How did your career in the music industry begin?
I had a blog when I was really young, and I interviewed indie bands over email and wrote about new albums and MP3s. All through high school and college, I kept blogging and took writing gigs whenever I could. At the same time, I was writing songs and playing in bands and meeting friends who were as passionate as I was about music. I studied the music business at Syracuse but felt more excited about my English classes, where I learned that some of the writing I was doing, if you squinted, could be considered through the wider context of something called “creative nonfiction.” This led me to taking writing more seriously, moving to New York, and getting an MFA. Fast-forward to today, I’ve been making a living from writing/editing for a decade, continuing to make lots of music for no reason other than I love to do it, and maintaining a healthy skepticism of anything that people refer to as an “industry.”
Tell us about your music style and your latest album 'Take Leave'!
My style: Close attention paid to lyrics. Unwavering belief in the song as a functional vessel to convey meaning and emotional complexity. Digging deeper into the subconscious while maintaining playful distance from my own unexceptional human experience. Cowboy chords. No vocal training. Themes related to dream analysis, meditation, Jewish thought. Self-referencing the act of songwriting and incorporating allusions to other stuff, without being too gimmicky about it (hopefully).
What’s your favorite part about the New York music scene?
Community! Inspiration! Friendship! Hanging out with Ryan Weiner in his studio. Getting to hear new Office Culture songs before anyone else. Getting to see Scree live all the time. The voice of Caitlin Pasko. The world of Adeline Hotel. More joy than I can express!
How do you balance your work as a senior editor at Pitchfork, and creating new music? Does one inform the other?
Well, I love my job and I also love making music, so the goal is to pour as much of myself as possible into each outlet without burning out on either. Music journalism is my vocation, so it takes up the working hours of my week, and it also dictates a lot of what I listen to and think about during those hours. Making music flows at a more intuitive and unpredictable pace, so I try to be receptive whenever I have ideas or whenever I feel the itch to make something. I am always jotting down lines in my Notes app, even if I don’t know what it means or why I feel compelled to say it, and then when I have time to focus on creative stuff, the bigger picture tends to constellate pretty naturally. I don’t force it, and I try not to be too precious about it.
Do you have a favorite new band you've discovered recently?
Sallow Moth
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