When life throws you lemons, make lemonade, right? Easier said than done for some than for others. The thing is that life has thrown so many lemons at some of us that it has drained all our self-confidence, and we prefer to give ourselves over to someone else hoping he or she will make all the right decisions for us. Unfortunately, this never really works out.
The fourth single off A Permanent Shadow’s debut album “Songs of Loss” deals with being trapped in a body and mind that you actually don’t like very much, but you’re unable to make a change. Oppressive parents, selfish boyfriends, evil mothers-in-law and drunk husbands have stripped the song’s protagonist off all self-confidence, and what is left is an empty shell of a person, the perfect pushover that others can use to appease their poor little minds and inflate their ego. No doubt about it, our protagonist needs a Radical Change, but the paralyzing fear of the unknown prevents her from stepping out of a rather painful comfort zone.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with CP Fletcher of A Permanent Shadow about the latest music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
A Permanent Shadow is a collective based in Barcelona, Spain. We’ve been active since early 2018 and have so far recorded one longplay, “Songs of Loss”, which has been out since September 2019. The musical style is 80’s influenced electronic rock.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I used to be a drummer in a variety of bands, none of which I really liked very much. There came a point in time where I thought, either I write and record my own music or I quit music altogether. So I set out to do my own stuff. The motivation is fuelled by the joy I get from the creative process, from writing, recording and playing musc that I really like, finally.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
Well, we only have one album out but we are already working on the second one. I think making music is always a growing process. You never stop learning or improving. Your craft evolves over the years and so do you as a person. Your own experiences outside of music have an impact on your songs as well. The accomplishment is always to please yourself in the first place, to enjoy your own music and to be proud of it, warts and all. In that sense, the new songs are a continuation of the previous record.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
The challenge is to get your name out there without backing from a label. Money is the major challenge, obviously. On the other hand, social media and online outlets are very helpful when it comes to promoting your music with a tiny budget. Networking is the key, though it’s time consuming and not always fun. But I am of the opinion that anything you can do yourself, you should do it.
What was the last song you listened to?
Helen of Troy by John Cale. He’s the master of avant garde pop music. A true cult artist. I hope he’s got many more years in him.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I’m more of an MP3 guy, out of practicality more than anything else. That aside, years of drumming have left me half deaf, so I have no way of appreciating the higher sound quality provided by vinyl as some of the frequencies are just not there any more in my hearing. MP3 works for me.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
When promoting my music I focus on Spotify. That’s where I also listen to new music. I am, however, following some artists who operate exclusively on Bandcamp, so I use that a bit as well.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Our webpage www.apermanentshadow.com is a good starting point. From there you can access all other outlets, from Youtube to Facebook and Instagram.
Anything else before we sign off?
We are currently rehearsing for our first live show which will take place in Barcelona on March 6th. We’re very excited about the showcase and hope there’s much more music to come, both live and in the studio.
