We mentioned the story of Eric & Magill and their recording process in our review of their fantastic new album Night Singers, and they were kind enough to answer a few of our questions to further explain how albums can be made from across continents.
The album is one of collaboration between yourself and many others from around the globe. How exactly does this process work? Did you have a plethora of material which you shaped into the record that was released, or did everyone do something specific that was initially planned?
So far the way it has worked is that Eric and I begin a song, chords and words etc. Then as tracks come back from people the song starts to evolve, which kind of indicates how we eventually arrange and re-arrange the tracks. It is a process, sometimes times a song takes an unexpected turn as we receive tracks back from people. Often there is a stand out part that we get that we need to accentuate or use for a transition or something. Every time we get tracks from people it is kind of like opening a Christmas present.
I’m not sure where you are in Kenya and what the situation is like with regards to living conditions etc. but do you find it difficult to carry on the musical projects in an environment so different from what we are used to? I spent a few weeks in some remote areas of Kenya and found the complicated stuff receded and I essentially looked forward to eating simple meals and sleeping (in a sweaty tent). Was it a struggle to remain creative in such a different environment?
I lived in a very simple house and had a very bare bones studio set up. Mic. Laptop. Headphones Acoustic Guitar. Voice. But really at the core of any song or recording are these things whether in remote Kenya, or Wisconsin or Armenia or wherever I make recordings are these same ingredients. As I write, I’m in Laos in a hotel room, and as I’ve been traveling I’ve been trying to write and record a future stripped down record that will just be me in these environments and I think each new environment adds something to the sound, or the vibe to the recording and soul of the song.
The answer to this may be similar to what you have just said but did being in Kenya shape the record into something it would otherwise have never been? I guess what I’m asking here is if you make music because of your location/situation/life or in spite of it, is it intended as a picture of your experiences or an escape from them?
I think for me what I tend to write about is a reflection of my experiences, at least lyrically. I get inspired musically often from travel, but since we collaborate with so many folks I think their contributions add their own feel to the songs making them a bit more universal sounding.
Are there any specific tales from your travels that inspired a certain song?
The song Psycho is about a feud I had with a pastor from a church that was next to my compound in Kenya. The Pastor had a huge PA set up that he would blast the Beauty and Beast soundtrack or instrumentals from the movie Top Gun for the entire village to hear at 5 AM every Sunday. Very odd, funny at first, but it slowly drove me insane after enduring months and months of this. Everyone in the neighborhood felt powerless to confront this guy, or they had just accepted this. On three occasions I walked over to the church in my pajamas to find this guy sitting in the dark alone blasting this maddening music that shook the walls of my cottage. We’d have words, but he never turned the music down or start later in the morning. On the final time I went over to confront this man I found myself in my pajamas in a shouting match with a priest in Swahili as the sun is just rising. After the fight I took my stereo from my house outside and played Led Zepplin’s ‘House of the Holy’ as loud as it could go. Upon greater reflection I wondered who was likely perceived to be crazier, me or this priest. The song is about how we all act like Psychos to other people we’re in a fight with or something, but it was inspired by this.
Which bands would you cite as major influences?
I don’t think I can listen to any band and not get inspired about something they are doing. Even bands I hate, I can listen and find something I like or find inspiring.
Do other mediums play a role in your musical writing? Are there any writers, artists etc. that you feel make up some of Eric & Magill’s sound?
On the last record there was actually a bit of homage to Jean Luc Goddard who is one of my favorite directors / writers. I think possibly some cinema verte ideas might have entered into my music. Sometimes I like leaving in microphone bumps or talking between takes, things like that, but more generally I somehow relate to some of the attitude and mood to his movies. This is just one that comes to mind though from our Night Singers.
Finally, could you name 4-5 artists that you are into right now? Old or new, tiny or HUGE, anything you find yourself listening to repeatedly.
Honestly I peruse soundcloud or bandcamp or lastfm or whatever a lot looking for new music and possible new people to collaborate with, but there is so much it’s hard to think of a few. I just got a ton of music from Bollywood movies from 1960s-1970s while I was in India. I’ve been digesting this a bit lately and just really enjoying it.
Jon: Thanks again to Ryan Weber for taking the time to talk to us. If you haven’t already you can get Night Singers on Bandcamp. The illustrations are by Toby Leibowitz. and the photography by Joe Wigdahl.