24/09/24
Identifying my Key Musical Influences
Car Seat Headrest
Adrianne Lenker
Alex G
Indigo De Souza
Crywank
How each band has influenced me?
Car Seat Headrest - I first heard Car Seat Headrest when I was about 14 years old and had the song 'It's Only Sex' pop up on my spotify recommended. As someone who was just getting into bass this song immediately caught my attention due to it's catchy bass-line alongside it's repetitive lyrics and a sort of tremolo effect later on. From that moment I was hooked and they soon become my favourite band. With this band, the biggest aspect of them I try to incorporate into my own solo work is their dynamics, their songs always have some kind of build up in volume, speed or style. They utilise their repetitive lyrics by building each time they repeat the phrase until the reach their peak.
Adrianne Lenker - I first listened to Adrianne Lenker not as the solo artist she is but as part of her band Big Thief, in fact, I only discovered her solo work this year via her album 'songs' from 2020. While her lyricism is beautiful the aspect of her songs I most enjoy and would like to try to incorporate is her guitar. Open tunings plu her intricate finger picking is what makes her songs and
Alex G - I found Alex G in about 2020 with the song 'Mary' after hearing my sister play it. I was intrigued by his simple yet raw lyrics and use of unusual guitar whilst still maintaining a 'homemade' quality in his music and knew I wanted to try my hand at creating something similar. After seeing him perform in Cardiff I decided to try and mimic his 'style' in Garageband and I want to keep trying to incorporate his strange style of vocals and repetitive lyrics.
Indigo De Souza - Indigo De Souza is the most recent artist I've discovered on this list, she creates her music with the most honest lyrics, drawing on her existential fears as well as her relationships with the people around her. I'd like to attempt this sort of honest feeling in my songs, try to incorporate my own stories to create music thats personal.
Crywank - A band I’ve loved for awhile, I’ve managed to see them in concert three times. Crywank is only a two-piece band yet I find that’s all they need. I love their guitar parts but the aspect that inspires me the most is their stage presence, they don’t feel like big popular musicians on the stage as they’re friendly and casual and it creates such an amazing experience as an audience member which is how I’d like to display my work.
A Song from Each (what do i connect with? what have i taken away from each song?
Car Seat Headrest -
Filled to the brim with metaphors, this song starts off strong by describing his heart/sense of self as the car which remains a main theme throughout the song, showing that perhaps this song isn't actually about drunk drivers but instead about the singer himself. This is something I always find myself loving about Car Seat Headrest, what you take away from your first listen may be completely different to when you truly listen to the lyrics on your fifth or sixth. Despite the song having two different hooks, it still manages to draw you in and create an enjoyable buildup from its more peaceful beginning. This song is a perfect example of Car Seat Headrest's ability to give a song life and a direction. Once the song builds again it takes the energy back done before shooting back up. These kind of exciting changes are what I want to put into my work. I want to ensure I write a song with many energy changes to keep the listeners interested as well as utilising Car Seat Headrest's technique of repeating a particular important phrase and building on it each time.
Adrianne Lenker -
Immediately at the song stats, Lenker already displays the aspect of her work I'd most like to replicate, her finger picking. The melody she's played creates such an intricate yet gentle sound that feels so personal and intimate. Paired with her vulnerable lyrics she presents a beautiful song about finally seeing the wrongdoings that happened in a relationship. I've decided to start focusing on guitar a bit this year to be able to create a sound like hers and learn finger picking to try my hand at more acoustic songs.
Alex G -
Gretel is a song from Alex's 2019 album House of Sugar. With a mysterious instrumental and Alex's repetitive paranoid lyrics later on, he's managed to create such a unique sound.
Indigo De Souza -
This is the first song I have ever heard of De Souza's and easily my favourite. It has such little instruments yet managed to capture such a heart-wrenching sound with the way she uses her voice to create a sound of desperation.
Crywank -
This song showcasing the guitar of Crywank that I've grown so fond of. It's not clean but it so perfectly captures their bands sound. Recording I took at one of their concerts.
Who Influenced them?
Car Seat Headrest - The Beatles, The Who, R.E.M and Nirvana.
Adrianne Lenker - Elliot Smith, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen.
Alex G - Third Eye Blind, Modest Mouse, Built To Spill and Elliot Smith.
Indigo De Souza - Elliot Smith, Her mother and Arthur Russell.
Crywank - Wild Man Larry Fischer, Paul Baribeau and Daniel Johnston.