One might argue that it doesn’t matter:

There are a number of strong indicators that the sound quality and production quality of a project are fairly insignificant.  The early sound of MP3 was frankly pretty terrible, but the convenience factor was a worthwhile trade off,  and the format was widely and quickly accepted and allowed to revolutionize the industry.   In the early days of the internet a number of bands found success and exposure online through posting mediocre and even low quality tracks.    “Bootleg” recordings of live shows continue to remain very popular, in spite of the poor quality of most of the recordings.   The hum, hiss, buzz, crackle, and pop of vinyl records do not deter large numbers of the population from continuing to not only seek out old recordings, but to also still release new material on vinyl.

Teenagers are used to listening to music on their phones, laptops, and through earbuds – generally with compromised sound quality and weak bass.  These same teens then listen to music in their cars and on their home stereo where the bass is so overwhelming that the music is muddy, and the high end so cranked that it can become shrill and fatiguing.  Get those same teens in the car listening to a “hot” song and it probably doesn’t even matter if the radio signal is breaking up and going in and out of mono.  YouTube has given us an endless supply of often low quality audio and video material, yet from that mess of mediocrity, “viral” hits grab our attention and get thousands, even millions of views.

Much of the popular music in recent years is unnaturally compressed, and distortion and clipping of vocals, drums, and other elements of the music is actually considered cool as opposed to being a bad thing.    Last but not least, isn’t it the content and performance of the song that matters most?

Yes, I think it is safe to say that there is a strong argument that sound quality and overall production quality simply aren’t as important as they once were.

One the other hand, maybe it DOES matter:

Over the course of modern music production, there has been a never-ending pursuit of “better” quality.  Vinyl gave way to tape, and analog gave way to digital.  Mono gave way to stereo, and  surround sound has taken music to levels of realism never before imagined.  FM surpassed AM in the radio music markets and we now have options for HD and Satellite radio.   While the early MP3 quality was not that great, the technology has moved at a frantic pace to keep up with the ever increasing demand and expectations for compact and convenient quality.   We have a lust for technology, and an insatiable desire for realistic and hyper-realistic media.   More and more, audio is being bundled with embedded video and graphics –always pushing the limits of production quality.

Much more than in times past, songs are listened to in “shuffle” mode more than as part of a complete album.  When songs are listened to in shuffle mode, the local band that you listen to at the club on Friday nights is suddenly sandwiched in between artists who are working with the most gifted producers and engineers on the planet.   The volume-balancing offered on many MP3 players can’t begin to level the playing field.

Yes, the content and performance of a song are critical, but it takes a very special song or performance to stand proudly in spite of poor quality sound and production.

A purpose for both:

Both high and low quality productions have a place and fill a need.  I contend that good sound quality and high quality productions will help get you noticed by fans, record labels, booking agents , and promoters.  This is especially true when trying to elevate your act beyond the typical “local” music scene.   Many record labels will tell you point blank that your “demo” must be able to hold its own against commercial, major label tracks, or they won’t even listen past the first few seconds.   A good production can also attract new fans.  Numerous successful bands have seen their fan base explode when they stepped up their production quality.   Fans enjoy being rewarded with a great sounding album.

With all of the good that comes from taking the time to invest in getting a great sound, and a great overall production, there is also a great risk – that of overproducing.   If you are a gigging artist, remember that you need to be able to pull off a credible live rendition of your studio masterpiece.  While your studio album might sound amazing, your fans may be grossly disappointed when they hear you live.   When fans are disappointed, word gets around.   You need to find the right balance.  That may mean not getting carried away in the studio, or it may mean adding to your band or live production.   Keep in mind the genre also – the production for a punk band should be much different than that of a pop artist.  The punk band should sound a little more raw and in your face, and should come off easily in a live show. The pop artist should sound more polished and produced, and that may mean it’s appropriate for sequenced tracks and effects to be incorporated into the live show.

