Area Resident Drops a Fresh New Album
A brand new release from Area Resident delivers a unique blend of genres that takes elements of indie and alternative rock, contemporary pop, and even cinematic backbone at times, bringing them all together to create something that's got a bit of its own atmosphere but blends a damn near perfect amount of color with edginess so that you have something refreshing and at times, storytelling.
The Protanopia album kicks things off with the track called "Local Smoke", which gives a classic rock sort of vibe, like a Tom Petty.
You have this great guitar tone that lets the notes ring out, lightly affected with a tremolo, and with some effects and additional instrumentation that give things a psychedelic twist.
I love the tonality of the guitars on this one and a lot of the performances as well.
You get some great wailing guitar notes and chords that ring out, giving the track an almost vast undertone.
When I mention things like cinematic backbones, this is the kind of stuff I'm talking about.
What's cool about this track is that it serves very well as an introduction to the record because it includes some of my favorite staples that the rest of the release delivers.
Having said that, there are loads of surprises around the corners of this record so I do suggest listening to it from start to finish so you can get this full experience.
Tracks like "Abductor Sound" boast more of a '90s alternative pop sort of feel, like the stuff you would hear from Beck back in the day.
I dig this vibe a lot because it gives me a bit more of a nostalgic feeling, but I think that's because he captures this sort of pop-coated contemporary rock tonality so well.
Throughout this whole release, you can tell that there was a lot of attention to detail in terms of the tones of those guitars, the arrangements, the production of the whole thing, but it also has this sort of personality that you get attached to along the way.
You get tripped-out vocals that are affected with all kinds of different things so that they sound watery and flowing with the vibe of the music, creating this unique aesthetic, which is what I mean when I say the record has some color.
Then you have songs like "Heel", which at times makes me think of bands like the Pixies, as it is more indie rock, upbeat, and a little more edgy.
This is a very diverse record, but there is still a glue that holds it all together and lets it feel almost seamless.
Perhaps the most orchestrated and cinematically driving, vast, and beautifully portrayed song on the record is the title track, which closes the album out.
This one is loaded with beautiful textures and layers coming from string synths, creating this distant and expansive underbelly that invites you to float alongside at all.
Listening to this record through in one shot is amazing. Again, it's a great experience and escape. The closing single is the song that lets you get washed away at the end of the record, and if you go from the beginning, it works perfectly because you get engulfed by this soundscape from the start.
You can hear a slew of these different influences in rock music coming through, and it's something that speaks volumes for the artist who is doing a lot of this on his own.
Of course, I wasn't there for the recording, so there's only one way to find out what he's performing on this record.
We decided to sit down with Doug Hempstead, the man at the helm of Area Resident, to find out about how this record came to be, who actually influenced him, and what may be coming up next for the artist.
Here's what happened.
TSWS: Let's talk about Protanopia! This is an experimental rock record that also brought in other approaches, psych undertones, and brilliant songwriting!! Where did this record come from?
DOUG: Thanks so much for saying so. I always record my stuff without writing it first. I just sit down and try to start with a different instrument each time and see what kind of hook I can find, and then build a song around that. I guess the difference in approach this time is that I took more breaks, and kept re-visiting the songs. Each time I'd wipe a third of what I'd done and do it a little differently, tighten something up that was sloppy or out of tune, take something out if it was too busy or add something if it seemed to drag. I'd spend a week or more on a song rather than a day or two.
TSWS: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
DOUG: I'm a huge music fan and I'm influenced by loads of stuff. The thing is, you probably wouldn't notice, because I'm not talented enough to pull it off. But I think I can hear the influence of Kelley Stoltz on a lot of what I do. He's been my Elvis for years. But, I've also been listening to loads of late 50s west coast jazz and early 70s psychedelic funk -- and lord knows there's none of that to be found in my songs. I like to think you can draw lines to Protanopia from Yo La Tengo, Death Cab For Cutie, Flaming Lips, Beck, R Stevie Moore, Field Music and hopefully Cindy Lee.
TSWS: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
DOUG: I've done all my albums at home, on Garageband of all things. I have Logic, but I prefer Garageband because of my ADHD. The more knobs there are to twiddle, the more lost in the twiddle I become. I need a twiddle governor. I have no pedals. No amps. One mic for vocals. I record everything and when I'm finally happy with it, I send the stems to my life-long pal Jordon Zadorozny, of Blinker The Star, who mixes it and adds overdubs as needed. I'm delighted to say, he's had to add fewer overdubs than ever on this. Means I'm getting better at it.
TSWS: What are you performing instrumentally on this record?
DOUG: I don't know how to play proper guitar, but I play loads of guitar on this album. I just open tune everything. I have an 87 Squier strat that I keep tuned to open-G --- Keith Richards-style with no low-E string. I have a J Mascis Jazzmaster tuned to open-D and a four-string Eastwood tenor baritone. I play all the bass, pretty much. I have a cool, custom-made, vintage Frankenstein "funky junk" bass from Bass Japan Direct, which I'll want to be buried with. I also program all the drums -- the ones not replaced by Jordon. I do all the percussion and most of the keys and synth stuff.
TSWS: How did this all start for you as an artist and songwriter?
DOUG: I had kids, and couldn't play gigs anymore. So, I decided to see if I could write and record my own stuff. That was around 15 years ago. Got myself a Tascam digital 8-track and dicked around with that for a few years until I mustered up the courage to try DAW. Around 2015 I started to find a sound, made an arrangement with Jordon, and this is my 11th Area Resident album since then.
TSWS: Are you performing live right now?
DOUG: Yeah, but mostly in Ottawa and the area, so I try not to play too much. I have three upcoming gigs that I'm looking forward to -- an outdoor thing with two other bands and then a couple of awesome bookings at a pair of Ottawa bars, sharing a bill with Scary Bear Soundtrack and Dad Sports.
TSWS: Now that this is out, what's next for you as an artist?
DOUG: I never know. I'd actually like to record an album with my band. The live band has never been on any of my albums. The live band is basically an Area Resident cover band.
TSWS: Who's in your headphones right now?
DOUG: I love Saya Gray's album, but I just climbed out of a Little Feat hole as well. I got the new King Gizzard record, which I'm quite fond of. I don't care as much for their metal stuff. I'm still in the midst of a major west coast jazz obsession, particularly the Contemporary Records stuff from the late 50s. Their engineer, the late Roy DuNann got better sounds in 1957 with four mics in a store room and a tape machine, than many engineers for the next 30 years.
TSWS: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
DOUG: I'd say expect earworms without cliches. Expect cool alt-rock/pseudo-pop songs that are deceptively tricky to play, due to the unconventional way they were written.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
DOUG: Please talk about it. I don't do this to make money. I do this because I love it. I really like this music -- I'd buy it! My dream is just to break even, so, if you like what you hear -- and can't afford it, reach out. I'll make sure you get a download. I just want to hear from people who like it. ADHD may be my engine, but the inspiration comes from that unique feeling of satisfaction and excitement you get when people say -- hey, that's pretty good!
