An artistic impulse led Edgar Everyone to be well, Edgar Everyone and since the last time we caught up with the “Impression Fugitive” singer we talked about the importance of healing as well as a dual single release. This time around Edgar Everyone is back to spill about what’s been going on in between then and now, including working with Pretty Pistil on their latest, “Align Me.”
Kendra: So how have you been since we first and last spoke? Is anything new other than music happening in your reality?
Edgar Everyone: Hey Kendra! I’ve been pretty well thanks! Other than music, I’ve been focusing on two things lately: first, solidifying my spiritual practice. I now meditate at least twice a day, and I try and take great care of my diet and my sleep. Also, I’ve been working on my mountain house. A couple of years ago I bought a little cabin close to Lake Arrowhead that needed some fixing, and been enjoying this lifestyle so much that I’m spending most of my time there these days, learning how to fix stuff, a bit away from the bustle of L.A.
Kendra: Well, you did recently get to work with Pretty Pistil. How did you two come together for “Align Me?”
Edgar Everyone: Working with Ash (Pretty Pistil) came so naturally, before that track I actually worked on her EP “Venus Way”, which I produced and mixed. Later on, I was tinkering with the music for “Align Me” and I thought her voice would be great on the record. She hit me up with some vocal ideas, and right off the bat it was fitting so nicely with the chords. On that track I really enjoyed sitting back as a singer, only contributing to some harmonies here and there but letting her take the main vocal stage. I’m proud of how it turned out.
Kendra: As for the song, the video is fun and the music is a good time. I like songs like this that are easily digestible and just make me forget for a few minutes. For you, do you feel that’s an integral part of music-making, that ability to create something that will transport audiences away from their everyday woes, even if just for two or three minutes?
Edgar Everyone: I certainly think so! For me, making a song is such an exhilarating process – I tend to get so excited during it, that I start dancing, and jumping around in my studio and usually, when I get to this place it’s a good sign. That said, I also become very obsessional at times and I can reach a place where I’ve heard the track a million times which is a sign that I need to take a break and let time inform any future decisions. But as I get more experienced now, I try and notice sooner that I am in manic mode and learn to let it rest as soon as possible. And deep inside my heart, I hope that if it makes me jump and dance, it can do it for other people.
Kendra: When we last spoke we’d talked about the ‘60s and ‘70s playing a role in your musical history, but with “Align Me” it feels like you’re stepping into the wildest modern decade – at least to me – the ‘80s. Was the era that brought us New Wave, Michael J. Fox, and acid wash jeans the inspiration behind “Align Me” from the sound to the visuals?
Edgar Everyone: Honestly I can’t really tell, but that’s an interesting point. The actual starting point for “Align Me” was a drum groove that my friend Florian Gouello played, he always has this very interesting drum sound that’s a crossover between late 70s disco and more modern electronic influences. The groove was spot on, and I wrote the chord progression with my UDO synth over it. With that, we were off to a good start and it seemed like the backbone of the track. For once I was trying to stay on a solid axis because I know that I tend to always move in and out of the comfort zone within my songs, I have a very “Gemini” tendency when it comes to writing and exploring musicality, switching pace, surprising people with structures, etc. So this one felt groovier, stable, definitely within the New Wave aesthetic that you’re talking about.
Kendra: You’d also mentioned that Spotify was a sort of drawing board and spoke of algorithms. Do you feel as though in music right now there is this battle between independent artists and the algorithm overlords happening?
Edgar Everyone: Absolutely. I don’t really want to call it a “battle”, it’s more of a curious evolution of the industry and it feels like everyone is in deep waters, without a roadmap nowadays. Even the algorithms themselves feel like they’re escaping understanding from their creators, it’s like some tech-driven intelligence that’s taking off on its own. That said, I don’t like to be pessimistic so I try to look at it all with a curious eye, and I try to have fun deciphering the mechanics if there’s anything to decipher. The problem is that algorithms are pushing artists to be “less independent”, because if it’s too different than the trends if it’s too disruptive, it won’t be pushed very far on social media & streaming platforms. How can one be independent, and innovative, but still have their own voice heard in this constant diarrhea of content that is streaming nowadays – that’s the million-dollar question 🙂
Kendra: Time for a side note – with it being February, I’m asking everyone for their favorite and/or the best love song they’ve ever heard…
Edgar Everyone: Tough one! Okay, I’m gonna go for the deep cuts a little but I’ll say “Put Your Money On Me”, by Arcade Fire.
Kendra: Lastly, with “Align Me” out now, what else can fans expect as we continue rolling forward in 2024?
Edgar Everyone: More singles for now! Instead of working on a full-length album, I really like the flexibility of putting songs out one by one. Going back to the mechanisms of streaming, it really seems like every release needs to be focused on, promoted, and given a solid chance to land as many playlists as possible. So I think Edgar will keep releasing more songs, always on the lookout for new sounds, cross-pollinating genres, trying to find his own voice in this crowd of musicians, and most importantly having fun!
