Interview # 225 // maria bc

 1) "Devil's Rain" releases February 5th on cassette.  Do you feel like physical media such as cassette still plays an important role in music today?

 

Definitely. Now that live music is on hold, people are looking for other ways to feel physically close to the music they enjoy, ways that aren’t mediated by a screen. And I think these days, people want to buy physical merch to show a kind of solidarity with artists; the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers, among others, has been encouraging people to think of musicians as workers and streaming companies as de facto bosses committing regular wage theft.

 

2) How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn't heard it before?

 

Some of my songs might be contemporary lullabies or hymns. Maybe. Or: Imagine yourself in the glowing ventricle of a cave. Now keep walking. In one of the chambers - uh oh - a song is coming together...

 

3) What is it like being part of a record label in 2021?

 

I’m enjoying it so far! It’s nice to be validated, and my music is reaching more ears than it would’ve otherwise.

 

4) What things this past year gave you FOMO?

 

Anything and everything. This year we were all wading through a giant pool of FOMO.

 

5) What was it like creating music during the pandemic?

 

The pandemic forced me to get comfortable with trusting my own judgment again. I didn’t have a band or co-writer or co-producer or whatever, so at the end of day, only I was deciding the fate of what I was making. This was good for me, I think. I miss making music in community, but the pandemic at least gave me permission to exert full control over my work, which feels great.

 

6) What are your thoughts on virtually live streaming music until shows can come back safely?

 

I would like to do this more. It’s tricky because you’re basically forced into an extra medium. It’s a live show and a lo-fi film. I like when people acknowledge that and get creative with that.

 

7) Final thoughts, shout outs, etc... ???

 

Shouts out Ethan & Natasha, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jackie Wang’s blog, Noah Sauer’s ‘Cloud Computer’ EP, and the huge pink number 2 that hangs ominously in my neighbor’s window.