New Music: Lindsay Kupser – Quiet Songs; Interview

Calgary, Alberta, Canada native Lindsay Kupser recently released her second album, Quiet Songs, survived her first cross country tour and, even more recently, relocated from Boston to Vancouver. Lindsay took some time to answer a few questions about her new record, touring, her love of the Shamrock Shake and action figures. Go here to visit Lindsay’s website!

the mixtape: Your first album, The Boston EP, has more instrumentation throughout and is a bit more upbeat. Why did you decide to make a softer sounding album with your most recent record, Quiet Songs?

Lindsay Kupser: The Boston EP was my first recording project, and because it was the first music I was sharing with the world, I really wanted it to be perfect. I spent an incredible amount of time making sure every note was in tune and every edge was rounded – no mistakes, no imperfections. And at the time that was the sound I was going for and I thought that was how it was supposed to be. But as I was recording and mixing I found myself not enjoying the process very much at all. It was so exhausting to obsess over every tiny detail that it almost took some of the life out of the record, at least from where I was standing. When we started to near the end of completing that record, I started to listen to a lot of different, quieter music, and my writing just naturally started to tend in that direction. I evolved, like all artists do, and I became very interested in exploring simplicity. I decided I wanted to record the next one almost in the completely opposite way than I did the first one. No studios, no overdubs, no sitting in a vocal booth singing the same line 100 times trying to get it to my satisfaction. We recorded in my friend’s home with a few mics, did everything completely live in three takes or less, and did very little editing. From the day we started recording to release day less than 4 weeks had passed, and I felt that process was true to the intimate songs I had written. I’m very proud of how it came out!

tm: When you write a song do you compose the music first or do the lyrics come first?

LK: There’s no one specific way that I write songs, and sometimes I’ll try to challenge myself by creating boundaries or rules before sitting down to write. For example, on “All of My Bones Broke…” I restricted myself to using only one chord for the entire song which helped me to really focus in on the melodic and lyrical portions of the song. And on “Everything Feels So Hard Always” I limited myself to playing single quarter notes on guitar which resulted in an interesting song I probably wouldn’t have written otherwise. The way that feels most natural to me is writing chords (music) first as a foundation, melody next, and then fitting lyrics to that melody, but that can sometimes lead to stagnant writing, which is when I switch it up.

tm: You organized an event called “Lindsay Kupser and Friends: A Celebration of Calgarian Musicians and Artists”. First off, how did the event turn out and would you do something like this again? Also, how did this gathering of musicians and artists fuel your own desire to create?

LK: The event was so special – one of the highlights of my career thus far! I will admit, I probably bit off a little more than I could chew with taking on planning an event on that scale, and I’m definitely an artist, not an event planner. That being said, it was completely worth all of the stress, and it turned out so wonderfully. The audience was so excited and receptive, and every artist involved was fantastic, both musically and as people. I was very much inspired by everyone involved and it showed me how powerful collaboration and supporting our fellow artists can be.

tm: What is it about singing, song writing, playing an instrument…just music in general that you absolutely love?

LK: I think that I can be my absolute self when I’m playing music, and that feels really liberating. I’ve always been a shy and somewhat private person, and especially when I was younger, I felt that many of my peers made assumptions about who I was or maybe underestimated me. When I write songs, I can put into words exactly how I think and feel in a way I’m not usually able to do, nor do I want to do, in real life situations, and I enjoy being able to share that with people and sometimes surprise them or connect with them in that special way.

tm: You just wrapped up a small tour. In short, how was it? Did you find that people were fairly responsive to your music?

LK: The tour was wonderful! It was my first tour, and as simple as it may sound, it felt very rewarding to play music for different people every day for ten days. People were very responsive which was so nice, and I loved visiting cities I had previously never been to. I played some intimate venues and got to meet some lovely people after shows who I think will be long-term fans. What could be better?!

tm: You said in an article from 2014 that your life revolves around food. What’s your favorite thing to eat in your hometown of Boston? What’s your favorite thing to eat while on the road? Do you have a signature dish you like to make if you’re going to be entertaining friends?

LK: There is no shortage of fantastic food in Boston, but I think my favorite place is a small bar called The Lower Depths in Kenmore Square. They have amazing tater tots and beer cheese dip (and an amazing craft beer menu as well) and I can’t go more than about a week without my fix. I also love the Swami Bowl from Life Alive, a vegan restaurant in Cambridge, and the Chow Fun Curry from Pho Basil.

Eating on the road is always tricky… I tried to keep things reasonably healthy so I wouldn’t completely crash, but that’s always easier said than done. In the big cities I always try to make a stop at a health food store or organic market and load up on the salad bar, but I definitely made a McDonalds stop for a Shamrock Shake at one desperate point, and I had my first ever Cracker Barrel experience! After a while, convenience becomes priority. We would usually have a little time to explore in each city, so we made a point of seeking out a great restaurant or food experience in each place.

I truly love to cook, and I enjoy cooking for my friends and family very much. My most requested dish is my mushroom risotto, but in the winter I love a vegetarian chili with cornbread. I also recently mastered homemade ramen which I just made for my mom, and she was pleased! My next goal is to master the french macaron, though I’m nervous because I’m much better at cooking than I am at baking.

tm: What’s next for you? Another album, tour?

LK: At this moment, I’m not entirely sure! I’m going to be spending some time in Vancouver for the next little while, so I’m focused on exploring the music scene here and performing along the West Coast more. I enjoy leaving my summers somewhat unplanned when I’m able, but I’ll certainly do a bit of writing. I’ll likely tour again in the Fall, or perhaps be a supporting act for a touring band. I don’t have plans to record again right now. I wonder if I might like to do a full length album next, and it typically takes me a while to accumulate new songs. I’ll take my time and focus on performing for the next little while.

tm: If you were an action figure what accessories would you have?

LK: I would like to have a magic paint brush that would allow me to paint beautiful portraits of whoever I’m looking at. I love painting portraits, but I’m so bad at it! That would be helpful, although maybe I’d feel guilty for cheating…