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// Interview //
White Bike “I Like You”
As a long-time fan of Oregon’s Tango Alpha Tango, I was pretty stoked to speak with Nathan Trueb and Mirabai Carter-Trueb about the new project they’ve built with some friends over the course of the time since the pandemic. It’s bigger and, dare I say, louder than their name-sake songs. They’ve added more people into the mix such as singer Arianna Anchustegui, Justin Chase from Pure Bathing Culture, and Robin Levy from Yardsss to create something a bit louder but not entirely different than the sweet movements of their original work. While you listen to the newest single coming out tomorrow, Friday, May 14th, have a read of a short interview I had with them the other day.
Mark Schoneveld:
😎 Hi, guys. Mark from @yvynyl 🎧 here. How’s Portland today?
Mirabai Carter-Trueb:
Hi Mark!
Nathan Trueb:
Hey, Mark! Portland is good, finally starting to get some great weather around here.
Mark:
I love Portland in the summer. I’ve spent time there in the summer (awesome) and winter (awesome in a different, wetter way).
Arianna Anchustegui:
Hey Mark! Yeah, Portland is great & bloomed, and beautiful.
Nathan:
The winters are long-feeling, so spring is always a relief
Chat!
/ @yvynyl + @nightlands songwriter David Hartley /
The other day, I connected with my old friend to catch up on life, new projects, old projects, and how we all dream of living in Big Sur. He just happens to write gorgeous songs that sound like he’s been living there all along, not the gritty city.
Mark Schoneveld: Hey brother! Are these internet wires working? :)
David Hartley: hey man! yes I think the dial-up modem in my garage is finally up and running.
Mark: hahah right on
David: sorry, this is the only instant messenger I use, or am really aware of anymore. is AOLinstant messenger still a thing? I used the shit out of that in college.
Mark: I think it is, yes. I’m not sure anymore either, tho. I just use Messages on Apple products mostly. But anyways, Gmail works.
David: right on
Mark: I’ve been wondering, since I last saw you (when was that? at a Jesse Hail Moore’s show?), how long have you been working on this new record?
David: I started writing the songs during some time off during the last The War on Drugs touring cycle… I was living with my then-girlfriend (now wife) in Ridgewood/Queens and started demoing while she went into Manhattan for work every day. Then when the Drugs finally took an extended break, I rented a warehouse in Kensington and started working in earnest last winter.
Mark: So do you still need to be up in NYC from time to time? Where’s your full-time home?
David: No, I’m full-time Philly. I realized the other day that I’ve lived in Fishtown longer than any other place, ever. Which shocked me… my wife still commutes to Manhattan a couple times a week but we’re dug in here in Fishtown, at least for the time being. I constantly fantasize about moving to Hudson or Ojai or Asheville, like most people, but home is where your friends are. I’ve found the density of wonderful people/musicians/creatives in Philadelphia second to none.
Mark: Philly does have a certain “dirty magic.” But your music - like a dream from Ojai - seems oddly in place, doesn’t it?
// Chat! Chat! //
/ a conversation w Molly Burch at YVYNYL /
Sometimes, an artist will simply mesmerize me from their first note. Molly Burch did just that. Her sound is a throwback yet a fresh take on alt slash retro country. Her upcoming record enveloped my ears and melted my heart from beginning to end. I got the feeling that I desperately needed to dive in deeper, so we connected to chat. We hooked up the other day to talk about relationships, songwriting, and her influences:
Molly Burch: Hi!
Mark Schoneveld: Hi, Molly! So, I’m one of the lucky ones who got an early copy of your new record before it is coming out. Wow. Outstanding. When did you start writing music like this?
Molly: Thank you so much! That is so kind of you to say. I’m glad you got it. I started writing the album when I moved to Austin in late 2013.
Mark: What brought you to Austin? The music scene?
Molly: I moved on a whim after a break-up in Asheville. I was drawn to the music scene for sure. I was debating whether to go back to my hometown of Los Angeles or a new place all on my own. I chose Austin because it seemed more manageable and I also jumped into a new relationship really fast and he lived in Austin. It was incredibly lonely here at first but I’m glad I stuck it out. I love it here.
Mark: Ah, love. Are a lot of these stories what your songs are about? “Downhearted” for example. Or “Wrong for You”
Molly: Yes! Most of the songs are about my break-up in Asheville with Dailey Toliver who is my current boyfriend. We reunited and he is the lead guitarist on the record.“Wrong For You” and “Downhearted” are more make believe. The slower ballad type songs I was thinking about Dailey.
Mark: So your relationship broke up and then reworked itself in a new city? He plays in your band now?
Molly: Yeah! We were very young when we started dating. Dailey was 20 at the time and I was 21. We jumped into the relationship super fast and moved in together after a couple months of dating – mainly because we wanted to decorate an apartment together haha, we both love interior design. But then I felt scared and not ready for something so serious. Having time apart really helped us both figure out what we wanted and also being in a new environment helped too. He recorded lead guitar, keys (on 7 out of 10 songs) and some backup vocals on the album.
