Photo by Chloé Richard
Coming off a European tour, an appearance on the first Girls Like Us music compilation (and at a GLU event in Amsterdam), and self-releasing a CD, the NYC based artist Pashly has been busier than...something really busy. However, she was nice enough to take time to give YoungCreature our very first interview!!
To the questions!....
YC: One thing I've noticed about your music is that you seem to focus on writing lyrics that are atypical of a lot of dance/electronic music. It seems to me that often times in dance or electronic music it's kind of hard to find any kind of relatable meaning, or feel anything from the lyrics. Have you made a conscious decision to bring dance oriented music and meaningful lyrics together or is that just kind of what comes naturally to you as an artist?
Pashly: Yes, nice question! Well i guess I AM doing what comes natural, and writing lyrics that interest me. But it IS a part of the project to inject some meaning or purpose into dance/electronic music....I think dance music and dancing can be a powerful group experience, and I just want to address things I think everyone goes through but not very many people talk about, in real life but especially in pop or dance music. BUT I also theres a lot of dance music that deals with politics or deeper emotions or different things, a lot from the 80s/90s, but even the occasional euro-pop tune will have some interesting lyrics... I guess a lot of house has GREAT lyrics, really motivational or vulnerable or honest, maybe in a simplistic way, but still I think its really effective. So really, I feel like what I do is mostly like that ... its like house but a little weirder maybe.
YC: I definitely agree that there have been a lot of great songs that have had an emphasis on lyrics, and there are a lot of artists currently working within a dance music aesthetic who are addressing important topics and emotions, either directly or in a more abstract way. There are a lot of bands and artists like that on the Girls Like Us music compilation, for instance Telepathe, Hirsute, No Bra, etc...how did you become involved with that project?
Pashly: Well I guess a friend from New York recommended my music to Susanne Winterling, a Berlin-based artist, and she liked my stuff so I guess thats it. I like the compilation, the other groups on it and also GLU. It was also great to play a GLU sponsored event in amsterdam and spend some time with Jessica Gysel, who started the magazine...shes really great!
YC: So, what are you working on right now? You put out the Soft is Not Weak cd recently, do you have more music on the way or are you working on other types of projects?
Pashly: Well I am talking with a label for releasing Soft is Not Weak digitally, maybe with some re-mixes too, so that will be good. My plans for the spring and summer are to make a lot of new songs......! It would be nice to have a new album sometime, maybe in the fall or winter. REALLY excited to make new songs!
The videos I made this last fall I want to keep expanding on... I did a LOT of research before I started making them and fell in deep into a fascinating world of secret histories and societies, it got to be quite complex and I am not sure with where I will go with it, but I would like to expand what I do to involve more characters and narratives. I would love to keep playing shows but also get to stage things in more complex ways then I can at most sorts of places i've been playing.
I've been acting more, i'm really excited by that. I have a few characters I'd like to explore and also am excited to work in some other peoples projects, including a movie my friend M Blash is making. I have a zine I want to make for fun this summer (its called CANDY HABIT and you should submit something!), and if I have time I want to do a performative sort of installation where I make "CLARTEXTUAL" posters and t-shirts for people, and maybe a community outreach portion too...I've been wanting to do something like that for awhile. I would really love to do it this summer, but we'll see.
I am also making plans to settle in europe for a little bit....it just seems a little easier to do what I do there, although I think I make really American art and wonder how i'll do without all my american inspirations...there's always the internet I guess...
YC: It sounds like you have a lot of exciting stuff coming up!
Thanks so much for being Young Creature's first interview and we will be sure to keep everyone posted on what you are up to!
Pashly: Thanks for interviewing me, it was fun, I like your blog a lot. Also, I just have been reading about the new Seth Rogen film and the date rape scene in it, that whole scene of movie makers , Apatow and the like, make me so mad. And I guess, I just wanted to tell your readers, its actually REALLY REALLY important for them to support artists they feel like are saying good things, because jerks like that get so much power and so easily, and its hard for women/queer people to get a foothold against messages like that.....and every little bit helps, going to shows, spreading the word about artists, talking about things, blogging, buying music when you can. it may seem insignifigant but it really isn't...
and thanks for doing your blog!
Photo by Chloé Richard
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We also asked Pashly to share some of the music she's been really into lately, AND she was nice enough to share one of her songs with us too! Be sure to check out Pashly's Myspace to listen to more of her music and keep up on the haps!
dj cndo --- ceducer -- i've been really into south african house music, or kwaito, and she's one of the top djs! to me, it sound soothing and calm but also exciting and active... south african music, in general, is amazing, i have a friend, Spoek Mathambo, who's been exposing me to its greatness....
sister mantos --- like i want to ---- he's a soul sister coming out of LA, dark but also powerfull and hopefull
telepathe---dance mother--- so great! its such a great mix of so many different elements, witchy, tough but vulnerable, weird and complex and intelligent, i'm so glad they took their time and now its out!
souxsie sioux---- spellbound -- that whole album, so good! no one like her! i wish i had a drummer like that!
B.o.B --- haterz everywhere ---- i love to listen to this when i feel like people are doubting me, i think he's cool, there's this whole new crop of hip hop people where the influence of Outcast is heavy but i think they are trying to say more interesting things then most mainstream rap
Micachu and the Shapes --- golden phone ---- ah, fun, sounds great, cool ways of recording. i love this british attitude right now that seems positive and also dont-give-a-fuck. shes got it.
mahjonng--problems-- dudes from chicago keeping it so real, taking Phil Colin's soul up where it belongs.
Chris and Cosey, Throbbing Gristle-- gotta go to the classics sometimes.
Diamond Blackhearted Boy -- crazy post hip -hop tribal beat happening/goth, capitalizing on the witchy dark african vibes of Richmond , VA.
Annette Peacock-- skyskating ---one of the early innovators of electroic modulation of the voice, some of her stuffs a little too jazzy for me, but this song is completely perfect
Flying Lizards --- not as into all their cover songs, but their sound is so loose and exciting
Raymonde Howard-- i toured with her in France, i never really got Liz Phair during the time i was supposed to, i guess i feel like Raymonde is my French girl singing with a weird british accent version. her music is grungey in a witchy emotional way.
QQ-- Stuckie its a pretty innocent dancehall track by a 12 year old boy, i love dancehall but i feel like its become really homophobic and harsh the last few years, its lost some of its humor. i feel like this track is maybe a becon of hope...i love simple songs, how much they can accomplish with so little.
Choubi Choubi -- Choubi Style ...this is a comp put out my Sublliminal frequencies last year or the year before, iraqi pop/rap from the 80s and 90s, its amazing!
O'Bryan---Lovelight i've been into cheesy 80s r & B forEVER, but i feel like now is its time to shine again
Prince --- 17 days ...a B-side, my love of prince loves deep, and this song is so tender and forlorn but also catchy. i love its structure, and how it repeats.
Yi Yi Thant/Aung Heina --- Good Time this song is from burma, i love the keyboard lines, the singing, and the horns that come in so triumphantly! it sounds sad and also beautiful, she's just telling it how it is.
i am also heavily into bhangra and bollywood songs, and all sorts of different folk/dance/pop music from all over the world....
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Again, thanks so much to Pashly for taking the time to be on YoungCreature!
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