Introducing: The Noisy

Following the release of the stunningly inventive video for Twos, we caught up with Sara Mae of The Noisy as they prepared to release the deluxe edition of The Secret Ingredient is More Meat via Audio Antihero.

If you’re not familiar with The Noisy, Twos is a great introduction to their sound: fuzzy rock with an air of the 1950s to is, but all is not what it initially seems. It’s a sound that fans of Tele Novella and Odie Leigh will savour.

First up, could you tell us something about yourselves?

I’ve been singing my whole life, but I really began my artistic practice as a poet. If not for how welcoming the music scene is in Knoxville, I might never have fully committed to music. I was there for my MFA in poetry, and my classmate Josh was like, we should play music together.

He became a really important part of the project. I sang at one cover show in Knoxville, and suddenly after that I was getting show offers for my own band. I was really lucky to fall into a community that believed in me before I knew how to do that for myself!

Who would you say are your main influences?

First and foremost, Japanese Breakfast for her production choices, lyrics about intimacy, and really good hooks! I would also say Hop Along for Frances Quinlan’s dense and strange lyrics, Chappell Roan for her visual world / artistic vision, Mitski for her depth of emotion and bridging of performance art and music. Wednesday too for her storytelling and sense of place.

How does the creative process work for you/within the band?

This has changed depending on the stage of the band. For More Meat, Josh and I started out doing demos in his attic. Sometimes I would come to him with a concept, with lyrics, or with a riff, and we would tease it out from there.

My favorite song on the album changes, but I always go back to Backlit. That song was special because we figured it out together during multiple practices in Josh’s garage with our friend Ash Baker. I had started with a riff I was really proud of, and Josh sort of like, unlaced the rhythm of it, and reapplied it in a new way, and that was the heart of the song.

Which comes first – lyrics or melody?

I struggle with this one the most so I’m going to try to answer it! In a dream world I would always start with lyrics and be able to shape them into melody. I think what ends up happening is I free write, or re-write lyrics a bunch of times, and then when I have the melody, I map those words onto it in a way that makes sense.

So sometimes musical progression decides for me the way a story is told. I do a lot of internal rhyme and alliteration naturally, so there’s already musicality in my lines, but I also like to be wordy. I remember one time trying to fit “spaghettification” into a song, and Josh was like, you simply cannot do that. LOL.

Working with Daniel, he had me start a practice where I’ll decide some chords, and then sing 6 different ways on top of those chords, until I have the sections of the song decided through melody.

Do you prefer the stage or the recording studio?

This answer has changed for me. I would have said the stage before because I love singing more than anything. I used to feel like I had to be a different version of myself, mysteriously more competent than I already am, in order to do the recording studio correctly.

Now I know that there is so much room for playfulness and experimentation in the studio, as opposed to the stage. It’s been really special to play around with the songs for the deluxe album. My favorite moment so far was figuring out harmonies in real time with Nate (my bandmate who plays bass and viola) and Daniel, for the deluxe version of our song Neckline.

Who (bands/tunes) do you have on heavy rotation right now?

Elderberry Wine by Wednesday. I got to hear this early because I work at World Cafe Live, and we host Non Comm, a conference for independent radio workers. They have an annual meeting where they play songs without introducing them, and people have to respond with their opinions.

I recognized Karly’s voice and was so so excited about this one. A lot of her songs musically lean punk, have that heavy fuzz that is so delicious. But this song has an ease, with lyrics that reveal more tension.

I love that prompt for myself as I’m writing songs now, how can you create a dissonance between what is happening musically and the story of the song? Karly Hartzman said in a press release:

“So, Elderberry Wine is ultimately a love song about creating just the right environment for fulfillment. There’s a delicate balance that needs to be created, especially in love, for two lives to intersect without poisoning each other.”

I saw her live at the Church in Philly, this really legendary venue, playing solo. And she laughed at herself saying, “my bandmates always imitate my songs in a deep voice and go, and that’s just how it is in the South.”

I like that Karly brings so much of her sense of place to her songwriting, and even if that’s not the point of the song, it is inextricable in the storytelling. I’m trying to emulate that talking with Sam about where we grew up, (between Annapolis and Baltimore) and writing from there more specifically.

What producer/act would you like to work with?

Well, I can’t seem to stop listening to all that Blake Mills does, so that would be incredibly fierce. I’ve been obsessed with the latest Japanese Breakfast album, as is my duty as a devoted fan of Miss Breakfast.

This is a really great record for the lore. She’s talked about how she thinks the fourth album is usually for the artist, how this was her first studio album and so it allowed her to be more spare and let each piece shine, as opposed to layering 100 guitars.

She’s talked about wondering when she will reach a career plateau, and that maybe this record is that moment, though it seems she feels content with that. I like that she got to turn to a more guitar-focused place of comfort, that it really does feel like she’s solidified her methods of storytelling and lyric writing.

I love her range on this record, and I suspect Blake Mills also helped accomplish that—the sort of 60s late night show feeling of Winter in LA and the slide on Picture Window. Anyways, would love to open for Japanese Breakfast one day too I suppose.

What bands or artists should we be keeping an eye out for?

So right now, I’m based in Philly, and I mean Philly’s music scene is unbelievably good. My bandmate Daniel Sohn’s music is so special, and he’ll be releasing new things in the fall. Sufjian, Greg Mendez, Alex G are all influences of his music.

I also think in Philly, Wax Jaw and Kulfi Girls are really shining right now and I love those people and their music so much. Going to their shows is just a good time!! I love Twin Princess’s music. Her voice is beautiful! Bren is the next Mannequin Pussy!

In Knoxville, Kelsi Walker just put out her second full-length album. She’s an incredible songwriter, organizer, and friend. The album Here & Here Before is really special. And Josh’s project, Easy Does It, is going to start rolling out music soon…

Could you tell us something about your recent album?

We released The Secret Ingredient is More Meat a year ago, and are starting the rollout for our deluxe version with Audio Antihero, which will include new songs, newly imagined old songs, live tracks, and music videos.

The first to come out is a Twos music video, directed by my best friend Sam Cush. I think translating the music visually is one of my favorite parts of music. I had been a poet for so long, which is by nature pretty isolating. With making music videos, I have to (and get to) ask for help and ideas from so many people I love.

With Twos, my best friend since high school, Sam Cush, is the director. One of my favorite drag artists is my co-star, not to mention my dear friend L and my partner Alex also acting in it. We filmed in a church on our street, and at Sam’s offices.

We like to joke, but it’s true, that this music video was #shotoniphone but Sam made it shine with their wonderful eye and editing skills. It really does have the eerie movements of a silent movie.

What’s up next for you in terms of live appearances, new music, or anything else you’d like to share?

The deluxe album is my focus this year! We’re did a big last hurrah June 8th at my favorite gay bar, Franky Bradley’s, where there were a variety show of drag, music, and clown to celebrate the release of our music video for Twos.

Then I’m taking a break from shows this summer, making another music video or two with Sam (about family and home…) and coming back for some big performances in August and September at MASS MoCA and Glen Foerd.

I am slowly working on LP2, which is getting me to change my artistic practice a bit. I’ve been taking theatre devising and clown classes as a part of understanding this project more deeply, and Daniel and I have gotten to work making demos.

It’s been fun to see how far I’ve come with my musical knowledge, and though I still have a long way to go, I feel more confident and more grounded adding ideas to songs we are working on. The next album is going for heady pop songs, more musically complicated. I’m challenging myself a lot with this next project, and very excited about it!

For album news and details of a live appearance in New York on the 15th of July, check out The Noisy on Instagram. You can listen to their music on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.