#9:30 interview

[930club]

ARTIST INTERVIEW: The Districts

In anticipation of their March 10 show at the 9:30 Club, The Districts graciously decided to drop by and answer a couple questions for us about their dynamic as a band and their upcoming record You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere. Find the conversation below to learn more about a band that you should definitely know about, if you do not already.

9:30 Club: So we know you guys are from Pennsylvania. Are there any PA musicians that helped inspire your sound?

The Districts: We all grew up outside of Philly, so we definitely went to a bunch of shows in the city when we were younger. Throughout high school we saw bands like Dr. Dog, Man Man, Kurt Vile, etc. And nowadays there are a bunch of amazing artists we admire like Pine Barons, Hop Along, Spirit of the Beehive, Tierra Whack, the list goes on!

9:30: You’ve been performing together for over ten years now. What’s it been like playing music together since high school?

D: There’s a certain level of comfort that comes from being so close over the years. It can be tough at times, living and working in such close quarters for weeks on end, but at the end of the day we are great pals and care deeply for one another.  We’ve experienced so much as a band and are extremely thankful for all of it.

9:30: What songs were you listening to while you were writing You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere? Did some of your favorite artists inspire your sound?

D: “The Flower Called Nowhere” by Stereolab, “Michael A Grammar” by Broadcast, “Falling Rain” by Link Wray, and “The World’s Strongest Man” and “It’s Raining Today” by Scott Walker. We’re all into a pretty diverse range of music, and there are always a lot of influences seeping in through the cracks. 

9:30: You mention that your single “Hey, Jo” is inspired by Harry Nilsson and Lee Hazelwood. How did they inspire you throughout the making of the album and who do you look up to most as musicians?

D: Both of them have records with amazing production. Lee Hazelwood in particular has this western psych wall of sound thing going on, which results in some pretty unusual sounding songs. There’s an allure to the unconventional pop song that is a common theme among many of our favorite artists.

9:30: You went from working with one legendary producer, John Congleton, to working with another legend, Dave Fridmann, for this latest record. How did you all get linked up, and what did he bring to the table for you all?

D: With Dave, I actually got his email and reached out personally. He was super gracious in getting back to me and really brought out a lot of the small production details we wanted to accentuate. He brought the dream to life!

9:30: Short but sweet question: between you all individually, what were your favorite riffs/takes on this last record? (Guitar, bass, drums, vox, etc.)

Rob from the Districts:  I’m happy with how my vocals came out on “The Clouds,” which was also my first time drumming a Districts song. 

Pat from the Districts: I really love the closing track of You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere, called “4th of July.” It’s a really beautiful acoustic song that Rob recorded solo. Without listening to the track in headphones Braden & I overdubbed guitar drones & auxiliary percussion / textures. It came out sounding really special I think.

9:30: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals that you do to gear up for each show?

D: Sometimes we all get in a circle and put our heads together and sing the same low drone note haha. But nothing too crazy, we usually just write a set, hang out, stretch a little bit, do vocal warmups, maybe roll some dice. 

9:30: What is the best part about performing for your fans & is there a specific fan experience that stood out to you?

D:  The best part about performing for our fans is being able to interact and have an experience together I think. We really appreciate everyone who comes out to the shows / supports us in any way so it’s a gift to be able to meet folks and get to know them a little bit. There’s been so many great experiences over the years but I think the ones that come to mind are always the friendships we’ve made through doing the band.

9:30: You’re bringing along stellar support in And The Kids on this tour! Have you crossed paths before this?

D: We are incredibly excited to play these shows with And the Kids. I don’t believe we have played with them before, but I know I saw them and our buds Vundabar play together, and we’ve certainly crossed paths other times. They are a fantastic group and we can’t wait to tour together!

Be sure to come out to the Club on March 10 to catch The Districts live promoting their new record, You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere. Come out early to catch And the Kids as well!

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Dorothy

Last year, Dorothy followed up her explosive debut with another rockin’ album, 28 Days in the Valley. We caught up with Dorothy about the making of 28 Days in anticipation of her return to 9:30 Club next month.

