Eight songs, a single idea in motion.
With a more intuitive than structured approach, Cameron Picton build the first album My New Band Believe as a continuous flow rather than as a sum of songs. Over eight tracksthe album is put together from ideas that are filtered, discarded and reorganized until they find their own coherence. In this conversation, Picton talks about the origin of the material, its visual dimension and the way in which this project begins to transfer to the stage.
Indie Rocks!: Thank you very much for your time. And congratulations on the release of the album. This album has eight songs. At first listen, it feels like a performance in a theater, in eight parts. So how did you approach developing this material from a sonic and commercial point of view?
My New Band Believe: I mean, it was like vague super-road ideas. Over time, I discarded some and added new ones. So it was a big bunch of ideas that ended up becoming this album through a natural filtering process.
GO!: Now we would like to know a little more about the backstory of the painting that is on the album cover.
MNBB: I had this idea for the composition of the album and I contacted the painter Junyu. I sent him what I thought the composition should be, and he sent me a sketch within a week. He ended up sending me the finished painting in three days.
GO!: Before the album's release, they released the first single “Love Story” with a music video. It seems to me the perfection of life as a couple. Tell me the story behind the video, the recording process and why you chose this song as your first single.
MNBB: I think it seemed like the obvious choice for the first single, maybe that and “Target Practice”but it was the one where I received the best feedback in live performances. People seem to have a good emotional reaction to the song. About the video, the narrative is separate from the song's narrative, but yeah, parker of Injury Reserve slash Bite Storm He did it and he did it great.
GO!: Speaking of the album, what is your favorite song at the moment?
MNBB: I'm not sure. I mean, I like it as a whole, the whole album. I think one song doesn't necessarily stand out from the others. It's an album pop out, but what makes me happy is the way it flows and the idea that everything contributes to a complete atmosphere that is sustained throughout the album.
GO!: Well, my favorite is the first one because I love the ending.
MNBB: Yes, yes. I love that. Brilliant.
GO!: Thank you. No problem. My next question is about that Instagram post. You had an exclusive release of the album in New York, and you said you just live in New York, you have a record player and a speaker. How was that experience?
MNBB: It was very fun. I didn't get to do it as much as I wanted to, only three times, because I ended up so busy in New York. I would have liked to do it more. I tried to do it in London this week, but it didn't happen because I was busy.
GO!: We now have the album on vinyl. Do you have a recommendation for the first listen? Alone in a room, with headphones or at a meeting with friends?
MNBB: Very strong, very strong, very strong. Not at low volume.
GO!: Well, that's good. Yes, no low volume. They now have upcoming dates in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. What's it like bringing the album experience to a live show?
MNBB: It's quite exciting because live we're playing it on electric guitars rather than acoustic guitars, so it's fun to translate the energy to quite different instruments.
GO!: Is there a venue special where you love playing the entire album from start to finish?
MNBB: I'm excited for the first show after releasing the album, in Rewirebecause I have always wanted to go to the festival. It will be great to play there.
GO!: Brilliant. And what can we expect from My New Band Believe this year?
MNBB: More music, hopefully as much as possible.
GO!: As a last question: define My New Band Believe in three words.
MNBB: Open, fun and open.
