Melodic Monday Proudly Presents: Third Eye Drawings: an Interview with Sister Crayon

You're alone. There are no lights, no distractions. As you lay floating atop a bed of raven black water, its infinite darkness keeping you afloat, allow yourself to become lost. I want you to pry your third eye wide open and allow yourself to drift. Slowly, an unblinding sun climbs into your new sky and the hypnotic sounds of Sister Crayon rage forth.

The ground trembles beneath your feet as treacherous lightning bolt-like patterns shatter the soil. Erupting from deep inside the narrow wounds are gnarled, massive trees. The branches reach out with twisted, broken limbs as a neon green ivy wraps lovingly around the bark of the massive wooden soldiers, foliage of glowing Chrysanthemums and Tiger Lilly's light the way as the voice of Terra Lopez calls you deep into the forests of your mind.

Sister Crayon is the Sacramento-based quartet conjuring what I've often described to people as Haunted Trip-Hop. Infectious loops and deep grooves built from lilt piano keys and deep echoing drums lay the foundation for what is surely a visceral ride into an emotional bed time story of sound and fantasy. Together, the four members of Sister Crayon (Terra Lopez (Vocals/Ambient Arrangements), Dani Fernandez (Backing Tracks/Beats/Grooves), Jeffrey LaTour (Keys + Guitar), and Nicholas Suhr (Drums)) have been leveling clubs while bringing their unique and intense lullaby's to hungry ears in the Western part of the United States.


Recently, the band had taken the time out of their relentless touring schedule to answer a few questions that have been lurking within our brains here at NES Project:

NES Project: What is the significance or story behind your album being titled, Bellow?

Terra: Well, going into the studio we had no expectations or plans really to release the songs. We just went in there to record our ideas. They eventually developed into a full record and during the end of the process, everytime I would listen to the songs -this image of the word, this feeling of the word "Bellow" would pop into my head. It got to the point where I could not listen to the songs without attaching this title to them so when it came time to naming the record, it was pretty easy. There are so many emotions that I have attached to the songs and it's really all that I see when I hear them-this intense, silent building pain that echoes out on the album that when performed live-builds into this primal, overwhelming scream.

NES Project: I’m curious, the cover of your album depicts what looks like a solitary statue being assaulted by a crushing wave. Where was this photo taken and how did you decide this would be the image for your debut record?

Terra: We actually got the chance to work with an amazing photographer named Eliot Lee Hazel. His work is just brilliant and everything about him is completely fascinating so when we heard that we would be able to work with him for the album cover, we were thrilled. He took us to the ocean in Southern California and had us basically climb over these crazy rocks-all the while, these intense waves were coming every few minutes or so that would knock us down. We had no idea but we later learned that there was a tidal warning that day-no one was supposed to be even near the water. So, we had this really intense shoot (a few hours in the ocean)-I had fallen and cut my leg pretty badly-everyone was freezing. The shoot had a stoic, resilient type of mood (just because of the circumstances-we had these huge waves crashing down on us all the while we were told to not smile or let it affect us). The album cover is actually a photo of me that Eliot somehow was able to get literally half a second before the wave knocked me over. As soon as we all saw that photo, we immediately decided that would be the cover of the album. It's such a beautiful, stoic image that I feel completely represents a lot of the mood of the record.

NES Project: Is there any one track on the new album that holds more significance or personal weight for you than all the rest?

Terra: There is a track called "Ixchel, The Lady Rainbow" that we recorded really late one night-it was tracked live with just piano in one room and me singing in the other. It was late and we were all exhausted but the mood was there so we decided to attempt to record "Ixchel". We ended up recording the song in one full take and I guess (maybe it was out of just being tired or emotional or something else) but during that take-I started tearing up towards the end of the song. After we finished with the take-we all kind of were silent afterwards and I think everyone was emotional. I'll always remember that-recording that song and the overall sense of what just happened-it definitely set the mood for that song-something just hit us in that moment and whenever I listen to that song-I can hear that.

NES Project: As a band, how would you describe your song writing process? Do you all write the tracks together or do you present your individual ideas to one another and then try to piece them all together to make one beautiful puzzle?

Jeff: Generally, there is no specific formula. At any given time any one of us will have an idea and share it with one another, or we'll be together at our instruments and begin playing something spontaneously, which then, we all build upon together. Or sometimes Terra and myself will send each other ideas back and forth that are more or less bedroom recordings that are eventually fashioned into songs or pieces. Its easy to say that everyone contributes equally and that every part, piece or sound is vital to the overall sound. There is an ultimate freedom in this that I personally am very much in love with.

NES Project: I’ve listened to your album countless times and find it to be extremely visual. Is there a special place you go inside your mind’s eye to create such a sense atmosphere with your music?

Terra: Music has always been extremely visual for me-I see a lot of color and shapes in music so when creating music-it can be very visual for me. Sometimes it can be overwhelming but for the most part-it can be inspiring and very helpful. I think that when we create music, it's really more so about the mood of the song more so than anything else. I know that for me-whether it's a bass line that I fall for or a melody or possibly even a row of words-I usually have to have something immediately strike me in order to write. I don't know-I'm not very good at explaining this but it's something that happens very organically and it's something that is very visual almost all of the time.

NES Project: Do you have any unreleased material that never made it to the final cut of the album? Were there any songs that were too personal to be shared?

Terra: We have a few songs that we have recorded that did not make it on "Bellow"-just for several reasons. I think that we have recorded a lot of ideas that may turn up on the next record. I don't think that any songs can be too personal-I think I'm just now "tapping" into more personal songwriting...at least I hope so. I think that the songs that we are currently writing are the most personal so far. I guess, we will see.

NES Project: Terra, I see that you are in charge of many of the effects while also singing, how difficult is it for you to orient yourself while playing live, or do you just kind of flip the auto-pilot switch?

