Blood makes noise

How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
I love talking about this because I think it's a story of learning your own agency. I have been leading a band for as long as I can remember, and I loved collaborating with my super talented friends. But there was a period of time when I really believed the only thing that was making my project listenable was the talented people in the band. And I would be devastated when said people would be busy with other projects and I wasn't able to play because I didn't think I could be enough solo. I was working a day job just so that I could play whatever music I wanted whenever I wanted, and at some point when a rehearsal was cancelled for the third time I realized I needed to learn how to become enough for myself so that I wasn't depending only on other people for something that gave me so much joy. So in 2016 I wrote and recorded an EP. I practiced guitar and I practiced making decisions and I realized I savored taking my time and coming up with new arrangements. I chose a version of my last name for this project because I wanted it to be a reflection of the fact that this was just me being me. And honestly Jeni Magaña is just a lot for people to spell. I still collaborate with super talented friends by the way! But I think that journey was really important for me to realize I can come to the table as an equal and we can have fun together, rather than leaning on other people because you think you're lacking in some way. 

Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I first got into music by learning to play it. My mom plays piano, so there was one at our house. I couldn't get over the fact that there was this machine that could make all sorts of beautiful sounds just sitting casually in our living room. One of the first things I wanted to learn to play was the warm up that she used to start with. I was mesmerized. And then at school in 4th grade they said we could choose an instrument and learn it and I was so stoked. I chose clarinet because my sister owned one and we couldn't afford to rent an instrument. And I love the clarinet so much to this day, but honestly it probably could have been anything. I just wanted to learn how to turn emotions into melodies. In middle school I learned upright bass, mostly because that was the thing they needed in orchestra so they were willing to loan me one and teach me how to play it. And my first projects were playing bass in bands. 

I ended up going to school for upright bass and that's where I started taking bands and songwriters seriously. My first project there was with an artist named Will Knox, then Annie and the Beekeepers. That sort of launched my bass playing career, and also gave me some inspiration to figure out what my solo project should be. I don't know that I have a full grasp on that yet, I think my solo project is sort of a living entity and is changing to fit what I need at the time. But I'm happy to be documenting the journey.

First concert that you ever went to? 
The first concert I remember was at the county fair. I'm from Bakersfield, and we love the fair in Bakersfield. I saw a lot of music there, but the first thing I can remember is Weird Al. That totally launched my Weird Al fandom. When I was old enough to go to shows without my parents, I started going to the local venues and seeing whomever was playing. I very specifically remember freaking out because Yellowcard played a friend's birthday party or something. 

What's your writing process like?
There's a lot of flexibility there. I started writing songs on guitar, so mostly that is what I did for a long time. Melody/vague lyrics and chordal structure sort of happen at the same time. What I have found with my new record is that writing to something other than guitar can actually be really fun and freeing. And that sometimes recording demos as I'm writing so that I can move things around or mute or retrack something can be a really efficient way to tweak something. Most of "Teeth" was basically my writing demo that I added to. As a result the sessions are called weird things like "dark jam" or "ambient 2" or "piano track." It drove my husband insane when he tried to organize everything to start mixing. 

What other artists or songs inspire your music? 
 

For my playlist I've mixed in people I know and artists that I am simply a fan of. I want to talk about that decision. Partially it's because I happen to know extremely talented and inspiring musicians, so I was just adding people that inspired me. But also it's sometimes easier to be encouraged by someone that you know. There is a front seat view to how similar our emotions and experiences can be. So those are the people I'll mention. 

So, without further ado: 

Katie Von Schleicher is a friend of mine. Her and I were on tour together when she was working on Consummation and I loved hearing about her thoughts on production, and I think the finished product is stunning.

Cassette Spence has been a longtime friend and musical hero of mine. Her lyrics are always clever but to the point. She paints a picture, rather than tell you how to feel. Also, for her solo project she just kind of does these interesting lofi recordings, which made me realize maybe the recordings of myself I was making were actually enough.

Fraser Campbell is a composer and we've also been friends since college. He helped me with a lot of my wind ideas for my last record. At some point he started putting out these Haar and Curio records, piano and winds and other things. I listen to them all the time and it really inspires me in how I treat my wind parts. You'll hear some of the strings and winds are more orchestrated on my new record, and I draw a lot of inspiration from him. 

Lady Lamb is on the list, too. I played for her and it was such a pleasure to learn her songs. They have a structure so outside of the four walls I had been writing in. I especially love the song Little Flaws, and how the vocal and bass interact. I was inspired by her production and also the frankness in her lyrics and the passion of her vocals. She's the best. 

What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?

I am really inspired by people like my friend Cassette (see above list of artists that inspire me) because she basically takes her songs and rebuilds them based on what she'll be playing at her set. I was very afraid to do that back when I thought that my songs wouldn't hold up by themselves. But now I kind of see that as irrelevant. I like the idea that a song could be re-worked into a near-faithful version of the recording, or sax trio, or solo guitar. I'm working on building a little synth/drum machine version of the set right now that I think could be refreshing. 

Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? Worst shows?

I have mostly toured solo, although I did a couple one-off type things with my band and it was awesome. Touring at any level is full of challenges, but is also so rewarding. I know for a fact that I have had very bad shows or experiences in a town, but I can't pull a single one of those from my memory right now. I think that's what touring does; it's like a drug that keeps you addicted because you can only remember how much fun you had. I have fondness for the tour I did in California while I was still living in Brooklyn. I played a house show in Bakersfield that a friend had helped me set up, and it started out as a minor disaster. My train was delayed and my phone was dead so I couldn't let them know that I was running very late. I ended up begging some grumpy lady on the train to use her charger and she said no but eventually she let me sit in front of her while she held onto the charger and watched me warily. I got enough charge to text my mom (who was also my ride) about it before she told me to leave. I didn't know the people that were organizing the show and I'm sure they thought I was a total jerk. But when I finally made it there and they realized I was not mean but just very unorganized they were so warm and lovely. I played my set and it felt like magic. And after I felt like I had made a living room full of instant best friends. That's the promise touring holds. I think that's why I forget about the sort of weird shows where I don't play well and no one is there and I lost a ton of money getting there in the first place. 

What's up next for the band? 

More exploring! I am working on a record of ambient and spooky spoken word stuff. Hoping to meld the music together for live shows in a way that makes the unstructured portion more approachable and adds interest to the more classic songwriting that is present in some of the set. I'm forever exploring what the live setup could be, but I hope that translates into me actually booking shows for a tour this summer.