Katie Alice Greer embraces duality each time she will be able to. With the discharge of her debut solo album, Barbarism (out now by way of FourFour Data), the previous Clergymen vocalist units her sweet-sounding voice in opposition to a backdrop of jarring noise, from gunshots to distorted samples. Created throughout the pandemic, Greer used each the fun and the horrifying nature of being alone as a springboard to observe all of her strangest impulses.
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In an interview with AP, Greer delves into the cathartic creation of Barbarism, leaning away from dance music and following the bizarre sounds in her head.
You’ve launched some music by yourself earlier than, however how do you suppose you’ve got grown since your final solo launch?
Effectively, I believe prior to now, once I was releasing stuff below simply my initials, it was numerous my musical impulses and inventive concepts that simply did not slot in my important challenge on the time, which was my band. This launch was the primary time I used to be making a concerted effort to make this my important challenge, if that is smart. So it in all probability shifted the sensibilities of what I used to be placing into it. I believe that the circumstances below which I used to be making this music additionally modified loads. Simply writing and recording it at residence in a distinct state throughout the pandemic.
And the way would you say the method of creating this album was totally different from these you made once you had been in Clergymen?
It is simply so reverse. I stored joking with folks throughout the course of of creating this album that now that I had moved out throughout the nation after which the pandemic hit, and it felt so totally different after being in a band so lengthy. While you’re always on tour, you do not actually have numerous your individual area. I believe in a collaborative, inventive challenge, you possibly can really feel that method, too. Every thing turns into in regards to the shared challenge collectively, and I believe there have been occasions the place perhaps I misplaced contact with simply my very own sense of boundaries, each what I used to be able to and what I wanted to be making my very own work about.
So once I was making this file, I discovered myself always being like, “Wow, I am on their own” and generally saying it in an excited method. Like, “Wow, a lot area to actually dig into all my bizarre impulses and simply observe no matter feels fascinating to me musically within the second”. Then at different occasions, it was like, “Oh, my God, that is horrifying. If I get caught on a music or if I am feeling like I’ve author’s block, there’s no one else I am working with to bounce concepts off of to get some inventive factor of the challenge unstuck.”
Do you suppose the damaging components would possibly’ve been useful in that you simply needed to push your self by way of these moments of inventive stagnation?
Completely. I’ve a good friend who produces numerous information for a residing, and he is at all times mentioned he looks like he works with folks the very best once they have recorded themselves numerous occasions, they usually actually have a robust sense of how they prefer to sound, how they do not prefer to sound and the place one other particular person turns into useful to them. I really feel like that should be actually true now as a result of I do know what my drawback areas are. I do know the place I actually prefer to collaborate with someone else and produce their sensibility in. And it is in all probability as a result of I spent a very long time on this file, and I positively did not abandon ship in durations when it appeared too troublesome to complete. I simply adopted it right through, and I really feel like I realized a lot within the course of.
So how would you describe your sound, and the way do you suppose it’s modified over time?
God, I’ve at all times been so dangerous at describing my very own work. I ought to actually get higher at this. I simply do not actually suppose by way of style once I’m writing stuff, which I do know in all probability sounds so pretentious and unbearable, however I at all times really feel like style is the best way that music is marketed as soon as it is completed or organized in a file assortment. It simply would not make sense to my mind once I’m writing it. I assume if I used to be describing it to someone who knew nothing about what I used to be doing, I might say it is a bit of bit digital with sound collage components, a bit of bit rock ‘n’ roll or pop. I really feel like releases I’ve performed prior to now have been, perhaps in my thoughts, coming extra from dance music references, whereas I really feel like this file, I wasn’t actually drawing on these sensibilities fairly as a lot.
[Photo by Kathryn Vetter Miller]
So what attracts you towards making music that blends so many disparate components?
I believe what attracts me to make music the best way I do, for higher or worse, is that numerous occasions once I sit down to write down one thing, each time it appears like one thing that already exists, I simply really feel like a poser. I simply really feel like I am copying someone else, and I wish to get out of that mindset as a result of to me a part of making music can be conversational. We’re drawn to music that reminds us or sounds a bit of bit like different issues. For those who’re making one thing that simply appears like nothing anybody’s ever heard earlier than, in numerous methods, it is nearly completely unrelatable for folks, you realize? However at the least for this album, I wasn’t actually fascinated by stuff like that. I used to be actually identical to, “What are the bizarre sounds in my head? And the way can I translate them out of me?”
How are you feeling after releasing it?
Having mentioned all that, I do really feel actually good. I used to be nervous that it could make me really feel simply actually uncovered and weak. However I assume as a result of I wasn’t fascinated by any kind of reception to the file in any respect, and I believe I used to be contemplating the likelihood that individuals would simply be like, “Good for you, however that is simply not likely my factor. I do not actually wish to hearken to it.” I simply actually appreciated the response usually. It’s felt very nice and validating, once you make one thing that is so private for you and anyone in any respect listens to it, even when they do not prefer it or adore it. That is wonderful with me. Penning this file was a very cathartic course of, and I’ve a sense the stuff I am making quickly will in all probability simply sound actually totally different as a result of all of us get uninterested in no matter it’s we’re engaged on and wish to do one thing new afterward.
Yeah, you voiced numerous frustrations on the album. Do you suppose since you’ve got gotten these out, the subsequent challenge goes to be fairly totally different?
Yeah, I believe so. I have been watching this docuseries on HBO about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and it is so fascinating. On one of many episodes I used to be watching final night time, Joanne Woodward mentioned that she felt like when you may have a state of affairs in your life that you may’t do something about — I believe she was talking about it with regard to enjoying characters with terminal sicknesses — generally it is actually therapeutic to make artwork work. And that simply actually struck me. Possibly that is what all of us are doing in some methods. When there’s nothing else you are able to do about sure features of actuality, you are simply doing what you wish to train and perhaps really feel your method by way of it and course of your emotions about it by way of what you make. I believe I used to be in a position to do this about numerous stuff with this file.
How do you suppose your work in visible mediums impacts your inventive method to creating music?
I believe coming from a punk DIY background, many occasions doing numerous totally different stuff has simply been a matter of practicality, and in addition I just about attempt to do all the pieces that appears enjoyable to me. So, I do not know if it actually informs my inventive course of essentially, nevertheless it in all probability does sound-wise as a result of I really feel like when you’re working in a distinct medium, you possibly can’t assist however take into consideration that medium. Later, as soon as I began directing movies, I believe once I would sit again down to write down songs, I might get extra visible concepts in my thoughts of how the music was sounding. That is additionally in all probability partially as a result of I do not learn music, so it is simpler for me to see pictures and to attempt to make sounds for them and to consider music notes.
