Kenyon Icenogle Interview
Q: Your album Upsie Daisies is full of unique texts and tones. Can you talk a little bit about your creative process in how you discover the sounds you want to use?
A: Sure. All of the songs on Upsie Daisies with the exception of the final one started off on the guitar. It was pretty much just guitar and lyrics when I set out to record. But I really didn't want to do just a straight forward rock album. That seemed too easy I think. I wanted to retain that initial vibe, but I also wanted to make something that was more interesting for the listener; something that would unfold with every listen. Also, being a concept album I felt that there was room to get a bit weird and experimental with things. I really wanted to create a sort of overall experience or journey. So in terms of the sounds a lot of it was trial and error. I'd often start with a sample and see what it would sound like after I ran it through a delay or filter of some kind. Sometimes what would start as a guitar sample would wind up resembling something more percussive after enough processing. And the opposite held true as well when in came to something that started off as a percussion sound. Once time stretched and processed it made more sense as a melodic part. There also were times where I'd isolate some "mistake" or background sound in a take that wasn't going to be used anyway and try to conjure something from it that could be tweaked and edited and layered in to help fulfill what seemed to be missing in that moment.
Q: You said that some of the songs were inspired by paintings. Were there any musical artist that inspired you?
I should clarify what was meant. The overarching themes for the album were inspired by a series of paintings I did that became the artwork for the album. The themes being death and transformation for the most part. The paintings kinda act as chapter markers with the songs expanding on clues and cues given in the paintings and drawing from whatever was happening in my life, or head or the world at the time. I'm forever a fan of any artist that isn't afraid to pursue a vision, even if it's not the most popular thing to do. While recording Upsie Daisies I found myself being really inspired by other albums that had a great impact on me as an aspiring songwriter. Works like The Fragile" or The Slip by NIN. The Wall by Pink Floyd. Lateralus by Tool. Hail To The Thief by Radiohead, which to me always felt like it had conceptual elements to it. It’s political without being totally in your face about it. I also found myself looking at just songs in general by various bands and artists. Songs I liked for their structure and pop sensibility. At one point I was even making playlists of "fake concept albums" to try to give myself a loose reference point of where I thought things should be heading. Like on one I had Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box juxtaposed to Saul Williams No One Ever Does which gave rise to the positioning of "Death to a Dream" and "Eye Of The Day" on Upsie Daisies. D2AD is kind of political and was written shortly after the whole occupy movement lost its steam. The whole second verse is commentary for a disenchanted generation of young adults. And that chorus, "Forever in debt to your priceless advice" kept haunting my thoughts as a kind of eternal outcry for all of those who got suckered into following the “big dreams” of their indoctrinated youth only to find themselves snared in the traps laid for them by bad policies and legislation in America. There’s a whole section of a generation that’s been strapped with mortgage-sized debt from just doing what they were always told to do if they wanted to be successful, go to college. And there’s this feeling like we’re all kind of fucked for it. We can’t afford to buy a house. We can’t afford to start a family. In pursuit of “the dream” we’ve lost out on it, or it’s been delayed for now. But siamesed with that thought is one of greater responsibility too. To not let that happen to anyone else. We’re better than that. I’m better than that. Humanity can do so much better than that! But that’s where the moment of pause comes into play. Who am I to expect change "out there" if I'm not willing to change myself first? And are they connected somehow? Can I shift my experience of reality by shifting my perception from a thought form based in fear and anger and blame to one of responsibility, forgiveness and love? If consciousness is the fabric of reality instead of matter, which physicists increasingly seem to find their equations suggesting, then are thoughts ever really passive? If we each decide to focus on changing ourselves from within, could we change the world from without? This is probably not the response expected for this question so... I also like UNKLE?
Q: A lot of your lyrics are ambiguous. Do you have specific subject matters in mind when writing?
