Albis is a Brooklyn based musician, songwriter, and producer. He is also guitarist for A Great Big World but also formerly of Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, Nakatomi Plaza, and De La Hoya.
In this interview, we chat with Albis about his newest project, influences, and more.
Full Q&A, links, and a stream of Runners below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and music that is Albis. What attracted you to this genre or style?
I grew up listening to The Beatles and Nirvana so I’ve always been attracted to a unique melody over clever chord changes. And sonically I love everything from finger-picked acoustic guitars to fuzzed out basses to weirdo keyboards and have been trying to write and record with a wider palette in mind.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
When I was 14 my band Confusion released a couple tapes. Like, actual cassette tapes. And I wouldn’t have said this at the time but we were a grunge band. My next band Mindset was more on the emo/hardcore side of things. When I got to college I formed a punk/hardcore band called De La Hoya that stayed together for 6 years and toured the US quite a bit. Two years into De La Hoya I started Nakatomi Plaza, an indie/punk/emo band which became my focus for the next 10 years. We released 4 records and toured the US and Canada many times over. When Nakatomi broke up I started Ghost Robot Ninja Bear, which was a musical continuation of Nakatomi really, and we released a couple singles and a full-length. It was around this time that I started writing the songs that would show up in the Albis repertoire. Far more introspective and way less bashy-rock than my previous bands but it was something that I wanted to explore. Anyway, to answer your question I guess I’ve been sharing my music with the public for quite a while!
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
In terms of bands: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Nirvana, Big Star, Nada Surf. In terms of guitarists: Eddie Van Halen, Roy Buchanan, J Mascis. In terms of writers: Elliott Smith, Neil Young. I mean, there are so many I could list but those are the ones that quickly come to mind.
The thing that has always motivated me musically is the need to express myself in a way that’s true to myself and to connect with like-minded people. That’s it really. Also, it’s fun.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Lyrically I wanted to explore themes of love, marriage, monogamy, polyamory, jealousy, sex, commitment. And musically I just wanted it all to sound sad and pretty.
What was the last song you listened to?
Walls by Tom Petty. Pretty perfect!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl because it’s cool but mp3s because I just want a handy way to access all the music!
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I tried Apple Music but ultimately went back to my Spotify account. I just like the interface better. In general, I like the subscription model as a consumer. As an artist, I still have no idea what makes the most sense in terms of getting -everyone- involved in a record’s production paid for their work. It’s weird being in between the era of huge record deals and whatever is coming next. Spotify is a step towards that next thing, but I still think we don’t know what the ultimate end result is going to look like, or how long it’ll last.
I do want to add that as an artist I -love- Bandcamp. It’s been easy to use and the interface is pretty great.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
If you’re not on a major label, your resources might be limited and it can be super hard to have a budget that allows you to do promotion that’ll make a dent. Or you might not have enough money to float a tour. It’s expensive and not easy.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
Albis plays locally in NYC about once a month right now. Our next show is Monday September 12 at Mercury Lounge. Otherwise I tour as the guitarist/keyboardist for A Great Big World, and freelance with other artists locally and regionally.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Thanks for having me!
