Los Angeles based pop duo ALKE – comprised of Jameson Flood and Audrey (A.K.) Karrasch – maintain the perfect balance of ethereal vocals and nostalgic, 80’s instrumentals in their art, music that makes you want to get up and make all of your teenage dreams come through. Theirs has been an inspirational journey, and A.K. has shared her insight with Bitch Media and Girl Talk HQ in recent months, highlighting emotional abuse’s place in the music industry. It’s a side of the industry that consumers don’t normally get to see, and it’s a terrifying reality for many.
But then there are the few that rise above. They create organic, intense emotion with their art and they climb to the top with their ability to rise above with a feel good/do good attitude. ALKE is one of the few, and you will feel that way time and time again, whether enjoying one of their refreshing singles or some of the gleaming words of wisdom they provide.
We wanted to dive a little deeper with ALKE. So, we did.
If you were to introduce ALKE to the world in a major way – really go all out, the sky’s the limit – how would you do so?
Jameson: Just to preface this answer I’ll let you know that this is Jameson answering this one (I don’t want my bitterness to be associated with A.k). So, I thought about this question a lot and finally had a moment of realization. I don’t know if anything, fantastical or not could do a sufficient job of introducing our music to anyone. What we want more than anything is for people to appreciate what we create and maybe spend a few moments in our world. We give people our music for free and tell everyone we know about it, and even our closest friends sometimes don’t listen. As opposed to the earlier generations, ours doesn’t seem interested in what you have to say unless you go on Dr. Phil and scream profanities at your mother. So maybe in an alternate universe where people still cared about things like talent or just art in general I would be excited to answer this question, but our universe can “cash me outside.. how bout that.”
The music video for “All Night” is really fun and adorable. (Plus who doesn’t want to run around like crazy and cause a ruckus when they’re stuck in a hospital bed?) How did that concept come about, and what was the creative process like with the video? Any fun anecdotes?
We had a couple of ideas for this video but that all somehow involved a hospital. At first we thought it would be fun for me to actually escape, and roller skate to the nearest skating rink. Then I remembered I am awful at roller skating. We had this idea for a while but we never thought we’d get the opportunity to actually shoot it. Almost a week after we put it out of our minds we were given the opportunity to shoot any video we wanted, but it had to be done within a week’s time. The director, Logan Meis, was in LA working on a project and last minute was able to book a day with us. This was exciting, however I had zero clue about finding a hospital to shoot in. After some solid googling I found a hospital set in Anaheim that just so happened to have a cancellation for the exact day we needed. We wanted the video to show that happiness and joy can be present in even the gloomiest of places. When we’re alone and feeling depleted love is always the force that keeps as moving forward. Longing for someone you haven’t even met allows the imagination to run wild. The possibilities are endless, even in a hospital gown.
All we could think while watching the video was, “This belongs in a John Hughes movie.” It’s the visual representation of how we feel when we hear your synth-laden sound. Is this an intentional thing you go into your work aiming for, or has it kind of come about more organically than intended?
A.K.: Wow. Firstly, that is an amazing compliment and I know I speak for the both of us when I say that. As Jameson stated above we want our music to be an invitation to our world, and we want our world to feel familiar and nostalgic to everyone. We don’t want to create things that aren’t realistic. With so much going on in the world, the pressure we all feel from social media, and just life in general it’s important to keep things real and endearing. We want our music to take people to a place in their brain that’s familiar, comfortable, and reminiscent of a time in life that felt easier and less strenuous. For as much as I wanted to grow up and get out of high school, I cherish those memories the most. We grow up and grow out of our awkwardness but one thing I’ve learned is that insecurities feel just the same at any age, and it’s important to embrace what makes us different, what makes us happy. For us, that’s being forever young & courageous.
Jameson: I think this is possibly the greatest compliment we have ever received. I consider John Hughes films to be the perfect pop songs in movie form and I absolutely strive to create that same atmosphere and vibe in our music. The way he created such simple settings and still made them into something attainable and desirable was mind blowing to me growing up. I wanted to be in the breakfast club. If that was detention then I would have broken every rule to get in. I mean who didn’t want the charisma of Ferris Bueller?! He took normality and added endless possibility. The way we long for that feeling we had while watching those movies is something I have to insert in all of our music for me to feel like it’s coming across the right way. I want people to be teleported into a different world when they listen, but I want that world to be something familiar and nostalgic as well. So actually to go back to the first question, this is how I’d introduce our music. I’d travel back in time and have John Hughes use our music in all of his films. Then travel back to present day and use all of the money I made from his movies to buy Atlantic Records and fire whoever signed the catch me outside girl.