Carlos Lopez [9:30 Club]: In an interview with Go See Live Music, you describe your latest album, 28 Days in the Valley, as having a more “feminine” energy. Was that a deliberate thematic choice you made when writing the record? 

Dorothy: Absolutely. I wanted to lighten things up and explore myself as a woman and a songwriter. It was also encouraged by Linda Perry, who produced the album.

You’ve listed The Rolling Stones as one of the major influences for 28 Days. What other artists inspired the direction of the album?

I grew up on my dad’s folk and rock and roll records, so I think listening to that influenced some of the characteristics in my voice. It seemed to come naturally, so it was a good fit direction wise.

What drew you to metal when you began writing music? What continues drawing you and your band to that scene as time goes on?

I love me some Black Sabbath, but more or less that was the direction the producers wanted to go making the first album. I just wanted to start a band, now I’m more vocal about what inspires me and what I feel is genuine to me as an artist.

28 Days has a brighter, rockier feel as opposed to the more metal sound that your debut had. Did anything in particular prompt that sonic change?

I started working with Linda Perry, and I started taking my sobriety seriously. All of that really effected the sound and the songwriting. I also have a completely different band, so thats a huge part of the sonic shift.

Your current tour is called The Freedom Tour. What inspired that title?

Tour for us means Freedom, it’s also a song on the album, and the main theme of this journey we are on.

How have crowds been reacting to music from the new album on this tour?

People have been singing all the words! I’m blown away! They really love and want rock and roll music, which makes us so happy.

What are you looking forward to about your return to D.C. and 9:30 Club?

I am excited to meet the fans and play some new songs for them.

-Carlos Lopez

Dorothy plays 9:30 Club on February 12. Tickets are available here. 

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: The Comet Is Coming

In a world of unobservable measures both physical and beyond, it can be the artist's job to fill in our blind spots. By picking up Sun Ra's spiritual torch, BADBADNOTGOOD's swagger, and Three Trapped Tigers’ ferocity, London-based psychedelic jazz trio The Comet Is Coming are the latest to do so and free us from our caverns with the brilliant Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery, out March 15 on Impulse! Records. We lucked out in getting some rare insight from the forward thinkers themselves - King Shabaka, Danalogue, and Betamax - ahead of their 9:30 presents show next week. 

9:30 Club: What drew you to Impulse! Records? Why is it a good fit for the next phase of your musical manifesto?

King Shabaka: The first stage of squatting the master’s house involves walking through the front door. 

In the past, you’ve described your songs as being snapshots that create a particular phrase or mantra when put together in the format of an album. Do you still consider this to be true? If so, what is the message you are sending with Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery?

Danalogue: Sometimes I wonder where are we pulling this music from? The myriad spectrums of our imagination in the moment, the thoughts and emotions that are arising for us individually, the places we can go in our subconscious, alternate dimensions and then the chemical reaction that occurs between the three of us when playing simultaneously. And there’s more. In that way a Comet Is Coming album is a series of vignettes of parallel realities or dream states woven together.

While you could consider the album to deal with notions of past and future, death and rebirth, destruction and creation, cultural reflection and an encouragement for the will and imagination, the possibilities are endless and what this record means will ultimately be in the mind of the listener. 

In the end there are thought patterns and clouds of inspiration that occur in our lives generally, and that will implicitly be involved in the art we make, which can sometimes bleed into the explicit.

The titles in particular [on] the album title contain further encoded symbology.

The upcoming album dives into the coexisting planes of being and consciousness. Referring to the term “Lifeforce” - is this a concept of some higher being that encompasses what’s referenced in your subject matter, or is this something that you see as all that is and isn’t?

King Shabaka: Questioning has to start with an exploration into the nature of the ‘deep mystery’. I see this mystery as being the interconnectivity of all things, the point at which the plane of consciousness which we inhabit singularly is shared by many in service of elevation/elation. The mystery encapsulates all perspectives and narratives depicting the past, binding them into an ever revolving door to the present which stays in perpetual motion. The mystery has a lifeforce - it grows, it adapts to our ongoing human experience in a continual nuancing of its purpose and form with an equal force to whatever dynamism our endeavours to understand it and depict it unleash. This lifeforce can be accessed through the creation of energy. The energy of meditation, the energy of breathing, the energy of the sexual encounter, the energy of music. This lifeforce is a bridge to the deep mystery. 

