Half Past Two - Sound In The Signals Interview
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| Rae Mystic |
I recently had the opportunity to interview Half Past Two. We discussed writing and recording new song “You In A Suit”, collaborating with Reade Wolcott, artwork, the new legacy of ska, and more. Check it out below.
You recently released your new song “You In A Suit”. Can you tell me about writing that song?
That song has changed so much. I wrote the lyrics, and Max and I worked on a melody for a bit but nothing felt really spectacular so we sort of just left it in the pile. When we started to work with Reade, we showed it to her so that we could see how we all worked together and she was sort of like, "There's something here, but it definitely needs work." I ended up pulling lyrics from another song and mixing the two together to get what you hear on the track now.
The horn work on the song is fantastic. How long did you work on the horn parts for it?
Our current process for writing horn parts is different than we've ever done before. Rather than writing the parts in advance, our horn players come into the studio and work out the parts on the fly. The whole process for this song took a couple of hours and I think this new more organic process makes the horn section much more effective.
You’ve been working with Reade Wolcott who produced and mixed your latest singles. What was this experience like? Did Reade co-write in any capacity or offer suggestions along the way?
Working with Reade has been my dream. Making the new tunes has been a really positive experience. I am very used to writing alone in a notebook or at my computer and then bringing those lyrics to Max, then writing the songs together. But with Reade, she needs even less. She says "Bring whatever you have, even if it's just a few words or an idea," and we'll write an entire song in an hour or two. I have personally never moved at that pace, haha. There has been a lot of co-writing and I love that; I'm learning so much. I can confidently say that I am not a confident lyricist, but Reade is always encouraging me that I'm good. It's really neat and she has challenged me a lot.
One thing I really like about these new songs is how vibrant and bright they sound. You’ve captured that Orange County ska sound so perfectly. What impact did Reade have on the overall sound of the songs?
Reade really got in there, so to speak, hahaha. We would bring melodies and chunks of songs and she would help us bring out the best in them. We did a lot of listening sessions where we would just call out songs we really liked by other artists and we'd listen to them hard and talk about what was so great about them. Sometimes it was obvious stuff like the lyrics or a breakdown, but other times it was the structure. It was different from what we've been used to doing, but it was so fun.
I’ve heard you say how big of an influence the classic Orange County scene is for you and how important bands like Save Ferris are to your band. I feel like these new songs are your best work to date. How does it feel to be at a point in your band where you’re writing and sounding as good as bands from that era?
That's really generous of you to say. Really generous! I mean, we work really hard and we made a conscious effort with these new songs to update our personal sound while honoring our Orange County ska roots. I guess I'm happy to hear that that translated to the listener.
Are the new songs mostly just singles or can we expect a potential EP or album anytime soon? If so, what can you tell us so far?
These new songs are just singles and that's all I can say!
The artwork for both of your new singles is fantastic. What goes into creating the artwork in terms of who comes up with the ideas and concepts for it? Can you tell me specifically about the artwork for “You In A Suit”?
For the art direction on these singles we worked with our really good friend Rae Mystic. Rae is great at executing a vision. When we were conceptualizing the art for "You In A Suit" we looked at a lot of vaporwave inspired art, a lot of statues, haha. Then we took all of the ideas to Sofia Dupre who is one of my favorite graphic designers in the scene right now. It was a big ol' collab!
Is there any chance that we’ll see a physical release such as cassettes or vinyl for these new songs (or if they will be featured on an upcoming release)?
No, we won't be doing a physical release for these last two. I wish we could! I know a few people that would be interested in seeing physicals of these two songs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ska had a great resurgence a few years ago and it's really maintained interest. You all have been a band for several years and helped build up this new scene. How has it felt to see it thrive and grow over the last few years?
Every year we get to be a band is a blessing! I feel so lucky to be included in what has been going on in the scene. How ska has developed over the past 2 or 3 years is a really beautiful thing, especially when we've been doing this for much much longer than that. It's the fans. The new ska fans are incredible. For so many years, people treated ska as a joke. The new fans don't even remember those times so they love it for what it is. Yeah, it's special and I hope that is the new legacy of ska.
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me!
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