Lower quality productions are very useful in different ways.  Keeping your hungry fans “feed” between albums and tours is important.  Giving your fans access to recordings of band rehearsals and live shows is a great way to include the fans in the life of the band.  Acoustic versions of songs are widely liked, and are a great way to sell the same song twice, or simply reward loyal fans.  Try releasing copies of tracks that didn’t make the final cut for the album.  Give your fans a close –up view of the production of one song on your album by sharing the song at various stages of production.  For example – the original draft of the song idea, early rehearsals with the band, initial recordings in the studio, and alternate mixes.  All of this leading up to a final, high quality release.   Using sites like YouTube makes it easy to reward your existing fans and attract new ones.   With minimal effort and expense, you can be releasing a steady stream of content to keep your fans engaged and immersed.

In closing, just a reminder to know who your listeners are and what they want.  You don’t need a high definition surround sound mix to get booked at a small local dive.  You don’t want to blow your best shot at a significant recording or distribution deal by going in with a poor quality production.  Know your listener, and give them what they want!

I’ll be releasing several more articles on sound production, with tips on how to get the best production possible.  Watch for my next installment that will show you that to get the best end results you have to start at the source.

Matt Mylroie enjoys writing, producing, recording, and performing. You can find him online at http://recordingpro.blogspot.com or http://facebook.com/1recordingpro

By listening to your CD, I can tell that you have a passion for music. Where does this passion come from?
A: Music runs in my family. My grandfather (on my mother’s side) played piano, clarinet, banjo, violin and probably more instruments that I am not aware of. He had a small dance band in Provo, Utah and would play for all the local dances. He died before I was born, but I wanted to play the violin because he did… I guess it was my way of connecting to him. My great-grandfather on my father’s side joined the church in New Zealand… and at the time he was conductor of the local orchestra. He also had a wonderful voice and later when he served a mission, he would sing solos all the time. I have a lot of cousins who are musical as well, so it must be something in the genes!

As I child, I started playing the piano at age 6 and violin at age 8. My mother tells me that whenever I heard music of any kind, that I would start swaying of moving to the music. As I grew, I added the viola, guitar and organ to my list of instruments. In High School, I was asked by the orchestra teacher to help her teach the grade school Suzuki classes… which is where I learned that I loved to teach. I have been teaching both violin and piano ever since then.

I loved playing in our High School Orchestra (Pendleton, Oregon) and also the neighboring Walla Walla (Washington) Symphony. I gained a love and appreciate for all the great Classical music from that experience. While I was in High School and College I also played guitar and old time fiddle in a bluegrass band, which was a lot of fun. I had a high school music teacher that taught us 2 years of college music theory, which is where I started to compose… and discovered that I loved it! He exposed us to all different styles of music; jazz, baroque, blues, country, contemporary, classical, etc, and required us to try our hand at composing in all those different styles. I also learned the value of a good teacher, and felt that I wanted to have that same type of impact on my students.

I have to tell you, I have really enjoyed your CD At The End of The Day. There are quite a few collaborations on this CD. Tell me what it was like to work with these various artists.
A: If I had to put it in one word, it would be “incredible”. As a musician, you have an idea of what you think your song should sound like, but then after you listen to what another artists feels, it opens up whole new possibilities. Paul Speer co-produced this album, and I learned so much from him… he became a good friend in the process. I wanted Paul to play guitar on several of the tracks, and his vision of what the music could sound like was invaluable. The song that turned out completely different than what I had imagined, was “Where Eagles Soar.” The piano solo by itself, is just this ethereal new age type of sound, but when you add the guitar, drums, bass, synthesizer and percussion, as Paul said “it really rocks!”

Nancy Rumbel who plays oboe and English Horn, was a delight! She has such a sense of humor and is one of the most creative people that I know besides being a Grammy winner. It was amazing to watch she and Richard Warner ( flute and soprano saxophone) improvise and rework something until we came up with something that was incredible. They were so concerned that I was happy with everything they did, and were so willing to re-record something if I wasn’t 100% okay with it. It was a fantastic learning experience watching how they go about their craft.

