Last week we exclusively premiered the new album Her Dawn Wardrobe from Brooklyn psych-rockers Sky Picnic. Today we catch up with the band to talk about the record, their music, the origins of their band and much more. Read on:
The journey of Sky Picnic has spanned over quite a few years already and is still going strong, how did the band come together?
Sky Picnic evolved from our last band, the Universal Mind Decoder, who’s claim to fame was opening for a then mostly unknown Vampire Weekend at a college dorm party. We morphed into Sky Picnic when Pete came aboard, although it took us a while to get to the point where it felt like we were really a band; in my mind, it all really began in 2011, just before the release of our first album. Interestingly enough, the old Myspace was what initially brought us all together, granted over the course of a few years.
What drew you into writing and performing psychedelic music over other genres?
Psychedelic rock was always what I gravitated toward, so it was really a natural thing for me. I always loved the experimentation and the sense of adventure that comes along with the genre. From the effect heavy instruments and vocals, to the surreal lyrics and productions that tend to have so many layers, there is always something to discover upon each listen. For instance, take one of my favorites, “Piper At the Gates of Dawn”, which I have listened to hundreds of times. I can put that on tomorrow, and still find something new buried in the mix.
That translated into wanting to create something similar; I suppose at worst, we set about recording something we would want to listen to, and then hope from there others would too.
How was writing and producing Her Dawn Wardrobe different to Paint Me A Dream and other past releases?
We set out to top what we had done before, so a lot of work really went into this one on the creation side before we began recording; countless demos were made and then analyzed, leading to the reworking of arrangements and parts. We are more confident now and have a unified vibe and vision. Knowing each other musically, what we each bring in as players, and predicting where someone else is going to go before they do so is a special bond to have.
When writing, we have learned to allow the songs to breathe by creating space in the music. My mantra for when we started Her Dawn Wardrobe was, ‘don’t focus on what is being played, but instead on what isn’t being played,’ and it really lead to a total change in approach. And stylistically, each of us is growing and branching out, bringing those new influences in to the band, and building on top of our psychedelic rock foundation.
As a producer, I approached this knowing I wanted a more intimate feeling, something warmer and inviting, yet bigger than our past records. We used as much analog gear as possible and recorded as few overdubs as possible to retain a live and raw feel. And we really took our time, which is key, as opposed to calling inferior recordings the master. All told, it took over a year to make the record, but we couldn’t be prouder.
How hard is it to translate ideas for the narrative of a song, and the feelings you ideally would like audiences to experience when listening, into the physical production of the song?
It seems to me that since songs can be interpreted in so many different ways and elicit so many emotions, that I really like for everyone to just draw what they like from our music. That said, there is usually a pervading vibe or feeling on our records. Her Dawn Wardrobe is a pretty dark and melancholic album, but with a sense of hope. It seems that has come across to our listeners of it so far.
Do you think Sky Picnic is better suited to live performances or as a recorded medium? And why?
I would say live performances are probably where our music is better suited, as we hit a whole different level. A few years ago, I might have said recordings, but since the new album is quite under-produced and sparse, we can capture nearly all aspects of it on stage. A record is final, but performances are fluid.
Our shows are relatively energetic (for a psych band anyway) and powerful. We have spent the last few months mastering the “art” of the set list, creating song sequences that ebb and flow, instead of just playing songs haphazardly. And after having recorded the songs and then making slight changes over time, they have evolved into something different. It allows us to really open up on some of the looser material, and gives the audience different nuances with each performance.
Do you have a favourite song on Her Dawn Wardrobe or one that you feel best sums up the sound of Sky Picnic?
It’s still so new that I love the whole album. “June Sunshine” probably stands out as my favorite, as it feels like where we are right now as a band; it takes the sounds of our past and blends it with where I see us headed. My favorite to play live is “Most of a Box of Winter”, as that goes to some interesting places once it is unleashed on stage. Leah and Pete would likely say “Earl Grey”. I really like some of the folkier material that we branched out to, as it is such a departure from what we normally play.
What do you hope to achieve with this album, both for yourselves and your fans?
We are hoping for exposure to a wider audience. This is by far our most accessible album, so it hopefully resonates with more people. Ideally, we’d like to sell out of our pressings of the vinyl, and eventually get a larger record deal that is U.S. based, as thus far, all of our releases have come out in Europe only.
Does the band have a collective goal you hope to achieve in 2015?
Going back to the last question, more exposure and a record deal. We are gearing up to do a small tour along the east coast this spring, which is something we haven’t done much of before, so that’s exciting. And if we can get some high-fives from the fans along the way, that makes it all worthwhile!
——
Listen to Her Dawn Wardrobe HERE. And you can follow the band on Facebook HERE.
