Metal Mountains: Interview!

Metal Mountains have just released their first record 'Golden Trees' on Amish Records. I got to catch up with them recently via email about the new album and a few other things too!

As a fan I’ve always found it comforting that Folk keeps going, fashionable or not. Do you find this as a musician? How have trends if any affected your work?

Pat
I think, as a musician you have to try to let yourself do the work that honestly comes out, even if that is not necessarily a widely popular form. That's not to say not to push yourself and make explorations, but more of self-searching process where you ask yourself, "does this feel true?" We've seen an interesting time in the past few years, where we’ve seen another resurgence of folk influenced music on the radar. The funny thing is, once something gets codified by journalists and music writers, it's usually not long before it is a trend that's considered "over".

Samara
Everything keeps going... How have trends if any affected playing? Seems that we, and everyone else, are buying more pedals.

With that in mind, what's it like being in a psych/folk band in NY today?

Pat
Well, New York sometimes doesn't necessarily feel like the ideal setting or inspiration for making that kind of quiet music. I think live music in general is a bit of a struggle in New York. Just the logistics of playing out. It's a kind of over-stimulating place. So much going on that it's daunting.

Samara
Seems to be a larger audience from back in the Cooler days, but then and now the shows were pretty freakin' intense. So, no, not much has changed.

Do you enjoy playing shows? I've noticed you’ve been performing 'Orange/Yellow' and 'Turn to the East' from ‘Golden Trees’ for a while. Does playing live help develop songs before you get to the recording process? Or do you utilize live shows to play them unaltered as a way to let the songs live and breathe before the recording stage?

Pat
I do enjoy it--especially shows that have a kind of relaxed feel to them—a lot depends on the setting. I like to think of songs having room to breathe and develop a kind of life of their own. Of course once you make a recorded version, there's a tendency to want to consider that the absolute definitive version. But I think they can continue to develop. Playing the songs live before you record them can be a good way to workshop the ideas. I remember when we recorded the basic tracks--Samara and I happened to both be terribly sick with the flu. Helen felt so bad about that, but the sessions were all set up. Anyway, I almost was in this altered drugged-out state. Actually, it might have focused my playing in a way. Just really slowed me down. It was a kind of fun time in spite of being sick. Eating Thai food, collapsing on the couch between playing.

Samara
Yea, I do like playing Metal Mountain shows. There was a live version of trucks on 95 that we did with Tower (Tower Recordings) - left me shaking. I keep it pretty loose with Metal Mountains (that's how it was with tower as well) so, it's always slightly different within a very fixed feel. I've got a notion that it helps keep it present.

Helen
I get pretty nervous before we are about to play live, but I love playing with Samara and Pat and they are both amazing musicians so that helps alleviate my anxiety. We had been playing these songs, live & at home, for quite a while before we recorded them so they had a long time to develop. I'd say more progress is made from rehearsals in my living room than playing live. The songs have a loose structure so there is a lot of space to be free. That's how we recorded it and that's how we play live, sitting down, playing around the structure and jamming in the jammy parts......

Helen, you once told me that your lyrics come to you when you're riding your bike over the Manhattan Bridge. I always thought this was quite romantic in a poetic way. Can you expand on your lyric writing process?

Helen
I ride into the city every day over the bridge. It’s a great and it leaves a lot of time for thinking and taking in the day, it kind of touches the senses and inspires many ideas. I try and ride the most un-trafficked way, which takes me past the amazing 'Admirals Row' houses and every day I see the city skyline anew. I sing a lot when I am riding my bicycle, working on lyrics and just singing songs I like. Lyrically I'm pretty sparse, I write a poem of sorts first and then whittle it away into a song. I want to leave room for interpretation, I know what they mean to me, but I want others to feel as if they own them, if that makes sense.

Metal Mountains seems to merge a fresh psychedelic sound with traditional folk at the core of the songs. Acts like Pentangle come to mind when listening to 'Golden Trees'. Being English is it important for you to stay true to your roots in the music you make? Or would you be writing like this regardless of where you came from?