Terra: It's all just become the motions of singing, I guess. Every part of every song has a rhythm and a pattern that has developed over the endless amount of times that we have played the songs. I don't really know how to explain it but I see the pockets and grooves of the songs and sort of have created the patterns for using the effects, samples, and loops for the songs-they just go hand in hand with singing it I guess.

NES Project: How do you relax before a show? Any pre-performance rituals?

Terra: I've gotten into the ritual of going into the back of our van, lying down, and listening to two songs in particular -every time before a show: Jeff Buckley's "Mama, You've Been On My Mind" and Maria Callas' "Vissi D'Arte". I just like to hang out and listen to those songs before we play.

NES Project: Your contribution to We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie was pretty amazing. How did you come about being included on that project?

Terra: It was actually a very last minute project. The owner of the label that we are on (Paul Beahan from Manimal Vinyl Records) called us up and asked if we would like to contribute. We, of course, wanted to but we only had like a few days to learn the song and then record it so it was a bit stressful but we learned a lot from the experience and are just grateful to have been a part of the album. David Bowie is such an amazing artist so we are just happy to have been able to contribute and to be along side such beautiful artists who are also on the record.

Synesthesia, is a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color. If you were to shut your eyes and visualize your music as colors, which do you think you’d see?

Terra: Woah, did you know that I have that or is this just a random question? That is really weird. I was diagnosed with Synesthesia when I was a kid but never truly understood what it meant or was until just a few years ago. I just thought everyone saw colors when music was played or when numbers were present. I've always seen our music in colors-every song a different color-sometimes every note a different color (just depends on the register, I guess). That is how I know whether or not I can truly get "into" a song-when writing-whether or not I see a color (s). Every song on the record has a color (s)-some songs are entirely known to me as one specific color-some songs only have certain parts that produce that for me. I don't know why-but it's something that can be so overwhelming live. I sing most of the time with my eyes closed because of it.

NES Project: If you were afforded the opportunity to work with any one musician/band/artist, whom would you choose and in what capacity would you want them involved in your creative process?

Jeff: This is an answer that could easily change from day to day... Most recently I've been listening to Michael Andrews' music and have grown fond of his subtle, but effectual style. I have a new appreciation for simplicity in arrangements in music; having the control to create something moving without a vast array of instruments or parts is definitely a skill not many possess. If given the chance to collaborate with him, I think I'd more than likely let him lead the way, perhaps building a foundation for a piece. Only after would I see what I could add and go from there. What an experience it would be!

Terra: Dead or living? That changes the entire spectrum right there. Can I cheat and give you two answers? Dead: Jeff Buckley, without a doubt. I would love to have been able to create with him on any level, really. Such a powerful and passionate voice. Living: I would have to say Bjork because she is such an innovative human being. I would love to just sit in the studio with her for one day and see how the process goes.

NES Project: We here at Nes_Project are in love with the printed word and are inspired by artists of all genres. When you have the time, who do you enjoy reading?

Jeff: I just got into a Salinger binge, but my constant has always been Mr. Charles Bukowski.

Terra: My favorite author is Fernando Pessoa. His writing is heartbreaking. I also love Jean Genet, Jack Kerouac, James Baldwin, E. E. Cummings, Rainer Maria Rilke, etc.

NES Project: Do you perhaps have a favorite bedtime story, fairy tale, or campfire tale from your childhood that still resonates with you to this very day?

Jeff: I suppose there are many, but for nostalgia's sake, I'd say any or all the Peanuts series.

NES Project: Touring for your album is obviously the priority right now, but where do you see yourselves going after you’ve left all these cities weak in the knees? Will you jump right into more writing or maybe take a little time off to spend with family and friends while preparing for your next adventure?

Terra: I think our biggest goal is just to tour as much as we can so that we can reach as many people as we can. We still have to do a full U.S. tour as well as travel overseas so we want to try to make that happen as soon as possible. In the mean time, during any kind of downtime, we are always either writing or recording in the studio. We just like to stay busy and productive. I feel like we have only begun tapping into this whole music thing together-we still have a lot of ideas and songs to share. I'm really excited about all of this.

Bellow

With plans that involve a lot more touring, it is only a matter of time before we get word that Sister Crayon will be bringing the good vibes out further into the US and then on to other parts of the world. Already, the band is playing to sold out crowds and having to constantly repress their debut album to hand off to eager listeners. Terra's otherworldly vocals, coupled with the bands atmospheric hallucination-inducing soundscapes, takes the echoes of artists that have come before them and spins them all into a beautiful web of tribute while still retaining so much that is their own unique mark on the genre. I fail to see where we could go wrong by showing them nothing but support, marching forward into those neon forests right alongside them, ready and willing to be overcome by the sights and sounds.





Sister Crayon are on Tour

August 4, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA
Exchange LA - Paper Ships LA
w/ Blackbird Blackbird, Jenny O, & Paper Cranes
21+, $12, Tix

August 12, 2011 - Visalia, CA
The Cellar Door
w/ !!! + White Arrows
21+, $10

August 23, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ
Rhythm Room
w/ El Ten Eleven
All Ages, $10/12

August 24, 2011 - Las Vegas, NV
Beauty Bar
w/ El Ten Eleven
21+, $5

August 25, 2011 - Santa Barbara, CA
Velvet Jones
w/ El Ten Eleven
21+, $8/10

August 27, 2011 - San Diego, CA
Casbah
w/ El Ten Eleven
21+, $12/14

To learn more about Sister Crayon as well as listen to and purchase their music, head on over to the following links:

http://www.sistercrayon.com/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sister-crayon/id345762239
http://twitter.com/SisterCrayon
http://www.myspace.com/sistercrayon
Band photo by Chelsea Wolfe