A Conversation with Graham Colton – HuffPost 1.21.14
Mike Ragogna: Graham, what mainly inspired the material for your new album Lonely Ones?
Graham Colton: The album making process was so free and positive. For the first time, I really didn’t feel tied down to write autobiographically. Is that a word? Anyway, I wanted to the album to feel lush and open. I wasn’t as focused this time around on being heard. I almost wanted my voice to sink into the tracks more and stick out less.
MR: The production on Lonely Ones seems more “retro,” its music edgier with more minor keys than the material found on Pacific Coast Eyes. Were you surprised by the direction the album took after you had your first tracks recorded?
GC: Not at all. Before I wrote a single lyric or chord, I wanted to find a sound first. I knew if i was inspired by the noise in the room, my bandmates were making, the lyrics and melodies would come. I wanted to do everything differently. Normally, it all starts with the songs and lyrics on paper then the band plays on top of that song. This was done in the opposite way. The band played a bed of music and I had to find the song inside somehow. It was really freeing.
MR: In some respects, this album sounds like it connects more with your Drive and self-titled albums, almost skipping what Pacific Coast Eyes. How would you view your musical evolution through your catalog?
GC: That’s really cool to hear you say. It definitely gives me the same feeling as those albums, like I was in uncharted territory creatively. I always like feeling a little uncomfortable in making new music and this one was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt….in a good way. It’s fun to look back at my body of work as a whole because it’s kinda like looking at old photos. Even the songs that make me say, “What was I thinking?” make me smile.
MR: What are your favorite albums that were released after you recorded Pacific Coast Eyes?
GC: A few of my favorite albums recently are Beach House’s Bloom, First Aid Kit’s The Lion’s Roar, and Broncho’s Can’t Get Past the Lips.
MR: Pretend you weren’t Graham Colton and you were listening to your album for the first time. What would be your perception of the artist and what would your favorite track be?
GC: I love this question because I made this album as if it was my first. I’d wonder if Graham Colton was a guy or a band. I think my favorite track would be “Summer To Me.”
MR: With “Before The Fall,” you end the album apocalyptically albeit through a love song. How do you view the world these days and where the human race is heading? I know, it’s a pretty heavy question.
GC: That song is a picture I’ve head in my head for awhile. I love the idea of young love and two kids running far away from all the chaos. They’re high above it all and uninhibited. I think the world is moving so fast it scares me a bit to have a daughter growing up among the noise. I wish things would slow down and kids would go outside!
MR: While working on the album, what was the relationship like creatively between you and The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne?
GC: Wayne and i first met at a few years ago and his ex-wife and my wife became close friends. Wayne’s a bit hard to get to know even though he showed an immediate interest in making some music together. We started hanging out a bit and he became a great sounding board for me. I played him new songs, borrowed his equipment and slowly we started collaborating on some stuff. The first was a song called “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away,” he asked me and Jarod to help record. The track was a tribute to the late Mark Linkous of the band Sparklehorse. The thing that really inspired me about working with Wayne was the way he looked at songs and how they’re created. It was the total opposite from the singer/ songwriter formula I was used to working from. We spent a bunch of drunken nights talking about music and listening to The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac records.
MR: Is there anything we need to know about the album that we haven’t discussed?
GC: I received tremendous support for this album via Kickstarter, my family, friends, and fans made it all possible.
MR: What is your advice for new artists?
GC: Stop being so precious with your music. People don’t want perfection. They want honesty.
MR: What does the future bring for Graham Colton?
GC: I just want to keep going. I feel like I’m just now figuring it all out. Talk to me in 5 years, I’m sure I’ll say the same thing.
MR: All the best with the new album, Graham. By the way, your recording “Graceland” from Pacific Coast Eyes is one of my favorites of the last few years.
GC: Thanks so much my friend! That means so much to me.