Mother Mother is one of those bands that has been quietly building themselves up through the years. Sparking a loyal following from their critically-lauded 2008 release O My Heart, the indie rock outfit from British Columbia has evolved since into what you can see today. But what is that exactly?
Allston Pudding had a chance to talk to Ryan Guldemond, vocalist and guitarist of the group, about his view of Mother Mother and the Canadian and global music scene.
Allston Pudding: You’ve gone through quite a number of changes throughout your decade-long career, both in personnel and musical identity. Has one constant character of the band lasted throughout the years?
Ryan Guldemond: Thematically we’ve stayed consistent. I think if you put all the ideas and words from all the records together in one room and forced them to interact, they’d more or less get along. Heated debates may ensue, but it would end in laughing and cigar smoking. It’s nice listening back and resonating with your younger self’s concepts, instead of cringing with embarrassment.
AP: With your latest album Very Good Bad Thing, I feel like it really sees you branching into an even more pop-centric and synth-heavy sound than ever before. Was there something that sparked this change?
RG: I was just talking with someone about the chronology of the creative process and where premeditation lies. I think it ought to lie after the initial flash of creativity that spawns an idea, at which point one can implement a more left brain method in bringing said idea to fruition. And that is kind of how it works with us and how it always has. There’s a phase in which you free yourself from any ideas about what the thing is suppose to be or what it will be in the end and just flail around with the antennae, waiting for a signal from the ether. Once the kernel of potential arises, we then consider structure and, as you termed “sound” which is usually a result of production methods. With this record we chose to hire a producer (Gavin Brown) who would push the sound in a bigger direction because that seems to be our sonic trajectory – expansion. Every record seems to possess more sonic depth and punch. It’s fun reaching outward. And as the stages get bigger, this makes a lot of sense for us. The synths are a great tool to achieve this. Being that I’m the only guitar player, it’s in the synths, keyboards and electronics that really help with creating new dimensions.
AP: This is also your first album on Universal/Def Jam and not on Last Gang Records. Do you feel like that change had any effect on the recording process at all?
RG: Not really. We still just pile into a studio and get lost, hoping to come out the other side with something we feel represents the given chapter of the band. One new and exciting aspect of being on a major label is working with an AnR guy. He was a real joy to have in the studio. Great ideas and never stepped on the band’s or the producer’s toes. I’ve heard horror stories about AnR guys really getting in the way, but we didn’t encounter that at all. Quite the contrary. I think this current team really understands who the band is, and what we’re trying to do.
AP: As a Canadian band with a good deal of road experience, how would you characterize the difference between a Canadian crowd and an American one? Is there one?
RG: Well, the obvious disparity is scale. We’re much bigger in Canada than the U.S., so when people see us in America there’s a certain clandestine thrill to the whole thing. But that happened in Canada in the early days, so I can’t speak to any cultural differences. I suppose Canadians are proud of us as we’re one of their own, but that I don’t really understand. Unless a band only sang about Canada, I don’t see what a Canadian band has to do with Canada. Music is universal, otherworldly, an alien substance.
AP: Specifically, do you feel there’s a difference between playing in Boston and any other city in the US?
RG: As for Bostonians, I like talking to them after the show cuz their friendly and that accent is gold.
AP: Do Molly and you get into a lot of sibling shenanigans on the road?
RG: Not so much anymore. We used to fight a lot, but that wasn’t good for anyone, especially ourselves. Now it’s all lollipops and rainbows…. And pudding.
AP: What is your favorite kind of pudding?
RG: What a coincidence! Um, chocolate for sure. But I wouldn’t mind checking out tapioca again, cuz it grossed me out as a kid, but now I’m refined so I bet I could deal with those little extraterrestrial balls.
You can catch Mother Mother when they visit Great Scott on June 22nd. Tickets can be found here.