A little ambiguity in art can go a long way. Always leave room for misinterpretation! LOL. That said, I think the initial ambiguity will wear off after repeated listens. There’s always a focus when I’m writing, often times more than one. My lyrics are just victims of substance abuse. LOL! Lyrics that I always thought were the coolest are the holographic, or prismatic ones. Theres all these streams or angles of thought meshing together on one line. I really want to get better at this. It’s like having all the things you want to say and then trying to realize the many ways it can be interpreted. Then limiting yourself to as few words as possible. Each precise, some with multiple meanings for connecting purposes. Some chosen for their syllabic properties that when mixed with each other a ghost word appears. Or rather a word that isn’t written in but is audibly perceived to be there. Opening up a completely different view or expanding on an existing one. But still keeping it simple, if maybe just a bit abstract and symbolic. I think it’s possible to be direct and indirect at the same time. It’s poetry after all, thats part of the fun!
Q: One of my favorite songs “A Stick And A Stone.” I’m not even sure how to describe what genre of music this is. Do you label your music with a specific genre?
Yes and no. I try to stay away from attaching any sort of label to my music for myself. I don’t really feel like it’s my place to do so. But inevitably you’re going to be asked to describe it to someone else, and that can be tough. I usually feel inspired by multiple genres and it’s not like I’d use the same set of terms to describe every song. So maybe I’d call it prog rock or alternative? Both feel like a copout response to me, but how accurate can you really get without writing a book? I mean, what genre of music does Beck make? He’s all over the place! How would he answer this question? I would say Beck makes Beck music. I just want to be free to go where ever the muses may beckon. No pun intended.
Q: How soon can we expect another release?
A: Things are in the works, thats all I can really say for now.
Q: Have you give any thought to playing these songs live?
A: Actually yes! I’m hoping to get some live shows going towards the end of this year. I’d really like to do a proper release party too. I’m not totally concerned with playing everything exactly like the record though. I’ve been working with some other musicians and seeing what fits best in that realm. Some things will come across as they do in print. But others will be stripped to their core and re-imagined. “Mourning Sickness” for example is beginning to take on a vibe that reminds me a bit of “Don’t Fear The Reaper” by BOC. It’s my first time really working with a traditional band and it’s been really cool to see what we can come up with together.
Q: Your album Upsie Daisies is full of unique texts and tones. Can you talk a little bit about your creative process in how you discover the sounds you want to use?
A: Sure. All of the songs on Upsie Daisies with the exception of the final one started off on the guitar. It was pretty much just guitar and lyrics when I set out to record. But I really didn't want to do just a straight forward rock album. That seemed too easy I think. I wanted to retain that initial vibe, but I also wanted to make something that was more interesting for the listener; something that would unfold with every listen. Also, being a concept album I felt that there was room to get a bit weird and experimental with things. I really wanted to create a sort of overall experience or journey. So in terms of the sounds a lot of it was trial and error. I'd often start with a sample and see what it would sound like after I ran it through a delay or filter of some kind. Sometimes what would start as a guitar sample would wind up resembling something more percussive after enough processing. And the opposite held true as well when in came to something that started off as a percussion sound. Once time stretched and processed it made more sense as a melodic part. There also were times where I'd isolate some "mistake" or background sound in a take that wasn't going to be used anyway and try to conjure something from it that could be tweaked and edited and layered in to help fulfill what seemed to be missing in that moment.
Q: You said that some of the songs were inspired by paintings. Were there any musical artist that inspired you?
