Q: How was your creative process while writing your upcoming album “Tacoma Narrows EP”?
POINT LOBO: Many of the songs on this EP are songs that I wrote a long time ago, and so it was a very interesting and challenging process updated and re-integrating these songs to what I feel is my current sound. The pandemic gave me time to reflect back on these songs and look at them closer than before. Like most artists, my sound is constantly evolving and growing, so it’s very tempting to toss out older songs if you feel they don’t represent where you are creatively. But I really believed in these songs, and didn’t want to dismiss them so easily, so I put a lot of work into them, whether it be completely re-mixing them or re-recording important elements like vocals.
Q: What do you do when you AREN’T working on music?
POINT LOBO: For me music is not only an auditory experience but very visual as well. Imagery always pops into my head when I hear music. So the past several years I’ve been teaching myself 3D animation and digital art. I’ve been using it to create both music videos and album art. So when I’m not making music, I’m working on videos and animations.
Q: Who are your biggest musical influences?
POINT LOBO: I have so many musical influences but in terms of songwriting, I’d say Cass McCombs. There is something about the way he tells stories through his lyrics that is both cryptic but also incredibly straightforward in an almost child-like earnestness. It’s disarmingly effective and has helped me find my own voice as a songwriter. As far as sonic vision, a band that has influenced me a lot lately is Men I Trust. I really love how they combine both a lo-fi sensibility with surprisingly sophisticated musical arrangements. It’s music you can vibe out to but also never get bored by. And in terms of overall attitude towards music, I would say that David Byrne is a huge inspiration. I love that even to this day he hasn’t lost a sense of innocent wonder and curiosity towards music.
Q: Your track record is pretty impressive! How has your experience been working with Josh Johnson and Hulu?
POINT LOBO: I worked on a project with Josh Johnson, a super talented comedian who writes for the Daily Show. Josh just premiered his first hour-long special with Comedy Central, the music for which I mixed/mastered, and also released a comedy/music hybrid album that I mixed, mastered, and wrote an original song for. It was such a fun project to work on, because Josh assembled a really diverse team of both up-and-coming musicians as well as experienced talent. I got to work with producer/DJ Mike Relm crafting what is essentially a mixtape of both super funny stand-up, wavy hip hop, soul music, and spirituals. It’s not every day you get to work on a project that has such a strong and original creative vision.
With Hulu, the shows I was working on were quite unique as they were pilot virtual reality shows. One was a sketch comedy VR show and the other was a news show focusing on current global climate change issues. Writing music for a comedy sketch show is a lot of fun because you get to really ham it up, but also learn about timing & tone. The news show was fun because I got to explore the more ambient side of my music (which I put to good use when I scored the End of The World podcast).
Q: What has been one of your most favorite memories along the path to making “Tacoma Narrows”?
POINT LOBO: One of the songs on this EP, “Low Flame,” was put together during the height of the pandemic, and I involved a handful of my friends on this track. Singer/songwriters Xuan, Angela Vicente, and Yohei recorded vocal parts, Dan Seeff played bass, and percussionist Caitlin Moss played a killer conga track and timbale solo. They all also recorded video of themselves, and I was able to put together a music video featuring everyone. It was really a nice moment in an otherwise dark time, and it helped me feel connected with friends during a time when I was feeling very isolated and disconnected
Q: You’ve been working music quite a while, is there any advice you would give to someone just starting out?
POINT LOBO: Don’t fixate on big goals, but rather the little daily habits. Dreaming big is important but it’s the little things you do daily and consistently that end up adding up in the long run.
Watch the Broken Parts Official Music video down below!
Helen’s Song Animated Music Video HERE
Interviewed by Stephanie Pankewich
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