A Conversation with Geographer’s Michael Deni – HuffPost 2.10.12
Mike Ragogna: Your new album is titled Myth. Can you go into the concept of “myth” as it relates to the project?
Mike Deni: I’m more concerned with myths in the traditional sense as opposed to concrete misconceptions. The album explores the myth that people live by examples of what is possible, and not instructive stories to help them cope with the inexplicable.
MR: Myth follows your album Innocent Ghost and the Animal Shapes EP. How do you feel the group has evolved over the course of the three projects?
MD: Innocent Ghosts was a pure expression of feeling, and we had basically just met each other when we made it, still getting to know each other as people and musicians. Animal Shapes was an attempt to reach out and move an audience, our first real try at crafting songs thoughtfully, but we still hadn’t really toured that much. By the time we went in to record Myth, we knew what it was like to be a band, we had the confidence of a record deal waiting for us, and we were determined to make something we thought was real and true.
MR: Are you playing SXSW this year?
MD: We are. It’s my favorite time of year, and it lands right in the middle of our first tour for the new record. We’re very excited!
MR: How come no one ever attends that event? Do you think SXSW will ever catch on?
MD: Young people don’t like the sun. Or loud music. Never have, never will.
MR: What was it like working with producer Eli Crews and Chris Zane?
MD: Eli, to me, is like a fatherly scientist. It gets a little intense in there, and he was an extremely soothing and sage-like figure to guide us out of the labyrinth. We told him what we wanted to do and then sat around getting extremely excited about how to do it. He wanted to know what the songs were about before we did anything, and that helped the vision for each song be established from the first note or drum hit. Chris Zane’s work style is completely different from mine. “Don’t overthink it” hangs on a sign in between his speakers. And, well, I overthink it. So, it was a very fruitful struggle between my desire to control everything — which I am constantly trying to squelch — and accepting the way things turn out, to let them breathe. Control constricts and this is a very wide-open record, I think, largely due to Chris Zane’s prowess and philosophy.
MR: Do any of the songs on Myth have any outrageous stories connected with them, either in the creative or recording processes?
MD: By outrageous do you mean waking up at a reasonable hour every day, having a nice breakfast, and going to the studio, ’cause that’s pretty much how it went down. As for nerdy, I did occupy the vocal booth with about six synthesizers for a few days, and I decided that was where I wanted to be buried.
MR: Considering your musical style, what is Nathan Blaz, Brian Ostreicher’s, and your view of “pop” music these days?
MD: These days, it’s easier than ever not only to make a record, but to become popular. The one downside is that listeners don’t expect or need music to last for more than a few weeks, because their favorite blog is going to tell them about another undiscovered gem. It seems like nobody’s here to stay. In the old days, there were assuredly some less than amazing bands that people went through like candy. But the fact that you couldn’t record an album without a record deal and you couldn’t get a record deal without polishing your live show and honing your writing was one of the things that made bands better than they are now. Many of my favorite bands have come out of the DIY culture. But I think I feel a little oversaturated when I go over a friend’s house and they say, “I love the new ____” and then they’re not listening to it the next time I see them. What happened to being obsessed? That’s what I miss. There’s a desire to always find the new, to seek innovation over truth. It’s always been like that. But people are extremely creative, and I think we’re selling bands short by not demanding more of them.
MR: What’s your advice to new artists?
MD: I’m not really in any position to give anyone advice. If you love playing music, keep playing it.
MR: After recording an album such as Myth, is there really any reason to ever record again?
MD: Haha! Yes. Every album is a stab towards some obscure, unattainable truth, and unless we use something else to cover the hole that the lack of that truth leaves, we will need to keep making albums.