Goodwin Interview
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
T: We could, but it wouldn't be very interesting. Our actual origin story isn't particularly remarkable. Our fictional origin stories, on the other hand, are legendary. Which one would you like to hear? Meeting as judges for a Flock of Seagulls impersonator contest in Federal Way? Fraternal triplets born into a doomsday cult in New Zealand? Understudies for Britney, Justin, and Xtina on the "New Mickey Mouse Club"? Springing forth full-grown from the head of Zeus? We can do this all day.
L: aNdi and I have been playing together in a diverse range of musical projects for the past several years including an indie rock band called Jiffy and a TV theme song cover band called Sit Ubu Sit. We formed Goodwin after Jiffy disbanded a few years ago and played with a couple of bassists until we found the perfect fit. Yay Tommy! Eventually we'd love to bring on a full-time keyboardist so our origin story continues....
aP: I was asked to join the then duo group of Goodwin who was Lisa and Maggie (the original bassist). They wrote most of the songs and I'd add the drum parts and we'd all collaborate on songs. Lisa and I had already played together in other projects, so I figured, what's one more? ;) After losing Maggie we were on the quest to find another bassist and lucked out when we found the super talented Tommy! We're looking to round out our sound with some keys, so sky's the limit once we're fully “staffed."
Q: Your EP The Time For Sure felt like a fun rock record. Can you talk about the creative process and how the foundation for the EP came to be?
T: Every generation has a band that becomes the soundtrack for their lives. Goodwin is not that band. Honestly, who wants that kind of pressure? Our preferred musical idiom is jangly, muscular, proto-New-Wave-meets-Riot-Grrrl riffy rock, while our preferred lyrical idiom is slightly awkward, often ironic, occasionally resentful, usually foolhardy songs about self-doubt vs. soured relationships. And kittens. We don't want to shoe gaze or drown in our own melancholy; we want to have fun and we want the audience/listener to have fun. So we're happy to hear you felt like it was.
L: "This War" and "Tyson" were originally Jiffy songs that we Goodwin-ized, giving them new life and more of a power trio treatment. As for the creative process, I usually come in with lyrics, the basic guitar parts and a loose idea of what the rhythm should be and then we jam until it really comes together. By the time Tom joined us, the rest of the songs on this record were all in various stages of completion but nothing was final. Tom took the existing bass parts and really kicked 'em up all the notches.
aP: The EP was super fun to make. It had been several years since I had been in the studio so going through that process was super fun. We had a lot of fun taking some other songs from other projects Lisa and I had played together in and making them “ours." We were super prepared going in and had the opportunity to be a bit spontaneous adding keys to the mix during the recording process, which added a layer we aren't used to normally. It was pretty awesome hearing the final product. It turned out better than I would have imagined.
Q: What was your time in the studio like?
T: Like two days recording and five hours mixing. I mean, man, at this level it's all about coming in knowing exactly what your plan is and executing on that plan; there ain't no record company footing the bill and you ain't got time to screw around. Don at Earwig was great and very on point with that. We took a few hours to set up and get sounds, and then jumped right in recording full band takes for each of the five songs. Then we recorded lead and backup vocals on each (as you can hear, harmonies are a key element in what we do). Then we did a few quick overdubs/electronic fixing of the occasional wrong note or part. Then we laid down the keyboards (because Tom can't play bass and keys at the same time). That was basically the weekend. Then we came back a few nights later to mix. It was exhilaratingly down-and-dirty and we had a fabulous time doing it.
L: Quick. efficient and really fun. We came in well-rehearsed and knowing what we wanted and Don at Earwig was great to work with. We really clicked both musically and personally with him—as well as Rachel at Resonant Mastering! We really appreciated her letting us sit in while she worked her magic and really getting what we were going for.
aP: The studio was fun. All having had some previous experience in studio, we knew we'd maximize our time and money if we were super prepared, so we got tight and were able to meet our goal. It felt ambitious for two days or recording, but we did it and had an amazing experience with Don.
Q: Can you talk about the history of the band?
T: We could, but it wouldn't be very interesting. Our actual origin story isn't particularly remarkable. Our fictional origin stories, on the other hand, are legendary. Which one would you like to hear? Meeting as judges for a Flock of Seagulls impersonator contest in Federal Way? Fraternal triplets born into a doomsday cult in New Zealand? Understudies for Britney, Justin, and Xtina on the "New Mickey Mouse Club"? Springing forth full-grown from the head of Zeus? We can do this all day.
