Shiny and the Spoon Interview

There’s a new Shiny and the Spoon album on the horizon (sign up for their mailing list to be alerted when it’s out). It features their hit cover of Take On Me, and Black Nag from Uke Hunt Podcast #8.

I also threw a few questions in Amber Nash’s face:

What can we expect from the new album? How’s this album different from the EP?

I think the biggest difference that you’ll notice is the quality of the recording. We recorded our EP at home, using some cheap mics and a Mac. For “Ferris Wheel,” we’ve spent most of our time recording at a professional studio, with some “fun” tracks recorded at our home, using more sophisticated microphones and software. Musically, I feel that we’re kind of growing up, I guess. There’s a lot more heart and soul in the new songs. We’re taking more risks, using more instruments, and just making the music that we want to make. Playing out a lot and building a fan base has given us the confidence to really create our own sound.

Why did you decided to fund the album via Kickstarter? Would you recommend that route to other musicians?

We decided to use Kickstarter because we felt that we had enough of a fan base that would be willing to put the money up-front. We really played out the songs on our EP and it got to a point where, almost every show, we would have several folks ask us when we were coming out with new material. Our fans are loyal and wonderful!
I would recommend Kickstarter if you have a good fan base established, and especially if that fan base is internet/web-savvy. It’s not just about having a group of folks that are willing to support you, but it’s about having folks who know you and trust you enough that you’re going to give them a wonderful product.

How did that influence the way you made the record?

We raised more than we had initially asked for, so we were able to spend more time in the studio recording and mixing. That translated into fun, extra instruments like piano, some wonderful percussion parts, and things like that. Our fans and Kickstarter backers are the reason we have been able to really put our thumbprint on this album. We’re so proud of it, and we still can’t believe that so many people have that kind of faith in us.

You got your students involved in the recording, how did that work out?

It was great! I was a little worried that they wouldn’t take it seriously, but they were absolutely amazing. Very professional! I’ve been a teacher for six years, so knowing the child psychology aspect of the endeavor really helped. Jordan and I showed them everything beforehand so there were no surprises…they saw the microphones, the equipment, we talked about breathing, we practiced hand signals so they would know when to stop…we even had a system of how to get a hold of me if we were in the middle of recording. The kids were really incredible, and I can’t wait for them to hear the track.

What can we expect from you in the future?

We’ve been laying pretty low, trying to get the album finished and to our liking. Once it’s released, you can expect more of a presence from us, both in the physical and “cyber” sense, I guess. There will be a focus on getting our live act together, and there’s a good chance, actually, that our duo will grow pretty quickly. We’re talking with an upright bass player and drummer. So, yeah. Things will get interesting:)

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