ifitbeyourwill Podcast
"ifitbeyourwill Podcasts is on a mission to talk to amazing indie artists from around the world! Join us for cozy, conversational episodes where you'll hear from talented singer-songwriters, musicians, and bands from all walks of life. Let's celebrate being music lovers!"
Season Four - September 2024 to December 2024
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ifitbeyourwill Podcast
ifitbeyourwill S04E01 • Alex Hackett of Pang Attack
What if the quietness of rural Quebec could ignite a lifelong passion for music? Join us as we kick off Season Four of the ifitbeyourwill Podcast with the remarkable Alex Hackett from Pang Attack with Yann Geoffroy (drums), and Dave Clark (keys, bass). From his early days influenced by 80s pop and his mother's love for the radio, to his journey into the indie underground, Alex takes us on a nostalgic trip through his musical evolution.
Ever wondered how creative collaborations evolve over distance? Alex delves into the intricacies of band dynamics, the highs and lows of musical partnerships, and the unique chemistry that can be fostered even when miles apart. One standout story is the unexpected yet successful collaboration with Peter Holmstrom of The Dandy Warhols during the COVID era, which resulted in the evocative track "Sea of Eyes."
Looking ahead, we explore the future of Pang Attack and the personal milestones that have influenced the band's creative journey. From the reflective themes in the song "Lowborn Man" to the integration of real strings, Alex shares his insights into the band's artistic process. As we anticipate the release of their final album in its current form, Alex opens up about what the future holds for him musically and the bittersweet emotions tied to closing this chapter. Don't miss this heartfelt and engaging start to our new season!
Welcome back to another season of If it Be your Will podcast. Today we start off episode number one with an artist close to home. Alex Hackett from Pang Attack is joining us and we had a great conversation about growing up in the country, quietness, all his multitude of collaborators that he's been working with throughout his musical career. Also, how record labels suck. We talked about that quite a bit and then, unfortunately, the end. The final album of Pang Attack is coming out within the next month or so and we talked about what the future holds for Alex as well and his next musical adventure. It's a great conversation. Hope you enjoy it. Conversation, Hope you enjoy it. Season four here we are. We are coming to you from Eastern Quebec here up in Canada, Starting season four. Season three is a blast. We had a great summer. We're back here. What a pleasure I have today of Alex Hacke, who is a.
Speaker 1:Pang Attack. You might know from Kill the Lights from the 2010ies 2000, yeah, mid-2000s. Yeah, geez, some time's flying by. Well, alex, I'm really happy that we're starting off with you as our first getting off the ground again. Alex is also a fellow Quebecer. He's from my area as well, which is even cooler. And we have lots of common as well, which is even cooler. And we have lots of common friends, which is even cooler. So it's kind of like we're just talking like friends here.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, kind of yeah, we're gonna talk only about him and not about me. Um so alex, thanks so much for coming on here and talking to us about your kind of your story, how, how it all became real for you, this musical business. Yeah, my first question I always ask is like where did it all start out? It's like when were those memories of music was a part of you, therefore, was going to be a part of that journey that you had. When were those kinds of recollections that you have of that?
Speaker 2:yeah, like first, first memories of music yeah, yeah, you doing music or listening.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all of the above yeah, I mean, uh, for me it was um day one. You know, it's like my first memories were uh, of you, of, of, you know, listening to the radio, uh, at the breakfast table, or something like that. You know, it's always, as you know, like growing up in the townships, um, this was the eighties, like early eighties, uh, and so, yeah, there was no, uh, ambient noise, and there was, you know. You know, know, it's a pretty rural area and it's pretty, so, so any sound I would gravitate towards, like, like noise. I needed it because, like it's so damn quiet in the country, you know, and like I remember being, like, scared in the middle of the forest on schoolcraft road, just outside of mansonville, um, and so thank god, yeah, I mean you know, thank god my mom was a music fan and she would.
Speaker 2:She would put the radio on in the morning, and so I remember, like I think it was a station called 95 95.9, back then fm 95.9, which I checked doesn't exist anymore, but um, like I remember, like walk like an Egyptian you know the bangles. Like I remember being like four years old and being like what is? I fucking love this song, man, like it's so good.
