Having Phoebe, Maya, and Kaylee on vocals was so much fun. They really brought a lot of energy to the song and helped elevate it to a new level. It was great to have their perspectives and voices on the track to add depth and dimension.
3. Beauty School
This song feels like a reflection on the passage of time and the uncertainties of the future. Can you talk about the inspiration behind it?
This is one of the oldest songs on the record. I wrote it after I watched this documentary about the making of the film Boyhood and was thinking about how time passes and how we change over the years. It’s also about the feeling of being in a place where you’re not sure what’s next, but you’re trying to make sense of it all. I like the idea of time moving in reverse in a mirror universe because it captures that sense of disorientation and uncertainty.
The song has this dreamy, almost otherworldly quality to it. How did you approach creating that atmosphere?
We wanted to create a lush, atmospheric sound for this song to match the introspective lyrics. We used a lot of reverb and layered instrumentation to build up that dreamy quality. I think it really adds to the overall mood of the song and helps transport the listener to a different place.
Overall, ‘Beauty School’ is about grappling with the unknown and finding beauty in the uncertainties of life. It’s a reflective and introspective track that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
**The interview continues with a discussion of the remaining tracks on the album.**
She really responded to the verses, and I remember sitting with her and being like, “I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what the chorus is.” She said, “I’ll help you figure it out.” We sat there for a while, and she was like, “What about this?” and I was like, “Oh, yeah, that’s it.” It was really great to have her help in shaping that song, especially because it was the first one I wrote. It set the tone for the rest of the record in a lot of ways.
The line “I can’t help but notice/How we’re all just flamingos” feels like a really striking image. What inspired that comparison?
I think I was just watching some videos of flamingos at the time and thinking about how they move in a group and how they’re all doing the same thing but not really interacting with each other – they’re just doing their own thing. It felt like a pretty good metaphor for the way people can be in relationships or in groups, where everyone is kind of doing their own thing but not really connecting. It was just a visual that stuck with me and gave me a way to talk about that feeling.
7. When The Sun Goes Down
This song feels like a bit of a departure from the rest of the album, with its more upbeat, almost danceable vibe. What inspired that shift in sound?
It was kind of a fun experiment. We had been playing around with drum machines and synths a lot, and Phoebe had this idea for a drum machine pattern that she brought in. I think it was just a nice shift in energy from the more introspective stuff that came before it. It was fun to play with that and see where it could go. The song ended up being a lot of fun to play live, too.
“The sun goes down, I come back around” is a really powerful refrain in the song. What does that line mean to you?
To me, that line is about cycles and patterns in life. It’s about how things can feel really dark and hopeless sometimes, but eventually, the sun will come back up, and you’ll come back around to a better place. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always hope for a brighter future.
8. Lost in the Cedar Wood
The album closes with this beautiful, haunting track. What was the inspiration behind “Lost in the Cedar Wood”?
It’s kind of a continuation of the themes from earlier in the album – about looking back on past relationships and experiences, trying to make sense of them, and finding some sort of closure. The imagery of being lost in the cedar wood felt like a fitting metaphor for that sense of being stuck in the past, unable to move forward. It’s a reflective and introspective song that I think brings the album full circle.
Overall, how do you feel about the album now that it’s out in the world?
I’m really proud of it. It was a labor of love, and I think it really captures a specific moment in time for me. I hope that people connect with it and find something in it that resonates with them. It’s always a little nerve-wracking to put something so personal out into the world, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with others.
It’s like I’m giving myself permission to have those feelings by pretending it’s someone else. So, with ‘Fan Fiction,’ I think it was important for me to try and break that pattern and just say how I felt directly. It was a challenge, but I think it was ultimately really rewarding to try and be vulnerable in that way.
There’s a line in the song, “You say I’m not allowed to love you / I’m not allowed.” What does that sentiment mean to you?
That line is directly from a conversation that I had with that person. It was about this sense of, “I don’t think I can love you because I don’t know how to access my own feelings.” It was like, “I’m not allowed to love you because I don’t know how to access my own feelings.” It was a moment of realization for me, like, “Oh, maybe I’m not letting myself have this feeling because I don’t know how to access it.” So, that line is very direct in that way. It was a very emotionally charged conversation, and it stuck with me as something to explore in the song.
Given the personal nature of the song, was it difficult to share with others?
It was definitely hard. I think the hardest song for me to share with people is always the one that feels closest to the bone, emotionally. But I think that’s also the most rewarding part of it – being able to share something so personal and have people connect to it in their own way. It’s a really beautiful thing to be able to do as a songwriter.
What was your experience working with Maya on this song specifically?
