Album Review / Artist Interviewby Ken Geiger
It's that gloomy part of the year finally. The days grow shorter; the leaves are dying, and the music I find myself listening to takes a darker turn. I find it to be the most calming time of the year in all honesty, just for the fact that I feel more in touch with the side of my musical taste that resides in the realm of morbid curiosity. Bring on the depressing, introspective lyrical content! Bring on the slow-burning instrumentals! I welcome it all. And with that in mind, I cannot help but welcome in Trespasses, the amazing debut album by Nathanial Shannon and TheVanishing Twin.
For an album that consists of 15 tracks that were conceived over a period of about 10 years in various bedroom recordings, it is incredibly cohesive in sound. The instrumentals are incredibly dark, and are mostly just one or two guitar tracks done by Shannon, one rhythm and then a lead playing melody over that. There are drums on a couple tracks, like "One Sixty Second Street," and opening track "Debuntes" has a great saxophone solo in the middle; but I think the shining moments of the album come from the songs where it is just Shannon and the guitar. It gives off the very personal vibe of the bedroom recordings that these songs started out as, and feeling that puts me in a personal state of bliss. I can feel the emotional weight of what is being played and relate it, in a cathartic manner, to my own personal struggles that arise from day to day. That to me is a sign of amazing music.
Lyrically, the themes of these songs revolve mostly around the topics of death, societal pressures and the incredibly dark sides of romantic relationships. The latter of those three is probably expressed in my favorite way possible in the song "Content of Attraction," which describes Shannon mailing a dead baby to a former lover of his. It is always a bonus for me when someone can be both morbid and humorous when writing lyrics. On the note of lyrics as well, I really enjoy the packaging this album came in. Rather than just a CD, I was given a book with all the lyrics and then a download code at the end for the actual music. Definitely a peculiar packaging choice, but it fits considering how unique and peculiar the music to go along with it is.
This album honestly is one of my favorites of the year by far. It was pretty much love at first listen, which rarely happens with any new artist that comes out nowadays. But Trespasses sounds like no other kind of release you have heard all year, and probably in the past 5-10 years. I think that is because Nathaniel Shannon and The Vanishing Twin is no ordinary act. It is impossible to draw a clear influencer or peer to his work, and that to me is not only awesome but also very rare. To see such an amazing artist come out of nowhere was truly a shock to me. I had to know more about this Nathaniel Shannon. Luckily for me, he is a very outgoing man and more than willing to discuss his new album, influences and future plans on this project of his. Check out what he had to say to a few of my questions.
So you are more of a photographer than a musician. What inspired you to pick up the guitar and give songwriting a go?
I've been playing music since I was a kid. I played saxophone for years and almost went to music school for it... I picked up guitar and a bit of keys when I was a teenager. So I've always played and had some sort of music project going. I played in bands where I'm from, outside of Detroit, and even here in New York, but nothing really ever came together to do anything of substance. The inspiration came from a lot of early 90s shoegaze, and of course Nirvana and the [Smashing] Pumpkins. I was fortunate to grow up listening to 89x, a radio station in Canada that was basically a mainstream collage radio station, and exposed me to a lot of music that would never have been allowed to be played on American radio.
One thing that has really surprised me about this record is how consistent the songs are, even though they are compiled from bedroom recordings throughout the past few years or so. Is it just one style of songwriting you naturally turn to? And who are your influences, both for music and lyrics?
The record lyrically and conceptually, while not a conceptual record comes from the same place. While the record was never intended to ever be a record in full... The ideas of isolation, societal pressure to lash out, the juxtapositions of love and hate, the lurking of emotional disarray... Those are common themes in most music I write... So it didn't much matter that the songs were written so far apart. I have a friend back in Michigan, namely Chris Bathgate, that really influenced me in terms of a more mellow folk approach. For being a metal head and dude with deep ties to the metal and hardcore communities because of my photography work, I have no real interest in playing that kind of music. Especially when writing in a bedroom or apartment, it's easier and more natural for me to write these creepy dirges rather than anything overly rocking. The lyrical influence really is not based on anyone or anything other than a developed style of prose from my own observations of the world.
What certainly caught my attention for this record was the fact that it was mixed and produced by Steve Austin of Today is the Day. Being a big fan of that band, I want to ask how that partnership came about. And how is it working with a guy who has been involved in music for so long and influenced many people along the way?
I've been a huge Today is the Day fan for years. In the Eyes of God and Sadness Will Prevail are monsters of songwriting and production. I've been photographing Steve for years and years, so we've gotten to know each other and developed a respect for each other's work. He's always been very gracious and kind in support for my photography career. About a year and half ago TITD were playing in Brooklyn and I asked him if he would listen to some tracks. I was curious and insecure about feedback of the whole project. He was into it and I flat out asked him if he wanted to work on it. I believe his words were something like "these songs are real real weird man. I love it." So we went back and forth for a while and he mixed and mastered it. Just being able to work with someone who's work I love and, even better, who has become a friend and resource means a lot to me. Especially because I'm green when it comes to a lot of music production. He was incredibly patient with me and walked me through everything.
Friday's (10/28) show at the Church of Ascension was really awesome. I know you're a photographer full time but I really want to see more of you on the musical spectrum too. So is there anything you can tell us about the musical future of Nathaniel Shannon and The Vanishing Twin?
This is just the beginning. I've already started working on some other ideas musically for this project. It can only grow. It's been a long time coming just to get Trespasses into the public. I'm working on getting some more shows booked and doing some touring for the record. I really am grateful you came out the show man. It's really something magical when people you don't know respond to what ideas you're throwing out into the universe.
Trespasses is out now on Aqualamb Records. You can purchase it over at Nathaniel Shannon and The Vanishing Twin's Bandcamp page.
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