Speaker 2:And then, um, we built this city on rock and roll by, like starship, yeah, man, all that stuff was was great Classics. Starship, yeah, man, all that stuff was was great classics, yeah, yeah. And then we would go to, um, to owl's head, to ski and where my mom was a ski instructor, and um, there's like a kiss poster on the wall and like all those songs when I was like five, six, seven, like they're still grafted in my brain um, like don henley's, um, dirty laundry, there's a great one. Uh, you know another brick in the wall, pink floyd. Uh, there's all kind of that, mr mr, take these broken wings.
Speaker 1:You know all that pop stuff like you're throwing some bangers with your great songs, you know.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's the same with everyone. I assume, like you know, like those first songs, that you really just like it, just really you'll always remember them.
Speaker 1:Uh, yeah, yeah, I remember listening all the time to like top 40. Like sunday mornings I would get my radio out and that was just like, don't interrupt me, I gotta listen to casey casem and his yeah walk through.
Speaker 1:I don't know it was 40 or 50 songs he played. But and like, I think back to those times and I'm like how did I get from that to like echo and the bunny man and the smiths and the cure, because a lot of that stuff and I know that you were a big fan of those, those artists as well oh, huge, they weren't all, they weren't that Right, I mean, you'd have to find the shows to hear them. Yeah, how did you start to get exposed to the kind of more of the the indie, underground type music?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. I remember and I just heard somebody talk about it recently, I don't know why. It was some weird documentary or something on on TV. I was watching and they were talking about the fact that, like Quebec and Montreal and a lot of like the you know, the Francophone people, they love that Manchester stuff. You know, they love the cure and the depressing stuff, whereas you just go down to the 401, to Ontario and and when I went to university, like they all, like the grateful dead and fish and and stuff, you know which I, yeah, which I hated, you know, and I still do to this day um, no offense, deadheads, I kind of maybe coming around a little bit of debt, um, but I think it's just like a lot of music too.
Speaker 2:It's like there's like a technical component to the delivery system and the fact that montreal is, just like you know, it's just north of new york and like it was the first, you know, cold, depressing industrial place, much like Manchester in northern England, like not only was did we get it first, like in a physical sense in the 80s, like the records would come to Montreal, like and then go to New York, boston, boston, montreal. So you look at those cities on the north-south axis. They were all into the same music pretty early I think. Other than that, I remember going to the older kids at the Knowlton Boat Club. We had this great jukebox at the Knowlton Boat Club and they put the Boys Don't Cry the Police. I remember the older kids, the. You know boys don't cry um the police.
Speaker 2:I remember the older kids like the cool kids are like we're going into montreal and we're we're getting like a new batch like cool records. It's like all right, what do you have? And remember, they put the police like every little thing she does is magic and like right, right, like that. That you know sort of swirling intro with the piano is like you know, it's like, branded into my soul, as like, like the sound of the end of summer for me, like still to this day, absolutely I mean very apropos to the time we are in now.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, and you are releasing a new record soon, yeah, yeah, very cool. So mean what comes around goes around right, like life's a cycle.
Speaker 2:Sure A hundred percent Alex what about the music-wise?
Speaker 1:Like when was it that you first started picking up an instrument to play, you know, with other people or just to learn? Like when were those in your life?
Speaker 2:yeah, uh, my mom uh got us piano lessons, um, when we were kids and didn't take at all like me, and my brother and my sister played like the flute you know, like that, that jethro tull flute, yes.
Speaker 2:So, even though, like there's no musicians in my family, but like we were sort of like my mother was a fan and she would listen to abba and rolling stones, and so I I have to credit her with like pumping the music into us, um, but like um, instruments sucked at piano hated it when I was a kid. And then I got to high school and uh, some people played guitar and like I was just like I thought that they were the coolest people in the world, just like playing, you know, stairway to heaven and right. And uh, cad stevens, and I was like, oh man, I'm 15, it's too late. You know, like is they, they've been playing for two years and they're so good and I'm like, man, I'm 15, it's already too late. So I was really bummed and then, and then I figured I might as well like start playing guitar as like asking is like does that mean I'm a poser?
Speaker 2:you know I'm 15, I'm already in grade 10, is that too old?