A.K., with your history in the industry and the obstacles you’ve faced to get your art out there, what do you think has been the most important factor or trait that has changed in your process, or how you go about producing your music now?
It definitely helps having an amazing producer in your band, that’s for sure. From the first time Jameson and I wrote together it just felt so easy and free. He has a way with seeing my vision, bringing it to life, and through his instrumentation he’s able able to pull so much out of me that’s been locked up for years. For so long my perception of writing music and recording was skewed. While logically I knew expression and creativity were the whole point of music, I found it hard to embrace being vulnerable when I was under the wing of bad management. It used to feel like writing with a formula and writing for approval. The greatest lesson I’ve learned is to throw out all the rules. I don’t write music because I want approval or want to be liked. We write because if we don’t, we’d probably just feel numb. If we ever feel like we’re forcing something we just pause.
What is the environment like when you’re recording? Do you find you work better in dark spaces, a designated studio, with drink in hand? Bring us into your BTS production-wise, and give us every detail!
Jameson: So I was going to say that it’s different for every song, but I thought about it a little more and realized that there is definitely a pattern. Almost every time we write something it starts with me just wondering into the home studio as if I didn’t know it was there and sitting down at the keyboard. I’m one hundred percent a guitarist but for some reason I don’t find the guitar as inspiring as the keys when I’m trying to create something new. So I’ll find some progression that I’m usually not sure about and A.K. will quietly walk in and say something like “what’re you doing?”. Once she spends about 30 minutes convincing me that whatever I’m playing is worth writing to, we get settled in. Or actually we run to the store and buy wine and then we settle in. A.K. Is actually a studio engineer as well so she’ll spend a good amount of time recording her vocal ideas by herself. I’ll comp some ideas together and then we get in my car. Car time is a necessity for us. We’ve finished writing a lot of our songs in the car. As far as environment goes, we definitely like the cozy home studio atmosphere. Feeling comfortable and knowing we can come and go as we please opens up our minds to express ourselves without insecurities. Honestly it doesn’t even matter what part of the house we’re in either. We recorded our song Indigo in my kitchen in Nashville. So as long as it’s our space, it’s the right space.
What do you consider in life to be beautiful – perhaps even art – that you hadn’t considered before, or that perhaps the masses don’t consider to be? Substantiate that claim.
Jameson: This might sound like a weak answer but I’d say friendship. Before I met A.K. I had spent years pretty much completely alone. I may have had a few people around that were sort of friends but they were usually met through working on a project together. Since moving to LA multiple people that I grew up with have moved here as well, and through them I’ve met even more people I now call friends. Having them in my life and spending time with them on a weekly basis has drastically changed who I am. I feel happiness on a much more consistent basis which for me is hard to come by due to clinical depression. My life is now manageable and so much more hopeful because of real friendships.
A.K.: I couldn’t agree more with Jameson. It used to bother me when people would say “it’s all about who you know” when trying to give advice about the music industry and how to share your art. That sentence alone doesn’t sit well with me because it implies we have to meet some “gatekeeper” in order to share our art. I like to remind myself that I can’t control what happens, but I can control my reaction, so that sentence has a new meaning for me now. It absolutely is 100% about who we know. We know our friends, our families, and we cherish them. You can’t put a price tag on real relationships and without them inspiration is non-existent.
In The ValleyBeloware a socially conscious duo that are on the forefront of raising awareness of important issues through their music. Consisting of married couple Jeffrey Jacob and Angela Gail, the indie rock infused dream pop sound created by In The ValleyBelowis aesthetically pleasing on all levels. They have a new project coming out (today!) called The Elephant EP, and it is both socially aware and sonically satisfying.
“Bloodhands (Oh My Fever)” is the first – and one of the most impactful songs – on the five song EP. It was inspired by the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO and racial tensions between people and the police. Second track “Pink Chateau” brings with it lighter instrumentals and more of a springtime vibe, as it begs you to “slow down” and “simmer down” which aren’t bad bits of advice, if we’re being honest. “Hold On Tight” has more of a whirring, pop sound and then breaks down into some insane old school guitar solos to really throw you off guard.
But we’ve come to expect the unexpected from In The Valley Below, as they blend so many genres and weave show stopping tempo and key changes that should throw you for a loop, but really make their tracks that much more intriguing. The same can be said for fourth track “Break Even”, which has such intricate percussion parts that it completely changes what we had begun to think was the established vibe of the EP. Fifth and final track “Elephant” is the standout ballad, slowing the tempo to a crawl and really allowing you to revel in the lush, vibey vocals.
