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Craft Spells are about to release their highly anticipated album Nausea. Their sounds include some of the most infectious elements from upbeat string sections, to bright guitars, dreamy vocals, and lyrical simplicity. It makes you think of the place in which you’re currently at in your life, the people around you, and how you got there.
We recently sat down with Craft Spells’ own Justin Vallesteros for a nice chat about his inspirations, influences, and other things start with the letter “i.” Their new album comes out next week on June 10th on Brooklyn-based label Captured Tracks. The album contains a collection of some of the best instrumentation and production, as well as subtle features that make each track unique, like a chapter in a novel.
Check out the interview below and stream a couple singles off of the album at the bottom!
Thanks for chatting with us at GroundSounds! How are things up in the Northwest treating you?
I just got into Seattle 3 days ago from San Francisco, you can definitely tell it’s spring here, beautiful sun and short periods of rain. The album was finished back in February this year in Seattle. I spent some time in San Francisco and Stockton to see friends and family before I had to hop on the road again, now I’m back in Seattle to rehearse for a month for this upcoming tour. We haven’t played a show in 2 years.
I’d like to take some time to go back and look at the journey that has led up to this point in your music career, mainly because now you have a real band to play with. When you first started making music on your own, doing everything yourself, what led you to begin writing and recording without a band? Was it a creative control issue or more of a convenience thing at the time?
I guess it was the sad truth that I was a loner growing up till I was like 17. Before that I spent a lot of time on this program called multi track studio and fruity loops a little bit before I picked up a guitar. It’s never been a control issue, I just never found the right people to play music with. It’s a good way to develop song writing skills when you’re all new to everything.
For those who are just discovering your music, describe your sound back then and how it has developed over the years into the current “Craft Spells” sound that we hear.
I started out writing awful songs that were basically rip offs of one one of my favorite bands, the microphones. The music went through a lot of changes and by the time I was 21 I had my factory records and sarah records phase. Started recording a lot till Idle Labor was done. I then took 2 years off to stop playing guitar to play piano and really zoned into a sound I wanted to call my own. That’s where I am now.
I’ve been exploring some of your older releases and have been listening to them a lot lately. I can’t help but notice these common themes of bright, reverb-heavy guitars and solid, upbeat rhythmic percussive elements. Your vocals are also extremely laid back and at the same time passionate and with conviction. All of these elements really gave your music an interesting personality that is enjoyable, light, and relaxing. How did you initially collect all of these ideas and begin working on this music? What made you want to make music like this?
It’s not a conscious thing you know? I’m a big fan of music, I’m always in search of new things, for that particular time I was into a certain time era where some of those song writing and studio sounds are rooted from. The new album won’t have that, at least
not drenched.
What’s the meaning, if any, behind the name the band name “Craft Spells”? It’s pretty cool sounding and really catchy!
I’ve said a lot of made up versions of the story in other interviews. It’s just a name. I was playing Dragon Quest 8 when I made it up so I guess you can kind of get the idea.
I really love your newest single “Breaking the Angle Against the Tide.” The way the song sort of explodes in the beginning and just grabs all of the senses is brilliant. What was the decision process like when picking this as your first single off of the album? Did you know it would be the single before any other tracks were laid down?
Well, out of the whole album I feel like that song was the most familiar and probably the most accessible to fans of my old work. I wanted to get it out of the way, it was actually the first song I demo’d start to finish on the album.
How long has your new album Nausea been in the works and what were some of the main influences behind the writing and production on this album? Were there any challenges or exciting experiences during the process that are mentionable?
I started focusing on demoing right after the tours for Gallery. I had a year of writers block, had a brief time of disillusionment with myself due to the internet. I stopped all social networking and retreated to my parents house and started grinding away. I started feeling the over saturation from catered articles telling me how I should be as a human, giving me some type of fake guilt when I read these “top 20 reasons you’re doing blah blah wrong”. I didn’t feel right. I checked out and wrote freely, finally. Unplugging is the new punk rock.
Are there any specific artists and/or bands (current and/or classic) that you are currently listening to or gaining inspiration from? Are there any that you would like to tour with or collaborate with in the studio down the line?
I can tell you what was in my itunes and record collection during that time: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nujabes, Oasis, Emitt Rhodes, assorted Japanese Organic music, Wu-tang, Gorillaz, old school jungle dnb compilations.
So, your second full length Nausea comes out June 10th, just in time for Summer. This is definitely going to be spinning while I cruise around town. What are your plans leading up to that and for the rest of the year? Can we expect some more singles or a music video?
Touring and a trippy music video really soon.
Well, thanks again for taking some time to chat with us! Best of luck this year and please let us know when you’re down in sunny Los Angeles, we’d love to catch a show!
Will do, thanks!