What can I say about Steve Hill (drums) and Douglas Barnett (bass guitar)? They are some of the best in the business, and I feel very very fortunate to have been able to work with them. And Matthew Burgess on percussion was the final touch… like frosting on the cake… (he also kept us laughing in the studio the entire time.) All of these musicians lived in the Seattle area at the time, and Paul Speer knew all of them, so their musical contributions were well worth it.

I don’t have to be “the soloist.” I am very happy to let other artists take the spotlight… I guess that is because I have played in either an orchestra, a bluegrass band, a piano trio or some kind of string ensemble so I am quite happy being part of a group. I feel that when you are involved in collaborations like this album was, it can only improve the quality of the final product.

Speaking of At The End of the Day, I personally put it to the test when I took it to work and played it throughout the day (my job can be quite stressful). I found that I was honestly more relaxed and handled stress more efficiently while listening! Was this your vision for this project?
A: This album came about quite differently than my latest album The Lullaby Album, which was originally conceived as a soothing album for bedtime for both children and adults. At the End of the Day is a collection of songs that I have written over several years, and finally got to the point of recording them. I gave Paul Speer ( a Grammy nominated guitarist and producer) a “scratch recording” of about 16 or 17 songs, and then had him pick the ones he thought would work the best. He chose about 6 songs and wanted me to choose the rest. They are all quite different, but I think there is an overall feeling to my compositions of being fairly laid-back and relaxing. I usually don’t compose intense or dramatic music unless it is being using for a specific purpose. We finally chose the title At the End of the Day after my husband took the photo on the front cover… sunset over the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

I think that a personal favorite of mine is the song “Where Eagles Soar.” Growing up close to a lake in Kentucky, I have watched bald eagles fly numerous times and felt extremely close to our Creator and nature alike. I can literally close my eyes and see them flying. I know this might be hard to explain, but what is your writing process? How can you create such imagery in your music?
A: I started “painting pictures” with music while I was still in junior high school. I was hired to accompany a dance class, and the teacher taught by improvisation… so I had to be just as creative. She would tell her students to be a thunder cloud, so I had to improvise music that sounded like a thunder cloud… or a bouncing rabbit, or a floating balloon and so forth. It forced me to think quickly and make emotions or feelings come to life with the sound of the piano. It was a wonderful experience.

When I wrote “Where Eagles Soar”, it was during a winter wind storm here on Camano Island, where I live. We have about 300 eagles that live full time on the island, so seeing them is pretty much an everyday occurrence… but I NEVER take it for granted… they are incredible to watch. This particular day, a family of three eagles were playing on the wind currents in a field close to our house. Branches were breaking off trees because of the strength of the wind (probably close to 50 mph) but the eagles were just soaring in circles… thoroughly enjoying the wind. The piano’s beginning ostinato is what I wrote for the eagles playful circling, but the piano’s heavy bass note crashes were the depictions of the branches crashing all around and the strength of the wind.

Through all of this however, there has to be a strong melody. I think that is where I am different from a lot of other “New Age” composers… I don’t write music that rambles around and just doesn’t go anywhere… I love a great melody, and feel that melody is what will pull a listener in to the audio landscape that I am trying to create. If I were to categorize my music, I would say it was “Contemporary Instrumental”.

To quote you: “Nothing can compare to touching someone’s heart with music.” Do you think you accomplish this? Why or why not? If so, How?
A: Music affects people in different ways, as well as different styles of music appeal to different people. I believe that most people want to make a difference in the world around them, for the better. I am no different. I’m sure that not everyone will find my music to their taste, but that is okay… I write what “feels right” to me, and in doing so, if that music touches someones life, then it is worth it. I feel that to connect with someone on an emotional level through music, is to connect with their very soul… much more than words alone can do. Music has the power to change our lives for the better or for the worse, which is why it is so important for us to listen to edifying and uplifting music. I conducted an experiment with a class that I was teaching one time; I played 6 or 7 clips of different styles of music, and then had the class members write down their feelings as they listened it each of the clips. The music clips ranged from hard rock to light classical and everything in-between. It was an eye-opening experience for the class members to realize how the different styles of music affected their emotions.

