In our latest Band Spotlight, we chat to Jo Passed about music, and inspirations.
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S] Hi guys, how are you today?
I’m a little sick to be honest, but i just took a bunch of Ibuprofen and Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride so now I’m flying high and super ready to answer these awesome questions!!!
S] What inspires the band outside of music – think specific people and places?
Definitely weird anxiety dreams and walks. Specific friends of mine who I won’t name and the sum total of all of our life experiences.
S] What would you say the mission statement for the band is?
To fix climate change and end capitalist exploitation through the power of rock and roll.
S] What have been some defining moments for you as musicians?
Going to the music store and buying instruments to play. Without these instrument objects, we wouldn’t be where we are today! Also SUB POP RECORDS WTF? [edit: JP are on Sub Pop records!]
S] What would you say your biggest challenges as a band are right now?
Sustaining the presentation of a historic self from long ago into the present moment while maintaining both composure and authenticity. In other-words, not just staying true to one’s self but one’s past self as well while anticipating one’s future self.
S] Talk us through the writing process for a track like ‘MDM’?
After four failed attempts at writing the opener left. Upon succeeding, I decided I needed a party second track single to kick in the album. I went for a run and about 3 blocks from my house, stopped and “heard” roughly the vibe of the deranged lead guitar part off the top of the song.
I recorded some hilarious vocal version into my phone and ran back to my house, feeling slightly guilty that I hadn’t completed my run, but also excited that a spark of a new song was created.
I picked up the guitar and strummed out some chords while singing the weird lead line I was thinking. What I sang didn’t really fit to notes, so I went to the piano and with the chords i had played, “music theorized” out some notes that floated around weird #9’s and 7ths of the chords. I decided to use a dotted quarter syncopation against the main 8th note strum to add more to the kind of deranged effect. Then I practiced the notes I had on the guitar a bunch until I could articulate. I think the song form and parts were finished in that session that same day which is usually quick. Other songs I sat with for a while.