Helen
I was quite into folk music in my teens, listening to 'The Trees', 'Pentangle' etc etc and I really liked traditional English & Irish folk songs too. That definitely inspired me to pick up the guitar, I really wanted to play and sing those songs. So, the base is there and maybe if I'd grown up elsewhere that would have been different. To me it's a part of my music history, since that time I've discovered new cities, different countries, new genres to dig deep into, new guitar sounds etc etc....they all play their part so I'd say the sound comes from where I am.

Do you ever revisit records you’ve made in the past? If so, what’s that like?

Pat
When I'm working on mixing something, I'll put on some previous things I've done to see how it fits or doesn't fit in. It's weird--sometimes depending on how much time has past there can be moments of "gosh, I almost forgot about that". It can bring you into the head-space of where you were when the music was created.

Samara
Rarely, and I tend to be surprised at either how bad, or how good it sounds.

Samara, are you a self taught Violinist?

Samara
No. I took classical lessons for over a decade when I was growing up, and played in a bunch of school/youth orchestras as a teenager...

Are there any violinists you take inspiration from?

Samara
Cale (yea, it's a viola) and Conrad are the ones - both, singularly, went their own way...

Helen, I haven't read much about your Art Work. Speaking about the drawings with you it sounds like line is crucial in your work. The aerial shapes placed on the page seem to create other worldly negative space on the paper. Can you explain how you developed your drawing style? Does any of this coincide with how you play guitar? Does one influence the other at all?

Helen
Ha ha, I'm pretty sure no one has ever written about my Art Work.... I really just make things for my friends, cards and such and draw posters for our shows (Oh, and the artwork for our record of course). I guess my 'style' was initially influenced by comic books, minimalism, the 70's and a lack of talent using color (excluding Paynes Grey, silver and gold). I just combine all those elements add a touch of nature and it turns out as it does...All my creative stuff is pretty minimal, the way I play/pick the guitar is very simple, I like playing that way and I can jam on the same one or two chords for quite sometime. I also have notebooks of sentences slowly becoming a word. I'm not sure how they influence each other, but they are all a part of me so I'm sure that they do.

How does it differ getting your band heard from pre-digital era Tower Recordings to pro-digital era Metal Mountains? During a time of Myspace, iTUnes, blogging and downloading is the internet a help or hindrance when you're in a band from your experience?

Pat
Yeah, that was such a different time. And really not that long ago. I get some warm fuzzy feelings thinking about that pre-digital age of fanzines. When making a seven inch single seemed to have an impact in that very niche community. Overall though, I enjoy the advantages of the technology a lot, especially as a listener. I guess it's that paradox—we have more ways than ever before to communicate yet sometimes things can (inexplicably) feel there's not much to say haha. 'Depends on your mood at the time I guess.

Samara
Uh, well ya know if ya wanna check out what a band "sounds like", it makes it pretty easy, but it seems to widen the gap between information and experience.

Helen
Well.....it's much easier to find out about stuff and easier to get your music/band heard......it's also easy to move on quickly.......it's both +/-, but I'd say I'm leaning toward the positive.

Pat, a show you played for your birthday a while ago has always stuck with me as one of my favourite New York moments. You gave everyone in the audience harmonicas and we played along with you for the final song. What have been some of your most memorable/fun experiences at a show either performing or watching a band?

Pat
So far, I've done that 3 times with harmonicas--once every few years. It's always a fun and special moment to involve the audience like that. That birthday show stands out as a really fun one for me. I think growing up I had the tendency to be a bit of a mopey, sullen kid, and at some point I realized that--well, you really gotta make your own fun. So, why not mark your birthday with getting friends together, playing a gig, etc. I've had many moments as an audience member feeling very moved by the experience. Some stand out, well, last fall I saw the Swans play an amazing set at the Masonic Hall in Brooklyn. It was very emotional and intense. I just saw Bert Jansch play a couple of times in New York, which was really fantastic.

"I'm full of dust and guitars." - Syd Barrett. If you were cracked open what would be inside?!

Pat
Haha, to be honest I'm afraid I might be full of "processed cheese-spread" and cheap beer.

Samara
Probably some records that haven't been made yet.

Helen
A complex puzzle that only the right person can solve.

Footage from their recent show at Monster Island Basement, February 4th

Metal Mountains Myspace