McBride add a new point of view to the mix that directly impacted the musical output of Deeper?
Deeper: We’re better fit together organically and threw out fewer ideas because of how we collaborate on songwriting. We were more apt to throw out ideas and Drew was really good about figuring out how to incorporate those into songs. The band feels more confident as a unit based on the current lineup for sure. Drew also loves driving which makes touring easier.

TrunkSpace: Is there something creatively inspiring about working within a band atmosphere? Does creativity inspire creativity?
Deeper: Writing in a band creates many more compromises and that can be a good and bad influence in bands. For us, it’s been really positive and has helped us define our sound better.

TrunkSpace: As you embark on this new and exciting chapter of your life that kicks off with your self-titled debut, what are you most looking forward to in the months ahead?
Deeper: Hitting the road, seeing friends in other cities, and letting people hear more of our music.

TrunkSpace: What does the songwriting process within Deeper look like? How does a new track go from inception to completion?
Deeper: Everyone comes to the table with different ideas and we throw a lot of things at the wall to see what sticks. Even when we think a song is done, it’s really not final until we’ve recorded it. We’re always making changes until the last possible moment.

TrunkSpace: Lyrically, are your songs written from personal experience or do they take a more storyteller’s approach to the narrative?
Deeper: Nic (Gohl) was writing more experience-focused songs until our guitarist Mike (Clawson) joked with him that his love songs were too obvious. That challenged Nic to vary his lyrical choice more.

TrunkSpace: When all is said and done and you hang up your instruments for the last time, what do you hope Deeper is remembered for? What do you want your legacy to be?
Deeper: We hope our legacy is summarized by covering Creed at our album release.

Deeper’s self-titled debut drops Friday on Fire Talk Records.

For tour date, click here.

Hauntingly delicate instrumentation combined with a gentle vocal delivery that makes you feel instantly at home in the sonic domicile that he has built are two of the key components that draw you to Domenico Lancellotti’s latest album, “The Good is a Big God.” The Brazilian multi-instrumentalist first began work on the project six years ago, though at the time he had no idea it would become a future samda soundscape to add to his discography.

We recently sat down with Lancellotti to discuss bringing colors to songs, declaring the album ready, and why a collaborative band atmosphere is so inspiring.

TrunkSpace: Work began on “The Good is a Big God” six year ago, though by the sounds of it, the music was never consciously meant to become an album. Like in life, is it important in music to be flexible and willing to go with the flow, so to speak?
Lancellotti: At first I was working on an art film as the final part to an artistic residence that I did in London. At the same time I was working also on a variety of soundtracks to accompany theater performances. I thought about this album on a regular basis. I thought about it as a composition, where each piece is a complete body of work – but also the ensemble of compositions as all one piece.

The record became part of my routine and began to take shape progressively. I’m always alert so I don‘t miss anything.

TrunkSpace: At what point did you decide that those songs you first began working on in 2012 would become an album? When did the collective picture of the music become clear?
Lancellotti: When I left Occupation London, I had a set of nine songs, beautifully arranged and finished, but I needed to add other colors. I reached out to my usual partners and we recorded sounds freely in the studio. Also, new songs emerged and I wanted to record them. I used the six tracks that I did in London and the rest was written later in order to give more contrast to the record.

TrunkSpace: With such a wide range of time represented in the songwriting on “The Good is a Big God,” does the album still say something – make a statement – about who you are as an artist specifically in 2018?
Lancellotti: Time goes by and we change – in my case, the financial struggle to raise money for a project like this made things go slower. The record becomes a film, placed in my everyday life. We could continue building it, repairing and adding new things endlessly, but at some point we have to say it’s ready.

