
Interview with Sacha Mullin
Q: You mention that “the album is called Duplex because it "splits" into two "sides" - the first half being more electronic and experimental, and the other half, more organic, chamber-pop.” How did this decision dictate your creative choices throughout the album?
A: Hmm. On my first record Whelm, I tried to aim for a similar balance between a "produced" and an open feel, but I'm not really sure I was all that successful. I was aiming to make a body of work, but I think it might have come off as a random collection of songs. At least, that's what my mother says. (laughs)
On Duplex, I worked on both sides as individual projects. Somewhere along the way, I decided to take a risk and see if I could connect them better this time around. I'd like to think I did, and that working this way not only benefited the songs, but kept me focused.
Q: Can you talk about some of the connected themes throughout Duplex?
A: Subject-wise, when I zoom out from both of my records, Whelm is the "I've been done wrong" record, whereas Duplex tends to be more on the side of "oh wait. I might be wrong too.” There's also this whole duality thing going on: "Crow" and "Applejack" are different reactions to dissolved friendships. "Dream Ain't Dead" and "Dive" analyze my surroundings. And "Eureka" and "Questions" are both existential-crisis love songs. (laughs)
Musically, there's the obvious contrast between how I present both sides of the album, and I link both sides as the narrator. My music taste is fairly heterogenous, so to be able to confidently present what I think are two important sides of myself is nice.
Q: You say “I think the first five songs are me improving upon the sound of my debut, and I guess the last five songs are me growing up.” Can you elaborate on the latter and how that's reflected in your lyrics?
A: Almost all of my work up to that point had been piecemealed together in the studio. I felt empowered doing the second half mostly live -- we really only overdubbed Emily [Bindiger]'s backing vocals and the strings. That forced me to be in my skin and be responsible for my performances and the words. And the words are pretty heavy, but I also think, lyrically, there's far more hope than I'd previously given myself permission. I have a lot of optimism in my life, but it can be hard to write positive songs. As I grow as a person, I've made it a mission to surround myself with more joy. That's why writing something like "Accept Treasure" was important for me. That song is like an inner-hymn.
Q: Duplex is a solo album, but you had a good amount of help from friends. Can you talk about that creative process?
A: Usually, I have a clear vision of what I want, but I'm a collaborative person at heart. When it comes to musicians and the parts I write, I kind of feel like I'm casting a film. I've been grateful to work with so many musicians that inspire me with their humanity, just as much as their talents. In some ways, deciding to do solo work can be lonely, so while I enjoy the ability to call the shots, I need surrounded by supportive energies. So I often write work with my friends' gifts in mind.
Also, I find that I'm often inspired by strong women, and the singers on the record certainly fit that bill. When I listen to their voices, it's like listening to a trust fall. I not only love their timbres and musicianship, but the amount of strength and beauty they give is astonishing. The same for the instrumentalists. To me, they also count as voices. Finding folks who are willing to give so much of themselves for your work is so rare. I'm really honored.
Q: The songwriting process can be a long process with solo albums. What was it like for you? Did you write the other instrumentalists' parts -- or was it more democratic?
A: I actually write and arrange songs very quickly. I write a lot on piano, but sometimes a cappella, and they're often close to fully-formed. It's almost like a possession. What actually takes me the most time is booking rehearsal and recording sessions. The musicians I like working with all have different availabilities, and some even live in other parts of the world!
How it tends to work with my music is that I'll either demo the song on piano or MIDI, write parts out on staff paper, or even scat-sing what I need. In many cases, it's a combination of the three, and I always take the time to talk to the musicians conceptually. All the guitar parts for “Dive" I wrote on piano, and for the strings, I would sing in the moment to Sophia [Uddin, violin & viola], and she would repeat after me and record.
But even though I wrote most of the parts myself, I'm more than willing to listen to suggestions. And there are several key moments that people brought their own ideas. Like, in “Eureka," which has a really odd structure, I sat with Tom [Kelly, bass], and we both survived and found the path of the bass line together. Same with the backing vocal to “Crow.” Evelyn [Davis, vocal] took my initial ideas and added several of her own. She's an excellent improviser. And on the whole second half of the record, both Mike [Baldwin, bass] and Matt [Precin, drums] wrote a majority of their own parts.
Q: What can we expect in the next year? Are you performing these songs live?
A: I had an album release show last month with a full band, and that was great. I was booked to go on, half-way across town, at the same time as A Tribe Called Quest's slot at Pitchfork -- so I was really surprised at the high turnout. Part of me was thinking, "wait, I agreed to this time slot?" while the other was thinking, "I know I'm supposed to perform right now, but do you think I could sneak away to Pitchfork and just have a cardboard cut-out of me on stage with the CD playing?" (laughs)
I'm talking with the band to set up more local shows, and also planning on going it alone in the new year with a piano and voice tour. I'm currently working with a small team to do a couple music videos, and I'll be performing on WZRD radio in late September.
Oh, and if anyone wants to hire me to sing sad songs for a Bar Mitzvah or a ribbon cutting ceremony, I'm so game.