Speaker 2:they're like whatever so um and I was, you know, learned pretty fast and just learned a couple songs. And around the same time my friend, tony started um taught me a couple drum beats, um, so I learned, I picked that up. That was weird, like I like I never knew I had a talent for it, but uh, so. So yeah, I'm currently playing drums in uh joe yarmish's band, tv erased uh, which uh features joe from soons and alex ortiz from we are wolves. Uh and myself love playing drums because it's just like you don't have to be a front man, you don't have to engage with the audience and you're just laying down the, the beats and um you know, after you know, being the front man and kill the lights and paying attack.
Speaker 2:Um, you know it, just it's nice to just like hey, man great tell me where to go, and then I'll just like you guys deal with all the booking and all that shit.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's cool. I mean I love what you were saying too about all these collaborators and and you're. You're well known for collaborating with so many different artists up here in the north, but you started to expand this a bit. What is it about collaboration in you? Like what? What do you like about that? Um, like it's not only just just with joe, and like you collaborate with ton of artists, can you tell a little bit about, like, yeah, the gist behind your collaborations?
Speaker 2:yeah, I guess. Um, yeah, uh, I mean, at first, you know, trying to start a band, you obviously you have to collaborate. And then, uh, um, and then you know, if you're in a band long enough or too long, then that collaboration can get difficult and, like you know, personal relationships are a huge part of the band and hey, if you ever play in a band, like, sometimes they break down, the bands break up and blah, blah, blah. So, uh, it's that quote, whatever you know it's like getting along is is, you know, 80 of the battle or whatever. But you know, after the, the initial band experience, uh, with kill the lights, and then it's, um, yeah, I don't know, it's just like you. You're just, you know you're just expanding and you realize, okay, if I play with this person, uh, I mean, collaborating is just like you. You're just, you know, you're just expanding and you realize, okay, if I play with this person, uh, I mean, collaborating is just like you find out what you're made of, you know, and you always learn something.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, you just find out. You know, like, oh, what you know, how a there's the result of, like, you know, it's just that chemistry, like throw a different guitar player with a different style. You know something new obviously will come of it. But also, you never know, like that's the cool thing about, like montreal, and I think a lot of cities have the same thing where they've got like a, you know a revolving cast of stock musicians. If you're like, if you're still, you know, sticking at it, uh, by the time you're in your 40s and later, then chances are you, you, you know, you've rubbed elbows with some of these people and, um, just kind of curious about what. Can you know what, if I take you know that ingredient and put it with that basis, and sometimes it's just like about hanging out, you know, it's just like a good hang, and you like the person you know and or the people and uh, so yeah, I mean the collaboration, uh, with peter holmstrom, I think you, you uh interviewed yeah, what was that?
Speaker 1:like I found that was. So I like I love this track that just came out. Um that you guys put out um, yeah, you see, sea of eyes, I mean it's a great video too, yeah, um and he talked a little bit about your collaboration, where you never really met, but I saw a picture not too long ago with the two you together yeah tell us about, like that relationship and how it's going and how it started.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I was just like fell from the sky.
Speaker 2:It's for me you know, and uh, it was a total pleasure and like a pleasant surprise and I was just like man, you know, like musically, like I was, I, I. So I met him for the first time, peter from the Danny Warhols. They played, uh, I guess it was March and you know, you know we'd been back and forth thing for like four years, you know, and had a couple zoom calls, uh, during COVID. And that's also like the nature of the modern music industry. You're like, oh, like you can make these albums without ever meeting and just exactly it's amazing, hey, it's just like mind-blowing how that happens
Speaker 1:yeah, and like he had heard something that you had recorded, yeah, and then just reached out to you. I guess that's.
Speaker 2:That was all through pete international airport, right yeah, so uh, I guess joe from soons had um had uh, soon had put uh a video from p Pang Attack's last album on their socials somewhere and Pete had seen Soon's in Portland when they were touring the West Coast. And I got a text from Joe. If you know Joe Yarmish, you know the very deadpan Yep. Hey, hey, pete Holmstrom from the dandy warhols wants you to send his record. Call him.
Speaker 2:I was like whatever dude like you know and at that point that was like 2000 and I don't know, 18 or 19, and I was going through one of those phases where you also have you'll often have like postpartum uh downer after releasing an album where you're like, okay, well, that's it, like nobody cares anymore, on to the next one, that's right you know, didn't all that effort yeah so rick rubin didn't call and uh I didn't get uh signed and tour china and japan you know all these fantasies which you always have have.