L: aNdi and I have been playing together in a diverse range of musical projects for the past several years including an indie rock band called Jiffy and a TV theme song cover band called Sit Ubu Sit. We formed Goodwin after Jiffy disbanded a few years ago and played with a couple of bassists until we found the perfect fit. Yay Tommy! Eventually we'd love to bring on a full-time keyboardist so our origin story continues....
aP: I was asked to join the then duo group of Goodwin who was Lisa and Maggie (the original bassist). They wrote most of the songs and I'd add the drum parts and we'd all collaborate on songs. Lisa and I had already played together in other projects, so I figured, what's one more? ;) After losing Maggie we were on the quest to find another bassist and lucked out when we found the super talented Tommy! We're looking to round out our sound with some keys, so sky's the limit once we're fully “staffed."
Q: Your EP The Time For Sure felt like a fun rock record. Can you talk about the creative process and how the foundation for the EP came to be?
T: Every generation has a band that becomes the soundtrack for their lives. Goodwin is not that band. Honestly, who wants that kind of pressure? Our preferred musical idiom is jangly, muscular, proto-New-Wave-meets-Riot-Grrrl riffy rock, while our preferred lyrical idiom is slightly awkward, often ironic, occasionally resentful, usually foolhardy songs about self-doubt vs. soured relationships. And kittens. We don't want to shoe gaze or drown in our own melancholy; we want to have fun and we want the audience/listener to have fun. So we're happy to hear you felt like it was.
L: "This War" and "Tyson" were originally Jiffy songs that we Goodwin-ized, giving them new life and more of a power trio treatment. As for the creative process, I usually come in with lyrics, the basic guitar parts and a loose idea of what the rhythm should be and then we jam until it really comes together. By the time Tom joined us, the rest of the songs on this record were all in various stages of completion but nothing was final. Tom took the existing bass parts and really kicked 'em up all the notches.
aP: The EP was super fun to make. It had been several years since I had been in the studio so going through that process was super fun. We had a lot of fun taking some other songs from other projects Lisa and I had played together in and making them “ours." We were super prepared going in and had the opportunity to be a bit spontaneous adding keys to the mix during the recording process, which added a layer we aren't used to normally. It was pretty awesome hearing the final product. It turned out better than I would have imagined.
Q: What was your time in the studio like?
T: Like two days recording and five hours mixing. I mean, man, at this level it's all about coming in knowing exactly what your plan is and executing on that plan; there ain't no record company footing the bill and you ain't got time to screw around. Don at Earwig was great and very on point with that. We took a few hours to set up and get sounds, and then jumped right in recording full band takes for each of the five songs. Then we recorded lead and backup vocals on each (as you can hear, harmonies are a key element in what we do). Then we did a few quick overdubs/electronic fixing of the occasional wrong note or part. Then we laid down the keyboards (because Tom can't play bass and keys at the same time). That was basically the weekend. Then we came back a few nights later to mix. It was exhilaratingly down-and-dirty and we had a fabulous time doing it.
L: Quick. efficient and really fun. We came in well-rehearsed and knowing what we wanted and Don at Earwig was great to work with. We really clicked both musically and personally with him—as well as Rachel at Resonant Mastering! We really appreciated her letting us sit in while she worked her magic and really getting what we were going for.
aP: The studio was fun. All having had some previous experience in studio, we knew we'd maximize our time and money if we were super prepared, so we got tight and were able to meet our goal. It felt ambitious for two days or recording, but we did it and had an amazing experience with Don.
Q: More on that question, were there points in the studio when a song became something you weren’t expecting?
T: Not really, because when you're working under the gun like that there's really no time for improvisation; you're just trying to get the best version of the way you do it live on tape. (Or, you know, digital bits or whatever.) Probably the closest we came to discovering something unexpected was in doing the keyboard tracks, because to this point we don't feature keys in our live act and so some of the songs didn't have established keyboard parts, or even keyboard sounds. So that bit involved some quick exploration. But even then, we had some idea coming in of what we wanted to do.
L: Only in adding keyboard parts on the spot. We had a basic idea of what we wanted to add to the songs that hadn't had any keys on them before and they turned out even better than expected—the "reverse keys" on "One Mistake" were a very last minute add and it gives me chills every time I hear it.
aP: It's always surprising to me to hear your songs on record, in your headphones and your head in a way you don't experience when playing it. Hearing us that "big" and amazing was surprising. I also think the addition of the keys was a nice unexpected addition that wasn't rehearsed prior. Hearing that addition was pretty awesome.
