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Nothing short of masterfully crafted songs can
be expected when two of Jacksonville's most talented musicians take their
collaborating skills up a step. Spooney, Britt Traynham (a.k.a. Batsauce)
and Patrick Evan’s (Aerial Tribe') newest project, sticks with more
organic methods of laying tracks while retaining a unique style. Their
debut album will be the greatest CD to come out of Jacksonville this year.
Your new project, Spooney, how did that all come together with you and Patrick? Britt: It was an evolution that went from just making tracks and not really thinking about where it was going and, um…realizing somewhere along the line about last March that I was sitting on kind of a distinct sound and that, I've always wanted to record under different names and do different-sounding projects but I just realized that this kind of had its own unique sound and I wanted to do…I wanted the time to explore the sound.
It kind of just came along, the Spooney name, I kind of had a list of names I was kicking around, and it was kind of a childhood nickname of mine, turns out it was a childhood nickname of Patrick's and so we were like 'Oh, oh well that will be good.' The name from two shared nicknames.
So how did each of you two get that nickname? Britt: Well, Patrick's skinny and had an Afro and so somewhere in middle school they said 'Look at him coming down the street, he looks like a spoon!' and I have an inverted sternum and they were referring to my chest when they were calling me that. Both of them I think were teasing (laughs). Patrick: Insults. Britt: Insults.
Aww. Britt: Of course we're not carrying that now.
Yeah it doesn't seem like there's deeply seeded anger there. Britt: Yeah, that's not it. It's not an angry album either. Patrick: Yeah, it's his way of healing his wounds; he was so hurt by those kids calling him that name, you know… Britt: No, that's not true, you liar, that's not true, Patrick: He had to fight back Britt: 'I'll show you!'
Like Fred Durst. Patrick: Mmm hmm exactly.
It's really cool you ended up with the same nickname. Britt: Yep, we have a lot amazing coincidences that sort of unite us. We both have brothers named Miles, there's a lot, I'm just kind of drawing blanks right now, but…
Can you think of any Patrick? Patrick: Well the spoon, and then we both have brothers named Miles, and uh, you know…(laughs) Britt: We have reverence for nature. Patrick: But you know a lot of comes with our thinking, a lot of the likenesses. I think we think a lot about the same things Britt: Yeah, definitely Patrick: I think we have a lot of the same temperament and moods (inaudible)
And you've worked together before, obviously, on Patrick's project and on your project. Britt: On the Aerial Tribe.
Right, Aerial Tribe. So, what is different about Spooney when you guys collaborate on this? Britt: Well, I'd write all the instrumentals and um, other than it having sort of a decided sound in a way, in obvious ways, you have a guitar-oriented album and a lot of sort of dreamy soundscapes I was trying to achieve, it's a little bit more mellow and downtempo in spots. So we'd pretty much just sit down and if we were feeling it, we co-wrote I think three songs, I wrote one song, Patrick wrote one song, and a friend of ours named April Rayne Wilson wrote one other song. And so all of those, you know, each song kind of required something different, it wasn't really formulaic, we just really sat down and just did it. Probably spanned over, probably about ten months, probably last November it seems we were working on "Tell it to the River" and a couple of the other ones. Patrick: Another different thing was the equipment. Britt: Yeah, we did some upgrades around the studio, nicer mics and some nicer equipment for us to record with. Patrick: We were both experiencing different things in our personal lives from the time we did Patrick Evan to the time Spooney came around. Equipment, and (laugh) Britt: And this album, more than the Batsauce or even Patrick's album is homemade. Everything on the album was played on an instrument here in the studio. And I would take samples from those recordings, but it's home-generated, not sample manipulation.
Awesome. Patrick: All live!
That's a departure for you. Britt: Yeah it was, and it was kind of accidental, again it just sort of started happening, I realized 'Wow, I'm playing more guitars on this and basslines.' You know, towards the end of the project I was much more focused about what perimeters I was working with when I started I just kind of (inaudible)
Awesome. So it took you ten months to make the record. Britt: Mmm hmm.