In past interviews, you’ve mentioned following and finding inspiration from Alan Watts’ teachings, which commonly focus on the self and the implications of having a human experience. Since you label your music as “pre-apocalyptic,” what do you think the reality of the self versus a collective consciousness would be like in the end of the world?

Danalogue: This is something I frequently talk to taxi drivers about after they find out the name of the group.

If we use Watts’ classic analogy of life being like a wave, that needs to rise to a crest and eventually crash down to make the whole wave, or his question ‘is the candle worth the stick?’ (Do we prefer to have this wonderful fire flickering, lighting and dancing even though it eventually burns out and disappears) it can help to process the precious, fragile and ephemeral nature of our lives on an individual level, and approach Nowness, that everything is in the Now.

In terms of collective consciousness, we can consider how rare a thing it is that organic matter evolves and organises itself to the point that self-awareness on the level of humans has flowered out of the universe. Part of that is The Lifeforce’s propensity for survival and reproduction, which macrocosmically, as a collective consciousness, can express itself through a sort of horror regarding apocalypse, or the sun eventually cooling and humans dying out. Perhaps humans can rise out of the culturally constructed divisions and environmental destruction that currently hinders our progress towards being able to leave the planet and find new worlds. Perhaps we can transcend this reality and find peace in not leaving the planet and destroying ourselves. I tend to find the former more exciting.

The band has knowledge on the physical (quite literally, quantum physics) and the metaphysical. How does combining the two help you translate this into a synesthetic experience, between music and the visuals in your videos?

Betamax: The duality of physical and metaphysical is really just a game to trick you into seeing the world through different types [of] abstraction. The essence of our truth is an expression in the language of pattern. The correlation of ideas, shapes and events. Reverberation and Collisions, understanding the universal energy through direct experience. Awareness itself actually takes the form of the world. We experience life inside a dream, and in this sense art can be seen as a dream sculpture, made harnessing the primal energy of the universe - creativity. The process of interacting directly with the state of being by manifesting the cosmic intuition. In this way we find meaning and truth and we can say we know, we love, we transcend, we surrender into unity. 

Channel The Spirits has “Lightyears” and Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery has “Blood of the Past,” both of which are extraordinary centerpieces to their respective albums featuring rare vocals by guest artists. How did these collaborations come about?

Danalogue: I love use of words as a sudden and fleeting paradigm shift on our records, leaving the bulk of the expression to be encoded into instrumental exploration, but allowing a wordsmith of similar intensity to us to come in and express themselves using our compositions as fuel for their inspiration.

Shabaka suggested inviting Joshua Idehen to the studio, I think they knew each other already, and immediately his fire, energy and excitement to be in the studio made him mesh with the band. He came in, spoke over about five tracks and we picked the ones to keep in production.

I was dreaming of working with Kate Tempest for a long time, and we had a working title of ‘Tempest’ for Blood of the Past, every time we worked on the middle section I’d say ‘this is where Kate Tempest is going to speak’ because I thought she would slay it so hard...so I was monumentally chuffed when she agreed to do it and created such an honest, poignant dissection/destruction mic drop, stars aligned for sure.

9:30 presents The Comet Is Coming at U Street Music Hall on March 21.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Dhani Harrison

It’s not every day you get to talk to certifiable music royalty, so suffice it to say that chatting with Dhani Harrison in advance of his upcoming 9:30 presents show was an extreme honor. From stepping out on his own to his debut solo album and getting advice from Superman, we covered a lot of ground. Read on, then see him at U Street Music Hall next week.

Madeline Masiello [9:30 Club]: How is composing music for film and television different from composing music for yourself?

