In Conversation: Sam Tudor
In Conversation: Sam Tudor
Krystle McGrath
Sam Tudor released his second album entitled Two Half Words in the beginning of May. This album is beautifully and thoughtfully crafted, and begs to be listened to from the very first song. We have thoroughly enjoyed the album here at the Cups N Cakes Network, having named it a “Pick Of The Week” upon its release. I recently got the opportunity to interview Sam over a video call, and it was by far one of the most enjoyable experiences of this whole year. Speaking with Sam was like speaking to an old friend, and being able to pick his brain about his newest album, and just his opinion on music production in general, was inspiring, intriguing, and fun. I wanted to get to know the man behind the masterpiece, and some details of the process, and I was not disappointed. After some small technical difficulties and discussion on the similarities between Calgary and Vancouver’s weather, we were able to enjoy a lovely chat.
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Krystle McGrath: So, I love the fact that you have created this mosaic of musical talent. Um, did you always know you wanted it to be a collaborative project, or did it happen along the way?
Sam Tudor: Um, I would say that it happened along the way. I still write all the songs myself, and the process of writing and creating the songs is sort of like a process of being alone, like of isolation. But, I’m not that great of a technical musician, and so in Toronto where I was living when I made most of this album, I was surrounded by many talented musicians, who are my friends, and so it only made sense to have them on the album. ‘Cuz they all brought so much to it, and they all have such unique ways of playing. So, when I write the songs, it’s kind of quite an isolated experience, so I feel like when I record them with lots of other people, it’s sort of like an antithesis to that, or a countermeasure to that, to balance it out. It’s like half the album process is kind of lonely, and then the other half is like full of friends. And that part is kind of intentional because I like to balance it out, to not just be only in your head, and also to not just be only surrounded by people. I think having both is important. So, I guess I changed my answer; it was intentional. But the main reason was because they all bring something to the album that I could never bring myself. But I think that’s one of the best parts about community.
KM: Um, I’m really curious, like how did you get into music? Were you brought up in that lifestyle or was it a branch of your own?
ST: Um, it was mostly a branch of my own I would say. Um, I was almost interested in recording before I was interested in music, if that makes sense. Like, I actually was in high school and was kind of at a loose end and um, the band room in high school had GarageBand on it, and, shout out to my teacher Mr. Morton who is now my friend, Brent Morton, he helped facilitate and let me just record music on GarageBand and like, I was very interested, I was very stoked on GarageBand, before I even like knew how to play instruments. Like, I was stoked on creating soundscapes and whirls of sound. So, I almost learned instruments afterwards, to be able to record something, you know? ’Cuz I loved GarageBand. Like, I feel like I’m a classic, like, millennial, whatever I am, musician, because the technology came first, and that facilitated the creative process. I was very excited about GarageBand and needed something to record, so then I learned guitar and piano and such.
KM: Well, I guess you kind of answered this too but kind of related to that, I was gonna say, what is your writing process? Do you typically write the lyrics first or the music?
ST: It’s really changed for me. Like, I think that’s almost the biggest difference between this album and the last album. The last album was lyrics first, and this album was um, mostly instruments and tones first. ‘Cuz I thought like, I think on this album I was like trying to capture a feeling, like, each song I’m trying to capture an atmosphere, rather than tell any specific story or something. Like you know, I know some songwriters, they use their lyrics to tell a story and then they add the instruments, based on what that story is, to make it all fit. And I did it, I feel like I did it the other way. Like I had a feeling, like say for example, I was biking around Toronto and feeling really sad. I would go home and try and figure out what that sounds like, just without lyrics, with synths and instruments and stuff. And then, I would do the lyrics at the end. And that’s new for me; I’ve never done it that way before. But uh, so yeah, this time, it was lyrics second, and it’s actually very hard to do it that way because if you like come up with a melody, and then you fit, try and fit the lyrics, fit your lyrics into the melody, like, it’s worrying. Because then, is the meaning of what you’re trying to say constricted by just forcing it to fit into this melody? You know?