At the moment, I’m working on a soundtrack for an art piece by Lucia Koch, a Brazilian artist, that will be on display at the Kansas City Biennial in August. The themes present will probably end up on a new record.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the work you did on the album? What are you most excited for people to hear or experience?
Lancellotti: I was thrilled to work with Sean (O’Hagan). I had worked on a soundtrack to a play that took place in the end of the 19th Century, and built that piece with a string quartet. I had never worked in this format as I always have been connected more to popular music. For me, it was like the sound was coming from the ground. The volume, the many ways the strings relate to each other in creating harmony, the textures, the countless resources and possibilities this format gives to you made me beyond excited. I started to compose on the guitar so Sean could transpose it, always thinking about the quartet without wanting it to sound like something bigger. At the live performances, I’ve been playing with a trio: bass, drums, guitar, along with a string quartet.

TrunkSpace: You have some incredible contributors lending their talents to the songs on the album. Are you someone who finds creative inspiration in the creativity of others?
Lancellotti: Yes! I understand music as a place of encounter. I think a collaborative band system is quite inspiring. Music is pure connection.

TrunkSpace: Staying with the subject of inspiration, so often we hear about who has inspired artists, but on the opposite side of that coin, we’d like to know how you hope your music impacts others. For those who seek inspiration in “The Good is a Big God,” what do you hope they discover?
Lancellotti: I don’t have any idea how far my work can reach. My generation in Brazil cannot count on the mainstream vehicles of communication, but this also gives us freedom.

I have a record player and some vinyl, the majority of it came from my father’s collection. The things I listen to, most of the time, are the same things I listened to when I was younger. The music I make begins with this urgency to materialize things that are flooding into my mind and keep me awake. It’s also a pleasure to play with my “sound brotherhood” and to share music with them.

TrunkSpace: What do you personally get out of music through writing that you couldn’t achieve as a listener alone?
Lancellotti: I’m not sure if I understand the question because my English is in bad shape and I cannot trust Google. But I have some ways to compose – sometimes I have a melodic idea in my head, sometimes a sequence of guitar chords leads me to an idea of a melody and lyric, sometimes a song comes complete, sometimes we get together to play and we make music collectively. In each case there are elements that cannot be decontextualized.

TrunkSpace: We know that you’re a multi-instrumentalist, but are there additional instruments you’d like to take up in the present, and if so, what instruments and why?
Lancellotti: Though I’m a drummer and also play a little bit of percussion, and I use the guitar as a tool to compose. Other instruments I usually play with are – keyboards, bass, synths, electronics, mpc’s – all of which I consider to be percussion.

TrunkSpace: Does instrument diversity enable you to approach songwriting from a different perspective depending on what you’re writing with in any given moment?
Lancellotti: I compose with the guitar, but when I’m in a recording session I use other sounds.

TrunkSpace: When all is said and done and you hang up your instruments for the last time, what do you hope you’re remembered for? What do you want your legacy to be?
Lancellotti: I will always be creating music, as long as I am alive and able to work. I’m just following the steps of the ones that came before me and others who will continue to do so after. We are all a part of a giant mosaic.

“The Good as a Big God” is available today from Luaka Bop.

Finding truth within the old adage of music being a universal language is often an exercise that we as listeners don’t take the time to test. Humans are creatures of habit, and as such, we are drawn to what we know. In the case of songs, that tends to be genres that we’re familiar with and lyrics sung in our own native tongue. Branching out beyond what’s comfortable can often lead to beautiful results, such is the case with the new album “Relax” from Brazilian producer and songwriter Alexandre Kassin (performing under Kassin), which has opened our eyes (and ears) to an an entirely new style of pop – a soulful Latin vibe mixed with a trippy dreamscape of sounds – and has proven that having a surface understanding of what you’re listening to is not nearly as important as grasping the artistic expressions of the creator who brought it to life.

We recently sat down with Kassin to discuss his personal relationship with his music, the reason he writes about truth, and the moment he hears a song outside of his head for the first time.

TrunkSpace: “Relax” seems deeply personal at times. Do you think it’s possible for an artist to put too much of him or herself into a song or is that honesty an ingredient in what makes great music great?
Kassin: It’s a personal album for sure, but more in terms of having a particular point of view over certain themes. Very few songs are autobiographical. Some songs I wrote about stories I heard, some songs I had for a long time and somehow they fit well on this album. “Stricnina,” for example, is an old song but it reflects the logic behind the lyrics on the rest of the record.