Dhani Harrison: I find it a lot less confounding. You’re given a specific task and a subject matter and if you get a locked cut of something, you know that’s the way it’s going to be. You know certain time events; you know certain emotion events that you’re working towards highlighting within a set piece. Whereas when you’re writing for yourself you are the one dictating what the emotion is, or maybe a scene exists in your head, but it doesn’t exist as an edited thing so it’s a lot more freeform and you have to bring out the meaning rather than just seeing something on the TV.  

In///Parallel is your first album under your own name. What inspired you to finally go solo?

Doing something different I think. It’s nice to start again at the beginning. Fifteen years of serving in thenewno2, followed by five years of composing and now I’m back at the beginning again. I like that constant going back to the beginning, so we’ll see where that goes.

What was your biggest fear going solo?

Over the years I’ve been scared of not being able to develop as an artist without being critiqued for having my family name, or whatever, but now that I’ve done all that, I’m not really worried. I made a little world for myself to live in it and good reviews or bad reviews doesn’t effect that world.

You’ve mentioned some of the dystopian and bleak messages on your album are a result of current events. Can you elaborate on that?

I think all you have to do is go and watch the news and we’re all pretty much getting sick seeing everything that we are seeing. Divisive news, gas-lighting in the political sphere… I don’t see where there is any place for it, other than to terrify the population, it’s not news. Social media has a giant outreach, and it’s good to see when people use it to stand for something, I’m PRO being pro-something. If you’re going to be anti-something, then be pro-something else; don’t just be a naysayer. But a lot of the time there’s no message behind anything. It’s just here is activity or a film or a commentary, but it doesn’t have any substance or anything that’s improving our lives. So I think anything that brings awareness or consciousness, or connects people in a positive way, then that’s good, anything else is just noise.

What song on In///Parallel took the longest to write?

Probably “London Water,” it’s got quite a lot of different sections in it, and it didn’t really come together until the end when Mereki came in to sing on it. She added a side to that song that I didn’t see; it was there but I couldn’t see it. And then I spent one very strange night with Stephen Perkins doing weird foley percussion at the end. And once Davide Rossi finished his arrangement on that song, all of those parts came together. After I thought that I’d been working on that song for so long, all of those parts came together: the Mereki addition, the Stephen Perkins addition and the Davide Rossi addition and it changed into something new, giving it a whole new life. And that probably took the longest, out of any other song, to get right.

What, in particular, are you excited about for your first-ever headlining tour, which stops here in D.C. at U Street Music Hall?

I’m excited about going on tour with the people that I have made records with in the past. Within the band, it’s a lot of thenewno2 and Big Black Delta, all of these guys form a Voltron of bands, and now we’ve got Nikolai from The Strokes and of course Stephen Perkins from Jane’s Addiction. It’s a family affair. They’re all lovely people.

What is the best musical advice you’ve ever gotten?

Not sure if it was musical advice, but best advice was given to me by Christopher Reeve, and he said: Don’t ever listen to anyone, ever, if you’re doing something creative and it’s yours, and you know what it is, then don’t listen to anyone. Just do what it is that you think you should do and screw everyone else, because they’ll work it out once they see if it’s good. But don’t compromise.

And Superman said that, so I had to listen.

-Madeline Masiello

9:30 presents Dhani Harrison with Summer Moon at U Street Music Hall on November 7. Get tickets here.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Carlos Arevalo of Chicano Batman

9:30 Club got the chance to chat with Carlos Arevalo, guitarist of “LA’s House Band,” Chicano Batman, who will be playing the venue this Wednesday, October 4.

Erin Jones [9:30 Club]: For those who don’t know your music, how would you describe your style?

Carlos Arévalo [Chicano Batman]: It’s a mix of soul, psychedelia, rock, and funk. Our influences range from Os Mutantes, Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Television to Rigo Tovar, Fela Kuti, and William Onyeabor to name a few.

Most of you are from Los Angeles, except Gabriel Villa. What catalyzed the creation of your ensemble?  

