FROM THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT
ADULT
INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / SONGWRITER / PRODUCER NICOLA KUPERUS BY J POET
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and chiming gongs give an ominous feel to “Don’t Reduce Me,� as Kuperus investigates the way advertising distills things down to their most simplistic forms. The thumping bass of “Have I Started at the End� gives the track an upbeat feel. This contrasts with lyrics that questions the self-imposed blindness of everyday perception. The idea of a divide between perception and reality is an interesting one, especially
erception is/as/of Deception contains tations,� Kuperus continues. “Everything is some of the most personal songs that on hold, with a constant fear of how we will the Detroit duo known as ADULT. - Nicola deal with a family member or friend getting Kuperus, keyboard player, singer, songwriter, sick. One moment we are confident and producer and Adam Lee Miller, keyboard feel secure. The next, we’re having a total player songwriter, producer - has ever created. existential crisis.� The album was recorded in their basement studio, over an intense five-month period. They “We were working with the theme of perpainted the walls black, retreating from the ception and what it means to us. What did world, to focus on the music. it mean to writers such as Aldous Huxley, philosophers such as Merleau-Ponty, critics “The world is at a tipping point,� Kuperus of art and literature like Goethe, and artists says. “We’re surrounded by cultural dead like Cocteau? What did perception mean ends and political ignorance. We’re on the to them, and what does it mean in the conprecipice of a cultural pandemic.� text of deception? How much wool is getting pulled over our eyes?� At a time when much of the country is confined to their homes, retreating into The music on Perception/Deception coma basement studio to make music almost bines propulsive dance beats, heavily seems presentient. processed vocals and slabs of avant-garde noise, that magnify lyrics exploring the ways “The virus intensifies the daily struggle and technology shapes modern life, and not forces us to constantly readjust our expec- always for the good. Growling synthesizers
when our President seems unable to separate the two. One of the album’s songs, “Total Total Damage,â€? could be his theme song. “Yes, undoubtedly,â€? Kuperus says. “It’s almost so ‘right on’ that I felt like we should have left it off the record. It’s too true and terrifying. I mean, I like to stir it up, make people wake up, pay attention, think about the choices they are making, but this is just too‌ I don’t know. It is total, total damage.â€? đ&#x;’Ł
I’M GLAD IT’S YOU INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST / SINGER KELLEY BADER BY RENALDO MATADEEN
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’m Glad It’s You haven’t had an easy time over the last couple of years. In July 2017, rather than celebrating how much their debut album, The Things I Never Say, was resonating with fans on the road, an accident shook the band up forever.
While the band members walked away with minor injuries, their videographer and mentor Chris Avis didn’t. And what makes Every Sun, Every Moon - the band’s sophomore effort, once more on 6131 Records - even more impactful, is that guitarist and vocalist Kelley Bader was the one behind the wheel. The result, a eulogy of sorts, is a haunting novel of blame, optimism, and self-discovery, which teaches us to let go and let fate run its course. “The entire album revolves around the loss of Chris Avis and the subsequent period of grieving,� says Bader. “At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, writing it was one of the most difficult things I’ve done. I ignored a lot of the heavy lifting of the healing process until I began writing the album, which effectively reintroduced me to the experience all over again, only with a lot of amended expectations and a deadline.� But make no mistake, the band doesn’t drape their songs in a morose bed. Sure, you can find something for fans of Balance and Composure in the grittier sections, but there are also catchy, anthemic jams for fans of Jimmy Eat World, Say Anything, Oso
14 NEW NOISE
Oso and Joyce Manor, on tracks such as “Death Is Close.� In fact, there’s an overarching Britpop theme that adds a unique fizz to the record, despite the dark lyrical content.
as he knows how many lives his friend touched. Of course, the songwriter admits it hits a bit harder these days, but he has learned to lean towards the light. It’s why he can’t wait to sing, scream, and pay homage to his brother when it’s safe again.
It’s interesting how tragedy often encourages creative risk, and Bader believes this part of the creative process ties into what we “I think about him and his work a lot during these harbor deep beneath the surface. COVID-19 days,� Bader says. “Without people “I thought the contradiction of the musical tone paired with lyrics about mortality and trauma would describe what it feels like trying to hide your trauma in order to stay composed and function in the world,� he says. “It’s sort of like wearing a mask every day.� This is why, ultimately, Bader has crafted a concept album tied heavily to mortality and how we cover up when we face it head on. It’s as personal and narrow as he’s ever been in terms of narrative as well. As for the album’s title, it’s simply part of trying to understand his role in the grand scheme of life. “The title is attempting to convey a sense of eternity, of always remembering and carrying that memory further,� Bader explains. “It’s also a way of accepting the duality of existing, of living in a universe filled with darkness and light, joy and grief, and loss and life.� And from the lyrics, you can tell death is a ghost that won’t ever go away, but it’s something Bader is coping with better, especially
PHOTO BY MCKENZIE MELCHER
like him documenting live shows, we’d all be less connected to each other and even ourselves. I think it will be a relief to play these songs live. I’ve heard the phrase ‘Chris would’ve wanted you to keep on’ for so long now, and it’s difficult when that’s inhibited. We’ve wanted to share this story for a long time, and being together with people, playing loudly and freely feels like the right way to share it.â€?đ&#x;’Ł
