Influence: Bravestation / Yeasayer

Anyone who knows me or is unfortunate enough to have befriended me knows about my deep and probably obnoxious obsession for Brooklyn’s psychedelic pop threesome known as Yeasayer. My initial interest was sparked by a triad of mystical bangers off their first album, All Hour Cymbals, titled “2080”, “Sunrise” and “Wait for the Summer.” At the time, I didn’t fully understand the rest of the album, which is full of three-part harmonies, unconventional/worldly rhythms, and in general, less than immediately accessible low-tempo balladry. However, my musical taste back then had hardly developed with consideration to what blows my hair back nowadays.The turning point for me was a live show that my brother Derek, J Waterfalls and I attended at the Horseshoe—they simply blew us away!

Their follow-up was the love struck pop-sensible cyborg, Odd Blood. It’s most popular offspring, “O.N.E.” and “Ambling Alp,” launched them into a greater realm of success and reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Independent Albums chart. Odd Blood was also named Myspace’s album of the year.

Fragrant World is their third and most recent release and let me tell you, it’s my kind of world. It’s darker, weirder, and more slick and complex in terms of production and instrumentation. Mentioning only one song would undermine the integrity of the other 10 (11 including the title track B side), so do yourself a favour and go lock yourself in a rectangular prism and listen to what I subjectively believe to be one of the most forward-thinking and articulately produced experimental-pop records to date.

Although I was incredibly excited (and insanely nervous) for the interview, I knew that the climax of my Friday would be the musical ritual taking place later that night. A huge thank you to the lovely ladies, Tara and Aimee, of OTMzine for the unbelievable opportunity and to Chris Keating of Yeasayer for being so cool and genuinely modest during our conversation. I hope you like the interview…

DEVIN: It seems like you all contribute equally with regards to creativity and song development. In a live setting, Anand’s on guitar/keys/samplers, Ira’s on midi-bass/synth, you’re on samplers but I read that your analog/traditional talent is behind a drum kit.

CHRIS: [Laughs] Drumming is definitely not a talent of mine.

DEVIN: Well I dunno—I find that hard to believe.

CHRIS: No, really. [laughs]

DEVIN: Fair enough. Anyways—do you all contribute to each section of the arrangement or do you have predetermined territory that’s solely yours to manage? How does a Yeasayer song usually take shape and how exactly does everyone participate?

CHRIS: It depends on the song. We’re definitely open to collaboration because I think that’s what a band is. It’s not David Bowie or James Brown dictating to his band what he wants to hear. Generally the way it works is someone will write the song in the traditional sense of songwriting, which [includes] lyrics, melody, skeletal structure—and then you sort of hand it over and you say well, “What can you add?”

Since we’re open to experimentation sonically, that can mean a lot of different things. It’s not just like, fulfilling your role as a guitarist. Like, Anand might do a song, he’ll give it to me, and I’ll mess around with the texture of that song.

DEVIN: So where would the beats and percussion come from? You guys are known for your interesting rhythms, but have no full-time drummer.

CHRIS: That just comes from messing around. Anytime you get away from a normal jazz kit and start just banging on stuff or working digitally, you inevitably get different sounding drums. It just comes from playing around and not wanting to stick to a traditional rock & roll sound.

DEVIN: You guys create distinct tones better than anyone in the industry as far as I’m concerned, and by the sounds of it, some of these textures rely on plenty of experimentation with effects and gear. Can you describe how some of these sounds are achieved and can you think of any that you are particularly proud of? The staccato intro riff for the song “Longevity” is a personal favourite of mine.

CHRIS: Yeah, sometimes you’ll labour over a sound. God, technology these days is so great. You can keep the midi file with melody and just keep messing around, try different filters, pitch it up, pitch it down, transpose it and just keep playing around—and sometimes over think it. That “Longevity” riff is funny though because that was the same sound from the demo that I made and it was this certain synth called an Arp. It’s a pretty popular synth from the 70’s, which you can get a pretty nice software emulation of. I actually know a guy who has a real one so we did a software emulation, got it close, and then used the real sound once in the studio. It’s like a really big modular synth.

DEVIN: Cool.

CHRIS: But, you know, that was the sound! As soon as I heard it I knew, you know? You play with the sequencer to get it to do that—you’re pretty much holding down one key and then adjusting the settings.

DEVIN: That makes sense cause it’s very glitchy.

CHRIS: Yeah, totally, and I like that.

DEVIN: Me too. I really like that’s it’s the intro by itself and then reintroduced underneath the body of the chorus.

CHRIS: Yeah, that just came from this simple idea of doing something that, guys who I really admire from the pop world, like The Neptunes, would do. Sometimes they’re really not adding too much—it’s a bare bone structure and they’ll add a few things here and there. We really have the tendency to overwork, and I think that comes from admiring bands like Pink Floyd, so that approach helped us get away from that.