Bardo formed the band with Gabriel and Eduardo after meeting at various music venues and parties in Los Angeles. They bonded musically over their love for latin soul ballads, oldies, caetano veloso, and cumbia and decided to make a band in 2008. I was asked to join the band in 2011 so Bardo could focus more on singing and playing organ live and in the studio.

Some people consider being Jack White’s touring support as the turning point in your career - do you agree or disagree? How have things changed since then?

We’d agree, it was a turning point. We went from being a regional favorite selling out tiny clubs to a national touring band playing in front of up to 12,000 people a night in basketball arenas during the Jack White tour. We gained national attention in the press for being selected to open his shows and that helped turn new fans on to us. Simultaneously, we also landed a spot at Coachella 2015 which had a similar effect of raising our profile nationally. After years of honing our craft in LA, the universe dealt us a hand signifying the time was right to go and take music and show to the next level.

Let’s talk about Freedom is Free, your most recent album. What are some of the themes explored on this politically-charged piece of work?

The overarching thesis of Freedom Is Free is to remain fearless and free in your mind, body, and soul in the face of oppression or adversity. It’s meant to be a message promoting positivity and empowerment. Other specific themes addressed on the new record are police brutality in the song “La Jura” and environmental injustice in the song “The Taker Story.” There are also more traditional themes like love and loss explored on the record as well.

Can you talk about your creative process, in terms of who writes and how the songs come to be?

We all write music in the band. Bardo writes most of the lyrics save for the songs Eduardo sings, in that case Eduardo usually writes the lyrics, except for “La Jura,” in which they both wrote the lyrics. For this album the process began with Bardo and I getting together and going over many of his demos and some of my demos of songs we felt would make a collective statement for the album. Once we tightened up the guitar and organ parts and his lyrics, we brought the songs to Gabriel and Eduardo and we completed the initial arrangement process and brought the songs to life. Additionally, this album differed from our others in that Leon Michels, the producer, lent his ideas on how to make our songs better and we listened to him.

You have played both D.C. and 9:30 Club before. Do you have anything in particular that you are excited for with your upcoming headlining visit?

We’ve played D.C. several times and each time the shows have been sold out! Our first humble show took place at a Salvadoran restaurant, called Haydees in Mount Pleasant in 2014, that was followed by two shows at the 9:30 Club opening for Gogol Bordello on New Year’s 2016, then DC9 in summer 2016, and then lastly we played Rock & Roll Hotel in early 2017 when Freedom Is Free came out.

We are humbled and excited to be playing the 9:30 Club as headliners. It is a standout venue in the US. The staff is very nice, the stage and sound is great, and they serve you cupcakes backstage. I rarely buy merch from venues but I had to get my 9:30 Club shirt because the experience was so great when we last played. Every time I wear that shirt people always stop me and mention how awesome the venue is.

What can you tell us about what’s next for Chicano Batman?

There will be more touring next year and in our time off the road we’ll get started on writing the next record.

-Erin Jones

Get tickets here to see Chicano Batman / Khruangbin with The Shacks at 9:30 Club this Wednesday, October 4.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker busted on to the scene in 2014 with one helluva self-titled debut. Blisterin’ tracks such as “Violent Shiver” earned him accolades from the likes of Jack White, instantly cementing him in the pantheon of blues rock greats. We can only imagine that all the well-warranted attention served as awesome motivation to return this year with Witness, yet another stop-you-in-your-tracks release that also happens to be quite timely and topical. We caught up with Booker over email ahead of his return to the Club this Monday.

Madeline Masiello [9:30 Club]: You were born in Virginia, grew up in Florida, and spent some time in New Orleans. How have your southern roots influenced your sound?

Benjamin Booker: I didn't realize until I left how much regional music I grew up with from Miami bass to folk-punk to southern gospel. My taste would most likely be completely different if I grew up somewhere else. The south has made me the songwriter I am. 

How would you say your music changed between your self-titled album and Witness?

Witness is more focused on rhythm, tone, and more complex song structures and melodies. I was really trying to push myself farther as a songwriter and singer. It's also a more complete record with a theme that is meant to be listened to from beginning to end.