When I write music, I feel that a strong melody is one of the most important elements in a piece. If a person will leave the experience humming the melody, then I know that I have accomplished what I have set out to do in touching someone’s emotions.

I have been a stake music chairman three different times, and have been the director of many major productions in the Church because of that calling. In each of these programs, I have chosen music that the listener will find uplifting and enjoyable as well as entertaining. There is a lot of music available to church musicians, some of it wonderful and some of it not so wonderful. If it is a boring piece and doesn’t stir emotional feelings, then I will usually pass it by. My grandfather taught me: “Be the task great or small, do it well or not at all”. I try to approach each assignment with this same type of attitude, and by so doing, have created some memorable music within my stake. Creating music that touches someones heart, takes effort, practice at the art and craft of music, enlisting the talents of other musicians, patience and being able to feel the emotion in the music yourself. It is a very rewarding experience, and I would be so ungrateful to my Father in Heaven if I didn’t try to magnify the gifts that he has so graciously blessed me with.

In your personal life, you have a very artistic family! Everyone from your photographer husband to your musical daughter. Your recent project The Lullaby Album was done with Jennifer Thomas, not only your daughter, but a talented musician as well! Tell me how it was to work with your daughter on such a tender and sweet album.
A: I think all parents should have some kind of major project that they are able to work with one of their children on… you both gain a greater respect for each other’s talents and abilities. I think that Jenni thought she was going to have to talk me into doing the project, but as soon as she outlined what she wanted to do, I didn’t have to think about it at all……I jumped in with both feet. Jenni and I have strengths in different areas, and so doing The Lullaby Album together was a perfect opportunity for us to “push” each other… you don’t feel like you are all by yourself and so you will be a little more courageous than it might be otherwise.

The Lullaby Album started out as a very simple project; solo piano only for digital download only. However, it ended up as a double CD, one fully orchestrated. That was my fault. Jenni just wanted to do a very simple album, so it wouldn’t require lots of time, money and effort. But as I was working on one song, I could just hear in my head the string section of an orchestra and so I wanted to add it in and not keep it just as solo piano. I had to do some fast talking, but eventually convinced Jenni that it would make a better album and would appeal to a wider listening audience if we orchestrated it. We are so glad that we recorded it both as solo piano and piano with orchestra… it opens the floodgates of emotional possibilities that way.

I still teach violin and piano, which I have been doing since I was in high school, and have taught all of my children either violin or cello along with piano. Jenni and I both love playing in an orchestra, and we love the depth of sound and passion that can be heard.

Being LDS, does your faith influence your music?
A: Of course, being LDS has a great influence on music that I write. In fact, a good deal of my compositions have been church related in one way or another. I remember in a high school composition class, using a passage from the Doctrine and Covenants as a text.

Many years ago, when President Ezra Taft Benson asked for LDS artists and musicians to focus their artwork on The Book of Mormon, I felt like he was speaking directly to me that day. Another member of my stake, Jack. R. Jenkins who is a writer, felt the same thing. We collaborated on a 3 Act stage play called “Abinadi”, which portrayed the life of the prophet and his family. I wrote 11 songs for that play, including the orchestration, within three months. The play was performed extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest and has been extremely well received. It has been a great missionary tool. I believe it is available through Encore Productions, in Orem, Utah.

Two of the songs on my album At the End of the Day were written for LDS events… “In My Fondest Dream” from the play “Abinadi”, and “Anchor in the Storm” for a stake relief society women’s conference. Although the lyrics are not on the album, both songs were originally written with lyrics.

In the thirteenth Article of Faith it states: “if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” I feel that the music I write fits into that category. There is so much in the world today that is discouraging, down-heartening or depressing, that I want to create things are uplifting, beautiful and inspiring to others. I don’t always succeed, but usually if I myself can feel an emotional pull in what I write, then others most likely will as well.

