An interview with ourselves…
HD: UpToHear was born when grief prevented me from finding joy in creating music. As an English teacher, the initial goal was to have my students review tracks for extra credit. But then I started to obsess over it and almost immediately fell in love with the bond that is sometimes forged between blogger and artist– not to mention the fantastic distraction that both music and writing provide; with the tremendous help of John Michie, it is something I look forward to every day. Submissions are rather slow around the holidays, so we thought we would interview each other.
What’s the best thing about writing for an indie music blog?
John Michie: Discovering decent music every day and contributing back to the wider music community. It is a gratifying experience. In an industry where some blogs prioritise money and resort to copying and pasting canned sentences, we are striving to stand out by offering a unique service. I like to think that we are a rarity in that we give a concise analysis of what happens in the song and distill what is great about it… and hopefully a reader will then go and buy that piece of art.
How do you decide which submissions to write about?
HD: I’m kind of a jerk when it comes to artist photos, but most of our traffic comes from social media, so eye-catching images are a big chunk of the entire process. There’s nothing worse than a good song with a terrible press pic– or no pic at all. But, more importantly, the music has to resonate with me. As I said, grief led me to this, so I really vibe with the human experience and emotion, namely melancholic tones; therefore, I am drawn toward a raw and gritty vocal performance that is both honest and authentic, void of autotune– I like to feel as though I’m in the same room, watching the artists pour themselves into a microphone.
What are your major turnoffs in a song submission?
John Michie: Poor mixing, in all its manifestations, is just unacceptable to me. I have been there as an artist with my bad mixes so I know the labour it takes to improve. But… whether it’s excessive sibilance, clicks, plosives, pops, or unbalanced elements… with time and learning, there is a plethora of budget-friendly plugins and tools to help solve these issues. Even if budget constraints limit access to these tools, good old ear rest can do a lot before uploading your master. I do get that music is art but there is a balance that needs to be struck with presentation. The song, at the end of the day, has to be competitive and not stick out as bad when being played against its peers. I also appreciate songs with contrasts and layers. I want songs that have the feel of being constructed with care and thought.
HD: Oh, man… excessive sibilance/ high end saturation has been the death of many submissions. I love lo-fi and intimate recordings, though, so the occasional mouth noise is just evidence that it was made by an actual human being. That said, if a track is being presented as radio-ready, it should, of course, be edited with a fine-tooth comb.
Other than that, what do you feel is the greatest issue with many modern mixes?
John Michie: A reluctance to include backing vocal layers. Some genres are worse than others when it comes to mixing and balances. Shoegaze is a genre I love, whether it is early Verve or Ride. Some submissions, though, can lack clarity around the low end due to lack of EQ on reverb. The distortion can also often be a little too aggressive.
HD: I completely agree with adding layers of vocals, especially in a stripped-back folk arrangement. They are oftentimes the determining factor in whether or not I write a few paragraphs about a tune.
Can you name two or three of your favorite artist discoveries since the blog’s inception?
John Michie: I lean towards the vintage psychedelic end of music. I have loved finding artists like Cooper Wolken, Meltt, Dog Park, and Cereus Bright. I am generalising, but, for me, these musicians stand out by deviating from contemporary psych music that relies on the same hook for three minutes, synths, no guitar or bridge or key changes.
HD: That was a tough question and I apologize. To make it fair, I’ve enjoyed discovering music that is way outside of my personal tastes. For example, Moxy the Band completely changed my opinion on synthpop and, from start to finish, their record, Dream Feeling, is simply fantastic. It’s really difficult not to feel like I’m overlooking thousands of great artists, but Francisco Sola, Hazlett, and Bad Flamingo have been a few of my favorite finds since UpToHear’s inception, each for different reasons, and each being featured multiple times. There are truly so many great indie artists out there that I wish there was room to list them all. But it wasn’t until we started the blog that I realized I was a Phoebe Bridgers fan, when really good submissions kept mentioning her as inspiration.
Has your taste evolved since beginning the blog?
John Michie: While my preferences may have grown pickier, simply due to the number of tracks I am now exposed to, I still believe that a good song is a good song. If it is good, I’m willing to write about it. But my musical tastes have also expanded. I now will consider genres I wouldn’t have listened to before I started this; my tastes have matured.
What advice would you give to someone crazy enough to start their own music blog?
HD: It’s more work than I thought it would be and trying to avoid the overuse of certain words to describe music is likely going to end with me being committed to a mental health facility. But the rewards far outweigh the negatives; I have learned to look at my own music with more scrutiny and the relationships you build with certain artists are completely priceless. In short, my advice would be to dive right in.
From both of us at UpToHear, we sincerely thank you for all the music and look forward to hearing what you create in 2024.
Cheers