TrunkSpace: You write a song like “A Paisagem Morta” or “As Coisas Que Nós Não Fizems” and then, we assume, have to revisit the feelings that spawned those tracks every time you perform them live. Is it difficult to shed the emotional connection to a song or do they eventually become less about your own personal ties and more about the songs themselves?
Kassin: “A Paisagem Morta” I wrote for a very dear friend of mine who suddenly found himself in love with another woman, even though he was married. He was in a moment of doubt between choosing his marriage or a new love. He chose his marriage and I wrote the song as my thoughts on this situation.

On “As Coisas Que Nós Não Fizemo,” I took a more personal view on the end of my first marriage and tried to put it in a positive way. Even though the song is a bit melancholic, the lyrics have a light feeling on a complicated matter…

I realize people normally don’t write about divorce, I wanted to write these songs about it because I think it’s really beautiful to spend your life with somebody else; sharing moments, happiness, sadness, food; and after it ends, nobody wants to touch the subject. I wanted to talk about it because I think it’s part of life.

TrunkSpace: Many songwriters use songwriting as a form of personal reflection or as a type of therapy. Is it that way for you as well?
Kassin: For me, I like singing something that I feel is true. I like the truth, not in a therapeutic way, but in an artistic sense. I feel that, musically, my albums are very diverse so the lyrics need to be truthful to make the connection as a whole. Even if some irony is added.

TrunkSpace: “Relax” drops today. What emotions do you wrestle with as you gear up to release new material? Is it difficult to let go of something when you put so much of yourself into it?
Kassin: It’s always a challenge. I feel very happy with this album. I think my last album, “Sonhando Devagar,” was a huge step forward from “Futurismo” (my album with the +2’s). I wanted “Relax” to be a new step forward, a totally new direction from my previous albums. They are all connected by the songwriting, but you can quickly point to which song is on which album. I feel I achieved that with “Relax.”

TrunkSpace: There are so many different styles and techniques present on the album. What do you think “Relax” would say about who you are as an artist to someone who ONLY had this particular album to go by?
Kassin: I think my records are for people who love music. Listeners hear that in my albums. I know when you hear them that you are listening to a lot of different genres, not just one.

TrunkSpace: Of course, a single record is not all that defines you. Not only have you released numerous albums of your own, but you’ve produced about 100 records for other artists as well. As you look back over your career in music, what are you most proud of thus far?
Kassin: I am proud of all of it. I really love music. You need to love it to make all this stuff and sometimes I feel people think it’s not cool to say that. I think out of my records, I’m very proud of some albums I did for my idols: like Bebeto Castilho (“Amendoeira”), the Los Hermanos’ records, Vanessa Da Mata, Zé Manoel (“Canção do Silencio” is a masterpiece), Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Erasmo Carlos, Totonho e os Cabra, Me and the Plant (“Journeys Thought…” I did this record with Roy Cicala). I don’t know, I’ve done so many records it’s really hard to point to a few. I like all of them. I only regret sometimes not having the time to finish something as I had wanted.

TrunkSpace: If you could sit down and have a conversation with your 16-year-old self, would he be happy with the artist you’ve become? Would he be surprised?
Kassin: I started working when I was 12. I think about it daily that what I do in life didn’t change, just the scope of it changed. I never expected I would actually become what I became, but it was already there. I was buying records and listening to them all day when I was 8. And I still do it, so nothing has changed. It’s kind of boring you could say but that’s how it is…

I’m surprised for sure, making a living from music is a gift.

TrunkSpace: Is your songwriting process different now than when you first started writing? Do you approach it from a different perspective in your present day form?
Kassin: It’s changed a lot during the years. Nowadays, I can think of a melody and know the chord I want on it. So when I write, I think melody, lyrics and arrangements together. The idea is in my head until I start recording. I don’t play it on an instrument beforehand. When I record the song, it’s usually the first time I hear it outside my head. It’s odd, but it’s how it is.

