Mutemath
New Orleans’ own Mutemath recently dropped their title track single “Changes” accompanied by an exclusive minimix of their recently released album and today we present our recent discussion with the band’s frontman Paul Meany with the following interview exclusive:
Give us the lesser sung history on how you all met and how Mutemath was launched.
Darren sabotaged a former band of mine to set the stage to start a new band with him. It was very Fatal Attraction, now that I think about it.
What about the cycles of change really initially laid down the groundwork & conceptions for Changes?
When I originally wrote the lyric to Changes, I was confronting the ever-popular mortality issue in my life. Just your run of the mill mid-life crisis stuff I think, but I was searching for a coping mechanism and how to see it framed in the horizon light of the future that is still available to me.
How did these sorts of reflections of time & cycling shifts become translated through the crafty arrangement of flashing synths and restrained keys, etc?
My original demo of the song was a melancholy piano ballad. I think the take away was just feeling sorry for the singer, and didn’t excite anyone, which is why I”m sure it sat on the shelf for a minute. I love that it was an up and coming young producer from Canada named Eric Disero who caught the vision on how to embed the sentiment of this song in a soundscape that feels reborn and full of life. So much credit to Eric for knowing how to tell this narrative.
What can you tell us about how you all together as a group approach and organize your own particular style & brand of experimental electronic balladeering?
Everyone in the band is a stand up producer in their own right and has a strong point of view. I think we all have a mutual respect for each others ideas and try to work in an environment where everyone has space to explore song ideas without being over-hawked by everyone else. We’re still working on how to really pull that off, but it usually helps our process reach the finish line.
There is always something fascinating happening in New Orleans at any given time, what & who are you all excited about right now in your home digs?
I’m working with a new artist Jonathan Allen right now on his debut EP that I’m super stoked about. It’s a very vintage synth prog-soul experiment, so it’s right up my alley and I think lots of folks will dig it.
What will be next in the life of Mutemath post-release of Changes?
New sounds, songs, and projects I hope.
Experience Changes for yourself:
Stream via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Google & Apple Music. Follow Mutemath via Facebook & Twitter.
