Hi! Can you share the inspiration behind the song “Frequencies”? What experiences or ideas led to its creation?
Frequencies is a love song, but not to a person… to a song…the “perfect” song.
How does “Frequencies” reflect the band’s overall musical style and philosophy?
We try to strike a balance between ethereal electronic and earthy funk/rock elements, packaged up as an intelligent pop song. Frequencies is unique with n that it’s the one downtempo track on our EP. It’s a bit of a homage to Zero 7 in terms of the vibe.
What is the significance of the title “Frequencies”? How does it relate to the song’s lyrics and themes?
It’s about the mystery of songwriting… how you’re trying to tune into the right frequency to allow the universe to deliver a song to you. Frequencies has a longing in it because writing a good song is so difficult and illusive, and at the same time it’s meditative, since songwriting can also wrap you up so tightly in its required focus.
Can you talk about the songwriting process for “Frequencies”? How did the band members contribute to its development?
McKenna developed a rough draft of the musical arrangement and lyrics at home, and then in rehearsal and the studio the band deepened and enhanced the song. Joe’s guitar parts especially added a whole new dimension to the sound. Jake plays incredibly expressive bass and Garrett added the perfect, tasteful drum track… it’s often hard to know where the electronic vs acoustic drums begin or end on our songs, which we like!!
How does “Frequencies” fit into the band’s upcoming sophomore EP? What role does it play in the overall narrative or theme of the EP?
The EP’s consistent lyrical theme is relationships: your relationship with your fellow band members, to social media, to yourself. Frequencies is about your relationship to your art.
Can you discuss the musical elements in “Frequencies”? How do they contribute to the song’s mood and message?
Frequencies was written initially with just a Rhodes piano and McKenna’s voice. Then she expanded a whole arrangement around it with bass, electronic beats, drums, strings, and synths. The goal was to create an ambient triphop kind of track with lush layers of vocals. The swells that happen in the vocals reflect those hopeful, soaring moments in songwriting (if it’s actually going well!) when adding an idea to a song truly works…and gives it greater life and color.
How does the song reflect the band’s influences and how does it push your sound in new directions?
As mentioned, Zero 7, as well as Goldfrapp, are influences we greatly respect. It feels harder to pull off releasing ballads nowadays…there’s so much competing for attention on the music front now, you feel like you have to come slamming out of the gates and grab people’s attention before they skip after 10 seconds to stream the next track. But Frequencies always had a sincerity and elegance to it, and we’re happy to see how much people are listening to it. The track accidentally got released publicly on SoundCloud and had a big spike in listens. Recording and performing a slower ballad with more space is always a really good opportunity for the band to lower the volume, vibe out, and tune in our antennea to each other.
Can you share any memorable moments or challenges from the recording process of the song?
The two best moments were 1) when Joe came in to the studio and laid down his angelic guitar parts, and 2) tracking the vocals. McKenna worked with so much focus, sincerity and intention when she laid down the final vocals. It takes a lot of takes to get all those layers and harmonies.
How has the audience response to “Frequencies” influenced your perspective on the song or your approach to music-making in general?
A lot of people say they have been touched by the song, or that it was their favorite one at a show…it’s encouraging in this crazy, fast-paced age we live in that people still have the patience to listen and experience a “slower burn” like Frequencies. It’s a song we take a lot of pride in for the rich musicality we feel it has. Even stripped away of all the production magic, you could play it on a guitar and sing it to one person on the couch…and the heart of it is all still there.
Looking forward, how do you see “Frequencies” influencing your future projects? Are there elements from this song that you would like to explore further in your next works?
Were already working on new music, we hope to keep releasing new tracks every few months. We learn and grow so much with every round of songwriting. Frequencies is a good reminder that the heart of a song really needs to be musical. That probably sounds obvious…but often you can get too caught up in the production/arrangement. We’re leaning in deeper on ways to bring more musicality and simplicity.