(Cover art by Kate Malanaphy)
An academic mindset tends to deflate all but the most technical music (i.e. some jazz, math rock). It negates the passion that fuels virtually every musician, especially when it's actually an assignment for school. The fear of a letter grade at the end of it all is an overwhelming barrier to creativity. On their latest EP, Taste, Minneapolis songwriter Kate Malanaphy shrugs off scholastic pretension and makes four songs that simultaneously fulfill the requirements of a syllabus and push their art forward in exciting, soul-stirring ways.
The Bandcamp-exclusive release might strike a curious listener as a minor release. Maybe our streaming-poisoned minds tend to assume as much about anything that isn't uploaded to Spotify. Perhaps it's the fact that Taste is deliberately styled as a low-key release, serving more as an opportunity to "learn how to record and produce music by simply going for it," in Malanaphy's own words. The deadlines and pressures of any school project mixed with the unfamiliarity of fully self-recording. But instead of bogging it down, their clear-eyed approach lends a self of exploration.
One of the most exciting aspects of Taste is the introduction of a burgeoning backing band. Malanaphy is no stranger to collaboration, most notably working with Caleb Hinz on previous EP Soak. But a small ensemble is beginning to coalesce. Drummer Alex Norman of bugsy (who also played on In and Under, Malanaphy's debut EP) and guitarist Joe Villano of Marie Finch and Early Eyes subtly expand the arrangements without drawing attention away from Malanaphy's voice and piano.
Malanaphy was kind enough to talk (via email) about the creation of Taste and how they survived a semester to make one of my favorite EPs of 2021 thus far.
Were these songs written with your senior project, or even a second EP, in mind?
No! Every song except "Tomorrow" was written pretty naturally just for myself a while before I decided to record an EP for school. "Tomorrow" was written around the same time I was formulating the plan for my senior project. The other three songs have lyrics that are kind of sad and heavy, and I wanted to balance that out with a more optimistic song that still hits on the common themes of the other songs. Also, I couldn't do four songs in 4/4, are you kidding? My songs always come out of creative or emotional frenzies, so in the past (and with these songs) I have moved through the writing process too fast to consider how my songs relate to each other as part of a bigger collection.
Did the academic pressures of this technically being an assignment affect your creative process at all? How so?
I had a very hard time scheduling studio time and sticking to it because of moving parts with both my other classes and others who needed the studio space. Last summer, I interned at a very real-deal recording studio called Essential Sessions and the owner, Brad Matala, was generous enough to let me use the space and equipment to learn and create this EP.
The fact that I had a hard deadline and academic evaluation waiting for me at the end very much killed the vibe. In the earlier months of the process, before the end of the semester was encroaching, I had a ton of fun recording and fleshing out the songs. This project solidified my love of the recording process. Later in the fall, though, when I started to do more fine-tuned mixing, I found myself struggling to work because of the academic pressure and my own lofty standards for myself despite being a first-timer with no formal training.
On the other hand, if I didn't have a deadline, I probably would have worked on them forever. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.
What were some of your specific goals going into recording Taste, outside of strengthening your knowledge of recording and producing?
When I recorded previous EPs, it was with the hired help of much more experienced producers and engineers. I think I always felt pressured to a). not waste their time, b). save my money, and c). perform perfectly and make my music sound palatable to them. In recording this EP by myself, one goal I had was to let myself go crazy and try not to consider anyone else's tastes. I wanted to just follow every impulse I had and create without fearing how it would be perceived. I think it really shows through. Originally, I was not intending to share the songs publicly, so it was pretty easy for me to allow myself space to do what I felt.
Musically, it's kind of hard for me to articulate my goals. Broadly, I wanted the songs to be dense, dynamic, and textured, and I wanted to reflect the lyrics and themes in the instrumentation. I tried to do this by using a mixture of acoustic, electric, and digital instruments, and using atmospheric samples and "bloopers" picked up by the mic and after my takes.
Were there unexpected things you learned? Any unforeseen challenges?
This project taught me how to know when I need to walk away from something. Earlier in the process, I would work on them all the time and listen to them constantly and that made it really hard to gain any perspective on them. Slowly, I started to give myself more breaks, and this helped so much with my sense of clarity about the project. I even ended up deciding to take an incomplete [grade] on the project and turn it in a month or two after the semester ended so that I could just steer clear of the songs for a month. I think this made me much more excited and inspired when I got back to work. I was not ready to be done when I had to turn them in, but I am glad to be stepping away from them because it gives me space to reflect on what I've learned and what I want to do going forward.
As corny as it is, I also learned a lot about asking for help and using the resources I have available to me. Too late in the process, I connected with the new audio professor at Hamline, Jeff Bailey, who offered simple mixing advice that drastically improved the songs. Next time I work on a project like this, I'll be sending it to anyone and everyone who's willing to listen and offer insight.
I think my biggest challenge, though not necessarily unforeseen, was simply staying on track of my recording process and scheduling effectively. I have never been good at time management or sticking to a routine, so I ended up doing a lot of overlapping recording and mixing, which probably was not the most efficient. Also, learning about all the gear and how to use a DAW (I used Logic because I'm pretty used to GarageBand) was tough, but I think it was beneficial for me to learn about that stuff hands-on.
How did working with Joe and Alex to flesh out the songs differ from doing everything yourself or even working with Caleb for Soak?
I began jamming on my stuff with Joe about a year and a half ago, and Alex a few months after that, both separately. I think in those first few rehearsals with each of them I began to see the drums and guitar solidifying as something I wanted on my music all the time.
Caleb did amazing things for Soak with all the synth and electronic percussion, and I tried to bring some of that vibe to Taste, but I also wanted to bring the sound somewhere closer to rock 'n' roll. I just felt like that was what resonated with the straightforward and raw nature of the songs. I love how the guitar weaves around the vocals and piano. It gives so much color and atmosphere to the songs. The drums were also an amazing addition, kicking up the power and energy and making the songs more cathartic.
Not only did the guitar and drums become integral to the sound of the tracks, but working with Joe and Alex gave me a boost of motivation to keep things on track in the earlier stages of recording. I had committed to getting mixes to them by a certain time and scheduled studio time with Alex — Joe recorded their parts at home. If I had been working entirely alone, it's hard to say how well I would have done in sticking to those earlier deadlines, which set me up to finish in time.
Do you think that you're heading in a more ensemble-driven direction, even as your voice and the piano remain the central focus?
Definitely! I'm not completely done with the more digital vibe that you hear on Soak. I am going to continue to try combining traditional rock/classical instruments with some programmed sounds, but I really feel like classic drums and guitar bring energy to my music that it was missing before. After making this EP and jamming some even newer songs with Alex, I can see the "Kate Malanaphy Live Band" becoming a pillar in my future musical endeavors. Some of my more recent songs get kinda loud and heavy, and I've been writing more on guitar, too. I'm looking forward to being able to get together and work on new stuff with Joe and Alex.
Bonus question: Did you refer to Taste as an appetizer because an entrée (full album) is in the works?
Ding ding ding! I currently have no solid plans for recording and I likely won't make any until I'm done with this semester of school (which will be my last woop woop!), but I have some songs written and many ideas for more that I am very excited about. I'm going to keep plugging away and piling up songs and by this summer, I should be ready to start working on it. I'm not sure whether I will include any of the songs from the EP on the album or yet, but reworked/better versions may also be on the way to streaming platforms soon.
This interview was edited for content and clarity. Listen to or buy "Taste" below.
Comments
Post a Comment