With so much going wrong in the world today, there are a plethora of songs inspired by the darker side of life. The uniqueness of In the ValleyBelowis that they do not phone in the music or the message when they create their art. They believe that in order to have the most effect, they must reach the largest audience with genuinely good music, and it shows. This EP comes from a authentic mindset, raising awareness for important issues, and it doesn’t hurt that the songs are great to listen to.
For more information about In The ValleyBelow, you can visit their website at inthevalleybelow.com.
There aren’t many feelings better than that of curating the perfect soundtrack. I’m not one to gloat, but I did a pretty good job of it myself at the tender age of 18. In our religion class – yes, I did the Catholic school thing – our teacher asked us to make a soundtrack to our lives, with descriptions on why we chose the songs, etc. Not a lot of people took the assignment very seriously (I had a friend asking me to draw his CD art five minutes before class started. Casual.), but I went all in.
Because music.
I chose 18 songs for 18 years of life, and my explanations were memories and thoughts etched into my mind because of the songs. So I want to celebrate the launch of Imperfect Fifth with my soundtrack in full, with as many of the details (minus the photos) that I can include. So take a peek inside my 18 year old mind, and then perhaps make a playlist that reflects your world. (AND DON’T FORGET TO SUBMIT IT FOR CONSIDERATION!)
“I always said, ‘Don’t mess with the young girls at this school.'” – My geometry teacher
Proclaimers – 500 Miles // “500 Miles” is one of the first songs I ever remember singing and dancing to in my life. (Of course, there was Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” also.) Erin and I used to dance in our living room to this song when we were really little. It is on the Benny & Joon soundtrack and it’s an amazing song. Erin and I shared this song as a favorite in common with Rosie Campbell, one of our friends since we moved to Missouri in 2nd grade.
Spin Doctors – Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong // “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” is another tune that I remember listening to when I was very young. It was also my ringback tone last year and, according to my mother, it should be my anthem.
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car // “Fast Car” is such an amazing song. Not only did I listen to it in the early 90’s, but it also became mine and Michelle Verstraete’s song the summer after freshman year. We were listening to my iPod while laying out at her pool and that is when we discovered that we both shared a passion for 90’s music. Every time I hear it, I think of her. Also, it is a song that I listen to when I am in a rut. It reminds me to strive for my dreams and that they won’t just be handed to me.
Sugar Ray – I Just Wanna Fly // I chose this song solely in honor of the Ferguson family. Vincent was my first friend in Missouri. On the way to my first Liberty Blue Jays game with him and his family, his big brother Billy made us listen to this song. It was his favorite. It reminds me of 2nd grade and my amazing friends.
Sisqo – The Thong Song // When I was younger, I took karate. In 5th grade, this song was on every Saturday morning on our way home from class. My dad always turned it up and rolled the windows and sunroof down. It was a joke for our family. It reminds me of my dad. Also, when people started noticing his gray hair, he told them that he dyed it silver to look like Sisqo. **This party trick still works. Sometimes.
Hanson – Broken Angel // When I was in 8th grade, I was obsessed (again) with Hanson. This song is about someone who has the ability to fulfill their dreams but just can’t seem to get it right. I listened to this song every single night before I went to sleep from 8th grade through 10th grade. It reminds me a lot of me.
The Starting Line – Best of Me // This song begins slow and sweet and then changes tempo. It reminds me of several events in my life, like Warped Tour ’07 with Jenny Newcomer. It also reminds me of Jenny’s boyfriend, Troy, who played this song upside down on Erin’s left-handed guitar. But, more than anything, it was my “pump up” song for every big event in cheer over the past three years. It got me through competition and losing games.
Hawthorne Heights – Ohio is For Lovers // This song is fun to sing in public. When I started wearing black nail polish during sophomore year, people began to ask me if I was emo. I would just sing the chorus of the song to them. Hawthorne Heights was MY band of the summer after sophomore year. Also, I saw them four times in concert before my favorite member of the band died tragically this year.
The Rocket Summer – Save // I was told this song fits my personality. It is off of The Rocket Summer’s most recent album. The song really does make a lot of sense… when people “amaze” me, I invest more emotion into my efforts. Even though things frustrate me when I take chances and they prove fruitless, I question it and then move on to something more inviting. I want my life to count.
Spin Doctors – Two Princes // This is supposed to be on Erin’s CD. I didn’t really mean to put it on mine, but now that it is on here… this is yet another song that I listened to frequently as a child. I remember the music video/ I am pretty sure it was my first glimpse at a true grungy outfit on a guy. I think of my childhood when I listen to it.