Q: How often are you playing live and what are your shows like?
T: As often as anyone will have us; we're not proud. Our live shows have been described (by us) as "high-octane, medium-self-esteem," which, while obviously meant as a joke, contains a few grains of truth. We do play with a lot of energy, and our songs tend to feature a lot of dynamic range; we're definitely gonna throw some catchy and compelling shit your way. And luckily Lisa is a graphic designer by day and curates our aesthetic to the extent that hopefully we look vaguely cool--or, at least, slightly cooler than we sometimes feel. As a result, we stand out. We don't look or sound like anything anybody else in Seattle (or anywhere else, for that matter) is doing right now. So when you come see and hear us play, you're gonna see and hear a band whose sound and look are unique, hopefully in a way you'll dig.
L: We've been playing out about every couple of months or so and are planning to ramp up our schedule now that we have the finished EP. We had our EP release party at The High Dive recently and that was a fantastic fun-filled time. Our shows are quirky and high-energy with all the bells and whistles: background video, a light-up drum kit and there have even been rumors of some choreography in the near future...
aP: We love to perform, we don't need an audience as we can entertain ourselves, but it's definitely much more fun and rewarding to do so in front of people excited to see you. We bring some energy and quirkiness. We enjoy the aesthetics, our look, adding some flare to our performance and going a little outside the norms.
Q: What else should we know about Goodwin?
T: I mean...are you asking for our digits? 'Cuz like I said, we're a pretty easy date.
L: Our ethos is "Rifftastic Nuggets for your Earballs.”.We're serious about making good music. But not too serious.
aP: We like most food and drink.
T: Not really, because when you're working under the gun like that there's really no time for improvisation; you're just trying to get the best version of the way you do it live on tape. (Or, you know, digital bits or whatever.) Probably the closest we came to discovering something unexpected was in doing the keyboard tracks, because to this point we don't feature keys in our live act and so some of the songs didn't have established keyboard parts, or even keyboard sounds. So that bit involved some quick exploration. But even then, we had some idea coming in of what we wanted to do.
L: Only in adding keyboard parts on the spot. We had a basic idea of what we wanted to add to the songs that hadn't had any keys on them before and they turned out even better than expected—the "reverse keys" on "One Mistake" were a very last minute add and it gives me chills every time I hear it.
aP: It's always surprising to me to hear your songs on record, in your headphones and your head in a way you don't experience when playing it. Hearing us that "big" and amazing was surprising. I also think the addition of the keys was a nice unexpected addition that wasn't rehearsed prior. Hearing that addition was pretty awesome.
Q: How often are you playing live and what are your shows like?
T: As often as anyone will have us; we're not proud. Our live shows have been described (by us) as "high-octane, medium-self-esteem," which, while obviously meant as a joke, contains a few grains of truth. We do play with a lot of energy, and our songs tend to feature a lot of dynamic range; we're definitely gonna throw some catchy and compelling shit your way. And luckily Lisa is a graphic designer by day and curates our aesthetic to the extent that hopefully we look vaguely cool--or, at least, slightly cooler than we sometimes feel. As a result, we stand out. We don't look or sound like anything anybody else in Seattle (or anywhere else, for that matter) is doing right now. So when you come see and hear us play, you're gonna see and hear a band whose sound and look are unique, hopefully in a way you'll dig.
L: We've been playing out about every couple of months or so and are planning to ramp up our schedule now that we have the finished EP. We had our EP release party at The High Dive recently and that was a fantastic fun-filled time. Our shows are quirky and high-energy with all the bells and whistles: background video, a light-up drum kit and there have even been rumors of some choreography in the near future...
aP: We love to perform, we don't need an audience as we can entertain ourselves, but it's definitely much more fun and rewarding to do so in front of people excited to see you. We bring some energy and quirkiness. We enjoy the aesthetics, our look, adding some flare to our performance and going a little outside the norms.
Q: What else should we know about Goodwin?
T: I mean...are you asking for our digits? 'Cuz like I said, we're a pretty easy date.
L: Our ethos is "Rifftastic Nuggets for your Earballs.”.We're serious about making good music. But not too serious.
aP: We like most food and drink.