Mackin Carroll - Sound In The Signals Interview
First, thanks for the interview!
Of course! Thank you ~
Can you tell us a bit about your background and your music for those who may be unfamiliar?
Hey! Hi. Hello. My name is Mackin. I’m twenty years old and I make music in my apartment in Los Angeles, CA. I used to make it in my bedroom in Huntington Beach, CA and various garages across Orange County. I write music songs on my acoustic guitar. It’s folk, but the “sit and your room and think about stuff” kind of folk. I also play in a pretty noisy rock band called The Nova Darlings.
You released your EP, Damascus on May 13th. You've said, "Writing these songs was more challenging than other stuff I've done. The songs are personal in a way I hadn't really explored yet. I didn't plan on sharing them at first. I thought they were too specific to my experience or too revealing or strange. But after playing them for friends and eventually at shows, people seemed to respond in a way they hadn't before". What were those first times like when you played those songs and how does it feel now that you're getting more comfortable with it?
It’s really rewarding stuff to play live. More emotional risk usually yields more emotional reward. I feel like I’ve put an honest self into this EP, and that’s always the best stuff to play. Because people can smell a veil pretty quickly. When you put yourself out there, you get burned from time to time, but for the most part you allow people to let their guard down, too - and that takes you to some really cool places. And these songs allow to me get those places more easily. I spent a lot of time in high school affecting a lot of soul to my voice and character to my writing. This new stuff feels like a step towards who I actually am, which is an ambiguous, unreachable, moving target.
You've also said, "So these songs are for better or for worse who I am. I intentionally tried to include more sides of my humanity than just the obvious ones. And that lead to writing these songs about death, anxiety, parenting, self-worth, etc.". I think that's one thing that I find appealing about the songs. They do seem familiar and relatable. Does it help you to write about these things and how do you hope it reaches your audience?
I have to write from a personal place. Writing is the way I process and make sense of the world. These are the things I experience and think and feel on a daily basis. All I hope is that people see it’s just me, as direct as I can make it.
I understand that you recorded the guitar and vocals at the same time. I agree that it does provide a rawness and an intimate feeling to the EP. You recorded at New Monkey Studios in Los Angeles, CA, which was Elliott Smith's private studio when he was there. You said the studio calmed you and brought out an honest performance. Can you describe what an average day of recording was like for you? How did you get in the right head space before starting the recording?
We actually did the whole thing in a day. It was just me, the producer, and the engineer. We did the guitar and vocal first. Grabbed some Mexican food. Then came and did the overdubs (BGV’s, keys, electric guitar). The engineer, Gregg, had this amazing coffee that we were drinking. I just tried to get out of my head as much as possible. The studio had such a presence. I really just tried to tune into it. Being around other people is helpful for me when recording. I tend to be pretty neurotic and self-destructive, so having level headed dudes nearby is a life-saver. I did each song six or seven times all the way through. It was an interesting process of really finding the songs, even though they’d already been written. Sometimes I’d do a take where I’d be adding all this melodrama and totally overdoing it. But doing them all in a row and getting great feedback from my producer, Alex Pachino, was really grounding. We’d hone in on each one and try to get it as honest as possible, without affectation. I was in the room by myself. And there were times where I’d take a full minute or two of silence while we were rolling to center myself. That, or I’d put down my guitar, pace the room, and try to imagine Elliott Smith doing the same thing. That made it feel important. Doing it as a means of connecting with him, or something. Or rather connecting to myself in honor of the way he was connect with himself so honestly.
You've said your favorite song off the EP is "Cigarettes & Fatherhood" and described it as "sort of me wrestling my anxiety and outcast-ness in real time through two relationships – one to hypothetical habit, and one to a hypothetical daughter". I really like this song, as well. What sort of role does music play in breaking free from anxiety and in your life, in general?
I’m glad you dig it, man. Music allows me to take the monkey off my back for a second. Putting it out there, finding the poetry in whatever it is that’s been happening in my life, it gives you relief from it. It gives you some agency in the crazy entropic cosmic madness that is the multiverse. I get the last laugh instead of the Devil for a second by putting a frame around him. Also, it forces you to challenge your beliefs. Helps me discover myself, which can be terrifying. Ultimately, it allows me to connect with people, which ultimately makes me feel less alone, and I hope some people feel that way listening to it, too.
Truthfully, I also enjoy "Sleepwalking" and "Ashes On The Bridge", as well. You recorded a video for "Sleepwalking" that is very unique and true to the song. We could all learn to give ourselves a break sometimes. What inspired the video? Will we see more soon?
The shark suit was something I bought at Target as a joke one day. But I found it really comforting and fun to wear around my apartment. When it came time to shoot the video, since my budget was $0, I wanted it to feel pretty DIY and personal. And that shark costume is something I actually wear, so it felt right for the video. Parading around in public and reconciling all the stares and comments I was getting was the way I felt best represented me trying to come to terms with myself internally. And the shark guy is trying to do all this human things: “I should be eating vegetables, I should be on this ferris wheel, etc.” And by the end he realizes he’s gotta let himself be himself, and that for him is returning to ocean. And that for me is trying to be less self-critical and trying to be more kind to myself. That and we just tried to have some fun while making it. And I tried to let my silliness and sentimentality bleed into it as much as possible, because that’s what the song tries to do as well.
In addition to releasing music as Mackin Carroll, you front The Nova Darlings. You just finished your "The Mackin Has No Friends Tour" after releasing the EP. Will we see more upcoming dates? What's next and when can we expect more music?
I actually had to postpone the tour! I’ll be leaving next week as a matter of fact! July 5th-23rd, 2016. All the dates and stuff are on my website for those who are curious. As far as what’s next, more songs. More shows. More Nova, for sure, too. But I’m just barely getting to into this thing, so I’ll only be diving deeper in years to come. Trying to finish up school and stuff. And trying to learn how to be a human (?). I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks for the interview! Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Yes! I have a podcast called Happy Sad Talk Thing where I have cool conversations with cool people. It’s free and on iTunes and it would be very cool if y’all could check it out :)
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-L.Burden
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