Keep Off The Grass - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview Cayden of Keep Off The Grass. We discussed the writing and recording process for their upcoming album, ‘Here But Not There’, the first single “14th and Jasmine”, the song that came easiest for the band to write, the meaning behind the album’s title, what fans can expect before the album comes out, and more. Check it out below.
First, thanks for the interview.
Thanks for reaching out!
You recently announced your album ‘Here But Not There’ will be out April 01, 2022. Can you tell me about the writing and recording process for the album?
Yeah, the writing and recording process for this album was absolutely wild. 8 out of the 9 songs on this album were written between April of 2020 and January of 2021 and we started recording them In October of 2020. We had two personnel changes over the course of 9 months and we actually started this album as a 4 piece. Now, we're a three piece and I think that the music is better off that way. It's been a test of patience for me, but I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned throughout the whole process and I'm really proud of us.
The first single “14th and Jasmine” will be out on January 21st. I really liked the acoustic video you put out for the song. What’s different about the album version? Did you keep it acoustic or is it full band?
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! The acoustic video is definitely a stripped back version of the song. I'm really excited for people to hear the recorded version because I think it has that midwest emo energy and it's got the whole band in it.
What was the easiest song to write for the album and on the other side which was the most difficult to complete?
I think the easiest song on this album to write was the closing track, "Two Apartments." I started writing this song right after New Year's Day 2021. I had just spent the holiday with my best friends Nico and Alexis in Northridge, California and they were talking about moving in together which I thought was a great idea. Our guitarist at the time was also talking about moving in with his girlfriend and I thought it was a terrible idea. Not that they needed my approval, but it somehow got through the grapevine that I wasn't a fan of the idea and I wrote this song about my distaste towards it. There wasn't a particularly hard song to write for this album, the writing process with the band is always fairly straightforward and really cooperative and collaborative. No egos or anything.
Do you have a favorite musical or lyrical moment from the album?
My favorite lyric on the album is the last line of the whole thing: "You're here, but you're not there," and that's where the title of the album comes from. "Here, but not there" is a phrase that we were throwing around for a long time. Caleb (our drummer) and I had a lot of people that were immediately surrounding us that were physically present but emotionally, couldn't have given less of a shit about where we were going and what we were doing. Hence the personnel changes. I think the moment that solidified the name was when we were still a four piece and I was trying to show the boys a new song and our guitarist was scrolling through Instagram. The name just feels fitting.
You also released an artwork teaser with the album announcement. Is that a piece of the album artwork or is it single artwork?
The single artwork is sort of a teaser for the rest of the album artwork. Caleb's super talented step-brother Thatcher did the album art and Caleb designed the single artwork based off the whole thing!
What are some things that you’re planning for the lead-up to the album? Will we hear more singles or do you have anything else that you’re working on that you can tell us about?
We're planning on releasing 6 singles leading up to the album. 14th and Jasmine is coming out on January 21st, and then there will be 5 more released in groups of one's and two's throughout February and March. I also have a solo project that I'm recording in January and will be out sometime in 2022!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks for the questions, we're really excited for people to listen to the album!! "14th and Jasmine" comes out on January 21st!!
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