He has participated in Voxtrot and currently Ramesh as a keyboardist, singer, and guitarist.
He listenes to Nicolas Jaar, Punch Brothers, Daniel Avery, Joanna Newsom, DIIV, and looks at a Rizzoli collection of François Halard photographs his mother gave him when he runs out of ideas.*
1. Why does Indian music kick so much ass?
For the majority of Western ears, I think the unfamiliarity of the sound alone is enough to make the listener feel that he/she has stepped into a new world. Much of Indian music relies on repeated rhythms and pedal (constant) tones, with scales and strings swirling around that center. It is less about happy and sad chords pulling at your heart strings, and more about the constant flow, the ever-blooming present moment. It feels like the instant acquisition of ancient knowledge.
2. Your music has changed over time since I’ve known you. How?
First of all, I would say it has to change or why go on? Secondly (and I’m gonna break the fourth wall here), as I was saying to you at rehearsal shortly before going on tour, for a long time I went through life with my face turned away, that is to say unwilling to hear, feel, or experience most music. I had so much bitterness about the obstacles in my own career that I programmed myself to see what was bad or unremarkable in others’ music, as opposed to what was good. When you live like that you miss out on a lot. They say that the more you love music, the more music you love, and it’s true. Regardless of genre, most musicians come to the stage or to the studio to communicate something about their life experience; the intention is usually pure. Once I began listening through that lens it became easier to love more and different music. With every type of song, what matters the most is the feeling, and I think when you operate with feeling as your guide, then genre-be-damned, you are on the right path.
3. What makes playing outside Austin so fun?
#1 Traveling is the greatest thing on Earth and the most worthy use of money. #2 Playing to new audiences and feeling resonance with those audiences within new rooms re-injects purpose and meaning into one’s musical life. It is why we do it and that can be easy to forget. #3 Being a touring musician is a wonderful way to see the world; I am consistently in awe of the way in which people have opened their homes and hearts to me over the years, giving me a wealth of local insight and experience that one could not glean from any guidebook. Through these now-friends I have come to know the intricate personalities of many faraway places, and that is truly a gift!
Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai by Mohammed Rafi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISeOc49n_h4
«One of my favorite Indian songs. It’s used in a couple of movies so might sound familiar. Does a wonderful job of being lighthearted yet simultaneously deeply emotional.»
Bonny (Acoustic) by Prefab Sprout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pmp1hr8UxY
«Thank you for bringing this song into my life. Never even made it past this one on the album because I love it so much.»
Who Am I? (Rampa Remix) by Argy and Mama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLldeJhy2jM
«Got this track when buying music for a recent DJ gig. It’s got that rad Euro balance of robot voice, repetitive groove, and impact.»
00000 Million by Bon Iver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FqojM1TYqo
«The last track on the new Bon Iver album. Even without knowing the words, one walks away steeped in the feeling.»
The Whole of the Moon (In A Special Place) by The Waterboys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbUmzSu18FQ
«My friend Daniel played this in the car as we were waiting for the sun to come up while shooting a music video in L.A. A true testament to the magic of a demo. Additionally, I would also like to point out the brilliance of the line, “I saw Dundee but you saw Brigadoon.”»
* Halard’s work:
Born In The Wild 