Showcasing Obscurity
Indie Visible Interview 10/06/2009
- Land of Talk - Land of Talk is fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Elizabeth Powell who occasionally moonlights as one of the members of Broken Social Scene. She describes Land of Talk as a destructive Stevie Nicks/Blonde Redhead mutant, Will Oldham meets Sonic Youth, and as a PJ Harvey-meets-Crazy Horse type creature. She recently lived up to her reputation as one of the nicest people in indie music to answer some questions. Land of Talk is currently on tour. Hometown: Orillia, Ontario until moving to Guelph, Ontario at the age of 12. Showcasing Obscurity: What is the origin of your musical inclination? Who or what influenced you to go into the music field? Elizabeth Powell: I guess nothing rang truer to me than making music. My older brother, Gray, and I basically sang and danced our way thru childhood and never stopped. Mary Margaret O’Hara, Barbara Streisand’s Christmas Album, Sgt. Pepper’s…, Fugazi, Smog, Palace, Tortoise, Sea and Cake, De La Soul, Pavement, Tribe Called Quest, and all the tracklisting-less mix tapes from friends featuring the most obscure shit I’ll never be able to track down. These bands and my mid-childhood re-location to Guelph during the bourgeoning of its local music scene were probably pretty key factors in my life becoming one of music. S/O: Your first full-length album, Some Are Lakes, was released one year ago. The vast majority of the reviews were excellent. Do you find yourself still wanting to nurse the material from that album or are you ready to move forward? EP: Totally ready to move forward. Just recorded a 4 song EP and we’re heading in to the studio again this coming Monday to start tracking for the new full length. Some Are Lakes is what it is. I will maybe listen to that album in 20 years and be happy I documented all of those songs, but there is a whole backstory re: the recording and release of the album -not worth getting into- which colors that album with a certain sheet of pain, personally. I’m just so happy that people took all the good from it and seemed to be pretty forgiving with its many shortcomings. Thankfully. S/O: Are you enthusiastic about following up an album so critically adored? Is there any trepidation approaching the next full-length album? EP: Funnily enough, I didn’t really understand Some Are Lakes as being critically adored ( mostly due to self-imposed ban on reading LOT reviews) so it was a very smooth and necessary transition into working on the new album. SAL came out after 2 years of non-stop touring so we were either borrowing quite a bit from my vault of older songs i.e.:troubled, it’s okay, got a call OR trying to breath new life into the other songs which seemed old to us because we had been playing them live during the touring years. Not to diminish the value of those songs, but last year was the first opportunity I had to get back into my home and community and reheasal space and live with my new songs on a very intimate level. There was no label/industry/personal pressure to come up with anything other than what made me feel good and inspired. The newest songs we’re working on now make me feel the way I did back in the day when basement shows and all night rehearsals were the norm. needless to say I’m so looking forward to giving these songs a good life while not neglecting the old songs which still absolutely hold their place in our live shows (and for me personally) S/O: Can you tell me a little bit about your songwriting process? Do you sit down with the intent to write new material or does it come to you spontaneously? Where is it that you do most of your writing? EP: Most of my writing happens on the piano or acoustic guitar at home. Usually starts with a chord, which leads to another and then a melody starts up in me and sometimes the words don’t come til way later. Once I take the new song ideas to the rest of the band I’ll usually switch to electric which always leads to my discovering different voicings for the chords and/or different rhythmic ideas and then finally the arrangeing. A lot of stuff happens in the studio too which leads to last minute changes (sometimes taking the song into a completely new direction). S/O: At times, your lyrics convey feelings of despondence and anxiety, but it in the end I believe there is always a glimmer of hope that shines through in your songs. Do you find the songwriting process cathartic or does it tend to stir up negative thoughts? EP: I probably used to dig for the pain in every song, but now I find myself more interested in the musical story and then tapping into the hope and glory and gray areas of life instead of focusing on the “so hard done by” way of thinking most of us are so good at. S/O: Do you consider yourself a glass half-empty or a glass half-full type of person? EP: That depends on what type of sleep I had the night before. I probably have had more defeatist tendencies in the past, but Ive been finding myself surrounded by positive thinkers which I think is rubbing off on me. Funny how that happens. S/O: Land of Talk has an EP coming out called Fun and Laughter on October 13. This is your first release since a series of mishaps. Is the title tongue-in-cheek or is this the band’s move toward upbeat sing-alongs? What can fans expect from this release? EP: Haha. The title actually came from a book I found at a second hand shop. Up until that point the working title for the EP was actually “MAY YOU NEVER GROW SO ACCUSTOMED TO BEING THE LORD OF YOUR OWN MANOR-AND LIFE- THAT YOU LOSE SOMETHING PRECIOUS THAT YOU DIDN’T DESERVE IN THE FIRST PLACE”, but “FUN and Laughter” better rolls off the tongue and suggests something a little closer to my heart and mood than the “may you never…” title. Mabye had we recorded the EP in the winter we would have stuck with the heavier title, but summer in montreal for me personally had lot more fun and laughter than not so…. Yeah. That’s my guess. S/O: Are you looking forward to your upcoming tour? Is there any place in particular you would love to play live? EP: I’m looking forward to the upcoming tours for several reasons. One being; I have my voice back and it’s feeling better than before. The other reason being that we can now tour in something a little bigger than a minivan due some sweet funding my management secured so touring won’t be as much of a cramped reality. And also, one of my oldest and best friends will be joining us to guitar tech and do merch and … play on some of the new songs so that’s going to be great on many levels. Honestly, I have no preference as to where we play. It always depends on the crowd and whether or not venus is in retrograde. S/O: What is the best live show you have ever seen? Fugazi. 1998. Dublin. S/O: You did a cool cover of Patti Smith’s “Horses” for the independent film The Tracey Fragments. Do you play any cover songs live? Is there a particular song that you would love to cover but haven’t yet? EP: We’re actually covering Mary Margaret O’hara’s “Dear Darling” on the next album. She’s a wizard and force and her voice is the voice of my childhood as my mom played that record non stop for years. S/O: Land of Talk of is an interesting band name, and a good one at that. What were some band names you nixed? EP: Oooh. Um, the only one I can remember was “Branch Mansion”. Yikes. S/O: I wanted to mention that you have somewhat of a reputation for being one of the nicest people in the indie music scene. Are you pleased by that portrayal or would like to take a stab at a new badass persona? EP: Haha. who have you been talking to? That’s awfully nice to hear. Let’s say it’s true. I do believe in trying to not fuck with people on any level. That just gets so boring. I have to say that being pleasant is often easier and helps one sleep better at night. BUT it’s also true that you have to know your own worth and not let people mess with you. Assertiveness training courses should be mandatory in kindergarten. S/O: I really appreciate that you took the time to answer these long-winded questions. I hope you have a great tour. I’d say, “break a leg” but you might take that too literally. Any parting words? EP: My pleasure!! Thanks for the questions and the interest. I actually did sprain my ankle last year this time before heading out with broken social scene so maybe it is best that we keep any leg breaking for gangsters. The S/O Five with Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk Five obscure albums that I have been listening to since teenagehood:
Land of Talk have announced a west coast tour beginning October 27th in San Diego, and running through November 7th in Vancouver B.C.. To complement to tour, the band will be releasing an EP with 4 new songs and 3 videos, entitled 'Fun and Laughter'. Available at www.landoftalk.com Elizabeth also recommends the following websites: www.teammacho.com www.popmontreal.com | ArchivesCategories |
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