TrunkSpace: How long did it take for you to discover your voice as a songwriter?
Kassin: It’s still a process for me. I think I’m getting better at it. I think about songs everyday. It’s an addiction, it’s a muscle as well. I never thought of myself as a singer, but I had so many personal songs that at a certain point, if I didn’t sing them, nobody would. I needed to give a voice to them. After that, they were covered by other people. It’s beautiful to hear Bebel Gilberto singing “Tranquilo” or Caetano Veloso singing “Agua,” it means a lot to me that they heard it and made it their own.

TrunkSpace: Is there anything you would give up music for or to experience?
Kassin: I don’t think so. I love music. That’s my thing.

“Relax” is available today from Luaka Bop.

In recent years, the ‘80s have become trendy again as the decade enjoys another resurgence in pop culture, appearing in everything from television shows (“Stranger Things”) to games (“Tales from the Loop”). While some people are just now getting on the nostalgic bandwagon, MGT has been delving deep into goth rock for years, a genre originally made popular by bands like The Cure. MGT takes that classic sound that is so intriguing and haunting, and then they put their own modern and artistic synth spin on it to create something that is new and refreshing, and yet somehow familiar.

We recently sat down for a chat with Mark Gemini Thwaite and Ashton Nyte, two halves of the group, to discuss their latest collaborative album, “Gemini Nyte,” available now from Cleopatra Records. The duo shares what it’s like to work with The Cure founding member Lol Tolhurst, their process in bringing an album to life, and why their cover of the Stone Temple Pilots’ original “Atlanta” was the perfect exclamation point to round out the record.

TrunkSpace: A lot of times albums organically come together after a gestational period. Other times they can manifest manically and quickly. How did “Gemini Nyte” come together for you? And how did the creation of the album compare to “Volumes?”
Thwaite: Ashton and I first started collaborating on my first album “Volumes,” which featured a number of different guest vocalists. Ashton and I really clicked musically… once we had quickly written “The Reaping” and “Jesamine” for that first MGT album, I kept sending Ashton more demos to sing on and he kept sending back these fantastic completed vocals and melodies. It was obvious within two or three months that we would quickly have a whole album’s worth of material to put out so we left “Reaping” and “Jesamine” on the “Volumes” album and started stockpiling songs for a brand new album, “Gemini Nyte.”
Nyte: Yes, it was all rather fluid and organic experience. We had the bulk of “Gemini Nyte” written before “Volumes” was even released.

TrunkSpace: For us, listening to “Gemini Nyte” felt like a journey with a beginning, middle and end, much like a good book or movie. Was that something you set out to do? What sort of process do you use to select your song arrangement with a new album?
Thwaite: With “Gemini Nyte” we had two thirds of the new album demoed by the end of 2015 – this was still six months before the “Volumes” album was even released. We slowed down a bit then as the label advised us they would be promoting the “Volumes” CD first, so we realized we would have to sit on the new material for a while. So we kept writing and slowly added more songs, and this allowed us a luxury of time to determine the sequence of the album, but also what the album may benefit from sonically and dynamically. It was great to finally hear the whole body of work all sequenced and mastered. It has some quality songwriting that we’re very proud of. We wanted the album to be a journey and listening experience.
Nyte: I think the songs pretty much dictate the arrangements. Some started as fully fledged instrumentals, that I would write lyrics and vocal melodies for. As is, some took a little re-arranging to fully realize the vocal or lyrical direction the song was taking and others evolved out of simple acoustic demos. We just keep chipping away until it feels right.