How would you describe yourself ten months ago compared to how you're feeling now? Britt: Ah, let's see. Ten months ago, that's a good question. Um, it's been a year of a lot of transition, a lot of waking up. I think the planet's gone through that, certainly my personal life has reflected some of those hard, you know, just examinations of yourself and what you're doing and where you're going. I tried to put a lot of what I was feeling into the lyrics I wrote or co-wrote. I just sort of feel like I've really sort of woken back up. (pause) I was getting a little sleepy, it's been a good wake-up call, it's been a good growing period filled with joys and pains and kind of the whole dynamic of the human experience.
Wow, you've had a full ten months. Britt (laughs): Yeah, definitely. It's been crazy, I've, I've, just a lot has changed, and a lot of it was kind of surprising changes in a way. A year and a half ago I couldn't have predicted any of these things. A lot of accepting the universe and the way it orchestrates you through life. I couldn't have planned this.
Right. Britt: A lot of times in hindsight, or even when you're in the middle of something, you realize, 'I couldn't have planned this and this is the beauty of it, that I'm here in this space now and experiencing this wonderful thing and if I had tried to plan it, it wouldn't have happened like this, this might not even be my intention. Patrick: Mmm hmm. Britt: There's sort of a science, I think, to it, the circumstances of each of our lives and what we experience. I'm just trying to be open to life.
A very admirable goal. Have you had as full a ten months as Britt has? How has it been for you? Patrick: Yeah moving from where I've been the last five years.
Where are you now? On the north side of town.
Oh yeah, you told me that. And you know, you know, trying to get the record out with Aerial Tribe and now that's finally done and that's going well. Just working and learning. Britt: Yeah it has been a lot of work and learning. We mixed Aerial Tribe here this summer and recorded some of the vocals here, too. So it was just a lot of learning, in that ten months other things were going on, I made tracks that will probably end up on a Batsauce album, put some tracks on a compilation that's got a lot of local artists on it, so there's other things happening, and I'm starting to play out live some.
It's about freakin' time. Britt: (laughs) Patrick: Mmm hmm.
And you're playing with Patrick now Tuesday nights? Britt: Yeah we're doing this Tuesday night thing now at the Voodoo, it's kind of this, we have a band and we invite a lot of really good young musicians that, you know, are into grooving and a lot of jazz students from UNF come up and play. We've kind of got this cool vibe. We're trying to invite some spoken word artists from time to time; a friend of ours Daisy comes up and sings. It's a cool crew of people. It's great too, coz it's allowing me to jump feet first into the scene. I've been making music in my house, in my room, totally sealed off, any kind of reaction is very much a secondary one. Right now it's really nice to get to meet people, a lot of inspiration comes from that stuff. It's very great.
Very nice. And you have your Sunday night, Soulhead Sundays, and you have this Tuesday night thing. How are they different, which one are you enjoying more right now? Patrick: I enjoy them both because Tuesday night doesn't feel like a gig you get to make up stuff, I get to sing whatever I want to. I enjoy the freedom of that… Britt: It really is an improv scene. Patrick: But I also enjoy playing the song. It is, it's just like improv. It's sort of different.
And how are Soulhead Sundays going? Patrick: Excellent.
Is Britt joining you ever for that? Patrick: We're playing this Sunday.
Are you having a release party for the Spooney record? Britt: I will have, probably; well I will have hopefully, some releases around town in different venues. Each club has its aura, and I'd like to do some nights and present it to people and sell it. As far as when, we're kind of in the printing stage right now, so I really hope in December that we can do it. If it's realistic.
And the Arial Tribe just came out… Patrick: Yes, November third. We have to figure out whatever's gonna happen with that, you know, going out of town. And I'll tell you what's also different on the Spooney album, Britt wrote something by himself. Britt: Yeah, we do co-write a lot but this album, the first track, "How to Make a Rainbow" is…
That's all you. Britt: Yeah.
And you sang it for Patrick. Britt: There's a reference copy that's been destroyed.