Speaker 2:You know the expectations. So I was like I was at a period between I was like, oh, you know, feeling sorry for myself. I don't know if I'm going to keep playing music, man, you know. And it's like, it's like the Michael Corleone and the Godfather, you know, like they're, like you're like I'm done, you know. But then, and then peter going back and I was like I was like wow, and he's like you want to write some songs. And we chatted and I was like hell, yeah, man, like that, you know.
Speaker 1:So that was the collaboration I needed at that moment you know, like to really and just totally out of the blue, like not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know that's amazing you know, I paid my dues, you know, so that. So at the same time that I was like wow, like it's great, at the same time I'm like man, I've released like fucking eight, you know 11 albums and you know four different bands. At that point, great, great, and so I'll take it. Man, I was just like happy, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:And like how did? How did that back and forth go? Like he would send you kind of an idea of what he wanted a song to be, or would he send you a complete song and was like okay is super cool man.
Speaker 2:You know he's super uh chill uh, you know, like my voice, like my lyrics, like pang attack wanted to to collaborate, and so he was.
Speaker 2:He would just send uh demos, um so at first he's like take this one, uh, do this one, and uh, if it all goes well, we'll do some more. I was like cool, I hadn't been to a studio for a couple of years at that point and I was just like man, you know, I was like really stressed and putting a lot of pressure on myself. I've got to do a great job, recorded some vocals with my buddy, ryan Battistuzzi, who's like a Montreal great producer, sound guy, you know, does works with all kinds of know, does works with all kinds of bands, tours, all kinds of bands. Um, and yeah, it was just vocals, you know. So at first it was, it was a demo and then he set the demo but he's like that's going to be the length of it. You know, uh, the finished product will be totally different. So, but once I got the vocals in, he liked them. He's like you know, here, you want to, here's three more, you want to do three more.
Speaker 2:Um, and at first there was like sea of eyes was the one. When he'd sent the three more, I was like, well, actually he sent the whole album and I was like I, I love that one, that sea of eyes song, which to me sounded like a cure track, like like pornography era or disintegration era. Here it's a long song, it's like seven minutes and uh, very like moody, atmospheric, like glacial. I was like I love that stuff. I was like can I sing?
Speaker 2:he's like no man, somebody else is doing it, because on his albums he gets all kinds of singers right. So so, on that album, uh, rachel goswell from slow dive was on that album and I'm like how in the hell did right. So, so on that album, uh, rachel goswell from slow dive was on that album and I'm like how in the hell did I end up on an album?
Speaker 1:I mean I could leave, I could get, I could pack it in now and I'd be happy it's amazing, though, one of my favorite bands yeah, absolutely I mean their latest record too, is like I mean, they went dormant for years and then come out with this like yeah, there you've been my whole life. Thank god you came back. Um just extraordinary yeah um, I wanted to ask you too, like, what was the first song you ever wrote? Like when did you get from? Okay, I want to learn how to play the guitar. Yeah, to saying why don't I try to write something? Yeah, what was that transition?
Speaker 2:that happened really fast, it's like you know. I picked up a guitar and within two months I was like, oh, let me try, you know, and I just like have these little riffs, yeah, and the first one I was like it was grade nine. It's like, like you know, you're in grade nine, just like.
Speaker 2:I was just like trying to pack like big words into it and like make it really deep, man, and you know whatever, uh, and then, oh yeah, and I was playing in my high school band, so it's like shout out to tom peacock and oliver drake and tony gerardi, uh, who were, I was just a singer in that band and, uh, we wrote a couple of bad songs but you know that you're 15. I mean you can't really say if you're 15, it's all a part of the portfolio, yeah.
Speaker 1:No, I mean every song's the next step up. Really, yeah, and then that's cool.
Speaker 2:The, the. The writing with kill the lights was the young Jan Jeffroy. Uh, and that's when we all moved in Toronto.
Speaker 2:It was like 2000 2003, so like 21 years ago, yeesh yeah, uh, you guys got picked up by Maple Records right for that for the first record eventually, unfortunately, yeah, bad label yeah around, sorry guys, I don't think so, man, like they fuck this, yeah, but you know, it's like one of those life lessons that you know you got to go through and, um, right, and uh, you know, you know I'm glad I had those experiences, like because it was crazy, like we were. We'd go into the office and there's the owner's, a guy in a track suit. He's like, yeah, hey guys, uh, I like the haircut, uh, maybe, but maybe cut it. Yeah, the beard, you know, maybe take it off, it adds a couple years. Okay, we're gonna bring your ages down to like we're gonna say in the press release you guys are 22, because at that point we were 27 right and so 27 was too old and we were like, holy, smokes, smokes, it's real, like the Spinal Tap aspect of.
