Now that JOHNNYSWIM‘s album Georgica Pond is out in the UK, we have more reason to celebrate with the talented duo. Having received critical acclaim across the board for this work – and being featured with high profile performances on Today and with The New York Times – we thought it necessary to take a look back, and enjoy the smooth sounds of Georgica Pond. We also took it upon ourselves to ask these wonderful people a few questions, to which they happily obliged. Check out the interview below!
Why music?
Abner: Ever since I knew it was an option to make music for a living it was my only goal.
Amanda: The one thing that I felt like I’d be doing regardless of what else I did in life was writing songs. If I was going to do anything I might as well do that!
If you could introduce yourself to an audience in any way, no constraints, how would you?
I would welcome my self into the middle of their dream the night before a show. Flying like super man and rescuing their favorite pet kitten then remind them of the set time for the show the next night.
What sort of cohesion, or togetherness, has been forged in your time together creating music?
Musical collaboration is about communication. Marriage is about communication too, so in our case one has fed the other and back and forth.
How do you continually find the inspiration to keep creating music?
By living life, by having different experiences and adventures is the current source that feeds the well.
Where do you feel the most comfortable as an artist? On stage, in the studio, somewhere else?
This answer is different for the both of us. Amanda is more comfortable in the studio, but Abner is so comfortable on stage and really comes alive when he’s in front of people. It works out well for us, because we have helped each other’s weaknesses and relied on each other’s strengths.
Is there a particularly challenging moment that has defined your journey so far?
I think our challenging moments early on really defined us. We realized that the no’s we received were just as important and pivotal at times as the yes’s. They helped guide us and clarified what we really wanted and where willing to fight for. Also we realized that we were having fun even at the crappy shows and on the tedious tours. This helped to convince us even more that we love doing this.
What was your relocation to Los Angeles like?
HA. We literally put everything we could fit into our VW Golf and drove across the country. We crashed with Amanda’s sister and bro-in law in LA for around 4-5 months before we finally got our own place. It was a beautiful adventure.
Was there a specific motivation or story behind Georgica Pond?
Yes. The song was written while on our yearly vacation to see some close friends. It was a place we visited with my mom a lot before she passed, and I found myself telling our new son lots of stories and memories as I put him down to sleep. The song came out as a little impromptu lullaby, and Abner overheard it. We decided that a song to our son about life and loss and love encapsulated the theme of the record as a whole. It’s personal and we hope becomes an inheritance for our son one day.
Do you have a dream collaboration with another artist, producer, or someone else?
Abner: My dream collaboration would be with someone like Paul Epworth or Daniel Lanois.
You’ve had the chance to play in a huge variety of high-profile settings, like The Tonight Show. Were there any experiences that stand out?
I remember thinking Jay Leno wouldn’t be very nice. He has a bit of a reputation since he took the show back from Conan. But when we got to our dressing room he welcomed us like no other host had ever before or has since. There was a gift bag and a personal note from him. He even came in and brought us coffee and sat on the couch to talk for a while. We were supremely impressed with how kind he ended up being.
Anything else you’d like to let the readers of Impose Magazine know?
Just that we love them already. And hope to meet them all very soon!
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Keep up with these two here.
