Days from the start of CMJ's 2011 Music Marathon, Portland Music Foundation contest-winner Billy Libby chats about his evolving sound and being inspired by Sufjan Stevens, and hints at what's in store on his next EP. Billy Libby combines folk and pop music with and indie twist, and his most recent release, "Pitter Patter," came out September 20.
So, first off, how long have you been making music? Have you always known this was the sort of project you would want to work on?
I have been making music and writing songs since I was about 14. As soon as I learned a few chords I was feverishly writing songs. My first band Even All Out was a pop rock band that achieved a lot of local success and some national. Our album, "Things I Forgot to Say" had a single that was the #2 requested song of the year on Portland, Maine's alternative rock station in 2003. We also showcased for labels and played with national acts, as well as being on CMJ's top played college radio bands. The success of this band happened all right out of high school, and I felt pretty sure I would be on that path for a while. I fronted that band until 2005, but after losing some other founding members I called it quits with that, and took some time to figure out music, and my life in my early 20's. I did some solo recordings over the next few years, and also played in other bands, doing some touring nationally and internationally, but it took quite sometime for me to figure out what music meant to me, and how I wanted to pursue it.
Over those years I knew I wanted to make music that was intelligent and artistic, but felt very deep rooted in pop as well. I would not have guessed that the music I'd be making would necessarily sound like this, but I am very happy with the sound I have achieved and am very happy to have crafted a sound that encompasses the many different aspects I love about music.
Your first EP, "The Little Bird," has a very acoustic aesthetic, whereas "Pitter Patter,"your most recent release, has much more expansive arrangements. How do you account for this change in your sound?
It's actually kind of funny how that came about, and sort of confusing based on the sound of the two ep's and the order they were released. I actually started, and almost finished, the recordings for Pitter Patter, quite some time before recording The Little Bird. I always considered Pitter Patter to be the sound I was going for, but didn't want to officially release it until the time was right. The summer of 2010, I recorded The Little Bird with my guitar player as a quick EP to have something to get out into the world, while building my career as a solo artist. We had been playing a lot of shows as a duo, and decided to do some very stripped down recordings. So even though Pitter Patter came out later, it actually was recorded first. The same goes for my next EP I am finishing up, which was mostly done before Little Bird as well. Little Bird is actually acoustic stripped down versions of these songs as they were originally intended.
What bands and artists do you find yourself most influenced by as you write, play, and record music?
For this batch of songs, there are quite a few artists and bands that really had a huge affect on my music. As far as recording Pitter Patter, it was actually an article I read about Sufjan Stevens, and how he recorded one of his albums himself, using just a couple mics. I really love his music, and felt inspired to take the same approach. Musically I felt very inspired by and drew influence from bands like, Radiohead, Bon Iver and Blonde Redhead as far as how they arrange their music. As a guitar player I also draw a lot of influence from Kaki King.
I know you just released an album about a month ago, but what do you envision working on next? Do you see your next release as expanding on the fuller, more layered sound on "Pitter Patter," or returning to the simplicity of "Little Bird"?
I actually have at this point, a pretty clear idea of what's next. I recorded quite a few songs around the same time that I recorded Pitter Patter and at first planned on releasing a full length, but later decided on two EPs. So as of right now I am putting the finishing touches on another batch of songs, which are similar in arrangement to Pitter Patter, but a little more rhythmic and loop driven. I really look forward to recording a full length. Recording and writing for me are very specific and in order for me to do it I really need to let myself be consumed by it, so it may be some time until that happens again, but I can't wait until it does. I would also love to do some more stripped down recordings as well. As a solo artist, I play in many different band scenarios, anywhere from a duo to a 6 piece, and I love hearing the songs portrayed in different ways, so it's nice to get the different versions out there. All in all I feel that from now on I will just be letting the songs dictate themselves.
Billy Libby will be performing as part of the Portland Music Foundation's 2011 Music Marathon next week. Check out their set at 11 pm at Sullivan Hall on October 20, or see here for more information.
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