Mitch Davis Ditches Hibernation on Sunny Debut LP "The Haunt" (Arbutus Records)

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Mitch Davis by Richmond Lam

A trip around the sun has passed since we last touched base with Montreal multi-instrumentalist and do-it-yourself aficionado Mitch Davis.  In the meantime, Davis has tied a bow on his debut LP The Haunt and returned to the stage, in both in Montreal and at Austin, Texas’ SXSW music festival. Out April 29th, 2022 via Arbutus Records, The Haunt manifests a spectrum of mediations in both sound and spirit.

Realizing some compositions that predate Davis’ relocation to Montreal, The Haunt celebrates Davis stepping into his own with an entirely solo production: writing all the songs and playing all the instruments on the album, as well as recording much of the work on self-built equipment in his home studio. The result is a soulful and playful blend of jazz, funk and beaming pop; adorned with rhodes, clavinet, synth and drum machines. An album-long ode to themes of isolation and loneliness, as well as looking for love in the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Haunt achieves both breeziness and brevity for a class-act spring listening experience.

Speaking with Davis leading up to his album release, I asked him how the final product came to be, knowing that The Haunt has been years in the making. We started first by chatting about how Davis knows when a song is complete.

“It’s a feeling that comes over me once I’ve obsessed over a song. Eventually, I won’t have anything else to add or take away. When I don’t know what to do next [in production], I try to keep at it. I have a lot of friends who will move on to another song in the meantime, but more often I’m obsessively working on one song for like, a month straight, and never putting it down; never stopping, listening to it day and night. Once it starts to lose its novelty and sound like mush, I’ll take a break for usually one day or so.”

“Do you have any rituals that you do to get back on track when this happens?” I wonder.

“Hmm, I don’t know about rituals,” smiles Davis. “But, once I get sick of a song and I’ve heard it too many times, to the point where it sounds like nothing, I’ll adjust the pitch, up or down. It triggers something in part of my brain —hearing my song in a different key— and that helps me to look at it fresh again.”

With self-reliance being at the core of The Haunt, I wanted to know where Davis finds inspiration when working alone. Unsurprisingly, he is moved by other jacks of all trades.

“I’m inspired by people who, like me, play all the instruments, record themselves, things like that,” he brims. “Though I try to not have influences be a conscious thing and act on creativity in the moment, there are important, multifaceted soloists throughout music history that influence me, like Stevie Wonder, Todd Rudgren and Sly Stone.”

On the note of his debut being entirely self-directed, Davis then told me about the narrative structure of The Haunt.

“It’s funny, years ago I was trying to get myself to create an album and nothing was working. I imagined having a set of literal hats, or characters in my mind, to embody and portray the thoughts and ideas I was trying to put into music. Nowadays, I don’t have to do that as much and I’m able to just be me. That said, I do feel inspired by holding and interacting with different instruments. Even if there are just drums down on a track, or some scratch guitar. Or, I’ll play bass for 12 hours until I get it just perfect… and then I’m done being the ‘bass player’ forever, and can move on to being someone else.”

“Do you have a particular relationship with any of your instruments?”

“I have the closest relationship with the piano, one of my first instruments. I never used to be much of a bass player, but now I feel really connected to it. I do feel the most inspired by piano because it’s where I can most easily express chords and experiment.”

With the unveiling of The Haunt, Davis looks forward to sharing his music in a live context. To conclude our conversation, he told me about rediscovering the energy of playing with a band and the direction he plans on taking with the project.

“Playing with a band opens up the door to a lot of improvisation and extending my songs in a natural way, which is something I can’t do alone. There are really nice surprises that come with a live setting because everyone brings their own tastes to it. I’m looking forward to bringing these experiences into my writing process. I only just started caring about recording… Normally, when I’m writing , half of the inspiration will come from going to shows and connecting with people, like the other bands I play with, like Marci and Sorry Girls. [The Haunt] is a weird record because it was spent in isolation, but I’m grateful that it kept me busy and got me through the tough, curfew-ridden Montreal winter.”  

The Haunt is out on April 29th via Arbutus Records and can be pre-ordered on their website.

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Poster by Amery Sandford

Montreal: Don’t miss Mitch Davis’ album-release show at Brasserie Beaubien on April 29th at 9PM with local supporters Night Lunch and Alicia Clara. Pre-sale tickets are available here.

Mitch Davis

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Spaceface Ponders Alien Life, Alternate Realities & More With Disco Track Piña Collider

Irresistibly funky and incredibly charming, the Spaceface crew are back with their latest summer track, "Piña Collider." The track fuses funky psychedelia with the upbeat energy of a classic summertime bop, making it the perfect anthem to keep your party going all night long. 