I should clarify what was meant. The overarching themes for the album were inspired by a series of paintings I did that became the artwork for the album. The themes being death and transformation for the most part. The paintings kinda act as chapter markers with the songs expanding on clues and cues given in the paintings and drawing from whatever was happening in my life, or head or the world at the time. I'm forever a fan of any artist that isn't afraid to pursue a vision, even if it's not the most popular thing to do. While recording Upsie Daisies I found myself being really inspired by other albums that had a great impact on me as an aspiring songwriter. Works like The Fragile" or The Slip by NIN. The Wall by Pink Floyd. Lateralus by Tool. Hail To The Thief by Radiohead, which to me always felt like it had conceptual elements to it. It’s political without being totally in your face about it. I also found myself looking at just songs in general by various bands and artists. Songs I liked for their structure and pop sensibility. At one point I was even making playlists of "fake concept albums" to try to give myself a loose reference point of where I thought things should be heading. Like on one I had Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box juxtaposed to Saul Williams No One Ever Does which gave rise to the positioning of "Death to a Dream" and "Eye Of The Day" on Upsie Daisies. D2AD is kind of political and was written shortly after the whole occupy movement lost its steam. The whole second verse is commentary for a disenchanted generation of young adults. And that chorus, "Forever in debt to your priceless advice" kept haunting my thoughts as a kind of eternal outcry for all of those who got suckered into following the “big dreams” of their indoctrinated youth only to find themselves snared in the traps laid for them by bad policies and legislation in America. There’s a whole section of a generation that’s been strapped with mortgage-sized debt from just doing what they were always told to do if they wanted to be successful, go to college. And there’s this feeling like we’re all kind of fucked for it. We can’t afford to buy a house. We can’t afford to start a family. In pursuit of “the dream” we’ve lost out on it, or it’s been delayed for now. But siamesed with that thought is one of greater responsibility too. To not let that happen to anyone else. We’re better than that. I’m better than that. Humanity can do so much better than that! But that’s where the moment of pause comes into play. Who am I to expect change "out there" if I'm not willing to change myself first? And are they connected somehow? Can I shift my experience of reality by shifting my perception from a thought form based in fear and anger and blame to one of responsibility, forgiveness and love? If consciousness is the fabric of reality instead of matter, which physicists increasingly seem to find their equations suggesting, then are thoughts ever really passive? If we each decide to focus on changing ourselves from within, could we change the world from without? This is probably not the response expected for this question so... I also like UNKLE?
Q: A lot of your lyrics are ambiguous. Do you have specific subject matters in mind when writing?
A little ambiguity in art can go a long way. Always leave room for misinterpretation! LOL. That said, I think the initial ambiguity will wear off after repeated listens. There’s always a focus when I’m writing, often times more than one. My lyrics are just victims of substance abuse. LOL! Lyrics that I always thought were the coolest are the holographic, or prismatic ones. Theres all these streams or angles of thought meshing together on one line. I really want to get better at this. It’s like having all the things you want to say and then trying to realize the many ways it can be interpreted. Then limiting yourself to as few words as possible. Each precise, some with multiple meanings for connecting purposes. Some chosen for their syllabic properties that when mixed with each other a ghost word appears. Or rather a word that isn’t written in but is audibly perceived to be there. Opening up a completely different view or expanding on an existing one. But still keeping it simple, if maybe just a bit abstract and symbolic. I think it’s possible to be direct and indirect at the same time. It’s poetry after all, thats part of the fun!
Q: One of my favorite songs “A Stick And A Stone.” I’m not even sure how to describe what genre of music this is. Do you label your music with a specific genre?
Yes and no. I try to stay away from attaching any sort of label to my music for myself. I don’t really feel like it’s my place to do so. But inevitably you’re going to be asked to describe it to someone else, and that can be tough. I usually feel inspired by multiple genres and it’s not like I’d use the same set of terms to describe every song. So maybe I’d call it prog rock or alternative? Both feel like a copout response to me, but how accurate can you really get without writing a book? I mean, what genre of music does Beck make? He’s all over the place! How would he answer this question? I would say Beck makes Beck music. I just want to be free to go where ever the muses may beckon. No pun intended.
Q: How soon can we expect another release?
A: Things are in the works, thats all I can really say for now.
Q: Have you give any thought to playing these songs live?
A: Actually yes! I’m hoping to get some live shows going towards the end of this year. I’d really like to do a proper release party too. I’m not totally concerned with playing everything exactly like the record though. I’ve been working with some other musicians and seeing what fits best in that realm. Some things will come across as they do in print. But others will be stripped to their core and re-imagined. “Mourning Sickness” for example is beginning to take on a vibe that reminds me a bit of “Don’t Fear The Reaper” by BOC. It’s my first time really working with a traditional band and it’s been really cool to see what we can come up with together.