Q: You mention that “the album is called Duplex because it "splits" into two "sides" - the first half being more electronic and experimental, and the other half, more organic, chamber-pop.” How did this decision dictate your creative choices throughout the album?
A: Hmm. On my first record Whelm, I tried to aim for a similar balance between a "produced" and an open feel, but I'm not really sure I was all that successful. I was aiming to make a body of work, but I think it might have come off as a random collection of songs. At least, that's what my mother says. (laughs)
On Duplex, I worked on both sides as individual projects. Somewhere along the way, I decided to take a risk and see if I could connect them better this time around. I'd like to think I did, and that working this way not only benefited the songs, but kept me focused.
Q: Can you talk about some of the connected themes throughout Duplex?
A: Subject-wise, when I zoom out from both of my records, Whelm is the "I've been done wrong" record, whereas Duplex tends to be more on the side of "oh wait. I might be wrong too.” There's also this whole duality thing going on: "Crow" and "Applejack" are different reactions to dissolved friendships. "Dream Ain't Dead" and "Dive" analyze my surroundings. And "Eureka" and "Questions" are both existential-crisis love songs. (laughs)
Musically, there's the obvious contrast between how I present both sides of the album, and I link both sides as the narrator. My music taste is fairly heterogenous, so to be able to confidently present what I think are two important sides of myself is nice.
Q: You say “I think the first five songs are me improving upon the sound of my debut, and I guess the last five songs are me growing up.” Can you elaborate on the latter and how that's reflected in your lyrics?
A: Almost all of my work up to that point had been piecemealed together in the studio. I felt empowered doing the second half mostly live -- we really only overdubbed Emily [Bindiger]'s backing vocals and the strings. That forced me to be in my skin and be responsible for my performances and the words. And the words are pretty heavy, but I also think, lyrically, there's far more hope than I'd previously given myself permission. I have a lot of optimism in my life, but it can be hard to write positive songs. As I grow as a person, I've made it a mission to surround myself with more joy. That's why writing something like "Accept Treasure" was important for me. That song is like an inner-hymn.
Q: Duplex is a solo album, but you had a good amount of help from friends. Can you talk about that creative process?
A: Usually, I have a clear vision of what I want, but I'm a collaborative person at heart. When it comes to musicians and the parts I write, I kind of feel like I'm casting a film. I've been grateful to work with so many musicians that inspire me with their humanity, just as much as their talents. In some ways, deciding to do solo work can be lonely, so while I enjoy the ability to call the shots, I need surrounded by supportive energies. So I often write work with my friends' gifts in mind.
Also, I find that I'm often inspired by strong women, and the singers on the record certainly fit that bill. When I listen to their voices, it's like listening to a trust fall. I not only love their timbres and musicianship, but the amount of strength and beauty they give is astonishing. The same for the instrumentalists. To me, they also count as voices. Finding folks who are willing to give so much of themselves for your work is so rare. I'm really honored.
Q: The songwriting process can be a long process with solo albums. What was it like for you? Did you write the other instrumentalists' parts -- or was it more democratic?
A: I actually write and arrange songs very quickly. I write a lot on piano, but sometimes a cappella, and they're often close to fully-formed. It's almost like a possession. What actually takes me the most time is booking rehearsal and recording sessions. The musicians I like working with all have different availabilities, and some even live in other parts of the world!
How it tends to work with my music is that I'll either demo the song on piano or MIDI, write parts out on staff paper, or even scat-sing what I need. In many cases, it's a combination of the three, and I always take the time to talk to the musicians conceptually. All the guitar parts for “Dive" I wrote on piano, and for the strings, I would sing in the moment to Sophia [Uddin, violin & viola], and she would repeat after me and record.
But even though I wrote most of the parts myself, I'm more than willing to listen to suggestions. And there are several key moments that people brought their own ideas. Like, in “Eureka," which has a really odd structure, I sat with Tom [Kelly, bass], and we both survived and found the path of the bass line together. Same with the backing vocal to “Crow.” Evelyn [Davis, vocal] took my initial ideas and added several of her own. She's an excellent improviser. And on the whole second half of the record, both Mike [Baldwin, bass] and Matt [Precin, drums] wrote a majority of their own parts.
Q: What can we expect in the next year? Are you performing these songs live?
A: I had an album release show last month with a full band, and that was great. I was booked to go on, half-way across town, at the same time as A Tribe Called Quest's slot at Pitchfork -- so I was really surprised at the high turnout. Part of me was thinking, "wait, I agreed to this time slot?" while the other was thinking, "I know I'm supposed to perform right now, but do you think I could sneak away to Pitchfork and just have a cardboard cut-out of me on stage with the CD playing?" (laughs)
I'm talking with the band to set up more local shows, and also planning on going it alone in the new year with a piano and voice tour. I'm currently working with a small team to do a couple music videos, and I'll be performing on WZRD radio in late September.
Oh, and if anyone wants to hire me to sing sad songs for a Bar Mitzvah or a ribbon cutting ceremony, I'm so game.