This week, I’d like to take on a new direction (distinct from One Direction); one that examines what music is, what it should mean to us and how it is portrayed in the media.
The mastermind behind this direction is a band that has been focusing on the same sound for years, amidst pressure from the music industry to be a constantly adapting and changing musical voice: Beach House.
Personally, my inspiration for this column came from an article (http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8831-beach-house/ ) on renowned music publication, Pitchfork, available here. While I could spew my own opinions about the role of music in society, I find it far more powerful to listen to musicians directly. Thus, I present to you the most inspirational, genuine quotes from the eloquently-written piece composed by Jenn Pelly.
All quotes should be accredited to singer and keyboardist of Beach House, Victoria Legrant (VL) and instrumentalist Alex Scally (AS).
VL: I hate it when bands change between records. They’re thinking before they make music.
AS: Did anyone ever say, ‘Do we need another album from the Beatles?’ It’s this pathetic era we’re in where people are like, ‘I’m done with them, I need a new sound; I’m a baby, I need something every five minutes.’
VL: As a person who writes lyrics, it’s not always about literal heartbreak, but rather the negative space and the feeling around it. . .How do you take something completely natural, that will eventually transfer to the listener, but not just settle for that instant feeling of ‘you hurt me,’ and go to an imaginary landscape instead?
AS: When we think about someone using our stuff for a big, major-label production, it’s like: ‘Red flag, get away, this could ruin your life.”
AS: All bands are in danger of losing their identity. Constantly. It’s the most dangerous world for bands nowadays because everybody’s branding and trying to steal your vibe as soon as you do anything that anyone cares about.
VL: WHy have such a vocal identity on the internet – which is actually very unemotional and unsympathetic and anonymous – versus live?
VL: When I stop finding things to be fascinating and beautiful, that’s when I’ll stop.
Beach House will release their new album, “Bloom,” on May 15. If their quotes did not deliver the same inspiration they did for myself, perhaps their music will.
Credit to: Pitchfork and Jenn Pelly.
Photo Credit: factmag.com