Longtime festival favorite Secret Machines has been relatively quiet lately, but the Austin-bred, New York-based indie psychedelic rock band has been quite busy behind the scenes. Having weathered the departure of its founding guitarist, released two albums on a major label and a third on an indie that went under, the group is taking matters into its own hands on its next release: the three musicians are recording the disc’s basic tracks at new guitarist Phil Karnats’s house and building new songs out of improvised full-band jams. In advance of the album’s release, Secret Machines has also issued the new single “Like I Can,” an outtake from 2008’s Secret Machines that also previews the space rockers’ forthcoming release. Below, keyboardist/vocalist Brandon Curtis discusses the group’s current recording sessions, its new single and the benefits of having a major label in the indie world.
Secret Machines recently released the digital single “Like I Can.” When was that song originally written and recorded?
The song was written when we wrote songs for the last record, Secret Machines. We recorded it then as well and, when we were putting the record together, it didn’t really fit with the rest of the material—the mood of the record was different. So we waited for a better time to put the song out. After our record came out, I guess not too long after, our label went out of business so we didn’t really think that would be the good thing to put it out with them [laughter]. Then I came across a couple of guys who had an idea of doing some singles—digital singles—and who were willing to do the label side of things: finding a distributor, getting it online and stuff. So that’s when we decided to release it. The timing is based on the fact that we’re just finishing another record, and we thought it might be good to put something out a little bit before the next record.
You also released the non-album single “Dreaming of Dreaming” right around the last record, right?
That’s right. I guess it’s the same thing, really. Neither fit on an album. I feel like these songs—they have a different kind of feel. It’s funny because it feels to me like the song writing on those songs are more closely related to the songs we have now for the next record. It’s something I can’t really explain—it just felt like the songs were of a different family and so it just made sense to me that they should come out on their own. It seems like the way this record is progressing that is was a good choice because they kind of feel like they fit better with this material.
The new songs we are working on are definitely a different direction for us. The songs are kind of more nonlinear, and I think there’s more of an open feeling to the newer songs.
You have been playing around New York a bit recently. Have you played any of these new songs live?
No. We haven’t played any of them live at these more intimate shows.
Now that Phil Karnats has been in Secret Machines for three years, would you say he has a bigger influence on the new album’s sound?
I think with this record we were a lot more comfortable. I think there was a lot more open communication and, well, we recorded these songs a lot differently. We recorded it ourselves and mixed it ourselves and there was a lot more hands on feel to the process—everyone gets a look. I think for Phil, there’s a little more freedom for him to do his thing, you know?
This record was written…basically the way we recorded this record was we setup a recording situation at Phil’s house and then recorded fifteen hours of music. Then over the course of the next six-to-eight months we edited those fifteen hours down to ten songs—ten song-links or segments and then recorded. I guess what presented itself was different sections of the music, and then we embellished and recorded a second layer on top of those sections. From then on we’ve just been adding elements: a vocal, some kind of musical embellishment, some kind of a counterpoint. We’ve just been constructing the songs in that way.
How far along is the album?
I’m at the point now where I’m mixing it so it’s just a totally different way of working for us. In the past I would usually come up with some kind of song, then the band would learn it and then we would work on the arrangement. Everyone would figure out how to integrate themselves into the structure and then we would record it, so it’s a totally different way of working.
It’s interesting. I think, to me, it was just an interesting process—it’s a lot more difficult but it’s definitely a way of leaving your comfort zone.
What spurred the idea for this new recording approach?
We were just going to set up and record, and obviously we didn’t have any songs written so we were like, “Let’s record and improvise music over the course of four or five days.” Well, there were sections that were like, “Man, that’s a good section of music.” And then, at the end of the sessions, we were just listening back and there were little sections of music that we all felt we should do something with. But there was also a lot of stuff that was different versions of the same thing: Different elements were repeated or regurgitated so it took some editing. And actually Phil did a lot of the initial editing. He went through and pulled things and put stuff together. He kind of pulled it all together.
Do you have a summer tour planned?
We don’t have any touring plans, I’m not sure what we’re gonna be doing for touring. Once the record’s finished, and we find a place to release it, then we’ll kind of take that and we’ll figure it out.