Witness addresses some of the racial tension and problems going on in the country today. What was it like writing about such emotionally charged issues?

I think it was actually very helpful to me to take time to really think about the world around me and be able to express those feelings. It's scary to try to approach but I'm very happy I did. People immediately seemed to be able to relate. That's the beauty of being a musician. If I feel something I'm quickly able to hear from lots and lots of people who feel similarly.

Do you think artists such as yourself have a responsibility to sing and talk about the issues?

Not at all. Music has many purposes. Sometimes you NEED to just hear a trap beat and someone saying nonsense over the top to go crazy to and escape. Nothing wrong with that. Variety is never a bad thing.

If you could only ever sing or play the guitar again, which would it be, and why?

At this point I'd probably sing just because I think I can express myself more with my voice than guitar. It’s very comforting. I'm almost constantly singing to myself waking around.

What’s been the best thing so far about your current tour?

Well, everyone in the band has a sweet tooth so I don't feel alone on late night donut runs.

What song are you most excited to play in the nation’s capital at 9:30 Club?

I'm excited to share everything we've been working on. We've really been working like dogs to put together a great show and I'm just want to get the music out there to people. But, if I had to choose I'd say "Witness."

What’s next for you?

After this looong ten-week tour I'm taking some much needed time off for the winter and writing before heading out for more shows and festivals in the new year. 2018! Ah! How did we get here?

-Madeline Masiello

See Benjamin Booker at 9:30 Club on Monday, October 23. Get tickets here.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Rostam

Off of his success as part of Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanglij has officially gone solo. Bringing his tour to 9:30 Club on May 2, Rostam will be joined by a string quartet to perform songs off of his upcoming debut album. Check out our interview with Rostam below as we discuss his classical music influences, how he feels playing 9:30 for his hometown show, and more.

Tyler Peterson [9:30 Club]: What's it like to be coming back to play your hometown, Washington, D.C.?

Rostam Batmanglij: The 9:30 Club was the first place I ever saw a show at a club. My brother took me when I was a young teen. It’s great to be back here. My parents still live in D.C. so I’m here a few times a year. I got a lot of love for this town.

You've collaborated with so many artists in the past. What is it like to now be focusing on your own solo project?

I like being able to do both, that’s something I realized makes me happy. It’s been really fun to put Rostam shows together and create a Rostam world in terms of visuals and performance and coming soon a whole lot of new songs. Over the next year the Rostam world is going to definitely going to go places it hasn’t yet.

Will we get to hear any new material at 9:30 Club?

Absolutely.

Sonically, would you say that the new work is a departure from your previously-released material, or is it in a similar vein?

I feel like I have been populating my musical universe of ideas over the years, almost like the Marvel universe. If you’ve followed the music I’ve made since 2008 you’ll recognize say, Wolverine—but he may be going by Logan now... you know?

You've worked with quite the lineup of artists. Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ra Ra Riot, Frank Ocean...the impressive list goes on. Do you approach the creative process differently when collaborating on someone else's work?

When I’m working with other artists as a producer it’s my role to help them realize their vision, or for us to realize a shared vision. It’s something I’ve done since the first Vampire Weekend album and I can’t imagine ever stopping. It brings me so much pleasure to do that — there is a psychological aspect too — it’s about creating a space where people can be comfortable, creative, and open.

Even though there's quite an electronic element to your music, you're also a big fan of classical music. Do you find that classical music influences your work?

Well I’m going to be performing with a string quartet at the 9:30 Club, so I think that says a lot — but I want to try and up-end what people are used to hearing from music that connects with the classical tradition. On the other end of the spectrum, I studied classical music for years and years so it’s floating in my head at all times — and informs so many of my decisions. I feel like studying classical music is like studying any tradition, you start to understand why people do the things they do. I can turn it on and off — sometimes I want to do right by those rules — sometimes I don’t — but I think all the music I make is connecting with that tradition in some way.

You have a strong creative hand in the visuals for your music as well. What's that process like for you, crafting the right video or cover artwork?