LFO – Summer Girls // I hated LFO when they were popular. I always fought with people saying they were poseurs of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. They made me angry. Freshman year, I was at Jenny’s birthday party and she had a dance to this song. She made me love this song. It is just so random and completely reminds me of her. Also, Matt Loehr was in my Spanish class freshman year and sang this song for us.
Saving Jane – Girl Next Door // This song is catchy and was fun when it was popular. It came out and I laughed because I was a cheerleader and I felt like the “girl next door” anyways (because SPX doesn’t like cheerleaders). My mom and my sister sang it to me when I made prom court.
Imogen Heap – Goodnight and Go // This song was on the first season of The OC, my favorite tv show ever. My friend and I used to sing it sophomore year all the time.
Aaron Carter – Saturday Night // This song reminds me of cheer tryouts sophomore year. Actually, it was the spring of freshman year. It was the last song I heard before tryouts, and it was (unfortunately) stuck in my head the entire time… and then I made varsity. So, I always think of cheer when I hear it. I put it on my camp CD this year.
Jeff Cunningham, Danny Cunningham, Billy Q – Moonbounce (Go Dumb) // This song makes me giggle so much! Jeff has been my neighbor and one of my best friends since 7th grade. He signed to a Canadian rap label in 8th grade, but it never really went anywhere. This summer, Jeff, his brother, and our friend Billy recorded this song in Jeff’s room as a complete joke. It is actually one of the worst songs I have ever heard, but they are complete hams and I listen to it all the time. I am going to miss them next year. Also, it reminds me of the moonbounce at prom. **Sadly, this song does not exist anywhere but my iTunes library.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – False Pretense // I love this band! “The world’s got a funny way of turning ’round on you/When a friend tries to stab you right in the face/Losing faith in everything I thought I hope I know.” These lyrics truly hit home for me. No matter how much I invested into my friendships over the past three years, my true friends pulled through this summer. This song reminds me that I could not have changed what happened with my estranged friends. I listen to it sometimes when I am angry.
The Rocket Summer – Brat Pack // This song has been my high school anthem since sophomore year. I have always wanted to get out of high school, but I love my friends and we really are like our own little Brat Pack. Shout out to my oldest friend, Allison Bacchini!
Rod Stewart – Forever Young // This is the song that my mom chose for my segment of the 8th grade graduation video. I love this song. I will always be young at heart, even when I grow up and have a job. This song reminds me constantly to keep the childlike qualities with me.
18 songs for 18 years of life.
BRING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER.
**Photo courtesy of my friends TPing the neighbors’ house and trailing it to our house so we had to clean it up. But that’s my little brother cleaning it up.
The notorious rock collective Kings of Leon dropped their new album Walls last fall. Being a massive fan of the band myself, I needed help getting more objective opinions on the piece. So, in the dimly lit dining room of my parents’ house after a dinner of fried chicken, my immediate family (and grandmother) sat down to add our two cents about the work. (This is one of my favorite posts from my Impose days.)
The first track of the album, “Waste a Moment”, allows swirling guitar to bring in a good little melody. It’s the uptempo single you may have heard on the radio, lending itself to the typical sound Kings of Leon is known for. But after that first track, the band seems to have attempted to deviate from their norm, nabbing bits and pieces from different genres to make the album into a diverse, warm body of tracks to feast your ears on. For example, when second track “Reverend” begins, you immediately notice the vintage 70’s feel to the keys, a mid-tempo track that starts slower as lead singer Caleb Followill reaches for octaves we didn’t realize were in his range, providing a hazy, more ethereal sound to his vocals during entire stretches of the song.
While “Around the World” may begin with a lightweight guitar riff, there is a solo that is borderline earth shattering awaiting your ears. It definitely makes us want to pack our bags and escape to a place unknown. “Find Me” comes in deeper, and gets straight to the point. 44 seconds in, Caleb starts to sing and the song loses some of its momentum by reducing the instrumentals for his vocals. The song gives off the impression that he is singing while he’s driving a car, and the momentum picks back up during the chorus. “Over” has a darker feel to it with the deep, consistent guitar riff. Sounds like The Killersblended with some David Bowie, something my entire family picked up on. (I will note that my grandma claimed it had a Phantom of the Opera feel to it.) We all agreed that Caleb’s vocals sound blatantly different on this track, although no less beautiful.
