ifitbeyourwill S03 E26 • Penny Arcade

Hey everyone, welcome back to ifitbeyourwill Podcast. On this episode, we're getting down and dirty with the nitty-gritty of record making with our buddy James Hoare (Veronica Falls, The Proper Ornaments and Ultimate Painting). You might know him from Penny Arcade, and guess what? They've got a brand new record coming out, Backwater Collage (May 3rd)! We're gonna be chatting about the wild ride that went into making it, from finding drummers (apparently that's hard?) to the age-old battle between analog and digital recording. Plus, James is gonna fill us in on all his upcoming projects, including shows, a move to Brussels, and you guessed it, more music! Buckle up, music lovers, this is gonna be a fun one 🎙️ 

https://www.instagram.com/pennyarcade_music/

For this dreamy, hand-stitched record, Hoare has taken his time. Maybe because he had to rescue his songs from various recording sessions tinged with a number of mishaps he amusedly admits he is accustomed to: broken multitracks, failing tape machines, rarely available drummers living in the capital. The eleven intimate and solitary songs which make up the album, delivered in the greatest home recording tradition, are nonetheless cautiously produced. James unfurls pure, uncluttered melodies in which his gentle, melancholic voice mingles with smooth, warm vocals by Nathalia Bruno. Barely saturated guitar solos sometimes disrupt the clear, unpolished musical line. Hopping onboard, longtime friend Max Claps has added keyboard parts which manage to embrace the minimal nostalgia of the tracks while preventing any teary pathos. Similar to Jack Name or Syd Barrett – only less psychedelic – in terms of songwriting and stripped back atmosphere, Hoare is sitting on the Velvet Underground's black-and-white sofa and gives his album a subter- ranean feel.