yearlongday

… from around may 2009. we don’t know if the interview was ever published, so we’ll respect the blogger’s anonymity for now.

Who is Yearlongday, and whose idea was forming the band?

[John] yearlongday is the alternative pop duo of Jonathan T Marlowe (singer/guitarist from United States) and Leah L’Orange (singer/percussionist from Canada). Although I think of yearlongday as an ongoing project, the current structure of the band developed in October 2006 from the need to establish a clear stage identity. Until then, I had been writing and recording songs, but a slight case of stage-fright prevented me from performing them. It was Leah who convinced me to start playing live, which was really the missing element to yearlongday.

How did you come up with the band name?

[John] It started with a process of elimination. I had a long list of possibilities, including names like, “Ape in Space”, “Cousteau Bleu”, “Baron O’Blivion” and “Cheater”. For each candidate, Leah and I asked ourselves what it would sound like to hear announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…”, and fill a name in the blank. Even after narrowing down the list, we researched the internet to further eliminate names already used. We even considered how a name looked in print before finally agreeing on “yearlongday”.

What type of music do you hear to usually?

[Leah] John and I come from different musical backgrounds— I was raised on a healthy diet of 80’s new wave and electronica, and John is a cross-breed of radio stations, record collections, and soundtracks. We probably disagree more often than we agree over what to listen to in the car! I’m a big fan of Depeche Mode and Nick Cave, while some of John’s favorites are David Bowie and the Flaming Lips. Over the years, however, we’ve learned to compromise on a handful of artists, such as Air, Tahiti 80, Morrissey, Sondre Lerche, BC Camplight, Electric Light Orchestra.

[John] I’m sure that when we’re alone, Leah and I listen to different types of music than we do when we’re together. It’s nearly criminal for me to play a Neil Young album when she’s around!

How would you define Yearlongday’s music profile? did you started with a solid sound or you developed it over the time?

[John] We identify our music as “neo-retro lo-fi hipster dream-pop crap” because people often say that we look and sound like a band from the past, but, at the same time, we reflect contemporary aesthetics. I think our unreleased version of The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” is a good example of that, and it’s a sound that developed from one record to the next, and evolved from one performance to the next. That’s why I consider yearlongday an ongoing project.

The band sounds a lot like “The Beatles”, were they the only musical influence for you during the process of the recording? Who are your other musical influences?

[John] The Beatles were deeply influential to me as a teenager, and I’ve heard us compared to them in some ways, but over time, inspirations came from all around us. For example, “Now Isn’t Soon Enough” (from our latest album) was inspired by watching Korean television dramas, and “Your Heart is an Open Book” was influenced by Bollywood musicals.

How did you come up with the album “Best excuses” name?

[John] I pulled the title Best Excuses from the song’s lyrics, which tell a story of a romance that ends (or never quite begins) because cultural differences strain the relationship. The plot is partly biographic, and echoes through the album, as each song brings listeners to terms with the way relationships, especially cross-cultural relationships, are built up and how they break down.

How was the experience of recording it? and the pros and cons of releasing an album on your own?

[John] Even though releasing an album on our own required tremendous personal effort and resources, it gave Leah and me a good education in what it takes to be successful, as well as allowed us to define “success” for ourselves. When friends and fellow musicians talk about how exhausted they are by touring, it lets us appreciate our ability to set our own goals, and accomplish them at our own pace. The experience of recording Best Excuses was enhanced by our performance itinerary because we were able to test the songs in front of live audiences, and refine the sound based on their responses.

You guys said that “love” is the main subject which inspired you to write the songs of your album, why is that?

[John] Before Best Excuses, I had written and recorded quite a few songs that were deeply philosphical and even partly spiritual. I wanted to come back down to Earth, and connect with listeners through songs about real experiences and feelings they could relate to. I believe everyone can relate to love, either by how much it enriches their lives, or by the emptiness they feel without it, so there are numerous ways to talk about love that appear on the album.

What does “Best excuses” sound like?

[John] Compared to my early solo projects, I think Best Excuses sounds more radio-friendly, meaning that it might appeal to someone who wants to hear pop music more than my previous works did. That was a deliberate choice because it made sense to me that an album dealing so much with love should be pleasing to the ears, almost like a musical love letter.

Is there any particular city or venue you would like to play in?

[Leah] I think a multi-band music festival would be a fun venue because we’re excited to meet unique artists from diverse places. We feel energized by people who enjoy our music, which makes any city with an enthuiastic audience somehwere we’d like to play. We want to bring our music to anyone who enjoys it, so it really doesn’t matter where they are.

[John] Everywhere!

Which one is your favourite track to play and why?

[John] My favorite song from the album to play live is “Hi” because it gives Leah and me a lot to work with… tempo changes, dynamic rhythm, voice falsettos, emotional tides, lyrical exchanges.

[Leah] “Now Isn’t Soon Enough” is my favorite to play because the movement and changes in the rhythm present opportunities for me to be creative with percussion.

Which are your actual projects for the band and your future ones?

[John] My first three albums were never released on CD. This summer, I’ll be restoring and releasing selected tracks from those early solo projects. There are many songs yearlongday fans have heard live, but never as recorded in a studio, and just as many that haven’t been heard at all! I’m confident that album will be available by September. And, of course, I’m always writing new material for upcoming yearlongday albums!

Would you like to come and play in southamerica?

[John] Neither Leah nor I have been to South America yet, but we would embrace the opportunity to play there. I can only imagine the musical heritage that is available to experience in South America, and I am curious to discover how it would influence our next record. Who knows… we might find ourselves recording in South America!

And now.. I’ll give you a really argentine word, you’ll have to tell me what do you think this word means and form a phrase with it.

ex: “choripan” I like your hair it looks really choripan

so, the word is: “minga” (is not a bad word haha I promise)

[John] It sounds like something to eat. “Mr. Marlowe, would you like some minga on your chicken?”

[Leah] To me, it sounds like something you’d make with your hands. “The artist used only his hands, no brushes, in this beautiful minga painting”!