Mark: That sounds very mature of the two of you! Glad it’s working out.
Molly: Haha, thank you!
Mark: Helps to have a partner on tour…
Molly: Yes, I’m really excited we can do that together.
Mark: Are you a fan of Angel Olsen? It feels like you tread in a very similar space.
Molly: Yes, of course! She’s amazing. She moved to Asheville right when I left. One of my best friends plays guitar in her band now. Very excited to see them play in Austin in February.
Mark: Awesome. That’s right! Asheville! How does Austin differ for you?
Molly: I feel they are similar in that they are both liberal pockets of otherwise mostly conservative states. Austin is a bit bigger. Definitely both creative places with wonderful people. I miss Fall in Asheville. Austin lacks traditional seasons. But we have Barton Springs and wonderful places to be in the summer.
Mark: What’s the music scene like right now? Do you have a crew? A scene?
Molly: The music scene that I feel apart of here is really supportive and hard working. Everyone I am close with here is a musician. We all play out a lot and collaborate with each other and attend shows constantly. It’s a really nice balance of hard work and loving support. So much love in this bubble of ours here in Austin.
Mark: That’s great. Did you go to school for music? Has this been a longtime goal of yours? Or did you fall into music?
Molly: I did, I graduated with a BA in Jazz Vocal Performance. It’s always been a goal of mine to pursue music and a dream to release a record.I’ve always been a singer, but a late bloomer for sure. I struggled with shyness and confidence. So I feel like it’s taken a while for me to figure out what my “goal” is I guess.
Mark: Sounds like you sound the right track. Where did you come into this style. Who influences your sound?
Molly: Haha, thank you! So nice. I think I fell into my style in the same way I fell into music. I waited a long time to start writing music. I think I found my sound when I truly isolated myself, moving here all alone and pushing myself to do it. Studying Jazz influenced me and listening to Billie Holiday and Nina Simone growing up. I started by studying voices and then songwriting came later.
Mark: And Patsy Cline of course…
Molly: Yes! Definitely her and other icons. Peggy Lee, Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield.
Mark: What did your parents listen to at home when you were a kid?
Molly: I honestly have no memories of music playing in my house growing up. We would watch movies. My dad had a huge laserdisc collection. My parents are both in the movie business. My dad did play the banjo though, and introduced me to Earl Scruggs. He also introduced me to Fiona Apple, thank you, DAD. Huge influence of mine as well.
Mark: Haha that’s awesome. Dads are the best, aren’t they?
Molly: Haha
Mark: So, tour this spring? SXSW?
Molly: Yes! I’m so excited. The album comes out on February 17th and then my band and I are supporting Tim Darcy on tour for all of March. His album comes out the same day as mine. He’s so great. And we have some SX dates too! First time playing in the fest, very excited.
Mark: And your home base, eh? Always a fun time.
Molly: Yes, home base. Can’t wait. Will you be here?
Mark: Probably not this year. I’ve done 6 years of SXSW, but I think I’m done w it haha
Molly: Haha, yeah.
Mark: Well thanks for your time!
Molly: Thank you!
Mark: I hope to see you here in Philly in a few weeks.
Molly: Ah, yes! We’ll be there March 7th at Boot & Saddle.
Mark: I am truly excited about your work.
Molly: Would love to meet you! Thank you so much, that makes me very happy!
Mark: Indeed! Have a wonderful day!
Molly: You as well!
Molly Burch’s debut album Please Be Mine will be out on Captured Tracks on February 17, 2017. She will also be on tour of the US this March, making a stop in Philadelphia at Boot & Saddle on March 7th.
photo: Kelly Giarrocco
I’ve done a few interviews in the past, but I haven’t done them often. I decided it was time to change that and dive in again. If you’d like to chat, send me an email.
/ Read more conversations with interesting artists around the globe /
Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon reflects on Kurt Cobain and her early musical influences. See more HERE.
“This is not my art project; this is my life.” - Sufjan Stevens in conversation with Ryan Dombal
Fantastic interview.
// Is That The Way You Wanna Be Loved //
\ hanging out with TOPS \
I don’t know how eating pizza together became the focal point of our 2014 CMJ experience, but pizza it was. And it seems to be a perfect universal connector for hungry bands on tour. TOPS and I spent some time together as Tumblr’s guests on Scott’s Pizza Tour which is the place to go for any passionate fan of ‘zza.
Guitarist David Carriere, lead singer Jane Penny, bassist Madeline Glowicki and drummer Riley Fleck were in the early days of a several week tour, full and happy. I’ve hung out with the Montreal musicians when they passed through Philly earlier this year, but carbo-loading all afternoon followed by a sit-down chat before their set at The Delancey in Manhattan worked well for solidifying our relationship.
We met up in the rooftop bar, and even though it was pouring rain while the water trickled in between the slats, we had the chance to have an ‘official’ interview. I turned on a tape deck - okay, I’m lying, it was my iPhone - to record some drips of our conversation which I’ve poorly transcribed here.
