Blackout: Q&A Terry Malts

• Use 3 words to describe Terry Malts
  Bubblegum Chainsaw Pop - Corey
   
• 'Nobody realizes this is nowhere' was released in 2013. What have you been doing since?
  We released a 7" EP on Slumberland Records since called, "Insides". It's 4 songs, 3 originals and a Chills cover. One of the original songs, "Don't", was featured in the last Enjoi Skateboards video, "Oververt" (Thank you, Zack Wallin!) Otherwise we've just been playing when and where we can. - Phil
   
• Your last two records were both very dark and slightly depressing, was life really that hard on you?
  Yes and no. We all go through ups and downs, right? Sure, at times the weight of things can feel heavier than at others, you know, while you're in the moment. Each song is like a little time capsule, really. I like to think Terry Malts songs convey a good balance of disenchantment and disappointment with a desire to want to have fun and see what can happen next. I mean, we're not planning on killing ourselves or anything but that doesn't mean things can't feel really horrible and overwhelming at times. - Phil
   
• You already announced that your new record will leave that vibe behind, what has changed?
  The new record doesn't necessarily leave those sentiments behind entirely. What's different about it from the last record is there is a return to love themed songs. The first record had its fair share, the second record had none and this one will have a good number. The sound of the songs themselves has definitely opened up to a brighter tone since the last record. We'll admit, that last one was a dark one for sure. We're hoping to shed some more light through the prism with this next one. -Phil
   
• In what way have the songs changed compared to earlier ones? 
  Song themes on the new record have taken on a more personal tone, I'd say. Where as before a lot of the time I'd write from a generally universally accessible stand point, some of the new songs go in more of an introverted direction. After recording and listening back to these songs I realized a lot of this new record deals with depression, to put it simply. Admitting you have a serious issue with depression can feel really heavy, at times impossible. I think it's something that most people experience and choose to glaze over to make life easier for themselves in their mind when in reality it doesn't really go away. It sticks with you and can haunt you and in that respect I think it's healthy to address it, whether it be through conversation, through therapy, or in our case through songs or art. - Phil
   
• In a previous interview you mentioned that this album is actually the first thing you have recorded in an actual studio. Why did you decide to not do it yourself this time? How did you like it?
  When we started the band we wanted to make a point of doing as much as we can ourselves, including recording. And during that time, around 2009-10, there was a big resurgence of DIY recording in the States. It became acceptable to do an entire record in GarageBand and put that out it seemed. We knew lots of people who were just going out and doing it and I found that liberating. I'd always recorded demos for us from time-to-time, so I pooled my knowledge from that into getting a really unique recording for the first two albums. I wanted to use a few mics as possible on the drums to simulate an older, non-digital sound. Essentially what it sounds like when you listen to an old punk band or post-punk band and you can tell that the engineer had zero idea what kind of music the band was playing. It gives it an authentic innocence. Once Phil and I went back to the drawing board for the songwriting process we started to realize that we needed more than one way to operate, both in songwriting and the recording process. So what you'll get on this new album is a kaleidoscopic approach to song forms and recording tones. The studio was essential to capture that concept. And I have to say, we loved working on the project with Monte Vallier engineering and co-producing. It was obviously easier having a tried-and-true engineer at a legitimate studio, but Monte also helped us give each song it's own sonic character. - Corey
   
• You live miles apart, and don't practice that often. Do you think that will have to change when you're gonna play songs from the new records? 
  We've already been playing a lot of the songs from the new record, so no, I don't foresee a need for much change at all. We tend to make time to practice the night before or the day of a show we are playing and that seems to be working out just fine. Just last practice we learned a cover song and then played it live for the first time 2 hours later. I like to think it's a testament to the chemistry we have having played with each other for so many years. That and maintaining a care-free, "it's all live, man" kind of attitude. - Phil
   
• If you were to organise your own festival, what would it be called and what would the line-up be? 
  Hmm, it'd probably be a festival comprised of all of our friends' bands, something not unlike Death Stock, a 2 day festival our friends put on up by the Russian River in rural Guerneville, CA. We camped out and got to spend some quality time with a bunch of people we love in a way that time doesn't always allow to happen. Yeah, something like that. - Phil

I grew up being a big fan of English music and I always equate festivals with English culture. I'd probably put all my favorite UK weirdos on one big bill: Julian Cope, Blur, Bryan Ferry, Incredible String Band, Robyn Hitchcock, Anne Briggs, Vic Godard, David Westlake, Comsat Angels, Durutti Column, Mark Hollis, Klang. It would be called "It's A Weird World". - Corey