The track was inspired by a cosmic experience frontman Jake Ingalls had at the CERN Hadron SuperCollider.

"I was playing a show nearby, and CERN has a whole outreach program to bring artists in to show them what it's all about. After the show, I learned that the crew who showed us around are, in fact, in their own band, which we named the song after. Everyone who works there has to live on campus, and they had formed a group to play functions and holiday parties, etc. I decided to write a song and asked them if they'd like to be on the tune. They said yes, so the next free day at Blackwatch, I set to writing a disco tune about a mythic drink you can only get at CERN."

This track feels like the perfect dose of escapism that we're all craving right now, so I caught up with Spaceface about their own ideals of escapism, aliens, and a whole lot more.

Photo Credit: Erika Mugglin

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Spaceface tends to create entire worlds with each track. If Spaceface had its own planet, what would it be like?

Daniel: If Spaceface had its own planet, I imagine it would be like the music video for our song "Sun Kids." Vinyl Williams created this 3D computer-generated world full of giant purple and green plants and far-reaching meadows under blue skies. Then sprinkled in between the greenery are several structures and buildings with mind-bending, borderline impossible architecture. Some of the buildings were floating in the sky. The structures all had some version of ancient greek or roman influence, but with some mid-century modern architecture influence too. Kinda like if Javier Senosiain had re-designed the Parthenon.    

Eric: My planet would be a small party and leisure destination retrofitted with futuristic interpretations of 50's and 60's dream architecture. We have the technology to portal jump between hemispheres depending on your mood. There's plenty of pools and nightlife. Also, plenty of daylife, but it's chill. 

Jake: I think they both pretty much covered it. All peaceful beings are welcome.

Katie: Agreed, Daniel and Eric nailed it. But I'd like to propose we build an Ewok-style treehouse village where we can all live.

Also Cool: Do you think aliens exist, and if so, what do you think they're doing right now?

Daniel: Well, yes, I think aliens exist. It's a kinda numbers game. If there are so many other galaxies besides ours, then I imagine there are lots of different kinds of other life out on other faraway planets. It might be rare, but I feel like there probably is some. Not to mention the US Government fessed up that UFOs are real earlier this year. 

As far as what aliens or lifeforms on other planets are doing right now, it's kinda hard to answer. Just because there is other "life" in the universe doesn't mean it is anything like a human. I don't think that space is really like Star Trek. The other alien life out there could just be bacteria or microorganisms. Maybe some might resemble animals, but I fear they might be more like monsters like in the Alien movies or otherworldly beings that we can't understand, like in Arrival. Although it would be really cool if they moved through time and space differently than us.

Eric: I do believe in life beyond our own 100%. It blows my mind that people think we're the one and only. Life unimaginable to us exists, has existed and will exist endlessly through the cosmos. I dare not try to describe it more.

Jake: I'd imagine that the vast majority of what we call "Alien" life is a different form of what we've named consciousness and likely aren't really aware of us and thusly do things that are beyond our own comprehension. If they are aware of us, I'd imagine they look at humans with a mixture of pity and carnal envy - the way some angels/gods are described in old myths.

Katie: Contrary to my strict Christian upbringing, I've always believed that life exists outside our planet. If you haven't seen Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind: Contact Has Begun or the other films by Dr. Steven M. Greer yet, do so as soon as possible. His theory that all life on Earth and outside is connected through collective consciousness is very compelling. As for what they're doing right now? Probably having mischievous fun with some US Military pilots or hopefully coming up with ways to save Earth from its own inhabitants.

Photo Credit: Erika Mugglin

AC: You created a custom drink to go along with the release of the song. What was that process like, and do you have any tips/tricks for the people making it at home?

Daniel: A few of the band members are bartenders, so making up new drink recipes is just as enjoyable as writing music. It's always fun to imagine where you would be or what mood you would be in while listening to some of the Spaceface songs. Then thinking about matching a certain style of drink or liquor to that mood and location. The low-key goal is for each song to have a drink recipe, and we want to include a lil recipe book with the album. Each song has a different mood or feeling, and each song can take you to a different place in your mind. So naturally, each song needs a drink to match. 

As far as tips for making drinks at home, just make sure you have a shaker, a strainer, some ice, and know where your best local liquor store is. We can give you all the recipes you'll need. 

Eric: This drink was born by literally colliding a piña colada with a contemporary classic dubbed the "Trinidad sour" (equal parts, rye, citrus, mango, and orgeat (almond milk syrup).

