Indie Artist of the Month – Billboard

The Album

Eye on the Bat, out July 14 on Polyvinyl

The Origin

In response to El Kempner, the origins of Palehound are fairly undefined. “I actually didn’t set up this undertaking in any f—king concrete manner, with any set of individuals, the place it was rooted in any respect,” Kempner, who has fronted Palehound since 2013 and recorded alongside Jay Som as Bachelor, tells Billboard. As a substitute, Kempner started writing songs after they attended school in Yonkers, N.Y. for 2 years earlier than shifting to Boston and establishing themselves within the native music scene.

Nonetheless, New York (the place Kempner lives now) has had probably the most influence on their sound. “I grew up in Connecticut taking the practice to [New York] metropolis rather a lot and seeing exhibits,” they are saying, pointing to labels like Exploding in Sound Data. “I began changing into obsessive about these bands that may play Shea Stadium and all these outdated DIY venues.” Although they grew up listening to acts like St. Vincent or Elliot Smith, these small bands constructing group in New York have been those that impressed Kempner to get onstage.

The Sound

Listening to Palehound appears like swapping tales with associates whereas sitting on the ground of a tiny house, with the added bonus of fuzzy guitar and Kempner’s ethereal vocals. The indie rock sound is deceptively easy: Eye on the Bat was recorded at co-producer Sam Evian’s dwelling studio outdoors of Woodstock, N.Y.

“As soon as we acquired [to Evian’s home], I used to be like, ‘This vibe is so chill’ and now I don’t need to file another manner,” says Kempner. “The consolation with that for me was impressed by engaged on the Bachelor file with Melina [Duterte] (aka Jay Som). We did a really related factor the place we took her gear to an Airbnb and simply did it there.

“There’s this concept that the development of a musician’s profession is like, you get greater and fancier and bougier,” they add. “However the inventive course of is so random and doesn’t comply with that path in any respect.”

The Report

Palehound was on the highway for a sold-out tour simply because the pandemic halted stay music, and its cancellation left them reconsidering their profession in music. The pause made Kempner mirror on how an viewers experiences the music and the way that has formed what they have been prepared to put in writing about. The concept of presumably by no means enjoying a present once more turned a liberating one, and the lyrics for Eye on the Bat have been, for the primary time, only for the artist.

The album kicks off with the comedic, confessional “Good Intercourse,” a couple of failed romantic encounter (“In your birthday final yr/ I secretly placed on a corset and hid it underneath a bathrobe to shock you”), and solely will get extra intimate from there. “It’s humorous as a result of now that I’m placing [the album] out, I’m like, ‘Rattling, I’m actually exhibiting my sh-t,’” Kempner jokes. “I wrote these songs once I wasn’t certain if anybody would hear them… The lyrics are positively far more blunt. Not a number of metaphor occurring on this one.”

Whereas Eye on the Bat by no means strays too removed from its indie rock origins, the album is untethered to style. “Independence Day” is an uncannily cheerful breakup monitor with an entrancing bass line, whereas the title monitor’s guitar has a rustic twang. Midway by means of the 30-minute undertaking, “U Need It U Received It” picks up the tempo — it wouldn’t really feel misplaced because the soundtrack to a online game — earlier than “Route 22” takes the listener again to that house ground for a guitar-driven love track.

“I needed it to sound like me enjoying probably the most real manner,” says Kempner. “It’s simply sort of emotionally heightened.”

The Breakthrough

Lead single “The Clutch” has garnered a number of consideration for the brand new album, which Kempner feels is an efficient signal. “’The Clutch’ is a track that I used to be happy with from the second I first demoed it. I’ve been ready three years to place that track out, as a result of the track is admittedly heavy in a manner that feels so good to play,” Kempner says. “I do really feel a distinction coming from the world in response to this music. It’s resonating with folks in a manner that I haven’t seen my music resonate earlier than.”

The Most Thrilling Factor In Music Proper Now

“The native exhibits in Brooklyn have been so thrilling. Simply to see this increase of native music communities. I believe that’s occurring in every single place in response to COVID, as a result of touring wasn’t occurring for some time. So native music communities actually got here again hitting once more.”

The Piece of Recommendation Each New Indie Artist Must Hear

“All the pieces I need to say is so f—king corny. Simply keep true to the craft you went into it with and the eagerness you went into it with as a result of it’s so simple to be influenced by going into a pleasant studio or compromising the unique imaginative and prescient. Being a musician weirdly feels aggressive typically, so simply write the songs that you simply need to write and don’t fear about what different individuals are gonna assume. It’s corny, but it surely’s true.”

The Studio Tools You Couldn’t Reside With out

“I really like guitar. I really like my Fender Strat. That’s my factor that I carry in every single place. I don’t carry a lot else.”

The Artist You Consider Deserves Extra Consideration

“There’s a band that I’ll sing their praises each single day till I die referred to as youbet. They’re f—king wonderful. I’ll do something to see them anytime they’re enjoying. They’re associates of mine and so they’re probably the most unbelievable folks. They’re musicians who’re big music nerds.”

The Factor That Must Change within the Music Business

“We have to receives a commission for streams. I don’t need to identify names, however come on. It’s loopy and file gross sales are exhausting. I really like the thought of streaming, I really like that I’ve entry to each track I might ever need for not a ton of cash each month, but when we acquired a penny per stream, it will be a very completely different world. It could be a lot extra sustainable and we’d get higher music as a result of folks wouldn’t be as burdened.”

The Takeaway That They Hope Followers Have When They Hear the Album

“I would like folks to listen to their very own tales within the songs though they’re such explicit and particular lyrics about my very own expertise. I believe that individuals are already connecting. I would like this to be a file for people who find themselves simply going by means of it and must scream alongside to one thing.”