Modeling / Courtesy photo
We last spoke to Modeling in early 2021 as they were dropping the excellent singles “Lodestone” and “Nothing Unexpected” while working on their debut record.
Great news – their debut album Somewhere Before is out now. And the band will be celebrating the release at George’s Majestic Lounge this Friday, May 27 with a stacked supporting lineup, including Olympics and The Phlegms. This is the lineup you want to see if you’re wondering about our local music scene. If you already know, then you know it’s about to rule.
Modeling continues their cinematic art punk on Somewhere Before. It very much sounds like a labor of love where every decision was measured and well crafted. It deserves a listen and I hope that it takes off for them. You can buy a physical copy at the show.
What: Somewhere Before album release show
Who: Modeling / Olympics / The Phlegms
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 27
Where: George’s Majestic Lounge
Tickets: $12 at Stubs.net
I talked to Connor, Ryan and Cuinn about their year and the new record – here goes…
Hi guys! We last spoke with you in early 2021 after your single Nothing Unexpected dropped. How has 2022 been for you so far?
Connor – 2022 has been busy, but good to us so far. We’ve spent most of it rehearsing, recording, traveling and playing shows. I couldn’t really ask for anything more.
Ryan – I agree with Connor. 2022 has actually been pretty great for us. We finally finished our first album, which feels pretty liberating.
Cuinn – 2022 has felt really short. It is nice to have finished this album and get it out of our hands this year.
You’re about to release your first record Somewhere Before – how does it feel to finally get the record out into the world?
Connor – For me, it’s relieving. We’ve been working on this project since the start of 2020 and it’s nice to just let go of it.
Ryan – I’m excited for everyone to listen to this music we’ve spent the last two years working on, but it’s more of a cathartic release than anything. It’s the first album we’ve ever written, recorded, produced and mixed on our own. It’s very DIY which feels good. I’m also happy we own the masters.
Cuinn – Agree with Connor, relieving. It’s also exciting because we can move onto new things
You released 3 singles for the record – did the response to the early songs affect the work on the rest of the album?
Connor – I don’t think how people respond to our music ever affects how we approach writing music. If we took into account everyone’s opinion about our art, we’d probably be creating something entirely different. Probably something with more guitar solos.
Ryan – If anything we took a different approach to the rest of the record. I honestly got tired of hearing a snare drum and toms; the typical sounds of a drum kit. I ended up recording random things around my room like the buttons on my vinyl player and the buttons on our organ to create the percussive elements for the rest of the tracks.
Cuinn – I agree with Connor. To me authentic creativity is selfish. It’s nice to have your work well received but it doesn’t influence the song writing. I think a big influence from those 3 singles to the rest of the album is time. I burn out quickly and want to try something new and different yesterday.
Set to a film, some of these songs might score a long tracking shot over an empty town, or maybe as the camera focuses on one person removed from the rest of a small party. There is a sense of longing in Somewhere Before. Were these themes of longing and loneliness in your music heightened by the pandemic, or were they present before?
Connor – I think they are always present in the music we create because they are always present in my daily life outside of music. I tend to be more inspired when I’m writing about times of sadness in my life. It feels organic to me and something that I don’t have to force so I just go with it. Some of the emotions may have been exaggerated by the pandemic too though.
Ryan – We’ve all been pretty reclusive and introverted our entire lives. I’m not sure why because our parents aren’t that way at all. I think that may have an unconscious influence in the way our music sounds.
Cuinn – I feel naturally melancholic. The sense of longing has always been more of an interest to explore in songwriting as opposed to other feelings.
Do you prefer to write about facts or fiction?
Connor – facts inspired by fiction.
Ryan – science fiction
Cuinn – Facts but it becomes more fictional after it’s been spun around in your head.
What are some films released in the last year that have influenced you?
Connor – I don’t know about influenced, but recently, I saw Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and it was very inspiring.
Ryan – Nothing in the last year. I liked watching dune. That was fun. I mostly watched Lost In Translation this year.
Cuinn – Sadly nothing comes to mind so far
You’ve been playing live shows all over the place – any highlights so far? Any bands that blew you away?
Connor – Our 1st album release show at Vino’s on May 20th was a highlight. I was just surprised that so many people showed up and stuck around to watch us play. It was a humbling feeling.
Ryan – yeah the album release in little rock was really amazing. Very thankful for our friends, family and all of the new faces that came out. Shout out to paul huenefeld for running sound for us that night.
Cuinn – I agree with Connor and Ryan, definitely Vino’s. Was really happy to see old friends and family. Wild to play at that place still, that was one the first music venues I ever went to as a kid. Really strange feeling.
You’ve got a release show at George’s on May 27 with The Phlegms and Olympics – bands that sound a lot different from you and one another. Is that what you look for when putting a show together?
Connor – I think we typically run into an issue of finding bands who sound like us in the area so we tend to lean into the differences and just put together shows that we think might be fun for a wide range of people.
Ryan – we love olympics. they’re good friends of ours and we love their music. We met the drummer of the phlegms, Grant, at a gig we played with Olympics actually, and have been talking about putting together a show for a bit.
What are your plans for the rest of 2022?
Connor – lots of touring so we can promote the album and pay rent. We also have plans to put out a 3 song EP before the year is over.
Ryan – We plan to put out a couple of homemade music videos / visualizers for a couple of tracks from ‘Somewhere Before’ as well.
Cuinn – Put out new music and find new ways to write it. Find an influential 2022 movie.