You'll be best off getting proper tools: A shaker, jigger, and strainer. Make sure you have Angostura bitters and get some Coco Lopez for this one.

Jake: When we know we want to pursue a batch of songs, typically Eric and I talk for a while about how we want them to fit together in a cinematic way. For instance, "Sun Kids" was meant to be Earthy and evoke a feeling of what it was like to spend the day with us in Memphis. With this new batch of tunes, we wanted to evoke this imagery of what a party in the future would sound and look like through the lens of someone in the past. Sort of like those wacky images you see made by sci-fi artists in the '20s imagining what the year 2000 would look like. This lead us to imagine a sorta afro-futurist ecotopia where you can order a drink that reminds you of humankinds' oneness and thusly deciding we should make a cocktail for every song. Plus, Eric and Daniel are fantastic drinksmen, so we thought it best to share their other talents.

Katie: Jake, Daniel and Eric are the geniuses behind the drinks, so I leave that all up to them but timidly ask that they leave the cilantro out of the equation whenever possible. :) 

AC:. The music video is pretty much the definition of the retro-future aesthetic. What were some of your visual references or inspirations for the project?

Daniel: The song is about a drink that you can only get at the CERN Hadron Collider. So the idea was to have some scientists singing the song in a sort of educational TV setting, like Bill Nye, The Science Guy. The Scientists in the video act like they are filming for a PBS segment, and each scientist is from a different period in scientific discovery. It's fun and cool to showcase different types of science like Astronomy, Chemistry, Anatomy, and Botany. 

Eric: Mad scientists shuffling through notes and staggering through experiments. Beakers and lab coats with sparks.

Jake: When I stumbled on Maris Jones' IG in January of 2020, I just KNEW I wanted to get her team on board bc it was the perfect fit. Once we began emailing with The Jones Family Retro Show, we were sharing clips from this silly fake science education program called Look Around You and VHS rips of old actual Sci-Fi learning channel clips and lots of pseudoscience book covers. I knew they were gonna knock it out of the park. When they started texting me pictures of the sets they were making with the guitar, the star gazer's gear and Molly's excellent claymation, it began to feel like we had truly mind-melded.

AC: Now that shows *might* be happening again, will we be able to experience Spaceface IRL any time soon?

Daniel: Nothing is officially on the books yet, we have some offers in the fall, but they are not confirmed. The idea was to put lots of singles out this year, and after releasing the full album in early 2022, there will be a big spring tour. 

Eric: Yea, but no. .. maybe... but yes. 

Jake: I like Eric's answer the best, but if you wanna find out more and truly stay in the know, freed from the shackles of the algorithm - text us at the official Spaceface number to find out :) 901.519.2202

Katie: We definitely miss the thrill of performing live. Taking over a year and a half off of touring and performing has been hard on all of us. But, to elaborate on Eric's answer, yes, if certain members of the population *cough* get their heads out of their butts and get the vaccine, infection rates decrease and stabilize, we'll be back on stage soon...ish.

MAKE YOURSELF A "PIÑA COLLIDER"!
Spaceface's take on the classic Piña Colada

Ingredients:
• 1.5 oz Clear Rum
• .75 oz Lime Juice
• .75 oz Simple Syrup
• 1 oz Coco Lopez (Coconut Cream)
• .75 oz Pineapple Juice

How to make it:
◦ Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with some ice and shake;
◦ Double strain over ice into collins glass, larger glass or coconut;
◦ Garnish with pineapple stems or wedges and a lime wheel;
◦ Add a dash of cinnamon.

Spaceface
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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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L'Impératrice Explore the Cause and Cure For Heartbreak On Dazzling Return "Tako Tsubo"

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

Paris’ grooviest export L’Impératrice are back in full-force with the release of their latest record, Tako Tsubo. The band has kept us (patiently!) on the edge of our seats for a full-length project since their 2019 debut Matahari; building anticipation touring around the world with their bubbling basslines, hypnotic melodies and irresistible danceability.

After three years of internal growth, the band’s return has proven to be worth the wait. Indeed, L’Impératrice’s latest venture is a shimmering think-piece on life’s ever-perplexing phenomenon of broken-heart syndrome, which derived the name Tako Tsubo (meaning “octopus trap” in Japanese).

