Imaginary Cities

0:00Here what how you were germany didn't have a phone, but I wanted to do like a storytellers thing for all the songs I don't know why would you To go out of their way to do that sorry one second It's not rude or anything Not anymore So the needle drop is full the way to start the record like an actual record that's a total geek thing So where did it is that something you've always won? I mean you've made a bunch of records on your career I don't think you've ever done that I definitely I'm sure there's a needle Groove sounds somewhere on some record, but not this start now just start. Yeah, I don't think I've done that

0:52Here it again. Yeah, well, and I mean It's so it's kind of cliché, but I mean there's something so awesome about listening to record that crackle running through it It's totally comforting it's relaxing sounding The crackle of the fire Yeah, is it safe to assume that whoever's voice I hear wrote those lyrics? But a lot of these songs we wrote very much together One of us might have the bulk of it and it's pretty equal

1:37Yeah, and then we kind of flesh it out together Yeah, right figure out and we have kind of a a nice working honest honest working relationship where it's sort of like I can say Or she could say that lyrics really late You know the opposite in the spectrum that lyrics to vulnerable to personal to me I don't want to I don't know if we if we make the lyrics like Let's ignore that. I don't feel like we make the lyrics specific enough for them to Be that vulnerable. I feel like they are usually pretty Accessible there's something nice about lyrics that are Specific enough to sound like they're about something but vague enough that

2:24They don't jump out at you and people can kind of take what they want from it, right? I Am also big fan of lyrical cliches that every like a phrase everyone's heard before but just sounds perfect I don't know silver linings. Yeah, I don't know like stuff like that, right? I actually have a whole list in my phone of classic English things in 9 and 10 actually 9 and 10 the whole chorus of 9 and 10 is Every line of 9 and 10 chorus is Shakespeare quote That's interesting and I because I would just Google No, seven syllable phrase. It wasn't that's like done that but I mean you do that

3:12Google like you know common English phrases and I didn't know this but like Hundreds of common English phrases that we all know or Shakespeare Yeah, that's here is driven snow or as cold as any stone Twinkling in your eye like that's Shakespeare No, there's a thing I believe this goes with music as well where 30 years after 50, but I don't know. Yeah, McCartney just changed it I think something like that Yeah, but anyway that shit he needs us in billions. Yeah And he's holding on yeah, my home of Courtney tickets are the most expensive ones I will ever spend here

4:04I almost and then I was like no stupid. I was in Vegas couple of stones were there $150 your seats and this wasn't sold out obviously I'm Well We were Kind of frustrated at Paul McCartney because he's pretty much my favorite songwriter ever Or at least up there And I mean come on man all musicians love your music But none of us can afford to go to your show come on if I if I do I can't sit with the rich people in the front row after like listen to the parking lot or something although I got decent

4:50And I actually I've mentioned I think it was Green Day and then I think it was in the 90s It is something against ticket master something where they had a cap on their prices I remember they played at the arena and Winnipeg and the most expensive tickets were 30 bucks or 60 bucks I'm a kid rocks didn't never know 20 hours. That's great. Yeah, we see Kate did the same thing I mean you guys can't be doing too bad Germany on the foot like that first record You guys were touring places. I never would have expected a first record Canadian band tour. That's crazy Yeah, that was pretty good. I'm gonna happen like did the music get out there. We had a we had a pretty a really great record label in Germany I would sort of say they're like the arts and crafts of Germany they put out a lot of really cool music that people they put out a record and people will listen to me and

5:39and we were lucky enough to get on their label and and We go there and play shows and it was surprising that German people hear music or they see a shows coming it's promoted properly they listen to the music you can come and know your words and songs Yeah, like one of our first shows in Germany people were singing along To the songs and this is like in the first year of putting out the album and that was just like I'm pretty sure Rusty took out his phone while we were on stage and like took a video of the audience Well, they didn't make us but they were like wanted us to play a song again. Yeah, we totally did Free encores. I mean that sounds so

6:26We're very humbled by It was overwhelming we were totally hugging backstage Yeah, it was great Like we showed up to the venue and this venue is far too large for us who were we opening for? It was pretty much sold out It was a great feeling that were bells of cologne the bells of fields recording on this record I heard it after and then I read some interviews and I found that okay It is a field recording, but I heard I was like, oh, please. Let's be real. Oh, yeah, that's actually It's probably so it's in my voice notes on my phone and the way it happens amazing. Yeah, it's awesome My life is on this voice. Yeah, it was on a different tour, but yeah I was in cologne sitting on our friends rooftop and Bells just started going off and I recorded it on my phone and actually on the record is just the way I recorded it