DEVIN: I imagine you guys have to pull back a lot.

CHRIS: We should more [laughs]..

DEVIN: Well, I don’t think so.

CHRIS: It’s just gets so fun you know?

DEVIN: Yeah, and I think that’s partially what’s distinct about you guys. I mean, I hear something new every time I listen to a song. I also read that at Spacebar Studios with that dude…what’s his name?

CHRIS: Abe!

DEVIN: You guys would take software recordings and run them through analog gear or something like that. Could you really tell the difference?

CHRIS: Yeah, you could. I try not to be an analog purist because I feel like a lot of that retroist tendency was great for Gary Neuman, great for Kraftwerk, because that’s what they had. There are a lot of frequency ranges that you can’t capture with a lot of software and it depends on what sound you’re looking for. So yeah, Abe was the guy with the Arp too and we did two songs with him. There’s this thing called voltage control or something, and it reads midi information and modifies it [making it analog].

DEVIN: That sounds wild.

CHRIS: Yeah, so then you’re hitting certain synth tones on an old/awesome Prophet or Moog synth, and you’re like, wow—there’s that low end. Ira now plays synth bass a lot live and originally we were under the impression that he could just trigger digital synths. We got this analog synth that he runs it through now and it’s so noticeable. I didn’t ever realize how noticeable it would be, but it really is.

So I dunno, it just depends on what you’re going for. It’s not like one thing is better than the other you know? I think it’s cool to be a part of the generation that is all about experimentation. God you get these guys like The Burial who create these great subby and awesome bass sounds and it’s all software.

DEVIN: I mean, half the population doesn’t even listen to music on good headphones anyway.

CHRIS: This is one of the most frustrating things. I’ll go to houses or offices, which is even worse cause they work in the industry as PR, managers or whatever,and they’ll be listening to music on laptop speakers or these two little crappy speakers and they’re like, “Sounds pretty good to me.” What has happened? They’re not just this average consumer. They’re really into music and they never get to hear it the way it was supposed to sound.

DEVIN: As a band, you guys are obviously incredibly proficient from a production standpoint. I read that you produced some stuff for Bat For Lashes. Do you think we’ll be hearing anymore Yeasayer-produced projects that aren’t your own in the future?

CHRIS: First of all, we didn’t really produce stuff for her, but I’ve heard that before. We went to the studio with her to work on some songs, but she had a producer, a really good producer, and he was really guiding the whole show. We kind of just messed around and had fun in the studio.

DEVIN: So you weren’t turning knobs or anything like that?

CHRIS: Well, we were turning knobs, but not in that way. I brought in different samplers, Ira played a bunch of bass lines, we played percussion, and we messed around with some arrangements—and talked ideas with her. It would be cool to produce though. I’d be excited about producing someone’s band because I think it’s a very ambiguous role and you can put on different hats. It’s really cool the way Brian Eno produces records where U2 had some songs, and he’d be like, “I’m going to mess with this song for a couple of weeks and get back to you with it and then let’s talk about where we want to go from here.”

DEVIN: If you started producing, perhaps you wouldn’t have to tour as much to make a living. I’m not sure if you love touring or not, but that kind of thing could keep you at home more often and open doors to other ways of making a living.

CHRIS: I like touring, I don’t “love” it [laughs]. I don’t know how musicians make money.

DEVIN: It’s a tough industry.

CHRIS: It sure is.

DEVIN: It’s a fucked up industry.

CHRIS: Yeah, it’s fucked up, but it’s also exciting at the same time. The technological revolution is something we’ve been a part of in the last 10 years.

DEVIN: Yeah totally, it’s cool that anyone can make music. Although, a lot of is shit in my opinion. But, then again, everyone’s just making what they want to make and they’re entitled to that.

CHRIS: Yeah, it’s also tough with the blogosphere and Twitter the way it is. The “on to the next” disposable culture is tough.

DEVIN: It’s turned into a flavour-of-week type thing.

CHRIS: Yeah, you’ll see this artist build momentum, get really huge and then just disappear.

DEVIN: It seems like you guys have a great thing happening though because your fan base is extremely loyal. You’ve really carved something out. I mean, every time you get a bad review, your fans are really vocal about their disagreement.

CHRIS: Yeah man, it’s cool! That’s been totally amazing to witness and I think it’s come through hard work and touring because we never slack off during a live show. We had to postpone a show because Anand’s baby came early, but it was like, [we know we were] definitely going to play those shows eventually. We’ve never had to cancel a show because of sickness or anything. We’re really committed to trying to put on the best show every night and going back to places even if we’ve had bad experiences there. And finally by the sixth time we went to Cleveland it was good [laughs]. You know how it is though, you’re in a band. The first few times we played to like three people.

DEVIN: Well, every night is like that for us outside of Toronto. That’s just where we’re at. Apart from your great live show, you guys also create rewarding and distinct music that only a certain demographic can bite into, and I think that helps create that circle of dedicated fans as well.