Speaker 2:T3 is real.
Speaker 2:And then they just, like you know, they took our album, re-recorded a couple layers onto it which you know just made it sound kind of shinier and more plastic to me Sat on it for two years and then re-released it. You know, we'd been playing Toronto for two years at that point and everybody knew the song. And they're like where's the new album? And we were like, well, we gotta wait for maple. And and then when they, you know, decided to, you know it was like it was bad, like because the time fell off and people were like this music's played out. I'm like released it two years ago but well, they're like.
Speaker 1:You guys are idiots. Like they slaughtered it for you.
Speaker 2:Hey, like they slaughtered the timing, and you know we're, it's our fault too. You know we were young and we said yeah, you know, because like they dangled the, like you guys could be the next big thing and we, we kind of believed it, uh, when in reality what you should do, and whatever young band should do, is just keep playing like, just play, play the circuit and and release along your own terms as much as possible, you know right, right um, and do you have your own recording studio at home?
Speaker 1:I?
Speaker 2:don't know, but I have recorded a bunch at home and I just do like super lo-fi. Great Because the first paying attack.
Speaker 1:Just you did that recording on your own right the first paying attack.
Speaker 2:The first two, yeah, although the second one I got Dave Clark in. He's a great synth player and so he put some synth players on after. Okay, but yeah, the first one was like you know, it's that one man band vibe where, um, uh, kill the lights had broken up and, uh, we'd been playing and practicing for like seven years, which, when you know you're, I was 33, I guess. When we broke up and like when you think, oh man, seven years, so long in a band, and then you really, in this day and age, that's nothing, like you might just be beginning to go at seven years, you know. But Right, right, so I'd, I'd finished, you know, band broke up and I was like I immediately just want to like stay productive, otherwise it's like I don't want to, you know, slump and like fall and get inside my head.
Speaker 2:I had these songs, some of which, um, uh, we'd been playing with kill the lights and uh, and I was just like, okay, I'm gonna go. I went to this um, um guy. I knew he it wasn't a music studio, but he was really good like he was, um, like a sound effect studio guy. So we did everything like we no amps, like plug the guitar straight in the board. Uh, that's cool. Actually got some pretty good sounds. Uh, I like that sound recorded the drums he'd never recorded drums and he had this like concrete gnarly uh studio, so with high ceilings, so like. The drums sound really pretty weird, like they sound very metallic and like but I like it.
Speaker 1:I think it's pretty original sound um and then I really like that first record. Like it, yeah, it's got such character to it like you can feel like it.
Speaker 2:It has that lo-fi aesthetic, but super yeah, like sweet and smooth and super mellow yeah, and that was the yeah yeah, that was the idea, like in terms of the identity of hang attack after kill the lights, which was so spastic and like ah, like super energetic and loud as fuck and yeah and uh, like the shows were like fast and we're post-punk and out, and it was just like calm down and just like make everything is quiet and and very shoegazy, like dream pop texture. Yeah, that was the idea.
Speaker 1:Was that an intention of yours? Like you wanted to get away from that noise, from kill the lights like a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:And like what was that?
Speaker 1:transit? Like was it to get away from that noise, from kill the lights? Like a hundred percent. And like what was that transit? Like was it the shoegazy? Like, like what was your vision of pan attack when you were like, okay, kill lights is over. I want to stay productive. I'm going to start this new thing up. This is what I want it to sound like. What were those ideas going on in your head?
Speaker 2:Yeah, all of a sudden I don't have to uh, you know, I don't have to negotiate with anybody else. It's just like 100 my songs and 100 my vision, even in terms of, like, nobody else is playing on it. Uh, yan is a great drummer. Uh, he was very energetic, you know, like very loud, so it ends up being rock, like you know. You know we put yan on a song, it's gonna sound propulsive, um, so I was like, uh, I'm just kind of like, have some acoustic songs, just be really kind of, you know, drown vocals like this sort of shoegaze stuff that I love, the british stuff, a little bit singer songwritery, um, a lot of ambient pads, like background swells and stuff like that, which, uh, we spent a lot of time working on and I still, you know, do that stuff. That's sort of, uh, one of the hallmarks of pang attack is the sort of background atmospherics which we.
