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| Dead Leaf Echo, photo by Drew Reynolds (courtesy of LG Galleon) |
SCC: Beyond.Desire is the
first full-length with Dead Leaf Echo’s current, longest standing lineup. Did
your tenure playing together make for a smoother or more memorable studio
experience than with Thought and Language?
LG: Both Studio experiences were very long and taxing periods of my
life that took well over 2+ years. Producing it myself is always challenging.
Working with Charlie Nieland on the demos and Al Carlson for the final tracking
was very easy, and they make our world of recording much smoother and easier to
be in. Also, Beyond.Desire's was
quicker for takes (we could usually nail it in 2 or 3) because of our past
experiences and [the] current lineup is at its best yet. The problem really
was finding the right people for the right songs in terms of mixing. Some
people seem to deliver different results for different songs and that also made
the mastering a very difficult challenge when you have different mixes coming
from different platforms and people.
SCC: The intermittent releases have shown you as a multi-dimensional
act, with faster-paced, ethereal A-sides like “Strawberry Skin”, “I Will DoAnything”, and “True Deep Sleeper” backed by a range of dub and industrial
tracks. Can listeners expect to hear this dynamic continue on the new album?
LG: The industrial and dub material serves best as one-off b-sides.
There's no exploration of that on this full length LP in order to maintain a
consistence throughout the album. That doesn't mean that we won't do a full dub
or industrial album in the future ;)
SCC: What new songs have you felt the best audience response from
so far?
LG: All the singles have hit the audience's response.
"Temple", Strawberry.Skin" and "Lemonheart" But also
that because they have been released to the public so they can sing along and expect
them in the setlist. Once the album comes out I'm looking forward to seeing
people call out for other songs.
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| Dead Leaf Echo live at Ortlieb's, Philadelphia PA 12/3/16 (Photo by Tom Faix) |
SCC: You’ve maintained a rather athletic touring schedule, and yet
it seems like there are quite a few additions to the setlist each time you come
around. Do you write new material while on the road or just prolifically during
the downtime?
LG: Ideally we work on new songs and then we are able to work that
into the setlist on the road where we can hone it over time and find out what
works best for both us and the audience. I've never understood a band that
can write on the road unless they are at some 1% level where every single
aspect of you day is taken care of and you could actually function like you are
at home. Most of the time we're are running around to get to the next city,
eat, soundcheck and catching up with old friends.
SCC: PaperCup Music is releasing Beyond.Desire after a stint with Moon Sounds Records, who handled
the advance singles. What brought you to change labels? Is this a multi-album
commitment?
LG: Actually the album is a split between both labels. With Moon Sounds handling the physical side and PaperCup the digital. We are super happy
to be with them and [to have] their support.
SCC: With the new album around the corner and your second European
tour behind you, your following is now approaching critical mass. At this
point, your back catalog consists largely of out of print EPs and singles that
are sonically consistent enough to make a listenable compilation. Do you have
any interest in taking this approach after listeners soak in Beyond.Desire and start wishing for
more?
LG: I really prefer the LP format, but they are so laborious and
very taxing budget wise. Releasing EP's and Singles [is] very satisfying
because you can turn them around much more quickly and you can relate to this
frame of mine or emotional state that you were in because of the shorter time
period between creation and release.
SCC: The tracklisting of Beyond.Desire is a bit more concise than Thought and Language's. What went into the decisions to narrow down
the new material into the final program?
LG: It's a conscious attempt to achieve something under 60 minutes
of material for the listener. Doing a double album was a little overzealous
especially for a debut. So now that we got that out of our system just trying
to do our first standard LP. Lyrical content (themes of desire, want, needs)
and musical arcs (tempos and song length) were the decisions made in bringing
this material together.
SCC: How did Dead Leaf Echo come together in its
current form?
LG: We have all played in previous bands that were on past bills
together over the years in the scene here in NY and Brooklyn. Ana and I have
been together for over 10 years thru her previous band Mahogany. Kevin had
contacted me about a rehearsal space and also finding a new band. We had
recently parted ways with our first drummer so the timing was very on point.
Steve used to throw these parties in the hood called Fantastic Planet that
were so great and that's how we met.
SCC: At your DJ gigs, do you notice much of an
overlap in the crowds with those at your full live sets? How does the pre-show
feeling compare?
LG: When we DJ for the most part it's at smaller clubs and bars in
comparison to what we play at with the live band. The DJ sets are a way for Ana
and I to play the music that we like for our friends and a way to go and
promote the band without a lot of work. . It's how we bonded in the first place
really, over great music that we both have in common.
Dead Leaf Echo will join their peers The Silence Kit, The Morelings, and Hidden Lights on December 9 at PhilaMOCA for this year's touring epilogue.
Dead Leaf Echo will join their peers The Silence Kit, The Morelings, and Hidden Lights on December 9 at PhilaMOCA for this year's touring epilogue.
