ARTS
Slowly Catching On
Synth-punk hip-hop duo Snailmate engages fans during quarantine By Laura Latzko
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any music groups have been on pause with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the virus and its effects have slowed down Snailmate, the duo has still been putting out and performing music. Just before the pandemic, the pair— drummer Bentley Monet and vocalist/ synthesizer player Kalen Lander—released the single/video “The Laziest Man in the World,” which was inspired by Lander’s propensity for being an introvert who stays at home. “I think that night, Bentley went out with some of our coworkers,” says Lander, of South Phoenix. “They invited me, and I was just feeling very lazy. They were making fun of me for being lazy. So, I ran with that. … I have a really hard time prioritizing things and getting out of bed. So, I just figured I might as well embrace it. I think people can relate to feeling lazy.”
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Since 2015, the synth-punk hip-hop group has released one studio album and a number of EPs and singles. It has also done a Christmas song and a store jingle. Lander has been working on a new song and video during the quarantine. It’ll focus on being alone in a house and building personal walls. Lander says it’s a strange coincidence that the music fits with these troubled times. “That’s been a theme of a couple of songs that I’ve written lately that are about being stuck in your own routine and not leaving the house. Now, it’s very relevant, but that’s the theme I’ve been on for the last year or two,” Lander says. “I figured I’d write about what I know best, which is being at home in my room, stuck in my own head. Now, it’s how everyone is these days.” Snailmate’s music explores depression and social anxiety, which affect Monet, a North Phoenix resident, and Lander. Over
time, Lander has become more comfortable talking about the subjects. “It’s not always easy to talk about. It wasn’t always something I addressed, whether it was in my writing or how I was feeling in general. I’ve really tried to be aware of the way that I feel, the shortcomings that I have and the anxieties that I have,” Lander says. “Once I got comfortable admitting those things, I realized that everyone is experiencing the same things, and it helps other people admit it, too. Everyone gets sad and everyone gets nervous, and there’s no shame in that.” Monet hopes that by sharing their experiences they can speak to others like them. “We just want people to realize it’s OK. There are people to talk to, and you’re definitely not alone,” Monet says. One of Monet’s favorite recent songs is “3D Glasses,” which is from Snailmate’s EP “Existential Anxiety.” “It is short and fast, and it switches time signatures. I think it’s a really fun song. It’s over before you know it. It’s a metaphor for life,” Monet says. Lander found the group’s older songs, such as “The Waiter,” are still relevant. However, he’s been trying to rework them to fit with the group’s current sound. Many of Snailmate’s songs incorporate tongue-in-cheek humor. “I don’t want my music to ever be sad. It can be about sad things, but it is important to me to be able to laugh at things, so I put a lot of humor into my lyrics,” Lander says. “Even though I’m talking about how crappy I feel and how messed up I feel in my head, I try to make light of it because I feel like if you laugh at things that scare you or trouble you, it makes them easier pills to swallow.” The duo’s sound is distinctive because it incorporates screaming—higher-pitched screaming, a growl or a shriek. The vocal techniques match Lander’s musical sensibilities. “I listen to a lot of metal music, so I just really enjoy screaming. It’s fun to do. I like how it sounds,” Lander says.