Speaker 2:I always spend a lot of time sort of nitpicking on and like like I can do a guitar track into the weeds with that Like once you get turned those knobs. Yeah yeah. It's like the icing on the cupcakes. Like I love that stuff.
Speaker 1:The sonic, like burbles and weirdness, and yeah, yeah, yeah, experiment, yeah, Did you find too like because Pangatech you have, the sixth is coming out, right? No, the fifth is coming out. So it's.
Speaker 2:It's been putting records out since 2011 yeah, it's three eps and uh, which don't even exist in physical form. Uh, there's a compilation vinyl which is, uh, that was just like I took, you know, like a certain amount of songs from the first three eps. Release it on a vinyl. Uh, slow deceivers, which is uh still available for purchase. Uh, kids link.
Speaker 1:Link on the well you got a great band pick band camp page. I'm gonna link it to this, yeah, so the kids can go out and get themselves some good paying great. Do you find, though, that paying attacks sound evolved over time, and I'll lay it out for you, because I find that you you're going back a little bit to that first. Yeah, aesthetic of very you and almost somber, um, it's like folky a bit, but has this sonic, as you said, atmosphere like in the background. Like you sent me over the the record to give it a listen, and and it brings me back to those earlier can you talk a little bit about that kind of coming back to yeah, yeah, totally.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, I think I agree. I think that was the. That was kind of the point or the point I I don't know why I decided it's always a question of, like, you know, when you record, how do you, who do you record with, how's it going to sound? How much production, what are the production values? What a pretty big departure in terms of the influences that we were mining and how we recorded. And we went back to break glass with Jace Lassick of the Besnard Lakes Great band and great studio and great producer.
Speaker 2:But we wanted a bigger sound for that, so we have this sort of like motown influence, like motown motown psychedelia, uh, which is cool, like I you know, and people either like that record or don't, and uh, I, I like it, but it's true it does sound different than it's like at the one.
Speaker 1:it's the most accessible, in a way, and then the most the biggest departure the production does sound more, I guess, mainstream you could say but yeah, we really like bigger production, a sound, a bigger, a fuller sound, not in the sense that that it it. The other stuff doesn't have that fullness to it. Yeah, but there's. There's less of an intimacy, I found with that record and it's more of a, like you said, like a get up on stage and play it out loud, um, yeah, yeah, for sure, but alex, after that, you had an eight year period between that record and the one that's coming out Like years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that came out in 2016 and it's 2024. So, what the hell have you been doing? Well, we had, we had COVID, right, right we went through, jan had a bunch of kids.
Speaker 2:Dave True had kids, which you know. Hey, that's the appropriate majority is kids not, not the band um, you know, yeah, I had a bit of a, like I mentioned, a sort of postpartum uh downer, which tends to happen after that record in particular, yeah after that record, yeah, yeah, I guess maybe more so because we're like, you know, like this one is gonna, you know this will be.
Speaker 2:You know this one's gonna go far, it's gonna get picked up, um, but uh, and then it was covid, and then we're like oh shit. And then I started playing with uh tvased as a drummer.
Speaker 1:Right Again, another really cool outfit, that one Very fun.
Speaker 2:Very fun. And that's fun back to as a drummer and just rip and just make noise and it's like it's loud.
Speaker 1:I don't even know if kids like that kind of music anymore.
Speaker 2:We're playing in Sutton on October 24th, so it's loud and we're going to. You know it's the kind of band that blows the roof. Right on.
Speaker 1:Well, you'll probably get complaints from the neighbors in the back Cause as long as we finish our set, if you can do. You can do that. You know you're, you're loud.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and how did? How did the songs from the latest album? How did they come to be? Were those written throughout that that that kind of pause, face or pain attack, is that when you did all of those songs?
Speaker 2:yeah, good question. Um, most of them, most of them, yeah, I think I think lowborn man. The first one uh, it's just a just a bass bass riff and the string riff that I had sort of just been in my head for years and I was like and it just was driving me crazy because it was just locked in my brain and it's just like that. It was a pretty simple melodic line in the bass but then add some chromatic runs and the do-do-do-do-do-do, like I had a lot of fun playing the bass on that.
