Paper Forest Talks New Album ‘Trick Photographer’
Your latest album, “Trick Photographer,” just dropped on September 22nd. Congrats! How’s it feel to have new music out?
It feels great! I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to write and record music with my friends, and I’m excited to share it with the world.
Can you walk us a little bit through the writing process? How was it different from past releases or other projects you may have worked on?
This group of songs started out as an EP that we intended to release in the Spring/Summer of 2020, but once the recording process got going, it jumpstarted my creative drive, and I ended up writing more. I think these songs have the fullest instrumentation out of all the stuff I’ve done before and overall the record feels the most coherent to me.
Were there any speed bumps or mishaps during the recording process?
I really wanted a harmonium to play, so trying to find one was the first task. Thankfully, I got connected with local San Diego musician Heather Nation, whose husband, Andy, repairs, and rents harmoniums. Writing with that beautiful instrument was the initial spark for this record, so that got the ball rolling for the project.
Was there a favorite song to record? Why?
I think either “Idioms” or “April Fools Day.” Brian recorded “Idioms” at his home studio, so we made a day of it, and he got some really great takes. There is a lead guitar part on the bridge, and Brian pushed me to double-track that line with the banjo, and it’s super sick! “April Fools Day” came about without any planning. It was a beautiful cloudy April 1st, and I just started recording and was really happy with how the song grew from that. And for both of these songs, Joel plays really buttery trumpet parts, which we recorded at the bike shop we work at. The shop has vaulted ceilings that are like 30 feet high, and it sounds holy when there is a live trumpet being played in that building.
There’s a lot going on instrumentally on this album. Who are some of the influences you drew from while putting the album together?
Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Phoebe Bridgers, Kevin Morby, the Mountain Goats, Haley Heynderickx, Slothrust, WHY?, Palehound, boygenius.
These songs seem to have some personal attachments to them and have heavy subject matter. If you feel like going into it, were any of them tough to write/record? Do you feel better now that it’s taken shape as music and is out in the world?
The toughest song artistically was “House In Your Head.” It was hard for me to get started on the lyrics, and once I wrote them, I kept changing them because they never felt right. Eventually, the song was done, but it was the song that I spent the most time on and put the most work into. Emotionally the hardest song for me was “Piano For Pancho.” I wrote it for my dog Pancho who was dying of cancer. He was sitting at my feet while I was writing it. It was during his final days, so it’s a really sad song for me.
Any live shows the readers and fans can catch you at?
Nothing is booked so far!
What’s your favorite local venue to play?
Soda Bar or The Che Café.
Have you been stuck at a Starbucks or Apple Store since this album came out?
Ha! No, it’s the Barnes & Noble that usually gets me. The bookstore you go to during REM sleep when you’re trying to erase your memories.
Keep up with Paper Forest on their socials linked below!