Have you found that your music has helped you grow spiritually?
A: Music can literally speak to the soul. I think we can learn things faster and more complete with music. Music can also cross language and cultural barriers, where sometimes words can be a stumbling block or be misunderstood or misinterpreted. I love the hymns of the church. How many times have you listened to the prelude music at church, and the words of the hymn will come into your mind? For example, last week as I was playing the organ prelude for Sacrament Meeting, I started playing “Count Your Blessings”… for me, it was an answer to prayer. I had been worried about specific things in my life and how I was going to handle them. Then as I started to play this hymn, the words came to my mind and it was like a floodgate opened from the Holy Ghost, giving me the comfort and knowledge that I had been seeking. Music can help facilitate teaching us things of the Spirit. I’m sure that there will be lots of music in heaven, as evidenced from the music in the scriptures. Our Heavenly Father, who is the Master Teacher, would certainly tap into this tremendous learning tool.

From your pictures on your website, it looks as though you have grown up being musically talented on various instruments. :) Do you prefer the piano?
A: I enjoy playing the piano, because I don’t need anyone else to make music… I can do it all by myself. But it would be extremely hard for me to say which instrument I prefer over another. I love playing the violin and viola. I don’t play guitar much any more, but I thoroughly enjoyed that as well. I enjoy just about all types and genres of music, from classical and jazz, to bluegrass and contemporary. Different instruments allow me to play with all of those styles. However, when I compose, I do it with the piano. At the present time I am working on a Christmas album… piano with orchestration… hopefully finished in 2011.

Is there a reason in particular why you have chosen to focus on instrumental music?
A: I’ve only recorded instrumental music, but probably 70% of the music I have written, has lyrics. Personally, I prefer listening to instrumental music… it is more relaxing. If there are lyrics, I start listening to them! In the future I might add a song or two on an album that will have lyrics… just depends on the song and the album. If the music doesn’t have lyrics, the listener can put their own “lyrics” to it, or their own ponderings… it isn’t confined to just one subject that way.

When listening to your music, I feel like I could hear your music on the big screen! What are your long-term goals when it comes to your music?
A: I would love to hear some of my music in a movie! Depending on the storyline of the movie, I think that there are songs from both At the End of the Day and The Lullaby Album that would lend themselves very nicely to film (“Sideways”, “Where Eagles Soar”, “Silver Lining”, “Unseen Angel”, “Dream Weaver”, “In the Wake of the Storm” are some that I feel evoke pictures in the mind and would be perfect for film). I would like to license songs that I have already written. I don’t want to be a composer for film scores however… I have too many other things that keep me busy in my life, i.e. family, church, my husband (who is the Stake President right now) grandkids, photography. My long-term goals are to keep writing and recording beautiful music that others find uplifting and edifying and that can help people visual their own personal “cinematic big screen” in their minds. If one day, some of that music has the privilege of being licensed for a movie, all the better.

I know that if Linescratchers listeners want to learn more about you, they can go to your website at www.carolynsouthworth.com. Where else can they access your music? Do you have any tour dates coming up?
A: My music is available in all the normal places to buy and listen to music; Amazon, iTunes ( and all other digital outlets) CDBaby, Pandora, KZION, You Tube, Last FM, etc. At the present time, I don’t have any plans for concert tours….that just doesn’t fit my life right now. My daughter Jennifer Thomas and I, will probably be doing some intimate “Klassy Kids Koncerts” for moms and their children, which will feature music from “The Lullaby Album.” (she just had her second child, so it won’t be right away.) These small venue concerts would most likely be in the Pacific Northwest, (Washington, Oregon and Idaho) and possibly Utah.

I also have sheet music available on my website for those who are interested in playing some of my music for themselves.

Check out Carolyn Southworth on iTunes!

Linescratchers welcomes our newest blogger, Matt Mylroie, who is a jack of all trades including recording, engineering, songwriting, producing, and guitar.  He studied music at Utah State University and currently lives in Florida.

I suspect all of us have had big dreams about the role of music in our lives. However, for many of us, those dreams may seem out of reach. Challenges and obstacles can seem abundant and overwhelming. Do any of these sound familiar?

