On Eagle and Talon’s previous release, Thracian, the self proclaimed “leotardrock” duo began to experiment with garnishing their angular indie-pop with primitive electro devices. This trend continued in the writing of In Manila, maturing into glossy, tropical jams that still stay true to Eagle and Talon’s talent for pop songwriting. The production is crystal clear on this record, showcasing both Kim and Alice’s golden vocal talents. It is light and airy and oh so catchy. Title track “In Manila” bounces in with great energy encompassed by a wave of vintage keyboards and disco beats. The album’s moodiest song “Modified My Knife” is in perfect contrast to the dance numbers and is a nostalgic look into Eagle and Talon’s musical past.

Kim and Alice have never been the type of band to stand still in one niche sound and are continuing to move forward. We had the chance to chat about their partnership and what is next for the band.

Interview:
Your sound has surely evolved over the years from being more of a rock band to more pop. How would you describe your music’s growth?

KIM: If I had to pick one word to describe our music’s growth, I would use the word organic. The
changes our sound has endured recently are all a result of the band’s dynamic changing. We also
arranged and wrote much more collaboratively on this release than in the past. On “Cares” and “Thracian,” most of the time I would bring a completed song to Alice and she would add her parts and we would arrange/produce the tracks together. This time the approach was us meeting closer to the middle, that’s probably why it sounds different. The music was created within a different balance.

What changes have you seen in your inspiration over the years?

KIM: If I had to generalize I would say my inspiration in writing went from personal issues to more general issues (culture/cities/human constructs). Then on “In Manila” I was mostly inspired by being broken down, frustrated and laying wrongful blame. Fun times!

What prompted you to experiment with different instrumentation?

KIM: Necessity. The songs were empty with just keyboards and drums; they needed more. This became especially obvious to us when we tried to play those songs live. It simply didn’t work without all of the other parts.

What was the songwriting process for In Manilla? Recording? How does it compare to previous works?

KIM: Like I mentioned, most of the songs came together while we were in the same room, so that
was a change for us. We mostly tracked with our friend/favorite engineer, Pete Min. He is very patient with our extensive in-studio experimentation, which is a huge gift. Some engineers we’ve worked with haven’t liked that side of us so much. Also, on this record we changed up the production a bit by adding horns, violin, combining live drums with imitation drum sounds and man vocals by Reggie Watts to help color things in.

How did the record label concept come along?

KIM: I had wanted to start a label for a while and we wanted to remain independent, so it just seemed like the right time. We were not looking for outside labels to release “In Manila” so it just made sense. Also, we were in a bit of a rocky place in our partnership, so I thought it would be a good way to seal what we had together.

What’s the story behind the name BI/AKKA?

KIM: Again, kind of a result of what was happening within the band but in title, a way to bind us. BI = the two of us, and “A” & “K” are the first initials of our names, pretty simple. The name suddenly came to me and eventually Alice agreed to it!

Do you plan to sign other artists?

KIM: Yes, there are a few bands we would love to sign. We have been very busy with the “In Manila” release. Once that settles down and we can afford to we would definitely like to sign some bands that we’re fans of that need help getting their music out. The only other records we’re releasing at this time are by one of our favorite LA bands, Anchors for Architects.

What inspired the AMBIENT KARAOKE PARTYTIME project?

ALICE: It’s fun to sneak outside E&T’s amniotic sac once in a while and let the songs interact with outside elements. Also, I kind of hate how lipsyncing is the standard when you make a music video. It works but I’ve always wanted to make one where you’re hearing some live sounds or seeing the singer actually singing in real space, real time. “I Want Everything” was the perfect specimen because it’s our one and only instrumental song. So, we just invited a bunch of our most unsavory friends to sing, play, and bathe over the original.

How did you find the artists? What were some of the covers that surprised you the most?

ALICE: We had tryouts. Actually no, they’re all just friends who are amazing musicians in their
own right. It was pretty great to see what everybody came up with, though nothing was really surprising. I mean, our friends are weirdos, we know we can’t control them. I will say I was surprised by what a great sport my mom is (she plays wine glass in the Mentor & Protege video). I should also mention that Fort King actually recorded a really pretty studio version of the song which you can hear here:

What’s next for Eagle and Talon?

KIM: We would both love to tour again soon if any great opportunities come up, so we are
waiting to see what happens on that front. In the meantime, Alice and I are taking a little vacation
from the band and are working on other projects). Alice is in New York doing a recording project with the incredibly talented Kono Michi and I am currently playing with LA based band “Traps PS.” Alice and I have spent piles of time making music exclusively with each other, so we think this pause will be a creatively productive one for the band.

The complete:

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Here is a video from Elk City’s Renée LoBue discussing the title and artwork for their latest album, House of Tongues, out on Friendly Fire Records.

ELK CITY- House of Tongues Promo #2 from ancientDOMAIN on Vimeo.

You can find more about Brian Dettmer from his website at briandettmer.com.