7:17It's from the demo. We didn't redo it or anything like that. I actually just put it 58 up to my phone and hit play. Okay, then I didn't Okay Yeah party yeah, Susan So yeah, it's pretty pretty Low-fi even because of that airy sound too. I guess more than the reverby of the mic and the phone Yeah, it adds I don't know I'm going with that. I just like the sound. Thanks. Yeah, and I hear there are other field recording on this record Yep, there's children jumping to a lake at rushing river campground in Ontario And what was what the bells of cologne makes sense? Why kids jumping around? No, yeah, I was just there No, I often will hollow my phone and just that sounds cool like we were in Australia and there was

8:09100,000 birds on this beach Making the most loud crazy noise and so I recorded it like who knows maybe I want to throw it in a song So I often pray all of my phone familiar. So do those fields recordings inspire songs or do you have song ideas in mind? And they're like oh that'll fit Bells of cologne definitely inspired that song. I wouldn't have made or we wouldn't have made that song without that recording But most most of the time it's just like that's a cool sound hopefully I can fit in a song sometime You say we wouldn't have made that song how did that song collaborate with the collaboration? Well, I don't like you singling that one out, but oh, that's well. It's probably the one that's getting more But it it's uh Well rusty because he had the sound and had the idea for it. He came back to Winnipeg and was like

8:59Hey, let's write a song about this and then we got together and there was already that foundation of the idea There and then we wrote the lyrics together. Yeah, I can't remember every song is sort of different like Marty will have something fully complete or I will or Doesn't really matter we split everything up the middle. Yeah But what about when it's a duet? How do you decide this the two of us are gonna sing this one? Maybe you should just take this Well Marty's definitely the lead singer. Yeah, but we don't have to We're never in the position to have to make that decision. It's just the song just suits one of us or or like like away with your words like that's Rusty's voice should be singing that song It's one of those things you can't really describe

9:52It's just the way the song is written and That was the first time for imaginary cities. We decided that I should sing yeah That song I mean but on this record more than last one we do definitely a lot of guy girl duet sort of harmonies and And that's and it's fun because harmonies are beautiful and we both like singing. Yeah Just make sense. Yeah, we make the record for fun like we don't we didn't Make a record because we had to or because we have to follow up the first record or have hits more hits Like we don't think about that. We actually just make music that we like to listen to So talking making music you like to listen to Liking Marty's voice for the first time you're sitting in a bar you hear her singing tunes Motown tunes

10:37What was it about it? What what sitting there thinking? I need we need to do this work Yeah, I've done that with a few different people. I did that with you and from the sheep dogs as well We've made a lot of recordings together now Sort of based on that first initial thing I came in and wrote a song for you to sing on so I wrote a song for Marty This thing on a Motown song Is it on the record? No, no, but my Motown cover ban Covered it. Yeah, they played it. They're set now and it's totally indistinguishable in might as well be some old obscure oats Motown cover and So yeah, that's just It's it's a selfish endeavor like I just I want to have that person on a recording that I make with him So I will ask them It's fun. It's because me from the English it's fun. That's the only reason I ever do it. I have them you said yes

11:27because He's awesome and you know he was at the time well he was doing sound at the bar that I was playing at and we knew each other yeah, and I knew his like the waking eyes I They're awesome and I was big fan and I knew that Rusty was really good at that so I was excited he was the first person to ever wanted to Project with me like All I was doing was singing in a cover band for a couple years so it's working out I think it's going pretty good. No pretty good both of us. So this one's gonna be a big one Morning a little bit You mentioned you and in there and I thought I heard his voice I sent a little tweet and then he tweeted it back and I was like okay

12:13So it must be his voice so he's on this record. Yeah Why why not just when you're talking about harmonizing and liking other people's voices? How can we brought other people in? I think for that song he had mentioned that he liked that song specifically and It was one of the first ones we had made a demo for this record and I don't know he was in town. We're good friends We've recorded together and they were just asked them feed sing a verse and he's like yeah Love to and all the guys are on an action they sing gangs in the background Oh, you and takes a takes a full verse which is sort of a bold move I guess on if we're both singers to have yet a third person come in and take a lead that will obviously not be able to do every But we both just love his voice so much. Yeah, he has so smooth It didn't feel like a risk or anything. It was more like a sweet. Yeah, yeah

