rockyourlyricsWhat inspired “All Yours All Mine”, part of your upcoming album “Oscillators”?
We call the song an Electrified public service announcement that deals with the haves and have nots in modern society. The guitar riff and bass line was inspired from The Clash but also we just had this groove and kept singing nonsense lyrics over it for months until one day the words formed and the feeling of the song started to take shape… We got lucky when we hit on the line We’re on our worst behaviour… we keep acting out our lines.
And “Lost in You”?
‘Lost in You‘ started as two separate songs one which eventually became ‘Made Up Your Mind’ and the other ‘Lost in You’. The bass line and guitar part just evokes a certain classic new wave romanticism that brought the lyric out after finding the melody.
Do you remember the day you wrote “Don’t Wait Too Long”?
Yes, it was a labor of love, but Ethan and I came back after lunch and I sat down at the piano and played the chord while he played guitar. The hook was written in ten minutes and then we all got together and wrote the verses a few days later.
Is there a link/a common theme among the songs of the new album?
Yes, the shared belief that humanity is falling short of who and what we should be in the world is what inspired the landscape for this music.
What is the best suggestion your producer gave you?
Ethan and I produced the album together and are shared similarities and love of music made this a joy to work on together .
How do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
After a musical idea starts to come into shape, we start singing melodies with nonsense words or syllables.. usually that starts to form words that are coming deep from within the subconscious mind… After we have some down, we’ll set up a FaceTime if we’re not all together and just hash out the lyrics that we like and keep refining them until they’re finished.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing in songwriting?
Understanding the craft is very important so you can learn to break the “rules.”
Are you ever scared of revealing aspects of your personal life/experience to strangers through your music?
Writing songs is cathartic and I used to say it’s saved me from years of therapy. A great songwriter isn’t afraid to express their emotions through music. In fact, those who manufacture songs that don’t have any spirit or honesty are the ones we can’t stand.
What is the best lyric that you ever wrote (the most meaningful for you)?
With ASHRR, the words to the chorus of ‘Paper Glass’ are really relevant socially and politically right now – “watch it all fading fast, all that’s left is paper glass.”
What are your plans for 2019?
Our full album will come out in May and we’re currently playing shows around LA and looking to tour the West Coast and make our way to the UK/ Europe and focus on the festival circuit as a band.
To conclude the interview a short Q/A session, please answer the first thing that comes to your mind:
- Define in one word your EP “Ashrr”: Camaraderie.
- The best show you ever played: Our last and first one at Moroccan Lounge this past week.
- The one thing that you must have in your backstage: Water, throat spray, towels.
- The soundtrack of your childhood: I can’t speak for the band, but for me U2 and The Police, Van Halen, held a place that always helped me draw my inspiration from as an artist.
- Your favorite song lyrically speaking but not written by you: ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.
- Last question is “unusual”, we want to know your best relationship advice: Always be honest and don’t go to bed mad at each other… Give it a minute to simmer down, but make sure you at least acknowledge that you want to come to a resolution before the night ends.
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