TrunkSpace: Where do you find the inspiration and material for your songs? Is it more introspective and internalized? Or is it something you draw more from outside sources?
Thwaite: Usually I demo some riffs and chord changes, often full arrangements with drums, bass, guitars, synths etc. – verses, choruses etc. I then send those demos to Ashton and he formulates some vocal melodies and ideas. Ashton lives in Missouri, myself in California – 2,000 miles apart – so we pretty much work long distance with file sharing. Usually it starts with the music demo. As for influences, they are vast and varies. Usually from a musical point of view, I come up with a riff or chord change on an acoustic guitar and take it from there. Often the end result will be vastly different from the original acoustic idea. For example, “Everything Undone” started life as an almost Mission-style strumming riff which I then added drums and synth lines to, and then a bridge and then a heavy chorus, and it now has more in common with Nine Inch Nails than the Mission, but Nine Inch Nails were also an influence so it all goes into the melting pot!
Nyte: On this album I tend to respond lyrically to an atmosphere Mark has created instrumentally. There is a dystopian theme of sorts running through much of the album. It is difficult to not write about the state we find the world in these days.

TrunkSpace: Lol Tolhurst, founding member of The Cure, provided a special remix of your song, “All The Broken Things.” What is the remix experience like? Did you work directly with Tolhurst? Or is it more like, you give him the song, and you get the remix back to be unwrapped and listened to like a present?
Thwaite: Lol and I actually live quite near each other in Los Angeles, so we could have collaborated on the Broken Things remix, but as is often the case with remixes, I left Lol to it and he worked with his studio engineer to come up with his unique take on the mix, adding his distinct keyboard synth melodies and beats. I didn’t want to influence it in any way – just see what he brought to the song. What we did collaborate on was his keyboard additions to “The Assembly Line” on the special edition single release. I went around to Lol’s place and we discussed the best approach, but left him a blank canvas for both Lol and Pearl (Porl) Thompson to work with.

TrunkSpace: You put so much of yourself into the creation of an album. Are you holding your breath once the album is released? Or is it a huge relief, and you’re just ready to get on the road and share the music at live venues?
Thwaite: Personally I find it a relief once the album is completed, sequenced and mastered. I enjoy the writing and recording process, but once you commit to releasing something, it usually involves a deadline and release date, and in our case a record label, so then the pressure is on. Once we can sit back and listen to the body of work as a whole, it’s definitely a relief and a fantastic experience to hear it all together. And then to get to perform the songs live to an audience is also a wonderful thing.
Nyte: Yes, especially considering that this album was essentially written and recorded some time ago, it is liberating to have it out in the world.

TrunkSpace: Do you prefer playing live to the nuts and bolts of creating an album? Do you find one more enjoyable than the other?
Thwaite: I enjoy both studio work and live work in equal measure. The studio recording process is great, particularly as we both have our own studios to work in. We can be very creative and take our time to get it right, no studio clock ticking. But on the flip side, I also love performing live and when you get the synergy of a great band and that connection with a receptive audience, it’s amazing. I start to miss touring and performing live if I’m stuck in the studio too long.
Nyte: I agree. I’ve always seen them as two halves of the same puzzle. I’m seldom satisfied with one without the other. The engagement and interaction of the live environment certainly completes the circle. This is also an album best enjoyed at a rather high volume, so concerts check that box and provide the cathartic release.

TrunkSpace: As fellow STP and Scott Weiland fans, we were really excited to see the “Atlanta” track on “Gemini Nyte.” Art often inspires art. Can you tell us a bit about how STP and Weiland have impacted your work and why you specifically chose “Atlanta” to cover?
Nyte: We were both moved by Scott Weiland’s passing and I reached out to Mark to do a version of my favorite STP song, “Atlanta.” I had originally intended to put it out as a solo single, paying homage to Scott. Once Mark started adding various bits and pieces, I knew it had to be a Gemini Nyte song. I can only hope that our love for Scott and STP’s work comes through on our rendition of this exquisite song.
Thwaite: I’ve been a fan of STP for many years, and their material has stood the test of time in our opinion. The guitar work of Dean DeLeo is always inventive and inspiring – I hear a lot of Jimmy Page in his writing and playing, and I’m a huge Zeppelin fan. The whole band are masters at their craft and in Weiland they had the perfect chameleon frontman, incredible singer. It was an honor to pay our own little tribute to the band and the man.

