Josh Kanters Interview
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: A few lessons here and there, but mostly just screwing around until something sounded good.
I did have a band in college that was, at best, mildly successful. Locally anyway. We were getting some paid gigs, and won a Battle of the Bands where we got to open for They Might Be Giants – who were childhood heroes of mine. But ultimately I wanted to do everything myself and was probably a huge ass-pain to work with.
Around 2006 I discovered GarageBand and started messing with it. Recording slow, bluesy covers of one-hit-wonder ‘90s R&B songs and sending them to friends. That led to recording some originals at “Impossible Studios” in Portland, Maine, which doubled as my friend Dustin’s bathroom. And then re-recording them once he moved to LA and got a proper setup with a mic booth that wasn’t also a shower.
There were many false-starts, for many years, where an EP almost happened and then fizzled. But I couldn’t be happier with how Blishoo!! turned out in the end.
Q: What was the inspiration musically and otherwise for BLISHOO!!?
A: Honestly I wish it were something interesting and unique. But I’m probably every mid-30s average dude ever. Overthinking everything, and underwhelmed by everything else. And then sometimes that filters out as music and lyrics through a process some might refer to as “Joshmosis.” *
I’ve also dealt with some sudden and mysterious health problems over the past 15-ish years that doctors can’t seem to figure out. Primarily arm and hand pain that makes guitar playing painful, and TMJ issues when singing. In a way, this EP is a big middle finger to all of that, proving to myself that I could still make it happen even with all of these setbacks going on.
Q: Can you talk about themes that run through BLISHOO!! as well what the artwork is about?
A: Lyrically the themes all seem to be about failure, regret, nostalgia, guilt and depression. Artistically, it’s my Dad sneezing. So. Those kind of balance each other out well. Some of my favorite albums and artists have self-admittedly funny or just plain dumb band names as well as cover art – but the songs still deal with emotionally charged themes -The Refreshments’ Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters. The one serious song on NoFX’s Pump Up the Valuum is appropriately titled “Total Bummer.” I’m not sure if that’s purposeful but, I always saw it as a way to be real with your audience without taking yourself too seriously.
Q: I believe you recorded DIY and then had it sent somewhere to be mixed and mastered? Can you talk about the process?
A: You believe correctly! Mostly everything other than drums were recorded in my human-sized-doghouse of an apartment in Boston. Then sent to a drummer friend locally who lives here, but has a band in Bangladesh. So, he was definitely used to the remote-collaboration thing.
We found a recent Berklee grad to mix and master it, but he unfortunately moved to Austin shortly after we got started. I flew down there to work with him on “Tried Too Hard” and “Treasure Map.” After that, he got the sound I was shooting for, and the rest of the songs were done remotely.
Q: Do you perform or will you perform these songs live?
A: Nah.
Well, maybe. These songs have never been performed live with a band - although I always make sure to arrange them so that they *could* be (as in, like, not having like six pianos overdubbed).
Q: What else do we need to know about The Josh Kanters?
A: That we’re not all Josh Kanters anymore. It was originally me doing everything, hence the name, but we’ve slowly assembled into a ragtag squad of actual musicians along the way.
Blishoo!! would never have happened without Arafat Kazi’s drumming and his support of these songs. Same with the producing skills of Josh Castaneda.
This EP is something I’ve wanted to do since I was probably 15. So, hey it only took 20 years. If you liked it, stay tuned for our full album release – it’s sure to be the hottest mixtape of 2038.
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: A few lessons here and there, but mostly just screwing around until something sounded good.
I did have a band in college that was, at best, mildly successful. Locally anyway. We were getting some paid gigs, and won a Battle of the Bands where we got to open for They Might Be Giants – who were childhood heroes of mine. But ultimately I wanted to do everything myself and was probably a huge ass-pain to work with.
Around 2006 I discovered GarageBand and started messing with it. Recording slow, bluesy covers of one-hit-wonder ‘90s R&B songs and sending them to friends. That led to recording some originals at “Impossible Studios” in Portland, Maine, which doubled as my friend Dustin’s bathroom. And then re-recording them once he moved to LA and got a proper setup with a mic booth that wasn’t also a shower.
There were many false-starts, for many years, where an EP almost happened and then fizzled. But I couldn’t be happier with how Blishoo!! turned out in the end.
Q: What was the inspiration musically and otherwise for BLISHOO!!?
A: Honestly I wish it were something interesting and unique. But I’m probably every mid-30s average dude ever. Overthinking everything, and underwhelmed by everything else. And then sometimes that filters out as music and lyrics through a process some might refer to as “Joshmosis.” *
I’ve also dealt with some sudden and mysterious health problems over the past 15-ish years that doctors can’t seem to figure out. Primarily arm and hand pain that makes guitar playing painful, and TMJ issues when singing. In a way, this EP is a big middle finger to all of that, proving to myself that I could still make it happen even with all of these setbacks going on.
Q: Can you talk about themes that run through BLISHOO!! as well what the artwork is about?
A: Lyrically the themes all seem to be about failure, regret, nostalgia, guilt and depression. Artistically, it’s my Dad sneezing. So. Those kind of balance each other out well. Some of my favorite albums and artists have self-admittedly funny or just plain dumb band names as well as cover art – but the songs still deal with emotionally charged themes -The Refreshments’ Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters. The one serious song on NoFX’s Pump Up the Valuum is appropriately titled “Total Bummer.” I’m not sure if that’s purposeful but, I always saw it as a way to be real with your audience without taking yourself too seriously.
Q: I believe you recorded DIY and then had it sent somewhere to be mixed and mastered? Can you talk about the process?
A: You believe correctly! Mostly everything other than drums were recorded in my human-sized-doghouse of an apartment in Boston. Then sent to a drummer friend locally who lives here, but has a band in Bangladesh. So, he was definitely used to the remote-collaboration thing.
We found a recent Berklee grad to mix and master it, but he unfortunately moved to Austin shortly after we got started. I flew down there to work with him on “Tried Too Hard” and “Treasure Map.” After that, he got the sound I was shooting for, and the rest of the songs were done remotely.
Q: Do you perform or will you perform these songs live?
A: Nah.
Well, maybe. These songs have never been performed live with a band - although I always make sure to arrange them so that they *could* be (as in, like, not having like six pianos overdubbed).
Q: What else do we need to know about The Josh Kanters?
A: That we’re not all Josh Kanters anymore. It was originally me doing everything, hence the name, but we’ve slowly assembled into a ragtag squad of actual musicians along the way.
Blishoo!! would never have happened without Arafat Kazi’s drumming and his support of these songs. Same with the producing skills of Josh Castaneda.
This EP is something I’ve wanted to do since I was probably 15. So, hey it only took 20 years. If you liked it, stay tuned for our full album release – it’s sure to be the hottest mixtape of 2038.