The song “Muchacho” proves the notion that when you add castanets to a song, it automatically becomes more vibey. Slightly reminiscent of some of our favorite R.E.M. tracks, Caleb’s voice is delivered at an even deeper range, if that’s possible. It’s slower, with a very tropical disposition and a tempo that reminds us of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Brilliant Disguise”. (Which was a brilliant move on their part.) Percussion leads in to “Conversation Piece” slowly, with lyrics like “take me back to california, to those crystal neon signs” allowing the listener to reminisce on days past. The song is low key, like the majority of the album, and could easily be played in the background of a back road drive with your significant other during the autumn months.
“Eyes On You” brings the tempo back up, the instrumentals noticeably reminiscent of some of our favorite Weezer tracks. The song deviates to a punk spectrum, although the way the melody is composed is actually very beautiful and works perfectly with Caleb’s scratchy bravado. “Wild” brings the album back to a warmer instrumental composition, and we’re led to a place of relaxation. The album rounds out with its title track, which sets in at a glacial – but incredible gorgeous – pace. Simple instrumentals allow the vocals to be highlighted moreso than its predecessors. Lyrics like “I can’t get there on my own / You can’t leave me here alone / I’m just trying to do what’s right / A man ain’t a man unless he’s fought the fight” make this a very introspective and personal piece. It’s a delicate way to end the album, and slows your heart rate down immensely. “Walls” can be summed up as an existential piece that leaves you questioning life, love, and your own pursuit of happiness.
As you may have noted, our evening included quite the roundtable discussion. As fleeting as it was, we all maintained the opinion that the album is experimentation at its finest.
For those of you living under a rock, America’s favorite groove/soul/genre-blending indie collective Portugal. The Man put out a stunning release with their album Woodstock earlier this year, from which their well received single “Feel It Still” comes to their admiring public. With all of the madness surrounding the release, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was actually able to play host as a platform for the new album, as they performed there and even a small album listening party congregated in the hot hot heat of the weekend. Now Woodstock is available to the general public, and we definitely have some thoughts.
Like the lead track “Number One”, which features Richie Havens and Son Little. Beginning with a bit of b-roll white noise with a crowd talking, the track actually sets up with a hard beat and more of an 80’s soulful groove. Second track “Easy Tiger” actually explodes with synth – but in a contemporary pop way – before the sound kind of shatters into a crackling, frantic song with its layers of sound effects and high energy. Third track “Live In The Moment” is driven by its percussion, framing personal anecdotes in its lyrics. It’s definitely the anthemic type of song, providing an energy that encourages pursuing your dreams. It almost feels like you can’t get better than that, as your ears are enveloped in this positive, fun sound. And then, of course, they one up it all with “Feel It Still”, which we FEEL doesn’t necessitate an explanation. Just wow.
The rough guitar that brings “Rich Friends” into the fold really provides an edge the album hasn’t previously explored. References to “wonderwall” and lines like “livin’ life like we’re the only ones that know we’re famous” provide a commentary on living life like a rockstar. “Keep On” is an upbeat track, but its lyrics further confirm the struggle between persistence for the sake of it to maintain momentum and acting out of actual passion. “So Young” takes on a different feel than its predecessors, a moderate tempo track that really exudes a matter-of-fact, sit back and relax vibe. (Something Portugal. The Man isn’t averse to doing, thankfully. These tracks are smooth like butter and – in our opinion – standouts in their previous work as well.)
Eighth track “Mr Lonely” (ft. Fat Lip) maintains a similar tempo and instrumental vibe to “So Young”, though they continue in a similar vein to prior social commentary tracks, with lyrics like “There’s glitter falling/and a banner that says/Welcome to Hell/Make yourself at home/Leave behind free will/Can you feel me now?” Haunting and conversation-inducing, this is the outstanding beauty that Portugal. The Man is known for.
But they’re not done yet.
“Tidal Wave”‘s composition screams “SUMMER!”, especially with the vision of a wave in your mind. But it’s so much more than that if you delve into the lyrics, really focusing more on “the aftershock,” highlighting that “the rest of you’s born to lose… worst of you’d born to lose/Bet on the winners,” which comes right back around to societal expectations. (But we’re always betting on this band, if anyone’s wondering.) They round it all out expertly with tenth track “Noise Pollution” (ft. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville), a song that echoes the title’s sentiment. Layers of instrumentals create this frenzied feeling, but somehow it all blends perfectly into this sound that perfectly defines what the band is all about.: the energy, the social awareness, the experience.
Woodstock is available now. Run, don’t walk. (Or speed type your CC into that order form!)