TrunkSpace: “Atlanta” was also the last track on the STP album “No. 4,” and you chose to end your album with the song as well. What was it about the song that felt like the perfect way to end “Gemini Nyte?”
Thwaite: As soon as I finished mixing the track, I said to Ashton, “That has to be the album closer.” Pretty hard to beat, very sober and introspective. I wasn’t that familiar with the original version on “No. 4” when Ashton suggested it, but yeah, that song also closes their album. I guess great minds think alike!
Nyte: It is a beautiful song and deserves to be savored. It had to be the album closer.

“Gemini Nyte” is available now from Cleopatra Records.

Spending more than a decade in New Orleans, a city known for being a rich musical melting pop of genres and styles, gave singer/songwriter Luke Winslow-King a new perspective on his relationship with his audience. The Big Easy’s communal creative scene scene instilled in him the responsibility of an artist to be entertaining, authenticate and original, three qualities that are instantly apparent when listening to his latest album, “Blue Mesa,” due May 11 from Bloodshot Records.

We recently sat down with Winslow-King to discuss the importance of artistic exploration, why he feels more confident in his craft than ever before, and the reason he hopes others will find a meaningful message in the songs that have impacted his own life.

TrunkSpace: You recently moved back to Cadillac, MI after spending more than a decade in New Orleans. New Orleans is the kind of city than can leave its mark on people. Where has the city influenced your music and creative POV the most?
Winslow-King: I would say New Orleans has influenced my music a lot with the style, flair, and swagger that the culture there has to offer. I was really fortunate to learn from and play with some of the greats there including: John Boutte, Little Freddy King, Washboard Chaz, and Roberto Luti. You do gather an interesting artist’s perspective performing in New Orleans. Music becomes something that is shared within the community. Something that’s free, that’s in the air. I feel living in New Orleans gave me a sense of responsibility towards my audience. To be entertaining, authentic, and original.

TrunkSpace: Your new album “Blue Mesa” is a really beautiful blend of so many various genres. So often we hear about actors not wanting to get pigeonholed into any one genre of film or television, but can the same be said for a songwriter? Is it important for you to be able to write from a space of creative diversity?
Winslow-King: Yes, for me personally it’s very important to have the freedom to explore different genres, sounds, and traditions. Over my career I’ve been careful to not get pigeonholed as any one kind of artist, but also not to be known for being a “mixed bag” artist who doesn’t know the depths of any one tradition. I feel like all of the sounds explored on the album are ones that I’ve lived with. I feel justified in my abilities to perform within them.

TrunkSpace: What do you think “Blue Mesa” says about you as an artist and do you believe that it’s reflective of a continuous journey of discovering your voice as a songwriter?
Winslow-King: It’s definitely a stop along the way in my journey as an artist. I am continually exploring and discovering my voice as a singer and songwriter. I feel that “Blue Mesa” is definitely an arrival at a new height. I feel more confident in my writing and singing than I ever have before. I feel like my band is hitting on all cylinders and supporting the songs better than ever as well. I’m proud of it and am looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to the entire album.

TrunkSpace: If you could sit down and have a conversation with your 16-year-old self, would he be happy with the artist you have become today? Would he be surprised?
Winslow-King: I think so. The music I’m playing now is surprisingly similar to the music I was making when I was 16. I’ve gone on different tangents in my musical life exploring jazz, folk, dixieland and songwriting. Now I have come full circle in away. I was performing at clubs, festivals, and talent shows with the Winslow-King Blues Band in the mid to late ’90s playing blues rock covers. The only difference is that now I’m performing all original songs and have a lot more experience behind me. At that age, I just was excited about performing. I didn’t have aspirations of being a career musician. I think if 16-year-old me could see me now, he would be pleasantly surprised and excited. In the same way, I’m looking forward and encouraging 50-year-old me down the path.

