Congratulations on this exciting release. Can you tell me a little about the process of recording these tracks?
I was writing songs and making them in my little bedroom [in Alaska] over the last two years. I also did some long-distance collaborating with the [London-based] producer, Bullion. We made two songs from afar, then I was like well, I have to go to London to finish this record.
I was really impressed by the development of your artistry on this project, specifically how you maintain the soulfulness of your earlier work while adding new sonic elements. Can you tell me a little about that undertaking?
I used to play pretty stripped down mostly. And this last tour [with Angel Olsen, Julien Baker, and Sharon Van Etten], I actually switched things up and started playing with some backing tracks, some drums and bass and synths, and then playing acoustic guitar over those. It was so much fun having that groove and that energy. That’s why they’re recorded that way. This felt like the moment to really try and do it.
Did you learn anything in translating these songs to the more fleshed out arrangements?
If the song is good with just one instrument, then you can do anything with it. And if a song is only good if it has all these other pieces and parts, then I need to rewrite it.
It’s clear your work begins with the storytelling. Can you tell me where those instincts come from?
From my grandmother, Mary Lee. She told us all stories growing up. It’s how we spent time, how we had fun, how we learned to pass down our culture. She would be able to make you really think about something through saying only a few words. That always stuck out to me. I think of that now when I write. I don’t want any filler.
Was music always mixed in with the storytelling, or did that come later?
My grandmother loved music. She grew up around it because her dad, Frank Hobson, was an amazing musician. He played everything with strings, but also he was a really famous violin maker. His creations are still in circulation to this day.
Family is such an important aspect of your music. Can you tell me a little more about how you express your indigeneity in these songs?