• I live in an area with no music scene
• I don’t have enough time to develop my talents, play out, record, or promote myself. My job, family, and church callings take all of my time
• Music doesn’t pay the bills
• I’m too old – my opportunity to “make it” has passed me by
• I’m not good enough to be successful
• I can’t afford to record and don’t have the equipment I need to do it myself

With 4 kids, a demanding job, and a busy calling at church, I know I personally feel I have plenty of excuses. As “real” as these challenges are – these are all still just excuses that are often used as a cover for our own insecurities, poor time management, and ineffective goal setting.

So, is there no music scene in your area, or are you just not in-tune with it? If there really is little to nothing there, then congrats – you can be a pioneer in your area. Helping create a music scene will elevate you and your music to the forefront of that scene, and will unlock the doors to countless opportunities. Regardless of where you are, you can put the power of the internet to work for you. The days of being confined to your own area unless you tour extensively are long gone, and the internet opens up a worldwide audience for you. You may not become an internet sensation overnight, but with a little thought and care, you are almost certain to begin attracting the attention of future fans, collaborators, and supporters.

People complain about time, but we all have the same amount. Would it be worth going with 1 hour less sleep a day if that is what it took to make your dreams come true? How many hours do you spend watching others pursue their dreams on reality TV, instead of using that time to pursue your own? With access to cheap technology, you can create, collaborate, and promote yourself in your spare time in the comfort of your own home. Find ways to use your talents at home, church, and work. As you do you will strengthen your talents, increase your confidence, and find new doors opened.

True, music may not pay the bills for everyone. You need to determine how you measure your success and if music is a full-time or part-time pursuit for you. Are you only going to be happy when you have a platinum album and a sold out tour under your belt, or are you happy to be able to spend a couple of weekends a month writing, performing, and recording in your spare time? If you want to drop your day job, branch out while you get your start – teaching lessons can be very lucrative, as well as open up opportunities to create new fans, find collaborators, and dig up other opportunities. Start a separate band that does covers to fill in between gigs with your original band. Use your home studio to take on small projects to help make that gear pay for itself and fund your own projects. The key is to make sure you are always busy working on something. Don’t blindly turn down jobs or gigs that don’t pay well – building a network of fans and associates needs to be your goal, and that may mean playing for free, giving your music away, and collaborating on projects with minimal immediate reward. With that said, be cautious about investing too much of your own time and money into something or someone without fully understanding what you are doing and who you are working with – there are a lot of snake oil salesmen waiting to cash in on you, and also a lot of people that may have good intentions but will ultimately be a waste of your time. Maybe music CAN pay the bills, but you might have to slash your budget, tighten your belt, and branch out to make it happen.

Age is no excuse. True, being a teen or 20-something is where we see the most new pop/rock artists, but Country and Christian music markets are very accepting of older ages. If you are a solo artist or the “frontman” you may find age a bigger challenge, but with talent and hard work, you can still be successful. If you are a supporting member of a band and not directly in the spotlight, age is a terrible excuse. Use your age to your advantage – an older person may have a lot more life experience to draw upon when writing and performing than someone younger. These life experiences can translate to more powerful performances and songs that make a deeper connection with the listener. Leverage those life experiences to your benefit.

We beat ourselves up a lot. Perhaps you really don’t have a great voice. What a great excuse to pass up on opportunities so that we can protect ourselves from criticism. Seriously – do you think Bob Dylan has a great voice? That didn’t slow him down at all. He wrote great songs that were within his range and leveraged his songwriting to compensate for his vocal weakness. There are a countless number of artists, both past and current, who aren’t very talented vocally. Go for it. Work within your range, and let the emotion and content of your music pull you through. With that said, it may also be time to have a reality check – not everyone can be a star. These same principles apply no matter the instrument. You may find that you can be more successful by collaborating with others and using your talents in a different way. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.