KM: I find it so inspiring that you self produced this album. Um, if you could give a tip, it doesn’t have to be your top tip, but a tip to any artists out there who are interested in self- producing, what would it be?
ST: Oh, that’s such a great question. Like with GarageBand, like I still use GarageBand sometimes, and I feel like, yeah, I think my biggest production tip is that you can just do it! Like it’s so easy now, and affordable, to like... you can get an interface for like $150 bucks or whatever. And I think a lot of people still have ideas for songs and for recordings, and they just think like, “oh you know, there’s a barrier to entry. I need to sort out all this stuff,” and I do feel like the time of nice studios is ending, and I feel like we don’t… like, if anyone asks me, like, should they go into a studio or just do it at home, I would say just do it at home. Okay wait, I’m losing my train of thought… okay, I think my overall production tip is just to not get tricked into thinking it’s too hard. Because, you might read some magazines or some online websites with all this like outboard gear, like “oh these like plugins and all these things” and it seems intense. And those things are very fun, but I just think like it’s, just because you spend $100,000 in a studio on your album, does not at all mean it’ll be better. You know? Like, um, so that’s my corny answer, is like just do it and don’t worry about the technology. Just use whatever is easiest. That’s my advice, but then my… like some of my favourite records sound kind of bad, but they’re like, because they were recorded at home, they’re very personal to the people, and that means more to me. Uh, and then my like nerdy answer would be, don’t use too much reverb (laughs). Or I don’t know; I don’t have one for that. Yeah, my opinion is that the fact that we can all do it so easily now is really exciting, because it means that everyone can create albums that sound like their own personal, physical environment. Like before, like everyone’s albums sounded like the studio they went to, but now everyone’s studio is like their home. So when you listen to an album you like, if you listen to a home-recorded album, you hear part of people’s home. And I think that’s more important than going to a studio. But then I also have nerdy stuff, like get the C4-14, that’s the best condenser microphone. So yeah, okay.
KM: Um, I have to mention this because I was super excited about it! I visited the link to your interactive experience of the release, with every song having its own door, and I just want to know, like, what inspired it? How did you think of doing something so unique?
ST: Yeah, we released it like two weeks before the album came out, and like, I know it’s hard to navigate but we were kind of thinking like, if its hard to navigate that’s almost good because it’ll take, like, the idea is like if people really want to hear the whole album before the release date, they would have to navigate the labyrinth. During COVID, I started; I do sound design and composing for films and some video games and stuff. And I, during COVID, I started joining these things called “Game Jams” online, which is like, where a bunch of video game creators get together and try and make a video game in a week. And it’s really fun, it was a great COVID activity, and I made a lot of online friends from making video games. Uh, and also, I was thinking a lot about how strange it is to release an album during COVID. Because there’s no physicality to it, and you can’t have a show, and you can’t have like, like even playing Zoom live shows and, and putting out singles and music videos, it always feels a little bit flat, because you’re just interacting with people through a computer screen, and it’s not very fulfilling, for me at least. So, um, A) I’m into video games and B) I thought that this would be a way to release an album during COVID that adds like, a level of dimensionality, like, people could feel like they’re moving around in a space, um, in a way that like, I don’t know, gives them a bit of control and autonomy, and that sort of thing. Um, yeah, I guess it was mainly just like, I love video games and also, I wanted to think of a way to show, like put out this album, that wasn’t just like – post it on Spotify. Uh, and I like that people can like be, like each room is decorated differently with things from our lives, and photos, so like people can literally be in the music. And I was like, “maybe this is a way to connect with people, um, and give them a sense of who we are”, which normally, that would just happen at a show, because they see us and they’d see our faces. But so, I was hoping this could do that, in lieu of having an actual show. Yeah, so it came out two weeks before the actual album so it’s just like a very difficult advanced stream (laughs). But it, it’s funny, like even though the album is out now, I’ve still been kind of posting about it because I’m like this is still relevant, even though the album is out. Because people can still go in and see photos associated with the songs and stuff, so I hope people still check it out, um, even though the album is actually out now too. You know?