Speaker 2:Um, but that great song, minor thanks, yeah, that that minor scale uh bass riff mixed with the uh string line over top. It's just like those two had gotten like locked in my head and I just, like you know, often happens to me I'm just walking around the city and it's just like I I think that's a good sign, usually really okay, that riff, if it's in your head so long, like you have to exercise it, like get it out absolutely, particularly when it's overlaying with another right, like, yeah, it's not just one, yeah, fine, it's like two fusing together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to get that down.
Speaker 2:I kind of stuck to the like the the north country uh, like the previous album aesthetic. I knew I wanted to be like a low crooner, like nick cavey sort of vibe and uh, so we got real strings on it. Um, ty newton was a great uh violinist who did all the strings. Uh was part of the string quartet that did the strings. And um, north country album, uh, and I I love it, like how it turned out. It was great. Jan played drums on that and then we got strings and I played most, dave played keys, joe Yarmush played bass on I think most of the other full band songs on the new album.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But yeah so there there is a split, eh, Like you have band songs and then you have songs that you just yeah, that you just put together pretty much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, that's you know. There's a couple really somber, like you said, like sort of uh folky tracks at the end.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, so there's like cool, yeah, thanks man it shows your I mean, your portfolio is massive, um, and you continue to amaze me like I love listening to your stuff and, uh, I love the collaborations that have that have been going on. Um, and I just I, I am just so happy to talk to you about all this, like what a what a cool chat man like this has been really fun.
Speaker 1:My last kind of to kind of bring things to a close here, alex, is like what, what's? What's the road of 2024? Look like for pang and and on, like and beyond what's yeah, the new record coming out and like what do you? What are you going to do with it?
Speaker 2:well, I guess the future future's not so bright for Pang because, we're saying this is the last album in that configuration We've got.
Speaker 2:You know, I have an album of B-sides kicking around and it's like some of it's pretty good, weird super lo-fi, so maybe we'll release that in a while. I hope to play a few shows and then, uh, I think, just the. Yeah, I think that'll be it. It's been 13 years of paying attack and you know right, young set, young has kids and dave has kids and um, I think, like I felt like I've mined the influences that I've wanted to and just for that, this aesthetic, um, just for a fresh start. So if there's, you know, if there's, there probably will be more songs, and like I can't stop writing them, really like but it'll be a different incarnation or a different setup or a different mindset coming in yeah, maybe just like the, a Hackett or you know some, some band with a weird name.
Speaker 1:Well, keep on collaborating. Keep on writing, I mean. I'm super excited about this new record for you, Um. Go out there and show it to the world. It deserves being shown. It's definitely a a great, cohesive set of songs put together. Um and this has been a real pleasure. Man, I'm glad that we've never really had this conversation yet. We've talked many, many times, so I'm glad I pinned you down and this has been a great first episode. So thank you for hopping on and sharing your story.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. Man. Awesome, welcome to the World of Music. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful music video. I'm going to use a simple, simple music that you can play with your computer or your computer, or your computer, or your computer or your computer. Thank you, I'm on the ground. You're in the tower. You try to impress me On the ground. You're in the tower. You try to impress me with the nature of your power Frozen fate in the sky, through the clouds, drowns at the streets and the riffraff shuffling past. You're the low born man. You're on the ground. I'm in the tower. I fail to impress you With the brilliance of my power. You see, the rage marks you out from the crowd, but the upper stages are meant for the lowborn man. You're the lowborn man. Oh, you're the lowborn man.
Speaker 2:I love her time now. Her perfumers struggle Daily. Our friends where the masses come to. She chose to go through the stigma and the tempest. No golden domes near her cheap motel. Conquest your summer dress. I'm overpower, I love you. Of your youth, a vision so very ancient. And it's true.
Speaker 2:Ah, ah, the low born man. Ah, ah, the low born man. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Thank you, thank you. In the river A power blooms, but it never will get bigger. I was on the ground. They stormed the tower Dream of gold Every day till the mines turn sour. They think salvation, but the joke is still the same. That's why a rich man? They think salvation, but the joke is still the same. That's why a rich man puts a bullet in his goddamn brain. Ah, ah, you're the lowborn man and I love old men and I love old men, thank you.
