A Conversation with Viva Voce’s Kevin & Anita Robinson – HuffPost 6.17.11
Mike Ragogna: Kevin and Anita, “viva voce” loosely translates into “living voice.” Is that how you would describe yourselves?
Kevin Robinson: We found the phrase meaning “…by word of mouth..” and discovered it had similar enough definitions in many languages, which we thought was cool. Most, if not all, of my favorite music has usually been shared by a friend. Word of mouth.
Anita Robinson: Turns out it has been a little tricky to make sure it gets spelled correctly, there’s not an “h” in there, people!
MR: (laughs) How did the band form?
AR: We made some 4-track recordings and thought we were onto something, annoyed our friends and family by playing new bits for them constantly, until finally one of them said, “Start a band already, it’s good.” Up until then, I had been a part of other people’s projects, but never my own thing. I hadn’t had the confidence in my songwriting. Kevin has confidence to spare and maybe it spilled over to me.
MR: Who are your influences?
AR: David Gilmour, Mick Ronson, Stephen Malkmus, Nels Cline, Doug Martsch are all some of my favorite classic and current rock guitar players. I listened to a great classic rock station growing up, and it helped shape my tastes without a doubt. It’s still there, the first thing I do when I visit family in Alabama is dial it in on the ride from the airport.
KR: Alan Parsons, Geoff Emmerick, Ralph Bakshi, Masters Apprentices, Sonic Youth, The Police, too much ’90s hip-hop to list, Yo La Tengo. There’s a lot really. Music effects this household pretty heavy on a daily basis.
MR: The title of your new album is The Future Will Destroy You. Will it?
KR: Let’s wait and see.
AR: Of course, our future is guaranteed–we we will all return to dust. But I’m speculating how all of our re-writing of history and technological choices have added a dark, insidious shadow over that basic truth. Whoa, that’s heavy.
MR: But true! What’s the creative process like when you write and record?
AR: Lyrics nearly always come last and often get finished the day of tracking vocals, which means a whirlwind of panic for me but it works somehow. I procrastinate on lyrics because the music part comes so easily, and is so gratifying right away. I can come up with guitar melodies and sounds all day, but expressing myself with words is hard. I’m a little shy. I’m also one of those people for whom lyrics aren’t as important in a song as melody. But bad lyrics sure can ruin a good song, hate it when that happens!
KR: The recording is part of the songwriting process with Viva Voce, so they’re one and the same. The studio is the third member of this band, no doubt. We utilize as many modern tools of the trade as possible, but try to always default to the song, whatever it requires, at every turn. We record quickly by today’s standards in an effort to stay in the moment and exactly capture the human event that’s taking place right then and there, and not get too caught up in the trappings of modern audio recording time-suck. However, we’re trying to create something that’s never existed before, so it’s a delicate balance.
MR: What’s the message of “Plästic Rädio”?
KR: Well, we could candy coat it or not, but some things just aren’t getting better.
AR: Something started changing in America during the eighties, FM rock radio started down the road it’s currently on, limiting and stifling DJs and becoming, well, boring. The change has been financially great for some companies and artists. But who else has benefited? There is music being made that is as meaningful and thrilling and cool as music in the ’60s and ’70s. People don’t know about it. They can’t even decide if they like it or not, they are denied the chance to hear it unless they stumble upon it by chance. My dad was a radio DJ and I spent time at the station with him, helping him cue up records and choosing the playlist. He explained to me what happened in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll with Alan Freed and payola. But that doesn’t exist anymore, right? That would result in mediocre music that doesn’t challenge anyone artistically. That would suck. Sure glad that doesn’t exist!
MR: (laughs) Your “Analog Woodland Song” mentions the word “analog.” How do you feel about analog versus digital sonically?
AR: Oh, there’s no message in that song except how good it is to get to the country after a long winter in the city. No analog nazis! We’re mixed-media artists in the studio, digital and analog live harmoniously.
KR: The word ‘analog’ represents something antiquated, original, and undeniably human. The song to me is about capturing an analog moment in life. Although we enjoy our wax player the most, I honestly couldn’t care less if music is digital or analog.
MR: Which songs on the album are the best examples of how much you’ve grown as an act since your first album, Hooray For Now?
KR: “Diamond Mine” and “No Ship Coming In.”
AR: I think I sang with more confidence on this album than any one I’ve ever done. Often, it was into ’57 and I just held it, very relaxed, no pop filter, just singing like during a rehearsal. I think “Cool Morning Sun” and “Plastic Radio” really hit the mark we were striving for.
MR: Do you feel that having had an “indie” path to this point has allowed you the freedom to make important creative choices you might not have been able to do otherwise?
AR: I do think we’ve been able to do things our way and I’m very grateful for that.
MR: What advice do you have for new artists?
AR: Play as much as possible, so you’ll get good at overcoming obstacles during a show–drunk heckler, drunk sound person, drunk band mates. Wait, maybe just avoid playing in bars? Not sure that’s really an option.
KR: Write a song better than “The Sound of Silence.” Not really advice, more of a challenge. If you can do that, you don’t need my advice.
MR: What’s in store for Viva Voce for the coming year?
KR: We’re going to sell enough records to completely fix the entire music industry.
AR: I think Lady GaGa has already done that, it should be fixed in a couple of weeks, right? FM Radio here we come!