KM: Kind of on that same vein I guess, since we’re all a little more distanced now, um, and we’re finding it harder to keep in touch with friends and stuff. When you are getting in touch with people, do you prefer calling, or texting, or video chatting? What’s kind of been your go to?
ST: Well, I have anxiety. So, calls stress me out (laughs). Um, especially unannounced calls, even from people I love! Um, so I’m definitely, and also another thing is like, I tend to worry a lot about saying what I mean. Like as you can probably tell, like I overthink, I want to make sure that I don’t say anything that I don’t mean. So email and text is really good for me, because I can have time to consider my responses all the time for people. Whereas, on the phone, like, I’ll tend to overpromise and agree to things that I normally wouldn’t agree to, for the sake of, like, having a peaceful conversation. Where I feel like in email and text, I am better at having boundaries and knowing and saying what I mean. So, even though it’s nice to talk to people in person, I will say text and email. Like Zoom hangs during COVID haven’t really been for me. We did play some Zoom shows that I really enjoyed, like they were really fun, and it was cool seeing everyone in the chat, like, you know that’s cool, but I kind of just tend to say “yes” to everything if I’m in front of someone face to face, or like if I’m talking to them on the phone. So by doing email and text, it helps me not get into things, not get committed to things that I wouldn’t, that I don’t actually want to do.
KM: I guess kind of related, but not, do you find it harder now, like with COVID, with being more isolated, to be creative, or do you find yourself like diving deeper into the process?
ST: Hmm, um, well this album was actually done before COVID. So this album doesn’t apply, but um, I found that I’m still… I’ve been able to be creative, but in very, I’m interested in very different creative things. Like, I haven’t written that many songs during COVID, but I have done a lot of instrumental learning. I don’t know what this means, but I feel like, during COVID, lyrically I’m not creative at all, I haven’t really written anything. But I, I’ve been playing a lot of like, buying a lot of synth plugins on the internet, and listening to a lot of ambient music, and trying to create ambient tracks and stuff. So I think I’m still the same amount of creative, to answer your question, but it’s very, it’s in a very different way, I feel like there’s some, I’m only just realizing this as I’m saying it, but like, I wonder why it’s like… I’m less interested in lyrics during COVID, and more sound. And I feel like… I have some friends of mine during COVID that have been a lot more into ambient music than ever, maybe it’s like, something to do with being in our homes all the time, and there’s so much, we’re on social media so much, where there’s so much language and words and text that maybe dealing with just like instrumental music is an antidote to that.
KM: So, do you, I guess this is kind of my last question but do you have a favourite song off of Two Half Words?
ST: Hmmm, (pause) Well, (pause), I think my favourite right now is the last song, “You’re A Winner Today,” um, because I don’t know, it represents me finishing the album (laughs). And I’ve just like, it was really hard for me to finish this album. And even though that song is somewhat simple, and I really enjoyed producing this whole album and recording all my friends playing on it and I really loved doing more rhythm stuff, and a lot of the other stuff is full of instruments, which I really like. But, “You’re A Winner Today” is like nice and, nice and peaceful, and it’s kind of like… it captures how I feel a lot of the time; like hopeful and completely unhopeful at the same time. I feel like maybe it’s the thesis of the album, but in like baby language, you know? Like the lyrics are the most plain of all the songs, but um, but yeah I don’t really have a favourite. Like, I think it changes all the time, and I’m also still pretty committed to the idea of an album, like I don’t really think of them; I think of it as like one thing. So, it’s kind of hard to pick a favourite, but, I would say that “You’re A Winner Today” is sort of a nice thesis. One of the, one of the funnest ones to make was “Hideaway,” the second track, just because my friend Ben plays the upright bass on it, and that song we finished during COVID, and so, I had the drum machine and all the clapping and stuff, and then it was fun to like send him the track and him play a bass line over it; and I was just happy with how the electronic elements, like there is synths in it, and like a drum machine, and I was pretty happy with how that sounded with the upright bass, like that was just fun.