I could write countless articles on how flawed it is to complain that you can’t afford to record in a studio, or that your project studio equipment isn’t good enough. Some people have access to great gear, but don’t know how to use it properly. Others have access to only the cheapest of gear, and are able to create amazing recordings. If you have great gear, you may still need to put aside your ego and focus on being an artist and let someone else be the engineer. If you don’t have gear, invest in a basic computer based setup, or find someone locally who is reasonable. If money is tight, the cost of either could be likely offset by making a few small sacrifices.

Whether you want this to be a career or a serious hobby, if you want to progress you need to make sure you have some business sense to counter your creative and emotional strengths. Write out your goals. Make a plan to work towards those goals and then review and update them as needed. Evaluate the seriousness of each of your excuses and determine how to counter them. Whether you are just now starting down the path, or well on your way, the best thing you can do is put aside the excuses, and just do it – one step at a time.

Matt Mylroie enjoys writing, producing, recording, and performing. You can find him online at http://recordingpro.blogspot.com or http://facebook.com/1recordingpro

Your MySpace page mentions that you’re about to go on tour through New York City and England. Tell us about that tour and who you’ll be touring with.
A: I’ve got 9 days or so with the band Women, 7 of which are in the UK. Really exciting because they’re honestly one of my favorite new bands. It’s my first time touring overseas in any band, I can’t wait. Also just signed a deal with a UK label that’s putting out my album in 2011 worldwide (minus N. America), so they’re doing a PR campaign… it’s very exciting.

Your previous band, bedtime, met with quite a bit of underground success, but it seems the band has been inactive lately. Did you break up or are you just taking a break?
A: Hard to tell, we haven’t practiced in almost a year. Our last show was September last year. I just stopped calling practice and focused on Idiot Glee. I don’t know what they consider us, but I say we’re on an indefinite hiatus.

So Idiot Glee is just a solo project or do you have a band with you?
A: Solo project. I have had a band back me up a few times (Tiny Fights). Not sure what way it’ll go in the future, but solo for now.

Idiot Glee, like bedtime, has a very strong experimental feel with seemingly few predecessors. What influenced your sound?
A: Beach Boys albums Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile, Arthur Russell, Brian Eno… and some modern stuff like Bradford Cox’s bands, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Probably mostly the local scene, though. Tiny Fights, Three Legged Race, ATTEMPT, anything associated with RESONANT HOLE (resonanthole.com).

How did you get started with music when you were younger?
A: My older brother took piano lessons, so I followed. My dad introduced us to Yes, the Beatles, Genesis, David Bowie all pretty young… great dad. Haha…

In a previous interview, you ended up defending the Mormon Church from an interviewer who didn’t seem to know much about it, even though you say you rarely go anymore. Do you find yourself in that position often?
A: Hmm. Yes. People 90% of the time don’t know a thing about the Church and come with these ideas they got from a friend, or read on the Internet, or misinterpreted from the show Big Love, which I like… run on sentence, sorry. It’s not so bad. Just a little annoying sometimes when they don’t believe me, like I’m lying to them.

Does your faith influence the music you write? Do you ever explore religious themes in your lyrics?
A: Not too much. There were some bedtime songs where I talked about, very cryptically, the Holy Spirit, God in general. Thinking about Idiot Glee songs… not too much. In an early song I simply stated “Is this what I should be doing?” because sometimes I question my obsession with music, and lack of obsession with God.

Do you ever see yourself going to Church again in the future?
A: I think about it occasionally. I’d like to visit a singles ward here in Lexington sometime. I tried once my Freshman year and ended up going to a family ward, got kind of scared, never went back. I like the thought of raising my kid Mormon, or at least in a very Mormon way… so we’ll just have to see :-)

Where can interested readers hear more Idiot Glee?
A: http://www.myspace.com/idiotglee or http://idiotglee.tumblr.com

Silver City, NM – Canoe
Fox in the Hole – Good Morning Passenger
Fill – Pilot
The Workshop featuring Thomas Hatton
Down For You – Young Sim
Once in a Lifetime – Carolyn Southworth

Special thanks to Thomas Hatton for appearing on this podcast

We’re more than carbon and chemicals
We are the image of the invisible
Free will is ours and we can’t let go
We are the image of the invisible

We all were lost now we are found
No one can stop us or slow us down
We all are named and we are known
We know that we’ll never walk alone

Though all the world may hate us, we are named
Though shadow over take us, we are known

Raise up the banner, bend back your bows
Remove the cancer, take back your souls

There is more to the song but you get the basic theme and message.  During the performance, I had an interesting feeling come over me and my mind was turned to something I hold near and dear, my testimony.  I was surprised because I was listening to Thrice, which by no means is your typical Sunday music, and the words were not delivered delicately but rather in a chest pounding anthem chanted by both band and crowd.