CHRIS: We’re never going to be that big, you know? I think we’ve probably reached our level. And that’s all we ever wanted. If you start playing places bigger than the Danforth Music Hall, honestly, it feels weird. We played last night in Montreal to 500 people and it was awesome.

DEVIN: I find that the majority of your songs, especially those on Fragrant World, have this schizophrenic personality to them. They are both ominous and optimistic at the same time. Do you agree? And if so, what inspired you guys to go in this direction?

CHRIS: I think that the idea of contrasting dark and light imagery is something I’ve always been interested in. Some of my favourite music in the world has lyrics that are misinterpreted as positive or messages that are misconstrued. You know, like that song by The Police, “I’ll Be Watching You.” This is a song that people thought was a love song and it’s about a stalker.

DEVIN: Paul Simon has a few songs like that that I really like on Graceland.

CHRIS: Yeah man, absolutely. There are a lot of very darks lyrics on there that are sung in a very uplifting way.

DEVIN: Exactly, and that’s what I love about you guys. Odd Blood on the other hand, is full of love songs with these strange and demented arrangements.

CHRIS: Yeah, you’re right.

DEVIN: And on your first album, the single “2080” clearly exemplifies this contrasting tendency. It begins with the lyric, “I can’t sleep when I think about the times the future I was born into,” and end with an epic chant that’s optimistic and completely uplifting in melody.

CHRIS: I think that’s part of making music for crowds. People can get together and feel triumphant. It’s something about bonding together I think.

DEVIN: Your new album and the videos that accompany each song take on a very psychedelic visual aesthetic and sound. In the description you write: “Henrietta, a vignette to take drugs to.” I also saw an older interview where you spoke about the conceptualization of Odd Blood while under the influence of psychedelic drugs…

CHRIS: LSD, yeah…

DEVIN: During your creative process— whether it be the music, album art or videos —do body/mind altering substances often play a role? If so, how do you think it changes the final product?

CHRIS: Honestly, no, not really. We’re not big drug dudes or anything, which is maybe a bit of a misconception. At the same time I’m not against a certain amount of responsible or irresponsible drug use. I think the whole “war on drugs” is complete bullshit.

DEVIN: That’s all I wanted to hear you say I think…

CHRIS: Honestly, I don’t smoke marijuana at all, like twice a year maybe, and I’m not a teenager anymore—trying to fuck around with every drug and get really plastered. I think it’s great to work on something and when you hit a wall, listen to it fucked up. But, drugs are not going to be your answer. Like, how did the Velvet Underground do that? And how did writers like Bukowsky, Burrows and Hemmingway do it? Like, Burrows was on every single drug and came up with this great, vivid stuff. How is he even operating a typewriter?

DEVIN: That’s a good question—I can hardly play my instrument sober for Christ’s sakes.

CHRIS: Yeah, some people do need it to get on stage too. I know people who can’t get onstage unless they’re a little fucked up because anxiety. Muscle memory takes over I guess.

DEVIN: Fair enough. I’ll finish off with my favourite tropical question: If you were venturing off to a deserted island to join a community, similar to The Beach, which records would you bring if you could only choose three and why?

CHRIS: Hmmm… that’s tough. Definitely Brian Eno’s Another Green World.

DEVIN: Cool, I’ve actually never heard it.

CHRIS: You’ve got to check that one out. Another Green World is like my favourite record, I listen to it constantly. Really can’t get enough of that record. It’s deep and has a certain—a word I don’t like to use is spirituality—but a certain other-worldly quality to it. That one, and, I dunno, something from Sly of the Family Stone.

DEVIN: I change my question. You have to bring one contemporary record.

CHRIS: How contemporary?

DEVIN: Like, released within the last three years.

CHRIS: Jeeezz…

DEVIN: I saw somewhere that you really like the latest SBTRKT release.

CHRIS: I do like that record a lot, but I don’t know if I’d want to take that one to the island though.

DEVIN: Yeah, it’s tough. I know what I’d take.

CHRIS: Okay, let me take a look [pulls out iPod.] What can I really not live without? That’s tough man, I like some of this new ambient stuff like The Field and Balam Acab, but since I’ve chosen Another Green World I feel like I should take something fun, you know? This is too tough…

DEVIN: Alright, just name something you like then!

CHRIS: I like the new Holy Other record a lot, it’s pretty cool. They’re dudes from Manchester. I like Mount Kimbie… I don’t know that I’ve sat with any of them long enough to know that I’d want to live with it forever [laughs].

DEVIN: Awesome, I’ll definitely check this stuff out. Well, that’s it! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this with me. Thank you and have fun tonight.

CHRIS: Of course man, good to meet you.

[Chris attempts to shake shake Devin's hand]

DEVIN: Let’s just do knucks, my hands are a bit clammy at the moment.

Photographer / Tara Bartolini