Call and Response

Those still dreaming (and skating) on the notes of "Rollerskate" by Santa Barbara's Call and Response are in for a big surprise: although being every bit as adorable as their first effort, C&R's sophomore album "Winds Take No Shape" takes a completely different route to get to the point: gone are the easy to rememeber instant pop hooks in favour of a more complex sound, that builds on the shimmering pop matter of the debut a solid and consistent pop album. Their gracefulness is still there, but paired with a dense and refined sound, yelding a careful work on arrangments and lyrics that approach poetry. We talked with Daniel Judd (guitar) about this new direction for the band.

"Winds take no shape" will likely be a surprise for most people. Did you choose to get away from the "rollerskate" sound or did all come naturally as an evolution of your sound?

We took the sound we created on the first record as far as it could go. It represented a time when we were first getting together and writing whatever we could think of to have songs to play. We had no idea that a record would Be released. We were listening to a lot of bubblegum pop and funky soul jams; music that had a naive playful quality to it. Then a few years went by and it felt like it was time to move forward. The world around us changed, we are older and have new experiences. This record is a result of us entering a world that isn't as safe and is a bit more confusing and mysterious.

How long did it take to record this new LP? What have you been up to in these years?

We had troubles with our record label, we worked on demos and they seemed to have other priorities. So we went for a while with no record deal. We were tired of playing the same songs, they didn't fully represent what was happening to us. It took a while to get to the state of mind where we could throw our old ideas away and start fresh. It's scary to take that risk. There's so much pressure on bands to keep releasing albums and singles, but new ideas take longer to tap into and can't be rushed.

"Call and Response" was instantly loveable, every song stuck in your mind from first listen. This new album is deeper, it takes some more listening but in the end is as good and memorable as the first one. Did you wanted to take a longer route to get to the same point ?

We wanted to push ourselves musically, and stretch our song writing in ways we hadn't yet as a collective. Over time we became more comfortable with each other and were able to be a little more critical. We were able to abandon parts that seemed too cliche or derivative. We still wanted to write memorable pop songs, which we all love and bring us together.

Is there something you miss about the music you were making some years ago? Do you miss some aspects of your sound that are no longer with you? I think of songs like "I know you want me", that seems quite far away from your current sound.

Sometimes I miss the spontaneous energy of the old songs, the more rocking feel that we were hitting upon. It would be fun to make some stuff that was more raw and driving.

Winds take no shape made me think of 60s bands and artists like the Free Design or Donovan, that used to make some "children" albums, separated from their standard "adult" output. Do you think your music attitude has these two different and separated aspects?

I don't think we really approach music in that way, especially on this record. We just try to write music that all five of us feel good about and is inspiring to us without too much comparison. Because of our influences it might remind people of older music sometimes, but we put a lot of energy into twisting old structures into something new.

Lyrics have also grown deeper in this album, some songs feels like proper poems (especially Silent Chill). Did you feel you had to write differently to match your new musical direction and convey different emotions? Who writes the lyrics inside the band?

Carrie wrote the lyrics for this record. When we started writing we would talk about wanting the words to evoke personal images and thoughts, without telling this listener explicitly how to feel. Carrie stepped forward and sent the different sounds we were making into a whole new visual world. She's has a natural gift for complex and beautiful melodies, combined with a love for creative writing. She seemed conscious of using words that weren't a reflection of a specific point of view, but rather crafting visuals to make the listener feel something deeper, like when you watch a great movie or look at a powerful painting. I got so excited when she started reading her lyrics, it really captured what I felt we were trying to do with the music.

Apart from the bands that have always been mentioned as your major influences (Free Design, Zombies, Beach Boys), is there any direct and recent influence for this record? What are your most recent listening? What music catches your attention nowadays?

The musically that makes me the most happy is the blend between pop and experimentation, when it is done right it can't be beat. During the making of this record I listened to a lot of Future Days by CAN, Michael Rother and NEU!, Brian Eno, David Bowie Low, Parallelograms by Linda Perhacs, Robert Wyatt, and Kevin Ayers. Great stuff I missed out on like Heaven or Las Vegas by the Cocteau Twins, New Order, and the Durutti Column. Also a lot of psychadelic-folk music from Brazil by people like Milton Nascimento, Lo Borges, and Joyce. I also got into a lot of jazz stuff from the late sixties and early seventies like Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Lanquidity by Sun Ra. And modern stuff like Ulrich Schnauss, Four Tet, Sonic Youth, Jim O'Rourke. It's a never ending story.

Is there a song you are most proud of? Do you take more pleasure in writing immediate hooks pop songs like "Rollerskate" or more complex and layered things like "Station"?

I'm really proud of Winds Take No Shape. Immediate hooks are amazing the first few times you hear them, but you burn out real quick if you not careful. My favorite kind of music lately is the kind that grows on you and makes you feel like you are actively learning while you are listening.

This new album is more complex also in terms of arrangements, something you've always been very good at. Do you feel is more important songwriting or arranging? How much has been Dylan Magierek important in the outcome of this album?

We are all critical and know how important arrangements are. On our first record Terri and Jordan were new to the group and most of the songs were already put together. This time it was all five of us coming up with ideas and challenging each other, which made a huge difference. It takes a long time to build that trust and respect.

We had the songs tight when we went in to record with Dylan. He was encouraging and helped a lot with the production and come up with sonic ideas. He's a fun person to be around and kept us all relaxed.

You have changed a lot of labels: shelflife, kindercore, emperor norton... how do you feel about the demise of Kindercore and how much backing are you receiving from Badman?

Badman is a great place to be right now. Dylan is honest and we trust that he has everyone's best interest in mind. Our music doesn't always fit in with any particular scene. Dylan liked our new approach and we immediately hit it off. Kindercore treated us well, and we were lucky they gave us a shot, so it's sad to see them fall apart. At the same time it seemed wise to move on.

You said that your music reflects the California Sun. Is that still true? How much of California is in C+R today?

It's funny how it became a marketing concept, "that california sound" and so forth. I guess we don't always see it clearly like that, because we live there and it's in our blood. I think we'd like to represent a creative spirit that is universal and has less boundaries.

Salvatore

Links:

Call and Response website: www.callandresponsemusic.com
Badman Recordings: www.badmanrecordingco.com
Call and Response@indiepop.it: bands/callandresponse.htm