Maya was really great at helping me to stay in that vulnerable space and not try to hide behind anything. She was very encouraging in that way, and I think it really helped to make the song what it is. It’s definitely one of my favorite on the album, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. Maya was a big part of that.
It’s a heavy topic, but it felt important to include because it’s something that is definitely not talked about enough. It was a really personal song to write, and I was nervous about how people would react to it. But ultimately, I think it adds depth and complexity to the album as a whole.
How did you approach writing a song about such a sensitive subject?
It was definitely a challenge. I wanted to approach it with empathy and understanding, without making any judgments. I think the key was to focus on the emotional journey of the character, rather than getting caught up in the specifics of his situation. It was about capturing the internal struggle and the sense of isolation that comes with feeling like you can’t fully be yourself.
Was there a specific inspiration for this song?
Not really. It was more about trying to explore a different perspective and delve into a complex emotional landscape. I wanted to challenge myself as a writer and push beyond my comfort zone. And I think it ultimately paid off, because it’s a song that I’m really proud of.
How do you feel about the album as a whole now that it’s finished?
I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s a collection of songs that feel true to me and my experiences, and I think that comes through in the music. I’m excited for people to hear it and hopefully connect with it in their own way.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the album with us.
Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure to talk about the process behind the music. I hope listeners enjoy the album as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Se sienta en el coche con su amigo, y siente que van a besarse, y luego no se besan, y está un poco aliviado de que no lo hagan. Es simplemente alguien en este extraño lugar de cuestionamiento en su vida. Seguí imaginando, aunque el tema es diferente, esta película llamada Little Children, que tonalmente se sentía que encajaba en esto. Es solo este tipo extraño, de mediana edad, suburbano, en algún tipo de crisis de identidad y miedo de no haber explorado una parte de sí mismo. Simplemente no había escuchado una canción así, y sentí que entendía al tipo y su extraño momento de confusión, de preguntarse qué pasaría si eligiera la vida equivocada, pero le gusta su vida. Eso es lo que parece que la persona está luchando.
Configuraste los detalles alrededor de este momento confuso de una manera muy interesante. Me pregunto qué tan tardía fue la adición: “Claveles rosados / Felicidades” me llevó de vuelta a los Grammy, y la canción se llama ‘Skeleton Crew’…
¡Oh, sí! En realidad, fue antes de que eso sucediera. Es una coincidencia tan divertida, ni siquiera lo pensé. En lugar de decir directamente que esta persona siente esto, estaba tratando de dar pequeñas polaroids impresionistas de su vida que te sitúan en dónde están, y luego el momento en el que estás narrativamente en su vida es en el momento en que casi engaña a su esposa con su mejor amigo en el estacionamiento. No sé de dónde salieron esas imágenes; solo fue alguna boda imaginada.
11. Beauty School
¿Por qué decidiste terminar el disco con esta?
Simplemente se sintió muy bien y positiva. La melodía de esta simplemente se siente tan genial y edificante, y la energía de ella se sintió como un buen lugar con todos estos personajes. Espiritualmente, se siente como una aceptación del momento presente y de uno mismo: dejas a todos estos personajes que están en el pasado y en el futuro, en estos lugares extraños donde sienten que su vida está en pausa, en lo que para mí parece una exploración alegre de lo que se siente estar enamorado y vivir tu vida en lugar de vivir tu pasado. Simplemente se sintió como una forma amable de dejar a todas estas personas en el disco. Como, “Está bien. ¡Rockéenlo, chicos!” También se siente como una especie de película de viaje por carretera.
Hay humor por todas partes: Incluso “Voy a cambiar mi vida”, para mí, hay algo casi gracioso en la forma en que está expresado, porque en realidad se trata de cambiar la forma en que lo ves.
Sí, es simplemente cambiar tu vida desde el pasado, ponerla en el orden correcto. Él está como, “No, estamos avanzando. Y no estamos, como, adelante. Estamos ahora. Todo es diferente en este momento.” Hay esta cosa que sucede cuando estás tan atrapado en el pasado y estás reviviendo momentos de tu vida, tratando de averiguar qué salió mal o algo así, eso se siente como si estuvieras retrocediendo, y estás siendo absorbido por eso. Nunca estás reaccionando a estímulos que están frente a ti. Estás reaccionando a cosas de años atrás. Creo que ese era el sentimiento: simplemente girarlo en la dirección correcta. No ser succionado hacia atrás, avanzar. Eso es a donde queremos ir.
Esta entrevista ha sido editada y condensada para mayor claridad y longitud.
Paradise Pop. 10 de Christian Lee Hutson ya está disponible a través de ANTI-.