TrunkSpace: The process of recording the album was a bit of a worldwide adventure. How important was that to you in making sure that the vibe and focus of the album supported the vision you had for it? Would the album have been the same had you recorded it at a single location here in the States?
Winslow-King: I don’t think the location of recording really makes that much difference. It’s more about the songs in the mental headspace of the performers. We have recorded some of my prior albums in Europe as well. “Blue Mesa” was recorded in the fortress village of Lari, nestled in the mountains of Tuscany. The setting was ideal and relaxing which had my band and I in a good headspace to relax and have fun with the songs. When you get to the studio, the songs and sounds have already been developed. I’ve found it’s best, once the red light is on, to sit back and enjoy the ride.

TrunkSpace: There are some amazing guest musicians on the album, including Roberto Luti and Chris Davis. Are you someone who finds creative inspiration in the creativity of others? Does being around those other musicians make you a better musician?
Winslow-King: Definitely, Roberto has been an inspiration, partner and maestro for more than a decade. He has greatly influenced my slide guitar playing and approach to music generally. Chris Davis, and bassist Christian Carpenter, really went the extra mile on this album to play simple and articulated parts. They really elevated the songs by playing selflessly and being dedicated to the greater sound.

TrunkSpace: You have numerous records under your belt now. Has the songwriting process changed for you at all from those early days when you first began your career to where you are today with “Blue Mesa?”
Winslow-King: Yes, “Blue Mesa” is my sixth album. The biggest change since the early albums is that song craft has become more a part of my daily life. I used to assign myself homework and feel a nagging responsibility to sit down and produce more. These days song writing is a part of daily life. I just try to be ready when lightning strikes. To be a conduit. To pay attention to the sounds, phrases, emotions and ideas that are in the ether. I’m just trying to bring these down to solid ground and make songs that people can relate to and see themselves in, songs that people feel comfortable with. This approach has proved much more fruitful for me.

TrunkSpace: Is it possible to overthink a song? Can a songwriter tinker so much that the creative spark that first made a song great ends up dimming a bit?
Winslow-King: Definitely. The same can be true with performance in production. I think that proves a true maturity in an artist. To be sensitive to that balance. You definitely have to have a certain technical proficiency whether it be instrumentation, production, or songwriting. That has to be balanced with the human visceral nature of music. Roberto is kind of our spirit guide in the band, helping find this balance.

TrunkSpace: Where are you hardest on yourself as an artist?
Winslow-King: I would say in the department of authenticity. I have very little tolerance for anything less. I have to be true to myself on stage and when I’m writing, or else I just can’t do it. Not necessarily being authentic to a certain style, culture, or genre so much as being authentic to my own true self; my own likes and honest tendencies. I make music that I love first. If audiences like it, even better!

TrunkSpace: When all is said and done and you hang up your guitar for good, what do you hope you’re remembered for? What do you want your legacy as a songwriter to be?
Winslow-King: I guess I want to be remembered for songs that made a difference in peoples lives. Not necessarily that saved the world, but songs that were there for people in times of need. I’ve written a few songs that I feel an obligation to live up to. Those songs have made a difference in my own life and I hope others find them useful as well.

“Blue Mesa” is available May 11 from Bloodshot Records.

The latest album from Cut Worms, the brainchild of Brooklyn-based Max Clarke, has been finished for some time, so unleashing it into the world is a creative win for the singer/songwriter, one that formally signals that it’s time to move on to new 8-track endeavors. While Clarke says he has been actively writing quite a bit lately, for the listener it is important that we not get ahead of ourselves, or in this case, the music. Released today on Jagjaguwar, “Hollow Ground” is a sonic time traveler – influenced by the past, made in the present, and enjoyed in the future. (Check out our review here.)

We recently sat down with Clarke to discuss his songwriting process, guitar garage sale adoption, and why a strong desire to do something well trumps natural talent.

TrunkSpace: As you gear up to release new material to the world, what kind of emotions do you juggle with?
Clarke: This record’s been done for a while, so I just want it to be out there at this point. But yeah, sometimes with putting stuff out there, there’s some hesitancy as far as, “Are people going to like it?” or whatever, but… I don’t even really care that much anymore. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: A number of the songs off of the album have been with you for some time now. Do they feel like old friends or do you want to move beyond them at this point and make new friends?
Clarke: Yeah, I want to focus on writing new stuff. I’ve been writing a bunch lately, but I’m not totally sick of the songs on the record yet, which considering how many times I’ve played them in the past couple of years, I guess is probably a good thing.

