NYC Artists We’re Psyched About
Photography and interviews by Drew Reynolds.
Bambara
What are you most looking forward to in 2020?
Blaze – We’re gonna be on the road for about half the year which I’m really excited about. I’m also just stoked for people to hear the new record. We put so much into it and I couldn’t be happier with the result.
How was it recording “Stray”? Was it similar to “Shadow On Everything”?
Blaze – Recording Stray was entirely different and new for us. It was our first time having a strong deadline so we worked pretty much nonstop around the clock for 8 months writing in our basement. It was our first time being completely immersed for such an extended period of time, and I really loved it. I think many other aspects of our lives suffered as a result, but that’s the sacrifice we chose to make. After writing all the music, I left to drum on tour with Uniform for a month. In that period, Reid locked himself away in his room and wrote the lyrics for the album up until the day I came back. The following day we drove down to Athens, Ga and recorded and mixed for three weeks. This was another period of isolation because we slept at the studio and probably only ever left a handful of times. We definitely started to lose our minds a little by the end.
The lyrics on “Stray” where written by lead singer / guitarist Reid Bateh during a month long isolation in a room in Brooklyn. Can Reid give us an idea of what that creative process was like?
Reid: I felt like I really needed to erase everything else to focus on creating the stories for these songs. I also bought about 30 random photographs from a bin at a thrift store and put them up on the wall in front of my desk, so that even when I was l zoning out, I would still have these fragments of unknowable stories there to keep me thinking in images. Thinking in personal zoomed-in detail. Then I just woke up every morning and started writing until I was too tired to think straight then I went to sleep.
Softee
What’s big for Softee in 2020? Any big news you wanna share?
I’m currently writing an album, that’s the biggest thing I’d say going on right now. I’m also in the process of developing some concepts for music videos that may or may not accompany some single releases.. wink wink nudge nudge
What’s your iconic artist & why?
Robyn through and through. Despite entering the music industry at 16, she kept her head and was able to persevere and make her own label. Her sound is just as good now as it was when she started. The music is unparalleled. She is a pioneer of the pop genre.
Best venue in NYC right now to see a show at & play at & why?
PURGATORY. They’re not open to the public yet but I’ve been able to go to some of their private events they’ve been putting on and they’ve done a great job at creating not only a beautiful space to perform in but a warm and welcoming artist centric experience. It’s got that special DIY feel and is run by mainly queer women so in a way it’s fulfilling a severe gap that not only Bushwick, but the whole venue scene in New York seems to be missing.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Annie’s mac and cheese lol
Russian Baths
What are three things you’re looking forward to in 2020?
Luke: The election … as long as it happens. My friends, Jade and Kat’s wedding. Jess’ next party.
Jess: Touring. Spending time upstate working on my camper. Recording music.
What’s influencing Russian Baths sound & vision moving forward?
Luke: Face-swapping technology. The He Jiankui affair. Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. Haxan Cloak always. Frank Ocean’s marketing team. Whatever Apachatpong Weerasethakul is working on.
Jess: I’ve been listening to John Fahey a lot lately. It’s inspiring me to try out some new open tunings.
Best slice in Brooklyn right now?
Luke: I have to go with Archie’s.
Jess: Triangolo is the best for me, because it’s right there when I need it.
What are some local artists that you feel more people should know about & why?
Luke: Water From Your Eyes put out one of my favorite records last year. They move from folk pop to anachronistic dance music from song to song, but retain the same essential spirit. Rachel Brown has a very distinct charisma, too. Go see them. Big Bliss is another one. They’re probably my favorite of the indie set in Brooklyn. I am extremely excited for their next record. Buy their things.
Jess: Peel Dream Magazine is Broadcast’y pop music that I’m very into at the moment. Bambara puts on a great live show. Lunacy is the music arm of the multidisciplinary artist Nick Kulp. He also produces excellent artwork under the name Mental Healing. Telah for abstract jams.
Spencer.
What are three things you’re most excited about in the coming year & why?
I’m really excited about music in 2020 period! I am thrilled to be able to put out music this year, because for me it’s been a while since i’ve released anything. I’m excited for fans of me to have new stuff to listen to and new people to get exposed; but i’m also eager to hear new music from my favorite artists this year. 2020 seems like such a futuristic year and I have a feeling that it’s inspired a lot of artists; myself included, to put out the most unique songs and sounds possible. I’m also excited to start directing videos, which is a goal of mine this year.
If you could collaborate with one artist in 2020, who would it be & why?
If I could collaborate with one artist this year it’d probably be Rejjie Snow. His music was one of the first projects I really connected with as a kid while discovering my own taste for the first time. I only ever think about collaborating with artists if they’ve inspired me, so there’s really only a handful of other people I would be down with.
Who’s taken over your headphones most recently & who’s your go to artists to get you thorough the good & bad times?
I’ve been really into Brent Faiyaz lately, through good & bad times. Vocally he has a lot of obvious talent, but the range for his writing has really impressed me recently. Its really cool to me to write about different subjects & to let people who listen to you know what and how you think.
Argonaut & Wasp
What are you most looking forward to creatively in 2020?
We are very excited to learn new instruments and incorporate new sounds into our music. It is so important to continue to learn and push ourselves musically.
You have one wish for the coming year… What would that wish be, and why?
One wish would be to play our show in a new continent! We had our first national tour with Miami Horror a few months ago and we got to see so many beautiful places. We wanna keep performing in other beautiful cities.
What’s the biggest news you can share with us that will be happening for Argonaut & Wasp this year?
This year we will be putting out a record 🙂
S. Raekwon
What does S. Raekwon want most in 2020 & why?
I am excited to connect and engage with the music community, both locally here in NYC and more broadly. I’ve spent the past two years primarily focused on recording. I self-produce everything, so up to this point music has been a mostly solitary experience. I am also very thoughtful when it comes to when and how I share my music publicly. So for a while, it felt like I was working so hard on music, but had nothing to show for it. No one outside of a few select people even knew I was making music, let alone had heard any of it.
I recently released a 7″ with Saddle Creek. It’s just two songs, but it’s a start. I’ve also begun playing shows around the city. It’s been amazing to engage with people creatively in a shared physical space. So going to and playing more shows is definitely going to be a big focus for me this year.
Your biggest artistic goal before 2021?
At this stage, I’m mainly trying to build and establish a core community of people who are invested in the music I am making. I’ve only recently started releasing music and playing shows as S. Raekwon. I see this year as me really trying to establish myself as an artist, so that when I do release more songs, there are people that are interested in hearing them.
What other passions do you have other than making music?
Food. I like to cook, but I also love going out to eat. Particularly with other people, whether it be my girlfriend or my mom or a group of friends. A lot of my favorite memories revolve around sharing a meal with others. You can learn a lot about someone over dinner. A few other things I like are strong black coffee, traveling to and experiencing new places, and watching good movies.
If you could collaborate with any artist in the coming year who would it be & why?
I would say Frank Ocean, but that seems a bit obvious and easy. Who doesn’t love him at this point? So I’ll go with Nicola Jaar. Or Jai Paul. Both of them have a such a singular approach to production that is so undeniably them. Yet it’s not impenetrable. There is still an approachability and universality to their work.
