We here at Allston Pudding pride ourselves on our ability to stay connected to all things musical in the neighborhood that birthed us. Though some of us may no longer live in Allston (sorry folks) due in large part to being in the Boston Music Scene Over 30 Division, we still have our fingers on the pulse so to speak. Enter into frame Aedan MacDoguall. Though we first became aware of him as part of the short-lived but hotly-tipped folk rockers St. Clementine, MacDougall has stepped out on his own to become a crucial component of this era’s community. His band’s set at this spring’s AP Presents The Big Gig (among their first in the neighborhood) instantly blew us away, blending classic power pop crunch with delicate vocal melodies and a rich musicality far beyond their years. In the time since, MacDougall has readied his first solo release, the Shake My Head EP. Mostly favor delicate fingerpicked guitars and close mic’d vocals over the rockier fare of the full band, these songs show a different, though no less impressive side, and we jumped on the horn ahead of its release to talk all things Young Allston. Hit play on the stream below and read on for more.
Allston Pudding: How would you describe the state of the Allston scene right now, socially?
Aedan MacDougall: There is so much hope and many wonderful happenings. In the last year or so it’s just been really cool to listen to all the new records coming out and seeing what people get up to.
I feel really motivated living here, and that it’s possible to get where I’m hoping to be because I see other people doing it every day.
AP: Do you feel like there’s a cohesive sound or vibe within that world?
AM: I’m not really sure there is a cohesive sound that could be ascribed to Allston, and that is definitely one its biggest strengths. Anything you want to hear live you can find, and if not you can absolutely start that band and be the person making that sound.
AP: This EP leans a little folkier than the live show (at least the one you played for us back in May), which mode do you find more satisfying as a writer/musician?
AM: We tracked these songs before the current live band formed, and we were thinking a lot more about the atmosphere of the recordings than performing them for people.
Most of the songs we play now were written after this EP, and we wrote them with the live act in mind. It’s a great way to explore what makes a song work, but for me I enjoy the final statement that accompanies making a recording.
It solidifies a moment in time and the people who were there, and listening back on old recordings is always so sweet to do.
AP: We imagine power pop still plays a large role in this project; do you think that might be the next “classic indie” sound to become en vogue again?
AM: Definitely! I’m a real believer in the power of over-compressed guitars, and three-part harmony. These three songs are on the more delicate side, but it’s still really clear what we’re drawing upon.
I think because of how the internet works now we’re all only seeing what we’re most interested in, so I might be inclined to believe that this sound is already having a resurgence.
Although, I do really believe that guitar music is having a moment right now, and people are embracing that in so many different ways, which is really great to see.
AP: These songs are the fruit of a two-year period for you here in Boston, do you feel like they summarize this era well? How so?
AM: All of this EP was written between the first summer through the end of the first spring I was living in Boston, each of the songs written a few months apart from the next. Collectively, they summarize a lot of what was going through my head at the time; trying to better understand myself, how I move through the world, and navigate the passage of time.
Each of these songs guided me to some revelation about those things and I’m very grateful to have those songs to remind me what I was thinking about then.
AP: This being your first solo release, would you say this is a particularly personal collection? How does that feel?
AM: Going through the entire creative process with songs, from writing through recording, I sometimes find that I can lose the intent that I initially had. But as I recently listen to the finished collection, I am reminded of a lot of the feelings that first brought these songs to life.
These songs are very personal, but the art I love the most is like that, and I’m mostly just glad to get to share what I’ve been working on even if that means being vulnerable.
AP: How much have these songs changed over time?
AM: When we initially set out to record these songs we had intended on it just being a single track of guitar and voice. That ambition definitely fizzled out though pretty quickly, which I think was for the best.
It can often be difficult to limit yourself in the studio in the face of all that can be done in the way of overdubs; but I really didn’t have a lot of faith in my guitar playing during these sessions and I think that I just had a really minimalist mindset. We tracked some drums just to see what it did for the songs, and at that point we realized that maybe we wanted to fully arrange a couple of the tunes.
The most important part of the evolution of the songs though was absolutely the people who played on the recordings. I’m really so grateful to everyone who took time to lend their musicality to these recordings, and the tapestry of the songs is so much richer because of their efforts.
AP: What does Boston mean to this project? What or who do you find inspiring here?
AM: We did the bulk of the tracking for this project back home in Maine last summer, but most of the final overdubs and all of the post-production was completed in Boston. I think a change of scenery can often lend some clarity to whatever I’m working on, and that was certainly true of this project. I would usually go on long bike rides before heading to the studio to do the vocals, just to sort of clear my head of any distractions.
What I find most inspiring about the community here is just how much care goes into helping the scene thrive. I really feel that people are looking out for each other, and doing the good work to get the word out about the people making noise. I feel really lucky to get to be a part of that, and to call this place my home.
AP: What’s next for you?
AM: I really feel like I’m just getting started with my solo project, and I’m looking forward to continuing to put work into it. The band I play with live (Maisie LaFortune, Jake Ryan & Elliott Krauss) inspires me so much, and I think we’re just going to continue chipping away at new music until we have something to share. We’re working on recording the tunes we’ve been playing live this year, and that has proved really promising so far.
AP: In your words what are the credentials needed to become an Allston Brighton Intellectual?
AM: I’m not totally sure I have the credibility to assert the criteria to become an AB intellectual. I guess all I can say is that it’s run by a friend who has lived here longer than I have, and that they could probably give you a better answer than I ever could…
The Shake my Head EP is out now, grab a digital copy right here. Tickets to the record release this Sunday at O’Brien’s Pub are available here.