Religious music has always been something powerful to me but I defiantly have my own taste.  As a missionary, even though my mission presidents allowed other music I really only listened to mo-tab or an arrangement I came across of piano and violin.  There was a common theme though, hymns.  Contemporary religious music has never really done it for me when they have really moved others (Mindy Gledhill might be the exception but it may be because she is one of the nicest people ever).  Music praising God with a rock guitar riff or flowery vocals fills straight off the Billboard charts seems kind of weird to me.  Makes me think of a Simpons’ episode that said something to the effect that by simply replacing “baby” with a word referencing God turns a song from pop to religious.

I think there is a big difference between a religious song and song written by someone that is religious.  For instance, Image of the Invisible never directly addresses a deity, though the phrase comes from Colossians 1:15.  If you know what he is talking about, the song’s meaning is all that much more but if you don’t, it is still a good song with ideas that seem to have universal appeal.  Religious music doesn’t even necessarily need to be written by a religious person.  Likewise, religious people don’t have to write religious music, though belief can and does permeate their concepts and lyrics.

I guess when it comes down to it, faith when conveyed through an indirect manner has a special sort of sincerity, almost as though it happened naturally.  A lot of religious music that I have heard hide nothing and thus leave little to be discovered.  Now I mean no offense to anyone, once a song takes hold in your heart it becomes much more than sound waves and just like taste buds, our ears are all unique and distinct.  We all interpret differently which makes the wonderful idea of “variety” possible.  I have just found that I like the nuance, the subtly that comes from a “religious song writer” rather than a “religious song”.  The song takes me on a journey and if I like where I end up then the song usually stays with me.

I testify that we really are named and known.

Jake

PS- Image of the Invisible has an amazing music video (which can be seen here).

Recommended Tracks: “One at a Time”, “Pew Pew”, “Broken Broca’s”

A few years ago, the radio show This American Life broadcast a story on two researchers who tried to create the most wanted and most unwanted songs possible.  The researchers surveyed over 500 people, asking questions about types of instruments, vocal styles, length of song, tempos, and styles of music, among other things.  The data was compiled, and the researchers tried to create a song that would appeal to the most amount of people, and one that would appeal to the least amount of people.  The most wanted song is approximately 5 minutes long, features moderate tempo and pitch range, and includes a female voice singing in rock/r&b style.  The most unwanted song is over 25 minutes long, features wild volume and tempo changes, and includes accordion, bagpipe, banjo, flute, harp, organ, and synthesizer (which, interestingly enough, was the only instrument that appears in both the most wanted and unwanted songs).  Also, an opera singer raps, and a children’s choir sings advertising jingles and holiday music.  The irony of the story is that a large chunk of listeners end up being bored by the most wanted song, but thoroughly enjoy the most unwanted song.

I bring this up because the title track to Armorie’s album Pew Pew seems like it could easily have been the result of the poll for most unwanted song.  Synth, drum machine, little children chanting the words “pew pew” (which, the band explains, is the sound children make when trying to sounds like lazers), and a harmonica solo.  The mix does not sound like a recipe for success, but the result is a fun, infectious, interesting song that will make you smile.

The rest of the album is full of mellow, ’90s style indie pop.  Lots of synth, drum machine, jangly guitars, and half singing-half-rapping-talk singing.  However, the highlight of the album is the song you think you’ll like the least.

Click HERE for the entire Pew Pew album

Click HERE for Armorie on MySpace

Pew Pew:  B- (82/100)