New Music: Beatrix Sky; Interview
Jun 1, 2015, 5:14 PM | Updated: Jun 3, 2015, 3:22 pm
Beatrix Sky hails from Olympia, Washington, and with the time she’s spent in that city, she certainly has made good use of her talent. Beatrix brings us her debut album, a four track EP simply called, Sympathy. It’s an album that makes me feel like I should be traversing through a dark, dank, underground dwelling as I hunt for an unnamed lover I’ve seen only in a dream.
I had the chance to chat with Beatrix about how she got her start making music, her time spent as an indie folk singer-songwriter and her debut EP.
the mixtape: Where does the name Beatrix Sky come from and how long have you been making music around town?
Beatrix Sky: It’s kind of a long story. I was hanging with some friends one night and we somehow got on the subject of names. I told them, half jokingly “If I could choose my own name I’d go by Beatrix.” They said “Oh you could totally pull that off! We’ll call you that” before I knew it the name just stuck. Sky just kind of happened. It seemed like a good fit.
I’ve been performing under this name since October 2014, after I released an EP entitled Sympathy.
tm: Your debut EP, Sympathy, is out now. Is this your first release as Beatrix Sky? Tell me about the writing and recording process.
BS: Right, yes! My EP was the first thing I put out as Beatrix Sky.
Last year I spent a lot of time playing around on my microkorg at home by myself and became really immersed in song writing and the whole creative process that goes along with it. I was constantly getting new ideas for melodies just from messing around with different synth patches and partially just from being so damn lonely.
Initially I was frustrated because I had no idea how or where I could get my songs recorded, since I didn’t know how to do it myself.
And then I met Nathan Gibson.
Nathan was a saint not only for offering to help me record my songs but also producing them in a way that matched my style. I’d explain how I wanted them to sound and he could make that happen, which isn’t always an easy thing to accomplish. But he could. And he did.
tm: I recently learned that your music making started out as indie folk singer-songwriter pieces and that over time you became more and more electro/synth pop. Tell me about your time as an indie folk singer and what lead to this stylistic change.
BS: When I first began writing my own music I was going for a much different sound. My vision was to sound a lot more raw and acoustic. I was really influenced by artists like Lykke Li, Broken Social Scene, Feist-those kinds of artists.
I started to kind of shift gears once I spent more time making music on my synth. That was where it really began, when my dad sent me back to school with a microkorg and an amp.
Even before that, I was feeling more drawn towards electronic/pop music. My style has really evolved and I think that’s important in order to grow as an artist.
tm: What is it about the style of music you’re making now that is attractive to you?
BS: If I were an outsider who stumbled upon my music, I know that it’s something I would listen to. That’s what I love about it. My music has a really dreamy quality that you can get lost in. I feel like I’ve reached a point where I finally have a sound that I genuinely love.
tm: Why do you make music? What’s the end goal?
BS: Music is my calling. It’s always been the thing I love to do, and the only thing I’ve ever been really good at. I initially started writing music and recording just for the fun of it, but the more I’ve worked on it, the more I’ve realized it’s something I want to take seriously.
There is no end goal. The goal is to keep going.
tm: In your experience, what is the hardest thing about being a musician?
BS: Putting a show together. Strangely, it’s not easy getting a hold of other bands and getting everyone on board. Bookers are also really tough to get a hold of sometimes.
tm: Do you feel support from the Seattle music scene?
BS: Definitely! I’ve made some good connections out that way and I hope it continues.
tm: What local bands are really grabbing your attention these days?
BS: I’ve spent a good deal of time listening to Motopony. Also really enjoy Hell Mary and Dreamhouse.
tm: If Beatrix Sky was an action figure, what accessories would you have?
BS: Hmm…I’ll have to think about that one!
tm: When do we get a full length album from you?
BS: This summer at the latest!