Our April New Moon Spotify Playlist kicks off with the effortlessly cool “Telephono” by California’s Cape Weather. The band is the collaborative project of Natalie Smith and Eric Jackowitz, the latter being the drummer for Nick Waterhouse (hence the soulful production). The accompanying music video just premiered on NPR, and we can’t get enough of the laid-back groove. Check out our interview with Natalie Smith below:
Featured Artist: Cape Weather
Q: Your song “Telephono” is the centerpiece of our April ‘New Moon’ playlist. It’s been playing on repeat for the past week in our headphones. The sonic textures are so well-crafted and effortlessly cool. Can you tell us a bit about the recording experience for this track?
We initially recorded a 4 song EP, with one of the songs being “Telephone”. My bandmate, Eric, who also produced the EP, has been working as Nick Waterhouse’s drummer since 2014, so he wanted to produce a soul inspired version of the song, which ultimately became “Telephono”. We ended up scrapping the rest of the EP and only released “Telephono”. It was one of those situations where you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s right in front of you. Eric and I both love the melancholy music of Alvvays and The Strokes, but we also are heavily influenced by classic, soul artists like Dusty Springfield and Ray Charles, so the track ended up being a great indicator of our sound, and of us as musicians.
The actual recording of the “Telephono” was a unique experience for us. I live in Oakland and Eric lives in Los Angeles, so we used that as an opportunity to work with some of our favorite musicians remotely. We started recording the drums in Silverlake and then recorded bass with Brian Lang and guitars with Erik Groysman in Erik’s bedroom. The tracks then traveled to sax player, Joe Berry, and then keyboard player Ben Alleman in Nashville. They finally made their way to New York City to be mixed by Steve Bone. Eric’s production, as well as the incredible musicians’ collaboration really made this track something special.
Q: We read in Impose Magazine that “Spooky” by Dusty Springfield was a jumping off point for “Telephono”. It’s so fun to listen back and forth and hear those influences. How do you set out to channel another artist while still creating something true to you?
When we wrote the original track, “Telephone”, it was more of a Tame Impala style rock tune. It wasn’t until later, that Eric followed a hunch to give the song a more soulful approach. We were inspired by the tambourines, the “chank” guitars, the percussion, and the organs from the “Spooky” track, as well as bari sax, which doesn’t actually appear on “Spooky” but is reminiscent of the time period. What keeps it authentic to us for me, is the juxtaposition of some of those older sounding elements paired with the more current song style and vocal production.
Q: One of our favorite things to do out here in the desert is to explore new places. We set aside a few hours each day for getting outside and seeking out new inspiration. As a longtime artist, how do you stay inspired and keep things fresh?
I set aside time each day for creating. I find that inspiration isn’t always around me, but it does visit more frequently if I’m working. I can be pretty introverted, but I’m inspired by being around people. I’ll catch inspiration seeing shows, at museums, or exploring thrift stores, coffee shops, and bookstores in different neighborhoods.
Q: The New Moon is associated with new beginnings. Can you remember the first song that you wrote, and what the events surrounding that were?
I’d always been a very musical child and teenager, but I didn’t write my first song until I got to college. It was a song called “Wash Away”. The lyrics and melody came to me when I was taking a shower in my dorm room, and I plunked out a chord progression on the keyboard right after. Lyrically, it was a pretty dark song about wanting to wash yourself clean of sadness…. I think I compared depression to a dictator. Now it’s very silly to me, but at 17 it was necessary.
Q: How does collaboration impact your creative process?
Collaboration is part of the foundation in Cape Weather’s creative process. We got started as a band when I was recording a solo EP and running into a lot of roadblocks. I was coming from a place of feeling like I had to do everything on my own and suffering great disappointment in realizing that wasn’t possible. I was generally exhausted. Eric has been a good friend of mine for almost ten years now, so I would call him to vent and he suggested starting a band “just for fun”.
Songs start in a variety of ways – I may send Eric the bones of a song, he may send me a groove to write to – we then work separately and together to build it. It’ been a small lesson in trust and in letting go of control. It’s also been the most fun I’ve ever had in a band.
About the New Moon Playlist
On the New Moon, the earth, moon, and sun align making us unaware of the moon’s presence in the sky. Without the visual presence and glow of the moon, other celestial bodies typically hidden now shine brighter. Our chances of seeing the sky clearly are heightened on this day, making it a day of clarity and new beginnings. Creatively it’s the perfect time to set intentions for a new cycle of dreams and goals, and ways of manifesting them.
To honor this monthly opportunity for fresh starts and creative beginnings, we’ve asked our friend and musician we admire, Chase McBride, to curate a monthly New Moon Spotify playlist.
Follow The Joshua Tree House on Spotify and be the first to hear new playlists. Last month’s New Moon Spotify Playlist featured artist Kelly McFarling.
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