In this interview spotlight, I speak with Partly Because about their recent release, 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.)
We are from NYC and create alternative pop music. I use alternative pop as a broad encompassing term but honestly I’m not quite sure!
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I’m trying my best to occupy a sonic and stylistic space that hasn’t really been explored much with my music. I’ve met so many different kinds of musicians that have influenced me and the ones that have always been really inspiring were the ones that were able to cultivate their own musical and production language. Knowing there’s room for improvement and the desire to make the best music possible is what motivates me to keep going.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
This is the most straightforward track I’ve done in terms of production and arrangement. I was trying to make fun of ‘pop’ music in a way. I wanted to juxtapose a very serious verse which talks about the nature of perception and a human being’s relationship with reality alongside the hook which talks about getting excited about something as trivial as a woman being able to pronounce my name correctly!
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)?
Nowadays, there is so much more out there to consume but also so much more consuming power. It’s quite difficult because most people including myself’s attention spans are reducing due to this. It’s really difficult to find a balance between wanting to just catch people’s attention by giving them what they’re familiar with versus trying to be yourself which might take people awhile to acclimate themselves to. Ultimately, I think it’s about genuineness which people can feel. & Of course, there’s so much one can just do themselves now thanks to modern technology. Most of my friends who are producers are also their own managers, marketers, artistic directors etc. It’s a very interesting and exciting time to be an artist.
What was the last song you listened to?
Vermicide by The Mars Volta. Great band that tells incredible stories with incredible music.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Of course vinyl has a certain charm but I like them all and truthfully have no preference.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I have tried Tidal, Apple Music, Youtube Music, Google, and Spotify. Overall, I think Spotify is the best although they each have their pros and cons. I really like Bandcamp as well!
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Spotify & Instagram are the best places to see what we’re up to!
Anything else before we sign off?
A lot of things are in the works right now! My hope is that in the next few years we can be in a position in which we’re not limited artistically by what we have to work with. I know that sounds like a bad excuse but making everything on a laptop in a bedroom and doing mixes on $50 headphones is far from ideal! We have a vision and we want it to be realized but we’ll need some support and a lot of work on our part. Also, thank you sincerely to everyone that has been taking an interest in us.