Why has it been destroyed? Patrick laughs. Britt: Well, there's a reason Patrick's singing and not me. Patrick laughs. It was just really for him to get an idea of phrasing and you know, where to deliver the words, the timing.
So can Britt sing and he's just not telling us, or is he being truthful? Patrick: He sings better than he did when I first met him. And guess what else? He's actually singing on "Tell it to the River" and stuff like that. Britt: In a few background spots, yeah.
Then you need to sing. Patrick: He sounds like an old black man. Britt laughs. Patrick: That's why you can't tell.
Is that him going 'mmmmm'? Patrick: Yeah, he's doing 'mmmmm' (laughs).
Obviously you can sing better now. Britt: Yeah, hanging out with Patrick has kind of rubbed off.
Well you're teaching him to sing. What have you been learning from working with Britt? Patrick: Diction. And, uh, having faith in stuff you're writing down (inaudible) Having someone to share ideas with and get some feedback. Britt: Yeah, we do that for each other a lot. Before working with Patrick I didn't pay attention to vocals like I do now, you know, not only when we're recording but when we're listening to other vocalists. We really listen to what they're doing and how they're delivering it, and so there are things we've tried to improve on, and diction is one of them, just for clarity of words, not really changing the note or the intonation, but just closing off the word at the end. I'm trying to teach him guitar. I've taught him a little bit.
What'd you learn? Patrick: Well, just a few chords, but I have a goal, one song.
What song? Lauryn Hill, it's called "The Sweetest Thing."
An admirable goal. Patrick: I love that song.
It's not that hard to play. Britt: Yeah it's not, it's just three chords. Patrick starts singing the song.
So are you going to play that if he teaches you that, are you going to incorporate guitar? Patrick: I'd like to incorporate it into a show in the future, that's probably years down the road (laughs). Britt: Definitely in songwriting, I think songwriting might be good for you to. Definitely. Just grab it; it's such an easy way to start something. Patrick: Right, coz you play, right?
Yeah I play. Patrick: How long did it take you to learn…
Chords. It's kind of like chewing gum and walking. Six months into it I could play easy songs and sing without difficulty, once your hands memorize how to play. You'll pick up on it. Patrick: I'm amazed from Britt showing me different things and Jesse showing me some things, and I can't imagine how people go fast, I can't even IMAGINE how they can learn to do that.
Just practice your scales, each string up, and do it backwards, and that's how you learn it. Patrick: Quicker and quicker? Britt: Yeah.
Yup, quicker and quicker. Patrick: If I just learn "The Sweetest Thing" then I'll be happy.
You want to play "The Sweetest Thing" and you want to cover Prince. Patrick: Yeah, "When U Were Mine," I really want to do that song, I love that song. Starts singing, "I used to let you wear all my clothes." That's when I used to like Prince, I don't really care for him now. Britt: I'm glad we've got a few disses in here (sarcastically). Laughter.
I don't really think Prince is going to read this. I think Prince is too busy. Britt: It's too bad you know because he's really worked with a lot of hot people. When I heard he was going to do a project with Larry Graham and Chaka Khan, those are just legends. And with him thrown in the mix, too, it'd be a really cool thing. A great new album.
So you want to do a cover. Are you interested in covers ever? Britt: Yeah, on the Batsauce we're doing "My Funny Valentine," Patrick's singing, it's a really funk jam. I want to get this friend of mine Kip to play keys and Jesse's going to play guitar, it's just in the beginning stages. We're both in love with "Tracks in my Tears" by Smokey Robinson so I think we're going to do a weird cover of that. And there's a couple of '60s hippy anthems that I think would be just awesome to put kind of a soul modern spin on it.
Which ones? Britt pauses.
We can block this part out so Moby doesn't steal it from you. Laughter. Britt: Yeah that's right. Crosby, Stills, and Nash have a song called "Long Time Gone," it's on their first album and it's really bad, lyrically and musically. Maybe a couple of Hendrix songs, but I'd really have to pick it, I know when I hear that Crosby, Stills, and Nash song that I really want to do it. Good lyrics. I grew up listening to a lot of '60s music as well as everything else in the mix so I have a little sentimental spot in my heart for music with meaning.
