INTERVIEW + NEW MUSIC: The Spider Ferns

Seattle electronic trip-rock band The Spider Ferns return from the darkest, most hypnotic part of space with a brand new EP, Safety. It’s the duo’s first release since their impressive 2015 debut, Soon Enough.

From Press Release: “The four tracks on Safety add live drums, strings and layers of beats to the band’s rich sonic palette, pushing their sound footprint further while still maintaining a minimalist expression.”

Pick up Safety this Friday, January 29th, via the band’s BandCamp page and at Seattle area record stores, AND see The Spider Ferns this Thursday, January 28th, for the album release show at Chop Suey with support from Midday Veil, Erik Blood and DJ Explorateur.

I had the chance to chat with The Spider Ferns all about the brand new EP and the very personal, deep meaning behind the first single, “Stronger Still”.

the mixtape: What are you doing right now besides answering this question?

Kelly: Eating leftover pizza in bed and reading reviews of our new EP while snuggling with our dogs. It’s 1pm btw.

tm: Your EP, Safety, will be the first release since your 2015 debut LP, Soon Enough. How do you feel you’ve been growing and progressing as a band over the last year?

Alton: Being musicians is a strange, endless journey. We’re always pushing the boundaries, finding new things to explore and learn. In the past year our music has reached a new level both in terms of how we create our sounds and how we record.

Kelly: I’ve become more involved in producing with Alton. It was an incredible amount to learn and brought us closer together during the recording process. I got deeper into my vocals and was able to be more free in my expression. I wanted the emotional impact of the vocal to outweigh the drive for perfection.

tm: What have you learned to stop doing so as to not hinder your growth or your optimism for the future re: The Spider Ferns?

Kelly: We’re eternally working on ways to block out the white noise of daily living: The ultimate life goal is really to spend all of our time creating. For now, we seek to distance ourselves from worrying about work, finances and external obligations that get in the way of making music.

Alton: We have a Spider Fern mantra that goes like this: Ignore All Perceived Limitations. ( IAPL for short.) Repeat ad nauseam.

tm: What are you most excited about with the release of your new EP, Safety?

Alton: Honestly, I just really love the music and want everybody to hear it. After Soon Enough, we had this incredible influx of really great people into our lives coupled with awesome new experiences. I’m looking forward to what this EP brings our way.

Kelly: We grew in unexpected ways making this EP, both as musicians and as a couple. We pushed ourselves into new territory in the studio, leaving tremendous room to explore as we recorded, mixed and mastered the work. The result is deeply exciting for us both. It’s been hard to wait for it’s release.

Safety is lyrically a tale about the human condition of this moment in time. Our world is rife with conflict and suffering. We are more connected as a species than ever before, though I feel it is easier to ignore the needs of others within the flood of information that we are all exposed to daily. The other side of that story is the increase in voices for social justice. I find the surge of awareness for social justice issues uplifting. Much of the current dialogue is long overdue and I’m elated to live in a time where more voices can be heard. My heart was quite heavy as I wrote the lyrics for this EP, so I made the decision that the world needed lullabies to match the tone of the time. The instrumentation and lyrics on Safety are often fierce with a calming vocal melody riding the waves. The overall effect is soothing and brings the storytelling to the forefront. Safety is a war cry, disguised as a lullaby for our current human condition.

tm: What’s the meaning behind the song, “Stronger Still”?

Alton: In the broader sense, “Stronger Still” is about the universal experience of being at the end of your rope, hitting rock bottom. It’s about being overcome by the events of our lives and feeling out of control while having to find the strength to move forward.

Kelly: A dear friend of ours was experiencing exactly what Alton described at one point during the last year. He reached out to us for love, support and encouragement during what was an emotionally charged time in his life and that became the muse for “Stronger Still” both musically and lyrically. I wanted to comfort him and to show him that he had the strength inside of himself for the challenges he faced…that he had allies. He has come full circle into a wonderful new chapter in his life and the song served as the perfect catharsis for us all.

tm: What does the future look like for The Spider Ferns?

Kelly: The immediate future looks like an amazing EP release party on Thursday, Jan. 28 at Chop Suey with our friends Midday Veil, Erik Blood, DJ Explorateur, and CTPAK film crew VJ’s and Kevin Blanquies VJ.

On March 3, we’re performing at Neumo’s as part of a Musicares Bowie tribute night sponsored by KEXP and hosted by Marco Collins which is going to be a beautiful night. After that, we’ll be taking Safety on the road for a few jaunts on the West Coast and across the country and we’re working on a European tour of Europe for the fall. Lastly, we are already working on our second full length album, In The Silence, which will come out sometime this year.

Photo Credit: Kelly Fleek

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