In thirteen impeccably mastered tracks (graced with the touch of the legendary Neal Pogue, who has worked with the likes of Outkast, Stevie Wonder and Tyler the Creator), L’Impératrice tackles this affliction and it’s many symptoms, from euphoria to emotional burnout and ennui. Impressively, this album offers both a diagnosis and a cure, with full-bodied funk, twinkling vintage accents and a playfulness that dissolves the bitterness of heartbreak’s ache. Read our conversation with L’Impératrice below to get a glimpse into the world of Tako Tsubo, which the band has announced they will take on tour in 2022!

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Tako Tsubo (2021) album cover by Ugo Bienvenu

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hello L'Impératrice! Thank you so much taking the time to chat with me. Congratulations on the release of Tako Tsubo! To start, let's talk about your evolution as a group since your last release, Matahari. What elements of your creative process have solidified or changed over the last three years, and how have these developments in your dynamic influenced this record? 

L’Impératrice: We’ve spent most of our time touring in France and abroad over the last three years, which has really impacted our dynamic as a band. First of all, we’ve grown closer to each other; we really grew up as a family. We also got to connect with new cultures and audiences; new waves of receiving our music, and it was very enriching. This time touring made us want to produce music in a different way, without making any compromises… Something more sincere and more close to what we feel we really are.

Also Cool: When comparing your two albums, you could say that Tako Tsubo comes across as more critical than Matahari, which emotionally taps into the lightness of a new romance. What led to the band deciding to tackle the phenomenon of heartbreak in its many forms, and was that enhanced by creating during the pandemic? 

L’Impératrice: The album was 90% recorded when the COVID-19 hit, so the pandemic didn’t influence it in a huge way. But, we did write “Submarine” from scratch during lockdown; a love breakup song. 

Nothing was really planned while we wrote the album, and we discovered after recording everything that all the songs were about marginality in various forms. The idea of being alienated from society; different from the others, and accepting it, or having a hard time accepting it, in some cases. The album’s title Tako Tsubo, or “broken heart syndrome,” represents this breach in the system, this sudden rupture in the course of things when an emotion is suddenly too intense to be handled. The album really is all about intense emotions. 

AC: At the same time, it seems as though Tako Tsubo looks at defying, and also rejecting, societal expectations. How did you incorporate this concept into the sound and feel of your album?  

L: The concept can be felt in the lyrics of the songs of course, but also in the sound and the production. Most of the songs have a lot of breaks, brutal key changes and sudden rhythm changes. We always wanted to surprise the listeners and even our own ears, but still keep a coherence in the sound. The idea was that one can never know where the song will go. We made no compromise for this record, so it might sound weird and unusual, but it’s really faithful to what we wanted to express.

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

AC: Speaking of sound, can you tell me more about the production journey of this album and what it was like working with your right hand Renaud Létang along with the legendary Neal Pogue? 

L: Renaud really pushed us to bring the songs somewhere else and to create all these breaks within the songs. He’s always focusing on emotions and groove, which are crucial in this record. 

Neal was the key person in this new sound we wanted to create. Besides being a living legend, he’s got this very Californian vibe that we’re fascinated with. He’s got this knowledge of low-end production down to a science, which French producers just don’t have. He really brought this physical intensity to the album. You can feel the bass-lines in your belly! 

AC: Branching off of that, this album is accompanied by so many amazing visual projects. Satire has played such a big part in illustrating the messages from this album, in the videos for "Peur de filles" and "Fou" especially. How did these hilarious scenes come to life to enhance the lyrical content of their soundtracks? 

L: It’s a new field we really wanted to explore with this album, using lyrics and also imagery. We’re really inspired by Michael Franks and his ironic song lyrics. We’ve never appeared in our own videos before, so we decided that it could be funny in a “self-mocking” way to try it out. We can’t appear seriously in a clip lip-syncing and wind in our hair, in a cabriolet… It’s just not the way we are! And that’s not the image we want to show.

AC: I’m also curious to know more about the album cover! What is the story behind the artwork created by Ugo Bienvenu? 

L: Ugo is a true genius and we were so excited to have him draw the cover. It’s the first time that an artist has made us an album cover from scratch — we’re so proud! We told him everything about the Tako Tsubo concept and he went further; exploring the myth of the moires, these three divinities holding the strings of humans’ lives, and how this pair of scissors can, in one move, change the course of things... 

AC: To end things off, what are your plans for the future and how do you plan to present Tako Tsubo live once it's possible to tour once again? 

L: Now that the album is out, we’re doing everything we can to promote it. We’re doing a lot of live sessions from our studio in Paris, meeting our fans every Wednesday night on an Instagram live to talk about one song a week, where we play it and then we show old demos, talk about the writing process, and have some guests that worked on the song with us. We are of course more than ready for the next tour… One thing is for sure: 2022 will be a huge touring year full of live music and love! 