Do you feel like there should be more music with meaning right now with the political environment? Britt: Yeah, but, and I hate to say it, unless it gets worse and really polarizes peoples' feelings about it, I think we'll be stuck in this era where taking a stand doesn't really mean anything. You can take a stand about, you know, wearing fur, eating meat, but they're all fairly meaningless. When your peers are coming home in boxes from a war with a country you've probably never even heard of, I think it really galvanized the whole generation. And we don't really have that now. I would hate for it to get worse, but as far as socially conscious music, I think the whole bling-bling effect is still the dominating principle.
War now would definitely be different. Britt: It's different not just logistically and weaponry, but also the media and the use of the media.
Yeah. Britt: More than ever, they're sort of a propaganda tool rather than, in Vietnam they actually had reporters in the jungles with the guys, and you'd see some guy die, you know, and now, they provide the clips and they tell you where the press can go and it's very controlled and regulated and that's all PR.
What about you Patrick, what music, I know you love Chaka Khan and Prince, what do you listen to, what music do like from the '60s or '70s? Patrick: I like the Staple Singers. Britt: Me too, that's one of my all-time favorite singers. Tremendous. Patrick: They sung a lot of songs about 'We the people' and 'Respect yourself.' Probably um….oh, Stevie Nicks.
You like Stevie Nicks? Patrick: I love Stevie Nicks. Britt: He likes some things you wouldn't have guessed. Patrick: I sing "Dreams" with Aerial Tribe. I guess the Staple Singers where the only ones I really listened to, I didn't really listen to Marvin Gaye or Britt: Curtis had some social messages. Patrick: I didn't listen to Curtis Mayfield too much either.
So do you prefer music that isn't so political? Do you like socio-political consciousness in your music? Patrick: I think it works out better for me when I know the person that's saying that. You know what I'm saying? Because, you know, there's people in the world that's intelligent enough to sit and write a song. You know, if you have the intelligence to see what's going on around you. And there's people sitting in their rooms at night crying about what's going on around them. Britt: Some are feeling it and some are saying something about it. I like both. I think a good love song or a heartbreak song has its place and is part of who we are. And to me, those are just as hitting sometimes as a social protest.
Definitely. If you just got your heart broken you don't want to hear 'War, what is it good for…' Britt: Yeah. Patrick: And some people do. If I'm feeling sad, sometimes I wanna listen to something about sad.
In Jacksonville, what kind of reception are you getting for your love songs? Patrick: Great. I was honored last Sunday, I sang at a wedding, and the song they requested for their first song was a song I wrote. I felt very good. I was really, really happy about that, I didn't know until I got to the wedding.
Wow, that's great.
Are you seeing an increase in artists in the scene in Jacksonville? Is it good right now? Britt: It's great right now. I'd say, I'm 31, so I'd say in the last ten years, it's the strongest it's been. And that could just be my own bias because I'm getting out now and really enjoying and loving the people I'm meeting, but I also think, we've got Aerial Tribe dropping right now, Kip Colb just put his album out, that's great. I've got the Spooney project, the Batsauce will probably come out in February, so that's two projects I'm about to drop. First Coast Steel Band just came out with an album. There's a lot going on, and it's that we've all been putting in the hard work the past five years and so for that we're at an awesome stage and now we're starting to get these other musicians coming up who have a fresh look. I think the scene's growing, there's a lot of enthusiasm for things going on and support.
Who do you guys like most in the local scene besides the obvious, yourselves? Britt: Aerial Tribe, my favorite band! Patrick: I like Shakti Cypher. Probably my favorite that I've seen in town. Britt: Live, they're still killing it. Kip's CD was coming in out of left field and I don't think anyone really expected it, so it was a great surprise. Patrick: A lot of people I like aren't really in groups. They're just individual musicians. Britt: Yeah, there's a lot of those. Sometimes I see
a band and I'm just digging one or two people in a band. This is a good
time. debut CD “BITTERSWEET” |
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