The Tallest Buildings has a four song EP entitled “Post Traumatic Address” dedicated to the destruction of a family much in the same way the Microphones capture life and death. PTA embodies abstract melodies over floating guitar and violin tracks. Their drum beats recall The Dodo’s in their stick clicks and sparse locations throughout the tracks. Band members include Cameron Mahoney (lead vocals, guitar, piano) Austin Peters (vocals, drums, guitar, keyboards) Alexis Mahler (vocals, drums, violin, glockenspiel). Vocalist Cameron Mahoney is the perfect indie front man with his melodious crooning. After what seems a very long intro the band morphs into a rock band but only a glimpse of one, then they change their mind and try something else. Their odd song direction and intricate parts evoke Animal Collective and Van Dyke Parks “Song Cycle”.

Well done.

This is a track from his kickstarted compilation CD. A cover of Magnetic Fields.

Colin Tyler has a back woodsy sound about him. Like he just spent the better part of the winter living off of bear meat and building ramshackle shelters out of their hides. I’m pretty sure he owns a gun. I’m also pretty sure if I don’t review him in a positive light I might get it. His music is bawdy and graceful at the same time. It’s sad and introspective one minute and then really pissed off the next, like being sad in the first place is what made him so angry and screw you for listening in the first place! Then he hollers and the song is over. You kind of want to curl up in a ball. Then he lulls you back into a sense of security again with another song but your not quite sure what he has up his sleeve. Is this coldplay? Where did the mountain man go? In his EP “The April Sessions” (listen below) you can hear a myriad of styles but his presence remains the same; intimate, forceful and penetrating, kind of like muscly romance novel cover boys. Just don’t shoot me for that comparison, Fabiozly Adams.

PS He recorded it with Steve Albini. Uh-mazing!

Website.

Mykul Lee has a new album out on May 1st entitled “Fortress”. It has ten songs and a mellow folk feel to it. Fans of Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley will find something to love in Mykul’s newest work. He has a quiet voice and almost whispers his lyrics along to the music. His lyrics are heartfelt and flow well over piano, guitar and drums. We were fortunate to get an interview with him which you will find below.

Where are you located/from?

Hollywood, California

Who is involved in your project?

For the most part, it’s just me.. I’ve taught some of my willing friends the songs from my first few records and occasionally, when I play live, they will join me. Otherwise its just me, a guitar and a mic! For the albums I usually do all the pre-production in my home studio and take it to one of the many amazing studios here in Hollywood like Sunset Sound (our personal favorite) to finish everything.

Is Mykul Lee your real name?

Funny you should ask.. I actually inherited the name from my days in the mercenary business from the dreaded pirate Mykul Lee after I slew him. Turns out the mercenary business is actually just a distant cousin to the record industry, just a bit more whimsical and lighthearted.

How does your location influence your creativity?

Well, we live in Hollywood so it’s obviously a pretty interesting spot to be, but I guess it kind of attracts musicians and artists just as much, if not more, than any other place in the world. So there’s no shortage of creativity going around. Having a home studio also makes a huge difference. Being able to wake up and work on music, whether it’s my own or not, is a dream come true.

Can you give us a brief description of your musical past?

I have been playing music in one form or another for longer than I can really remember. I started with piano about 6 or 7 years old, moved to guitar and drums at about 10. After, I kind of had that stuff figured out I guess I moved to songwriting. That’s where I am now and will probably be in one way or another for the rest of my life. I love song writing more than anything. Along the way I’ve spent some time in recording school, music school, art school, been engineering/producing bands as well, but songwriting and playing music with honest musicians is my favorite

Do you write all of your songs?
Yes. 100%

Are others involved in their creation?
I used to have what we call “demo-itis” which is a severe attachment to the pre-produced songs on whatever album I’d be working on. Now that I’ve made some records and understand the value of nuance in the studio I am always open to having people suggest or even play certain instruments on the records, whatever it takes to create something beautiful that we’re satisfied with. Something we could have only done by chance. For the most part no one else is really involved in the creation/writing of the actual song, just in the studio.

If so, how do you overcome your differences in song writing?

It depends on what you’re writing for. If it’s for my own stuff I would be much less inclined to compromise if I thought I knew better. If it’s for/with someone else than there shouldn’t be differences. Just try to find a way to enjoy writing with other people. Try to find a way to make your ideas make sense with theirs. There will always be more songs to write.

Do you have any advice for those who’s creativity has reached a stale point?
If your creativity has reached a stale point, you need to find some more creative people to hang out with!

What does it make you think when you are compared to Iron and Wine, Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley?

It’s a complete honor that anyone would make any of those connections.. I have loved Elliot Smith since day one. I was so happy when Iron and Wine finally broke out because there aren’t really very many bands doing the post-Elliot Smith kind of folksy thing. Jeff Buckley fans would probably be pissed that anyone is compared to him and I can completely agree on that one. All phenomenal musicians and singer/songwriters.

What’s next?

Movin into a new studio! Doing a follow up record this summer entitled “SAIL”

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Pre-order his new album and get a free signed poster!

Email for more information: outreach@motumanagement.com

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