For this show at the 9:30, there will be projections — it’s so rad to get to that place where you make a full spectrum music and visual experience. When I was a kid I was obsessed with drawing, then computer animation — I wanted to do visual effects for movies for a while. There’s a Brian Eno quote I really relate to— he talks about how in art school he discovered multi-track recording and it took over his desire to paint, because to him recording music became painting with sound. I definitely feel like my visual — art brain gets translated into recording music — there’s a back and forth for me. I don’t think of art and music as two things.

Lastly, can you give us any clue to when we can expect your solo debut?

I want some surprises in 2017.

-Tyler Peterson

Get tickets here to see Rostam with Deradoorian at 9:30 Club on May 2.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: PHOX

The announcement of a (potential) final tour is always bittersweet, especially when it comes from a band as magical as PHOX. With just one full-length album out, PHOX has won the hearts of musical tastemakers across the globe, including musician and producer Bon Iver, NPR’s Bob Boilen, and the curators of Newport Folk Festival. As the band prepares to grace the 9:30 stage for what may be the last time, Monica Martin, the lead vocalist and songwriter, was kind enough to answer a few questions about future plans, combating stage-fright, and social justice.

Helen Hennessey [9:30 Club]: In your “farewell for now” Facebook post, you mention wanting to get out of Baraboo, but I also get the sense that you all have a massive amount of hometown pride. How would you describe your relationship with the city? 

Monica Martin [PHOX]: First things first, the name Helen Hennessey is so f**king slick. Good on your parents.

Yeah! So our break isn’t really due to that, as we’ve been living in different spots for a while now, but to answer the latter half of the question: for some members of PHOX, Baraboo is nostalgic and their families are there! For others, the rural midwest’s more narrow-minded undercurrent can be suffocating. So it's bittersweet.

Matteo, you and Zach did the music for The Dam Keeper, a short Pixar film. How was that experience? Is it a field any of you want to explore more during your indefinite hiatus?

Matteo Roberts [PHOX]: Working on The Dam Keeper was a total creative dream. Not unlike our experience with PHOX, the whole project kind of landed in our somewhat unproven and inexperienced laps basically because we had amazing and daring friends that really liked what they heard and wanted to see what was possible. What began as a humble little personal project grew into a project requiring a studio, dozens of animators, and editors. Our little Garageband score ended up at Fantasy Studios, recorded with the Magik Magik Orchestra. It was an incredible experience peering into the animation world and the Pixar folks, who were very inspiring and genuine. We were very lucky to work with such young, aspiring professionals who set an awfully high bar for that crazy balance of productivity, objectivity, and kindness in a collaboration. 

The directors of that film actually left Pixar immediately after The Dam Keeper, and now have their own indie animation studio, Tonko House. In fact, immediately after this tour, Zach and I are going into production with Tonko House on a special Hulu Japan tv series loosely based on The Dam Keeper. So, not only would I give anything to score film again, it somehow is already happening again!

Besides the musical projects most of you are working on during the hiatus, are there any non-musical plans you want to share?

Monica: Matteo and his partner Adrianna bought a house outside of Chicago, and there are tentative plans to build a studio together! I think Davey is still flexing on his producing chops! But I suppose those both are still in the world of music. Ha! It seems clear there will be an element of music in everything we’re doing respectively moving forward. OH! I am hoping Matt puts out a graphic novel, his first outline is due on Valentine's Day. 

Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) produced your premier, self-titled album. How did you guys connect? What was it like working with him?

Monica: Actually, Sweet Brian Fredrick Joseph who worked within April Base studios produced our record. It was so nice to have a voice outside of the band to help us with melodic and sonic decision making. When I was in the vocal booth I realized I should also pay him a fee for being my therapist, I unpacked so much about the songs while we recorded. It was very meaningful bond made for all of us.

The PHOX social media pages feature many calls to political action. Do you feel a sense of responsibility, being in a popular band, to spread those messages?

