 Courtesy: Conqueroo
Emerging from a string of confrontations with mortality, life choices, and the slow leakage of youthful possibility, I See Hawks in L.A. will released their latest album, Live and Never Learn, on June 6th. While many of the album's tracks directly address the band’s personal struggles, others reflect their longtime interest in ecology and conservation using instrumentation including B3, fiddle, and accordion to heighten the impact of the story songs. Recently, member Rob Waller answered his Essential 8 where he spoke about his musical mentors, shared the story behind Live and Never Learn, and more.
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? I’d say my bandmates Paul Lacques and Paul Marshall have both really influenced me and acted as my mentors over the years. They’re both a bit older and have had more experience and success as musicians and songwriters than I have. So I’ve tried to watch and listen to them where I could. Paul Lacques influenced me as both a songwriter and an artist. He really fights for his vision and fearlessly puts it out into the world. I admire that. Paul Marshall influenced me as both a professional and a family man. He’s has managed to be a successful musician, husband, and father of three. With a wife and three kids of my own, I’ve studied his approach closely. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? With “My Parka Saved Me” it all pretty much came right at once and we knew it was done. Victoria Jacobs (drums) was telling us a story about getting in a car accident in High School. It was clearly a great story and I just started playing along and singing her narration as she said it. Then Paul and Paul chimed in with back up vocals and it felt like we had something unique right there. It’s pretty much just as we created it in that moment in the rehearsal studio. What’s the story behind your album’s title? After almost 20 years as a band who “never made it big” (so to speak) “Live and Never Learn” seemed like an appropriate title. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and a bit bitter, but also sort of a proud declaration that we’re still doing what we love to do and have had just enough success to keep it going as we’ve imagined it. Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did? The album starts off with “Ballad for the Trees” a gentle rocker that’s possibly the most topical song on the record. The song reflects on the massive distraction and distortion of digital life while ecologically the planet heads towards crisis. The album ends with “Stop Me” a reflection on the ends of things, impermanence, and also the drive to keep going.
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Everything, really. Life, melodies, chord progressions, lyrical fragments, anything that inspires. When/where do you do your best writing? Friday afternoons at 4 pm in my garage. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? All of the above but mostly personal experiences, observations, and made-up stories. Not too many experiences of others. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Don’t touch your teeth to the mic at sound check without first seeing if it shocks your guitar. Avoid electrocution. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? Don’t get a day job. Ever. Website/Facebook/Twitter/Bandcamp
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