Fanbase Magazine talks to A Modern Armada about the band and their new single ‘Annihilation’:
Enjoy the read!
Hi there, welcome to Fanbase Music Magazine. Can you tell us who or what is A Modern Armada?
Greetings! A Modern Armada is a solo project that I started back in 2011. I’ve put out two EPs, one full-length album, and several singles. I write and perform the music myself for the most part, hiring a studio drummer to record drums. I’d call it throwback rock harkening to the grunge era of music, with definitive punk overtones. Think Social Distortion or Bad Religion with hints of Screaming Trees and Dinosaur Jr.
How did you come up with that band name?
Growing up in Detroit in the 90s I was fortunate to get the Windsor-based tv station CBC. There was a weekly comedy sketch show called The Kids in the Hall, still one of my favorite shows ever. There was a recurring sketch about a rock band trying to make it, called The Armada, and I wanted to pay homage to that.
How would you describe your sound and genre?
Rock with punk overtones, with the real focus being on thoughtful lyrics and multi-part harmonies.
What bands and musicians influenced you as a teen, and do you feel those influences have crept into your own project?
Absolutely, I think I wear my influences on my sleeve and I don’t think that’s a bad thing..! When I write I try to adhere to an early 90s sound, I love group vocals (like Rancid) and hooky choruses like Social Distortion. My vocal delivery is more akin to Dinosaur Jr and a more mellow version of early Silversun Pickups. Sometimes I’ll write a riff and step back and say, “Oh wow that’s totally (insert 90s band here)!” and do a little dance of gratitude.
Let’s talk about your new track, “Annihilation.” What is the song about, and what was the inspiration behind the song?
Several years ago my brother, who was a bassist in a band with me back in college, sent me a video clip of him playing several bass riffs that he had written. I took two of them, wrote some chord changes around them, and the end result was this song. The lyrics took shape quickly afterwards, based on frustration and indignation of the current state of things and life in general the past five years.
Who worked on the track, and where was it recorded?
It was recorded at Mad Oak Studios in Cambridge MA; mixed with additional recording at Pearl Sound Studios in the Detroit area in MI. Drums were hired out, I performed everything else myself.
What was the process like for the recording, and how long did it take to record?
As with most of my recordings, I record a skeleton of parts at home, then bring to a studio to build around, adding and deleting parts as needed. Music first, then right after a melody; lyrics in turn take the longest and must fit the melody and rhythm of what’s already set. I’m super nitpicky about lyrics and am prone to writer’s block a bit so while I’ve written a full song in a day or two, it has also taken me 5 or six years to fully finish the lyrics. Once the melody and rhythm were sort of set for Annihilation, I remember the lyrics coming pretty quickly.
Will you be releasing any new music soon?
I’m focusing on the vinyl release for this album which I anticipate happening in the Fall of this year. I’ve currently written a handful of songs (music only, lyrics to come) but have no concrete plans to head back into the studio just yet.
What is your writing process, and how do you put a song together in terms of lyrics and music?
I’ll sort of noodle around on guitar until I get a chord progression or riff that sounds interesting, and then almost immediately try to get at least some sort of melody. Then I’ll put it on the shelf to ‘cure’ as I like to call it – can’t force the muse to come out, it comes when it’s ready. I’ve had songs on my figurative shelf for 10 years before I found the right words to do it justice. I have many filled journals of lyrics/poems/sentence fragments that I’ll look back on and if something fits the tone or rhythm then I steal it from myself and build around it… self-plagiarism in a way but it’s the only way that I know works for me.
Do you play Live?
My last show was several years ago at Webster Hall in NYC. After that show I thought I would be happy never playing live again but lately I’ve been getting the urge to get back on the stage… I think I’ll be trying to get a group together to do a record release show when the vinyl version of the new record comes out in a few months.
In your opinion, which bands and musicians should we be checking out?
I’ve really been getting into the band Sebadoh lately. Amazing songwriting and melodies. Lou Barlow is a criminally underrated songwriter. For something more eclectic, I like putting in either of the two albums by The Hu, it’s so different and out there but still has a universally good rhythm and memorable memories despite not speaking the language. For something newer, I’m on the bandwagon of Wet Leg, they are doing something pretty cool and different these days that a lot of current bands are not.
Thank you for doing this interview. Do you have any last messages for our readers?
A quote often attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche stands out to me:”Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Be true to your own self, don’t judge yourself by the opinions that others have of you, and remember that life is too short to be taken too seriously.
Follow A Modern Armada here:
www.instagram.com/amodernarmada
www.youtube.com/@amodernarmada
www.amodernarmada.bandcamp.com