Let’s start with a bit of history: Jane and David have known each other since middle school, but didn’t hang out until she moved to Montreal after graduation from McGill University, where she met Riley. “The two of them just told me, ‘you are our friend, you’re down, so you should come play with our band.’” said Jane. “I sang the whole first record all out in one night.”
yvynyl: Had they heard you sing?
Jane: No! haha!
Jane laughs a lot. She’s got a deep, full bodied chuckle that comes out frequently and with flourish.
David: Riley and I were both playing music for a long time. We were in a series of bands back then - a math rock band once. I played in a hard core band. We were called The Girls Club, but it was really ‘no girls in the club’ and sounded like a Slayer scream, totally higher, but I lost my voice. It killed my voice.
Riley: I like dancing more than singing. I don’t sing,” adds Riley. “Dancing is like playing the drums when no drums are around. Legendary drummer Buddy Rich quit and started tap dancing instead, but eventually he went back to drumming.
yvynyl: What influenced your sound?
David: When we started the band, we had a concerted effort to make something opposing to something everyone else was making. We wanted to use the idea of restraint, but how we can let them speak for themselves without forcing anything into people’s face. People always want to put in their own ideas instead of channeling them.
Jane: I feel like if we invoke anything, it’s just that we want to show that we’re a ‘great band’. When people talk about Fleetwood Mack or Blondie it was about people coming together to make something ‘greater than themselves’. To be a band, and to be a proud of that, but not to be a generic ‘all male’ bands. It has an economic power, the visual aspect of it. There’s a tendency for ‘one person’ or a ‘group’ and it’s nice to have a ‘group’ having an individual’s power. It’s not pursued today enough.
Riley: It’s an interesting comparison to Fleetwood Mac, but David doesn’t sing like Lindsay Buckingham and Jane’s not really like Stevie Nicks.
Jane: I don’t think I’m a part of their ‘emotional’ category. I like music that’s playful. It’s nice that what we do is warm.
Just then Maddy pops into the conversation dripping wet having just pulled into NYC on the bus…
Riley: Have you ever heard “Travelin’” by the Jeremy Spencer Band? It’s like a country pop song by a former member of Fleetwood Mac. Before Stevie Nicks was on Fleetwood Mac, they were on tour, in LA or something, went to a psychic, but afterwards Jeremy disappeared and they couldn’t find him. Turns out he ditched the bands and joined the Children of God! His head was shaven and he was wearing a robe and everything and he’s been in the cult ever since. He still made good music!
David: Goes to show, being in a cult probably makes you a great musician!
Jane: Reminds me of The Source Family! There are a lot of great cult music bands!
David: I feel like a lot of great musicians are in cults. And of course the ultimate cult of all time, the Juggalos!
Jane: There’s that one band we cover now and then…
David: No, that’s not a cult. Agincourt. That which is a one-off play, not really a band. Check it out! The song “Get Together” is awesome.
yvynyl: Maddie, how are you connected to these guys?
Maddie: Me and Jane and David all met at Segal’s, the grocery where I worked. Riley used to come in and buy only 5 jars of peanut butter - were you just eating peanut butter?
Riley: No, I put it on bananas…
Maddy: So then I was drunk at a party and I was bragging to Jane about how I was jamming at my step-brother’s band, and then the truth came out that i didn’t play the bass in reality, so it was then and now that I’m continuing to learn the bass.
Jane: We had some part “Turn Your Love Around” so we’d have to teach her how we’d show the hardest melodic part to pick up. We need to make sure Maddie can play the hardest stuff, which we’d normally show to bassists, so if she can pick up this part, she can! And she did. She had a natural knack.
yvynyl: Where did you first play together?
Maddie: Our first show with me was a sold-out Longbar in Toronto opening up for King Krule. Super fun.
David: Our very first show ever as TOPS was in Halifax - super secluded literally the furthest you can drive to in North America. 14 hour drive. You have to take a feery from Boston. We played in a church with Doldrums on a round-robin set up, and audience would go from band to band. The church had four small stages in each corner.
Jane: That was in 2012?
Riley: That was in May 2011. I remember, because you guys came to pick me up the day after I graduated university.
At this point, our conversation started dwindling apart as more people came into the lovely, albeit wetter-by-the-minute rooftop space. The band had to get ready to start their set, ready for diving into a long week of performances, and digesting the rest of the pizza.
Don’t miss “Way to Be Loved” from their new album Picture You Staring out on Arbutus Records.
YVYNYL Presents: a fireside chat with Sun Airway.
Wonder why I think Sun Airway’s gonna blow up this year? Why I’m throwing a show with them at The Ox here in Philly on Friday [RSVP]? Why all y'all should be doing your best to see this live show when it comes to your fair city? Check out this interview I gave with the band’s mastermind Jon Barthmus and visual director Ricardo Rivera of klipcollective. We’re relaxing, drinking and nerding-out about click-tracks, projecting light and the new element of any modern band: the IT Department.
