From underneath the overcast skies of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle duo NAVVI make slinky electronic music that sounds ideal for the shadows and darkness of the night. Made up of vocalist Kristin Henry and producer Brad Henry, the two have united to create a covey of singles as well as full length album Omni, which they released in 2016.
We spoke with both members about the video game origins of their name, their history, songwriting process and upcoming music.
Hometown/Homebase: Seattle, WA
What inspired your band name? How did you pick it?
Kristin Henry: It was effortless and not something we spent a lot of time on. From what I remember, it happened via text one night when we were just bouncing ideas back and forth. I threw NAVVI out there because I’m a huge Legend of Zelda fan and Navi is, to this date, my favorite fairy companion. I don’t think Brad knew at the time that it was a Zelda reference, but it was compelling enough so we rolled with it.
How did you meet initially? What sparked your collaboration?
Brad Boettger: We met through a mutual friend. We both had aspirations to be in a band that was doing this kind of music. It was something neither of us had done but that we both had a common interest in.
Kristin: We met back in 2013 through a mutual friend. My old band had just fallen apart, so I was actively looking for new artists to collaborate with. The band I had just left leaned more country/folk-rock, so I had every intention of starting over and moving in the opposite direction. A friend told me about a producer I had to meet and that’s how I got connected with Brad.
How would you describe your sound?
Brad: We always shoot for something that feels cinematic to some degree.
Kristin: I typically agree when people describe us as “nocturnal” and “ethereal.”
What's your songwriting process like? How long does it take for a track to come together?
Brad: Sometimes it can take a couple of days to see a song through from beginning to end, and other times it can take a month. It varies. But it's a very collaborative process.
Kristin: Yeah, it really depends. I think "Polychrome" took us less than a week to write and record, while "What Reason Do We Need?" took over a month. We don’t have a process that we adhere to strictly, and we like it that way. It’s collaborative – we're with each other every step of the way. I don’t know my way around Ableton, but I make important decisions alongside Brad on things related to production. Brad is not the vocalist in the group, but he is as much part of the melody and lyric writing as I am. We don’t assign “roles” during the song-writing process. There are no clean lines, and this has worked to our advantage.
What was the process like for recording your album Omni?
Brad: It was comprehensive. We wrote about 20 songs and whittled them down to the 11 on the record. It took about nine months and was as in-depth as any project either of us had ever attempted. It was hard work but worth it in that, because of all the options, we could really shape the type of record we were presenting.
Kristin: I had never been part of writing a full-length before Omni, so I went into it unprepared. It was WORK. We pretty much wrote a double album in the span of nine months. Before this, we were managing about two-three songs at any given moment, so to go from that to having 10+ songs, each at different levels of completion, was overwhelming at times. If it weren't for Brad’s impeccable work ethic and guidance, this album would still be half finished.
What/who do you count as your influences? In what ways?
Brad: I primarily listen to hip-hop, R&B and electronic production styles to get all my musical cues. All eras of synth work from the '60s, '70s and '80s as well as the modern styles of synthesis are what I spend a lot of time considering when writing. I've been listening to a lot of The Internet and D'Angelo recently,. so moving forward you can probably expect a little busier bass lines and a little more swing in the rhythm section.
Kristin: Vocally, I would say Liz Fraser. Might be a predictable choice, but there is no voice as emotive and unique as hers. Her focus on sound rather than meaning has really shaped me in how I write and hear melodies. Growing up, I listened to mainly Top 40 music. I think it's why a good hook is so important to me when I write. As far as general influences, I read a lot of young-adult fantasy so I'm sure that's made it's way into my music in some form or another.
You've gone the self-released route for singles — what are the pros and cons?
Pros: It's lean. You don't have to consider anybody else for a timeline. You go when you want. It feels like a little less stress to some degree.
Cons: The amount of attention your release receives when you collaborate with a label is more robust usually. You can't guarantee it will make an immediate impact with the listening community regardless but it seems even less predictable when you self-release.
What's it like to be a musician in Seattle? How would you describe the scene?
Brad: It's cool. It feels like a small community of diverse, and diversely talented musicians. My favorite thing about it is that Seattle is singularly independent philosophically. That seems to carry over into how most of the musicians out here go about their music. In turn, you feel obligated to step your game up every time you put something new. If you don't, you can expect that it will be drowned out by all the other cool ideas going on in the scene.
Kristin: Being a musician here is dope, especially since we have organizations like KEXP supporting the scene. It's more diverse than anyone outside of Seattle probably thinks. We're not all flannel clad indie-rock bands, obviously. When we play a show here, the bill is hardly ever one genre. The amount of creativity and talent here can be intimidating at times, but I wouldn't have if any other way.
If you could soundtrack any movie, which would it be and why?
Brad: If Jodorowsky ever made his version of Dune, I'd offer my services for free.
Kristin: The Exorcist, mostly out of curiosity at how much we could change the tone of the movie.
What are your goals for this project? What's next?
Kristin: Our goal has stayed the same, and that’s to be the best musicians we can be and to write songs we’re both proud of. We have a batch of new songs we’re working on right now, and we have plans to release something in 2017, whether it's an EP or a full-length. We’re also trying to be better about touring, so maybe you’ll see us in your city soon.
For more profiles on up-and-coming artists, visit our Artist of the Day page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2hbtkla
No comments:
Post a Comment