Ever since the indie/alternative goodness of Talk Time’s “Year Of Self” made its way into our inbox last summer, we have been smitten. Created from scratch in a warehouse in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles, the band – comprised of Edson Choi, Mike Nissen, Andrew Smith, John Ransom Tucker, and Derek Howa – manages to effortlessly genre-bend with every track.
Challenging listeners on their insecurities while creating a brighter, more hopeful future, the band’s debut EP, Year Of Self, encompasses all things celebratory but with a consciousness that most artists dream of mastering. In honor of the EP’s release, we asked the band to give us the lowdown on each song off of Year Of Self in this exclusive track-by-track commentary. Enjoy and don’t forget to get Year Of Self now here!
“Hey misfit, stay true.”
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On the EP overall:
It was important that these songs reflected something real, sentiments that rang true in our lives and where we’re coming from. It’s about opening up and embracing yourself, but also using that empowerment to better not only yourself but others around you.
90’s rap and hip-hop was a giant influence early on for myself, and even though our music may sound so far from that (or maybe because of it) the emphasis on groove and dynamics was something the band and Matt (producer Matt Bishop) wanted to play with. We stuck to mostly really simple chord changes, but would play around with layering big synth and guitar parts, making really interesting arrangements under the simple progressions.
“Year Of Self”
“Year Of Self” is a multi-headed celebration for unique thinkers with courage to live outside the box, it’s also an ode to astronomer Galileo. In the overall theme, YoS represents the awakening of the self, where you finally come into your own and feel the empowerment of it.
Highlight lyrics:
“The world will cover you in pain
but a burning heart is set in every way
there’s never an easy circumstance
all we do is fake it to be romanced”
“True North”
This is the centerpiece of the EP. It’s about finding perspective in this often terrifying, always ambiguous and beautiful life. The beautiful part of that is linked to love. In modern living it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of maladies and sheer noise, love is always a good compass to have and help you keep course. In regards to the song structure it kind of makes sense that it’s a sort of lopsided, winding and chunky ballad. It’s also the first song we (Choi/Mike Nissen/Andrew Smith) collaborated on. I think it’s got an earnest spirit which really gave it a life of its own.
“If you’re beat up, gotta keep that chin up
mysterious, life is mysterious
believe us, there’s no walls between us”
“Paperhearts”
An ode to Dr.Strangelove. On the surface it could be about the irreconcilable relationship between two lovers, but on the other hand it’s about the tumultuous relationship between world powers that will likely be a dance that goes on forever or until we destroy each other.
“the two of us I know are never going to change
the two of us I know will always be strangers”
“Desperate Weather”
At some point I was hate watching a lot of TV news, politics of weather and how the earth’s climate and the world economic climate will be brutal in a
few decades.
“keep me strange and awake in this ocean of cells
pre-arranged for mistakes and a need for some help
we all need some help
there’ll be no one else”
“Colors”
“Colors” is celebrating choices we make in life, the sort of decisions that you really own and end up ringing true and feel authentic to you. I remember watching this Alan Watts animation where he compared life and music, where the end isn’t the point, but the journey. That may be a tired sentiment but I took it to heart when I watched it years ago. Breaking off the norm and making your own strides in life can be very difficult or feel aimless. I think that’s why when you are able to carve your own path in a positive and authentic way it’s something to be celebrated, and through the journey you’ll keep adding experience and changing and witness others and the planet (and universe) doing the same, experiencing an array of colors, guaranteed.
Dynamically it was supposed to feel like a life lived from birth to death, but shot through in light speed through a rollercoaster. Starting with a simple beat, the opening line is welcoming a newborn by consoling them as they start their journey (“don’t you think too hard we just might get out of this”) and we just ride the rollercoaster to until we shed our mortal coil and join the ether / oceans as a kind of swan song moment.
Musically John (our bass player) just stuffed as many chords this cool galloping beat, which really simulated the sort of movement feeling we wanted. Usually we like keep the chords to like 2 or 3 haha.
“My folly goes where I impose
My story goes like it’s supposed to”
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