Interview conducted by Hugo Lunny
MVRemix: Tell me about the album, “Nightlife.”
Sentence: Nightlife is a cross-section of our lives set to a soundtrack of hip hop, rock, and soul. It’s a pretty positive album, but it’s definitely not without its dark side. It’s really everything we were going through while writing it. Musically, its foundation is hip hop, but on top of that is a lot of anthemic rock sounds and elements of soul. It’s upbeat and truthful and we’re really proud of it.
MVRemix: How long did the record take to record and how planned was it - ie did you set out with a track listing and stick to it or record a number of songs and chose a select amount leaving the rest on the “cutting room floor”?
Swell: We work so, so fast as a group. I would say that 75% of the album was made, meaning from the creation of the music to the final recording, in about a month. We were hearing each other’s verses for the first time while recording, and writing hooks and bridges on the spot. We have had to work that way, because in between tours and day-jobs we have so little time to muck around. Nothing was planned out. We knew what type of sound we were going for, and just recorded as many songs as we could with the time we had. It sounds like a rush-job, but in the end I feel like the way we did this album left us with, topically, the truest summary of our lives at that time. There was no time to over-think anything. What you hear is exactly what we were feeling at that point.
MVRemix: Any videos planned?
Swell: We have been focusing on getting as much live footage of us out as possible. As far as a true music video, I couldn’t say. I have been talking to my friend Tim Young, who did our “Funk Terrorist” video, about putting something together, but we have been so busy with shows, etc., that it’s hard to find time to sit down and really hash anything out.
MVRemix: How did you hook up with Camp Lo?
Sentence: We were talking to our manager about possible artists to collab with and while throwing names back and forth she suggested the Lo (formerly Camp Lo). We were both huge Camp Lo fans and automatically jumped at the idea. We knew they were making a comeback and we checked out their new single (Lumdi) and they were actually coming back stronger than where they left off, so we were geeked. Our manager also manages them, so it was a quick process from there. It was just an incredible opportunity to work with someone we’ve respected for so long.
MVRemix: What separates you from other rappers? Why should I opt to listen to your music above others?
Swell: I just think we are trying to make music that’s entirely new. We aren’t trying to flavor our hip-hop with indie rock, or vice-versa. We are trying to make something that you have never heard before. There are some songs on the album that are definitely more straight-forward hip hop, but the most exciting songs for us are the ones where we feel like we’ve made something that no one else has. And I think that we are writing very earnest songs, which can be a turn-off for some people. But that’s a sticking point for us. We want to connect with people, rather than push them away with irony, or any of these other defensive things that bands use.
MVRemix: Have fun with this one, a la “Fight Club” - “If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight”?
Sentence: I would fight Carrot Top. I don’t think further explanation is really necessary.
MVRemix: Would you win?
Sentence: Five years ago, absolutely. Now, I really doubt it. Have you seen him lately? He’s the Hulk.
MVRemix: Do you have any non musical aspirations?
Swell: If I did, I would have given music up a long time ago. She’s a cruel mistress.
MVRemix: What next do we have to look forward to from you?
Sentence: We’ll be rocking shows in New York, as usual and we’ll be hitting the road on tour again in the near future - we’re working on details now. We’re also really itching to get in the studio and start banging out the next album. We started developing a lot of ideas on Nightlife that we really want to explore further.
MVRemix: Any last words?
Swell: Am I in front of the firing squad? I’ll just take the cigarette, please.
Original The Metermaids Interview
