MUSIC INTERVIEW - GREAT NORTHERN
Serious Fun On The Road Transferring Sounds From Studio To Stage
(Eenie Meenie Records) A fusion of indie rock and dream pop laced with a strong dose of raw emotion, Great Northern is already establishing itself as one of those bands that will doubtlessly pave its own path to greatness. They have a new lineup, a sophomore album that will blow you away, and a live act that you won’t soon forget.
Before their show at San Francisco’s Hotel Utah Saloon, Rachel Stolte took the time to chat with me at the bar about her switch from keyboards to guitar, the synchronicity of the band, and trying to find the light.
Ashley Schaeffer: I remember hearing the story about where the title of your first album came from. Does this album have a story behind its title as well?
Rachel Stolte: We went through a lot of titles, actually. We were originally going to call it “33” because it’s one of the most powerful numbers. If you Google “33,” it’s crazy what comes up.
AS: When I saw that song on your album, the first thing I thought of was The Pumpkins’ song “Thirty-Three.”
RS: Yeah, I love that song. We can’t call the album that, but we just called a song that. It was all about numbers. We wanted it to be released on 3/3/09 — all multiples of three — and about things being cohesive and lining up, because a lot of the songs kind of happen that way. So that’s why we were going in that direction, but there was just something about it that wasn’t right. And I was like, “Well, let me go get a pad of paper and a pen and run upstairs really quick,” but all the lights were out in the apartment. So I was like, “Where’s the light switch?” and then thought, “Remind me where the light is…” Then I was like, “Wait a minute!” So I went down and told Solon [Bixler] and it kind of stuck in both of our heads. It fits now, we think, really well with the concept of making the record. It was a lot darker, at times, and a lot harder initially, so it stuck.
AS: Were there any specific experiences that you guys have been going through since the last album that have inspired the themes of this album?
RS: I feel like when you tour with songs for a long time (we were on tour for about a year and a half with the last record), you change a lot internally. You also see a lot of bands perform and you start to see what you’re lacking in your band and get inspired by other bands and the way they do things. We had a lot of fun on the first record being on stage. We hit the crescendo to that place and then came back down, so we really wanted to have an intensity for this record, and I think being on the road really helped out and it just became part of the whole process — stripping away layers and becoming more vulnerable so that we could be more emotional in the studio, when we brought songs to producers. When we got home from tour, we bought a bunch of equipment and made a home studio and started recording at 4:00 in the morning or 3:00 in the afternoon, whenever we felt inspired, and we realized a lot of shit needed to come out. We ended up with, like, 35 songs that we brought to the producer, and in the end there were 11 or 13.
AS: Both of your albums deal with the concept of light and dark, and your music does a good job of straddling the two, but if you had to say this album leaned more toward one, which would it be?
RS: I would say it went more towards honesty. I think that can be perceived either as dark or light. Some people don’t like to hear the truth, and it’s painful and they run from it. And then some people actually embrace it and it becomes light. What happens after you actually stare the truth in the face is so rewarding.
AS: So it looks like “Houses” is the album’s first single. Do you know if any other songs will be made into singles? “Stories” maybe?
RS: Well, originally we were like “‘Stories’ is the single,” and when the record’s done, you give it over to your radio people and that’s their job. We want what we want, but then we’re like, “What do you guys think?” And they know better than we do because the shit I listen to half the time is never on the radio, so I think “Stories” in there for sure. “Stories” and “Houses” were head-to-head, and “Houses” prevailed, and “Mountain” is on the backburner. “Stories” is up and running, so we’ll see what happens.
AS: What is your personal favorite song from the album that you get the most into?
AS: It’s weird… It changes every night. It’s so exciting to bring songs to life in front of people because there’s this energy exchange, and everything changes instead of playing in a practice space or in a studio where it’s all isolated and all you know is it feels good…but is anyone going to like it? I have no idea. So I don’t know. This record’s a lot more raw. It’s a little bit more aggressive for us. It’s just all around more satisfying. Last album, I thought I definitely had a favorite song, but this time it changes every night.
AS: I really love your video for “Home.” Do you have any other music videos in the making, or music video concepts in your head for this album?
RS: Not really. I mean, the art of the music video seems like it’s a bit on the decline. I mean, there’s YouTube… I love it. But you know how, when we were kids and we would watch music videos, it was amazing and you’d be like, “I can’t wait to see this music video.” It dictated the whole story of the song. I don’t even watch MTV anymore. It’s just all weird shows about people living in their cribs. So, if there was a really great reason to do it… We always bring in a really cinematic way with the songs, working in images and stories, and we may have ideas for music videos, but we don’t really know how necessary that would be. If it comes up, we’ll be lucky to do an art project.
AS: How have you grown as a musician and as a band since the last album? I didn’t know you had a new keyboardist, you’re on guitar now… I knew you had a new bassist.
RS: Yeah, we have a whole new lineup. I love everybody — everybody’s super-cool people, funny, and also really amazing musicians. I feel like it’s the first band I’ve ever been in. It’s really strange. It seems like everything just kind of synchronized. Playing guitar is great ‘cause I’ve always been kind of stuck on the keyboards while I was singing and it was this split thing, and now that I’m on guitar…it’s a lot more satisfying to play guitar.
AS: So it feels more comfortable for you to play the guitar while performing?
RS: I feel a lot more connected to guitar, even though I’ve only been playing it a short amount of time and I’m not even good at it yet, but it just feels more natural for me, so I think it helps me perform better. It’s a nice evolution.
AS: You say, on your website, that performing the songs from your new album wasn’t the easiest thing to do at the beginning. Was it the technical aspects of the instrumentation or using the equipment and pedals to get the same effects live?
RS: Well, we’re playing everything through this computer system called Logic — it’s what Radiohead uses and Nine Inch Nails. It’s really awesome. It’s just one computer and they show keyboards and things, and [depending on the song] everyone’s sounds will change through this computer, and everything is cohesive. So it’s a whole new system, and Solon is actually the mastermind behind all that. I’m so not the mastermind behind making that happen. I’m like, “Let me just perform, and you can do all that…” Really, Solon’s much, much better at that stuff. He actually is incredible and made all of it. It sounds like the record when we play live. It was challenging also because the songs we’re playing are also more demanding, but I guess that’s really important for music and for a band, and for an audience. The more you’re into it, it makes for a better show — a new chapter.
AS: You’ve toured with some really amazing musicians over the years. Which would you say you had the most fun with or the most chemistry with?
RS: Definitely had the most fun with The Comas because they’re fucking hilarious. I think I learned the most from touring with The Gutter Twins, just from Mark Lanegan and watching him sing. His voice is crazy-amazing. But we’re looking forward to the future, to play with some really amazing bands. There’s always something good you can get out of the experience. It’s interesting how the dynamics shift over the tour. With Robbers on High Street, we bonded but we didn’t really bond until the end. And then we’re like, “Oh, we love you guys!” It’s always fun and weird and crazy [to be] put in with 20 people you’ve never met, and we’re together every night for a month. What’s gonna happen? We don’t know. It’s cool. It’s an interesting experience.
AS: Dream collaborations: In a perfect world, if you could play with anyone…
RS: You mean in the same band?
AS: Working together in the creative process…
RS: Depeche Mode. They’re one of my favorite bands on the planet. Or Fiona Apple, maybe.
AS: I know you guys probably dedicate the majority of your time to music, but do you have any hobbies on the side?
RS: I’m obsessed with astrology.
AS: What’s your sign?
RS: I’m a Capricorn and my Moon’s in Sagittarius. I feel like my Moon in Sagittarius makes me more fun because, as a Capricorn, you can get really serious.
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