TrunkSpace: Are they still reflective of who you are today, in 2018, as an artist?
Clarke: I think they still translate. I think about them differently now, probably, than when I wrote them, but it’s hard to… I don’t know. I guess, just time goes on. You write something in a certain moment, and then it just keeps going. I can still kind of go back to, I guess, especially the home demos that I’ve done, and remember more where I was at at that time by listening to it.

TrunkSpace: As you mentioned, you have a desire to work on new material, but what does that process look like for you in terms of core inception to a finished track?
Clarke: It’s different every time. There’s not really any formula I’ve come up with that allows me to just put it all down and go from start to finish in a timely manner. It’s a lot of meandering around, seeing what works and what doesn’t, recording a version of something, and then seeing how it sits over a couple days – and if it doesn’t, then changing it.

TrunkSpace: Can a song live inside your head for a long time before you put your stamp of approval on it?
Clarke: I would say so, yeah.

TrunkSpace: We read that you picked up your first guitar from a garage sale and then you nursed it back to life. Did that process help you establish an appreciation for the instrument beyond just the desire to play it? It’s almost like that whole, you pay for your own car and you treat it better kind of thing.
Clarke: Yeah, kind of. At the time, I was 12 or something, I didn’t personally fix it up. My mom brought it to a local music store, and they put strings on it and fixed some of the other pieces – put a new bridge on it and stuff. But yeah, it definitely became something that I cared about and took care of, but I’ve never been that much of a gear head as far as guitars and stuff. I tend to not treat my instruments that well. They get banged around.

TrunkSpace: It’s just fascinating to think about an instrument’s journey in that regard. Like, what did that particular guitar experience before it found its way to you?
Clarke: For sure. When my mom got me the guitar from the garage sale, it had this embroidered, weird rainbow strap that looked like it was from some ‘70s church group or something, which, I wish I still had that strap. It’s gone now. It’s lost. But yeah, who knows who owned that thing, and how many times somebody played it and went through all kinds of emotional things with it, probably.

TrunkSpace: For you, what is it that you get from writing and performing music that you can’t get from being a listener alone? What does the process give you?
Clarke: I don’t know. I’ve just always had, ever since I was pretty young, an itch that I’ve felt like… I remember going to, any time there was a band or something, from the time I was 12 or 13, to see a live band. I remember once going to – I grew up in Cleveland – going to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They had this high school Battle of the Bands thing, and seeing some of those people playing, and just feeling like I could do that, and do it better. But it took me a really long time to actually do that.

TrunkSpace: Did the instrumentation side of things come easy to you? Was it natural or was it something you had to work at?
Clarke: I worked at it a lot, but I wanted to work at it. Natural talent… I feel like it’s more of just whether or not you want to do it, or want to do the work, or if there’s something that drives that. It’s like working on a puzzle or something.

TrunkSpace: Going back to that 12-year-old you that got that guitar for the first time. If you could sit down with him now, would he be surprised by the artist you have became?
Clarke: Maybe. I don’t know. There’s no way that I could have known how things would pan out, but I did want to eventually get to this point.

TrunkSpace: But were you listening to music in that time period that you would say directly influenced what your sound is today?
Clarke: I listened to, I guess, whatever was around at that time. I listened to all kinds of stuff when I was younger. I listened to boy bands, and Britney Spears, and all that stuff of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, which I think all that stuff is somewhere in the music that I’m still playing. It’s all pop music to me.

TrunkSpace: Do you think the next record will be far removed from “Hollow Ground,” or will it still feel close to what that album represents?
Clarke: I think it will be somewhat close. I’ve just been going after a certain sound, I guess, for a while now. That’s the closest I’ve gotten so far, but the next thing will probably just feel like another attempt at that, but maybe from a different angle.

“Hollow Ground” is available now on Jagjaguwar.