Monica: Yeah, I have no interest in lying to people about what I think is important regarding the social and political climate of the US. I wish I could float through days without thinking about it, but many times daily it’s made clear to me that there’s imbalance, fantasy hierarchy, and the complete disregard of the realities of the “other.” If I was born into the majority, I’d maybe peacefully and in ignorance be able to focus on gardening or something, but I happen to be at the intersection of several different minorities so I can’t currently live unscathed by America. I can only speak up and share my perspective and hope I encourage more people to consider life outside their own, and participate in dialogue that will at least get folks to shake up the rosily-skewed version of the US that’s been taught to them, that rids them of the capacity to take seriously the voice of someone outside their identity.  

I had a friend in the music industry tell me recently they don’t want to talk about political things on social media, because it might affect who cares about her music. This really hurt to hear, while at the same time I understand that people choose to do what best protects their livelihood. On the other hand, I don’t give a f**k if I fail to pander to homophobes or bigots any longer, and have a hard time respecting that logic… I mean, then are they really your fans? I have no interest in appealing to everyone and becoming no one, and I do believe it's the responsibility of artists, within their abilities without draining all emotional spirit, to find ways to open hearts of people who just haven’t had a different, more socially open, train of thought exposed to them. 

The last time you played 9:30, part of the show was dedicated to more intimate, stripped-down versions of some of your songs. Do you plan on doing that again at your upcoming Club show? What made you want to do that in the first place?

Monica: I do think we are! It was a cool feeling to play songs in bigger clubs like we did when they were being written with acoustic instruments in the house we all shared. It just gives another facet to the show -- I’ve always loved hearing stripped down versions at shows! 

Monica, you’ve mentioned having stage fright at a few of your shows. What have you done to get passed that, and do you have any advice for others dealing with that same fear?

Monica: I’m still struggling with severe anxiety, but with the help of a doctor and therapist, I’ve finally found myself on a more focused track to finding a sustainable way to soothe my spirit. PHOX’s 2 1/2 year run of near constant touring started with us hopping on a plane to Norway on the day of my dad’s funeral. I spent the entirety of that tour not processing that, which in ways I am only now better understanding put me on edge, had me self medicating/ drinking more to feel less, and amplified all of my depression.

My advice for people who have general stage fright is to remember that you could literally sh*t yourself on stage and you’d still wake up the next morning. And people would forget shortly thereafter. And life would go on. I can sometimes talk myself out of very dreadful thoughts by imagining myself sh*tting myself, and how little it would matter in the long run. And I laugh and carry on — unless I’m being dragged into the panic void, and that leads me to advice for people with horrible racing thoughts, heart palpitations, and tunnel vision panic attacks: if you can afford it, or have insurance, see someone. Find a support group, if not in your town, find them online. Do everything you can to calm your atmosphere. Drink holy basil tea, drink kava root tea. Breathe deep and give yourself all the space you need. This was really hard for me for layered reasons I won't get into here, try and shelf your cynicism and do yoga. I know. I know. And if you still feel sh*tty, and natural approaches don't aid you, really try and process how you feel about potentially going on medication, outside of the stigmas you've been taught about mental illness. Talk to someone. You can feel better. xoxo.

You all knew each other for a long time before forming PHOX. Do you think your familiarity made it harder or easier to work together?

Monica: We had varying levels of closeness when we all moved into that house five years ago, so I think it was more-so the fact that we all had a "hands on deck" attitude, and from that bred great synergy. 

During your time so far as a band, you guys have done things like play Newport Folk Festival, have a Tiny Desk Concert, and open for some pretty high-profile acts. What was it like getting those calls? Is there a specific moment that stands out to you?  

Monica: Every time you get asked to participate in such things, I think there’s always a minute where you short-circuit when the news hits your ear, and then you jump for joy, then the fear creeps in, then you undulate between the joy and the fear, and then it smoothes out to a nice even-keeled bliss. HA! At least for me. I feel like Tiny Desk Concert was huge heartswell for us, iTunes Festival, Conan, traveling overseas 5+ times, I mean, everything! I would have never thought. It all feels so important, forgive the cliche, but the fact that anyone was moved by something we made together is an incredible thing. 

-Helen Hennessey 

Send PHOX off at 9:30 Club on January 25.