You have tried a lot of different models of releasing your music and presenting it to people—whether it’s a full album or a single, a major label or an independent label. Would you guys consider self-releasing the album or releasing it as a download or something?
I wouldn’t—it’s just not for me. It’s just more difficult then that. It’s a lot of work—it’s kind of strange work that I’m not very good at. Handling that stuff, I guess there’s just a level of diligence that’s required to do a self-release, truly self release, without involving anyone else. I just don’t think I have it in me to do that. I know a lot of bands are doing it, and it’s kind of a new thing, it’s just hard to actually see me doing it.
I think there’s a hustle that I appreciate in people that do that, and an ambitiousness that I really respect. I just don’t share it.
One venue you recently played was Glasslands, which is this art space located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Can you describe that environment for readers who live outside New York?
It started a couple years ago. I think someone was living there—they would have parties or barbecues and bands would play. It was just a very impromptu kind of setting—not so much the sound or the civility of the atmosphere, as much as a good feeling, and a super independent vibe. I mean, over the years it’s developed. They put in a soundsystem and the stage is getting more and more proper in a way. But it still has the feeling of D.I.Y. thing—it is very close to the water in Brooklyn. They serve booze there, but it’s really difficult to get to the bar. It’s kind of just about the music, and someone was putting that show together, and they were talking about us playing with that band Bear in Heaven. They’re friends—I’ve known them for a little bit. They have a new record that just came out, and I always liked their music and it just seemed like a good thing to do.
Would you say that these smaller shows have influenced the sound on your forthcoming record in any way?
Yeah, I guess so. That’s one way of putting it. Another way is that we play acoustic instruments, kind of, in a way. There’s an acoustic element to playing—if Phil plays through a particular kind of amplifier, and I play through a particular kind of amplifier, and those speakers have a certain characteristic when they blend together. It’s another layer of separation when you take those particular characteristics and set up microphones and then broadcast them through powerful amplifiers under the same speaker. It blends in a certain way, and just the level of separation. At a bigger show it’s impossible to have small amps that are loud enough to play. So it’s just an acoustics thing. So that with Josh’s drums there’s a certain visceral element to being in the room with a live drum set than with a drum going through the PA. It’s just a different experience.
Secret Machines has always been very good about figuring out different ways to present its music. A few years ago you even toured “in the round” and took that show to Bonnaroo.
We brought our own stage in the round thing at Bonnaroo. That was fun. It was a good experience to do, and kind of a weird way to present ourselves. It was a lot of fun to play that way. Just to have the same positioning from myself and Benjamin every night. I think it was a good experience for us to play that way.
What was the original concept for that, just to have a different presentation?
We had done some very small shows that way where we set up in the middle of the room in a circle, and just kind of pointed at each other. The PA would be in-between, kind of pointing across. It was just a weird way of playing, and it felt really good for us, and I think the audience had a really good reaction. We always thought it would be cool to try and bring that on tour and do that in other places. It turns out it was very expensive. It takes lot of people, it is very involved. It was a big deal to do that. At the time Warner Brothers was into letting us try it, funding it, basically making up the difference. So that was the starting line, and we jumped at the chance of doing it.
I guess that’s one benefit of having a big label behind you.
Oh definitely, it’s great to have that kind of money involved, it’s a good thing. They have tons of it and don’t know what to do with it.
Given that these new songs were created out of improvisations in the studio, do you think the live versions of these songs will be faithful to the studio recordings?
We’ve been working on playing them a little bit—like when we were rehearsing for the last show, a little last year, we tried to play some of the stuff. It’s a lot different. I mean, it’s coming together—but it’s not coming together quickly. And it’s because of the way we wrote it, and the way things are kind of stacked on it. It doesn’t present itself as easily. We’re going to have to rearrange the songs for live performances basically like incorporating layers of the songs into one performance really. So it’s going to take a little work.
For instance, singing on top of some of these parts of music. It wasn’t something that was ever done at the same time so there’s a little coordination involved that needs to be developed.
Do you plan to leave some room for live improvisation?
Oh sure, sure, sure. I guess certain elements will be changed live, and the way things are repeated or not repeated will be left open for interpretation.