13:01And Yeah, I think you and Scott the best voice Since 70s rock like he's got the most effortless voice And he's a real singer with a powerful voice. You know what I mean? Very manly voice. That's manly I said it before but I'll say it again. I think he's got the best voice since Freddie Mercury or Yeah, it has the same kind of quality to it and well, it's got Something that a lot of singers don't have which is quality like he's a quality singer like just isn't even out to try It's also who takes that quality in the banner you do it live. You take this part Yeah We're gonna try we're gonna do it for the first time and we played these songs. Yeah Tonight I definitely have a way different voice than you

13:48I sound like a little boy compared to you don't yes, I do you have a lot of like rasping little boys don't have a lot of But yeah, I think it'll translate just fine. Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Thanks Marty Have you worked out any of these songs live yet or is this like the first time Yeah, there's there's a Three or four that we added yeah like completely new to the set That hasn't been shown to a crowd really excited for silver lining. I think that's probably the one that one end who's watching and yeah How do you know what a song is I mean you played everything on the last record pretty much right?

14:34Mm-hmm is the same way this time. Yeah, how do you know what a song is done? Like when I'm editing video or I'm screwing around and making music myself I don't know when to say okay, you can always work on it forever. Yeah, right? So how do you know? Okay, I can't do this. I think once sorry no go once you realize that everything is serving a purpose yeah, and that then like I I Think that if you add something in and you think like oh, it's just decoration It doesn't really need to be there then that's the point where or we seem to have started. Yeah cut the I think I have sort of learned about myself and how I like to orchestrate a song and I Definitely have my bag of tricks or like my I

15:20Don't want to it's so weird talking about yourself like you think you're awesome Just yeah, I Have a way I like songs to be filled out in certain ways and Accented by different things and I sort of have a routine when we're working on the starboard drums And they had bass if it needs it or drums if it needs it and then maybe some keyboards and these are adding you organ I don't know I'm getting a little specific, but no, I like it because there's strings and insert. There's instruments like a lot of orchestration yeah, yeah, um and I really love strings and pop music and so we sort of utilize that a little more on this record and Even though there's tons of stuff going on on these songs a lot of times

16:06They'll be like 15 things doing the same thing. Yeah, it doesn't it's not the biggest thing is that things don't clash or conflict All the notes always work together. Yeah, it doesn't seem like cluttered Or at least I don't think so. Yeah Well, even the way you played what was it that was cool? Yeah But I mean even just stripped down simple and the song still sounds just as beautiful as it does with all the production everything on Thanks. So if the song Just call them at you People and songwriters and bands have been saying this for everyone. It's important that a song can be played on acoustic guitar as long as there's a

16:52chord progression and a melody that moves us then that's This is something that we start on their piece Or piano Well, I just Marty did too both just recently got pianos in our houses, so I've been playing it a lot I tried to write a song a day in the piano recorded on my voicemones Well This record No interesting answer for you I don't want to take a two or two time But you seem to be one of the festival bands this summer like you're on every you've got yourself slotted like every festival across this country It's great. Yeah, I'm a lot of history because I get one just recently. Yeah, we were added to the

17:40It seems to be like cross-country thing where people are gonna be coming to see this like people know who you want it. It's such a Is it is it a similar Similar thing to when the waking eyes go out like does it feel similar in any way? No, it feels different and I think it's it's weird because I think it's really important to Be skeptical. I never think we're that successful and and and I still don't think we're that's I mean we're doing it It's our job. Yeah, that's a success See you but having a friend of mine People are ever gonna recognize walk down the street and they don't No, I don't yeah, but you know when we play a show and there's a lot of people there. It's always

18:29exciting and surprising and humbling and I haven't gone to the point where I expect people to be there, you know, and I always think that You know when we're playing these festivals, we're most likely gonna be on some side stage earlier today Okay Okay, five quick questions one more answers, okay, I've done this before the more I talked to you I remember doing I remember you guys like ten years ago In a bar with collective soul and their song started playing on the radio You guys all made fun of them because they were sitting behind us and their song went on in this diner and you guys Wow, that's cheesy Okay, five questions one more answers rotor studio

19:17Studio Road Leonard or McCartney McCartney When you hear a song that usually hits you first lyrics melody or rhythm melody song you've written your most proud of All the time First on Yes, and in one word imaginary Fun No Time just wonderful Thanks guys, thank you