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

L’Impératrice

Website | Instagram | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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BARBUDO: The British "Pop-Funk Pizzazz" Brother Duo

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

BARBUDO is a Pop-Funk/Psych band from Havant, Portsmouth. Brothers, Ben and Harry Stanworth and Elliot Salter just released their latest single “Magnolia Mansion.” This tune is filled with funky and psychedelic undertones, fervent vocals and is topped off with a seriously groovy bassline. The unique pairing of these elements creates a fresh distinct sound that fully surrounds and captures audiences worldwide.

They take inspiration from 70’s funk, soul and disco pioneers and add on their own unique, modern twist. Their songs are intricately oozing with soulful melodies and charming themes. If you just want to get up, have a good time and dance - these are your guys.

We had the pleasure to talk to BARBUDO on topics ranging from the band’s visions, who they’d choose in a disco-dance off, their biggest influences and creative processes.

Sierra Kaylen for Also Cool: Hey Ben and Harry. What’s up? How’s life?! 

BARBUDO: Good thanks! Staying afloat during these strange times.

Also Cool: How would you go about describing your band and overall vision to those who haven’t heard of you before?

BARBUDO: We call our sound Nu-Eyed funk - a fresh take on Classic Funk, Soul and Psychedelic grooves.

AC: I’m hearing a lot of funky and psychedelic undertones on your singles: Are there any artists from the 60s - 70s that have influenced your work? I’m hearing a lot of Parliament- Funkadelic and absolutely loving it!

BARBUDO: Yeah we are big P-Funk fans and love music from those eras. We take inspiration from various 60s & 70s artists, spanning from The Beatles to The Isley Brothers.

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

AC: What’s the creative scene like where you live? Has it impacted the art you make? 

BARBUDO: There are some great bands in Portsmouth, who constantly inspire us to improve. We are all different but it's fun to gig together and learn from each other.

AC: BARBUDO is a brother duo, how did this come about? Harry and Ben - how is it like working together as siblings? 

BARBUDO: A bit of brotherly love never made life difficult for a band ... did it?

AC: “Magnolia Mansion” is your new single. How did the song come alive? Why did you decide on the name? 

BARBUDO: The song came into fruition when experimenting with a Tascam tape machine. Ben made this riff and set of chords, which wound up turning into the song. We chose the title as we felt it encapsulates the escapism of the track; it's a place in which you can disappear.

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

AC: Who was your favourite artist of 2020? If you were to pick one artist as a collective, who would it be? How has this person influenced your creative process? 

BARBUDO: We've been listening to a lot of Mac Miller this year. Something about his lyrics really hit home. And obviously, the beats bang. We also love releases by Sault and The Black Pumas.

AC: We are living through very strange times right now, what do you do to stay motivated and dedicated to your music?

BARBUDO: This year we have tried to find a good balance of doing things to look after ourselves alongside the music. Exercise is really important, as well as getting out of the house for long walks. Basically just doing things to clear our minds so that time spent on music is more productive. 

AC: Were you guys always interested in music and pursuing it? Where do you think you’d be without it?  

BARBUDO: We've been playing together in bands since we were teenagers. It's a passion we pursue completely and dedicate most of our spare time towards. But most of all the songwriting process is so enriching and meditative. I don't know what we'd do without it. More yoga maybe!

AC: Choose your fighter on the disco-funk dance floor: Prince or the Bee Gees? 

BARBUDO: Prince - little man, big attitude.

AC: Who would you like to collaborate with in the near future? Also, If you could go into the past and collaborate with any funk musician, who would it be? 

BARBUDO: We would love to collaborate with Thundercat. He's such a talented and tasteful musician and seems [like] a good laugh too. Also, we would love to go back in time and have a jam with Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - such tight grooves.

AC: What’s your top piece of advice to musicians who are just starting out? 

BARBUDO: Might be a bit cliché, but don't do it for anyone other than yourself! It's very easy to fall in the trap of thinking "will people like this/it is good enough?" Just focus on how the creative process is rewarding in itself, regardless of whatever success does or doesn't come your way.  

AC: Finally, how can we best support your band and music? Any final messages you’d like to leave to the people who look up to you?  

BARBUDO: Please follow us on socials and keep steaming our music! We have a vinyl for sale on Bandcamp too if that's your kind of thing. Our message is: Thank you all so much for your support. It's great to have anyone engaging with something you created. We appreciate the love and have more tunes coming out soon for you!

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

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