"The quickest way to find out what you want is to discover what you definitely don't want" - An Interview With Avery Friedman
Avery Friedman is a Brooklyn-based artist set to release her debut album, New Thing, on 18th April.
In this interview, she shares insights into her songwriting journey, the making of the album, her approach to live performances, thoughts on AI-generated music, and much more.
Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Your debut album, 'New Thing', is on the horizon. Can you share what this album means to you personally and what you hope listeners take away from your music?
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this record is gratitude. I'm so grateful for the process of making this record -- in many ways, I can't believe I did, because for a long time, pursuing music scared me so much (and in many ways still does).
In that way, New Thing represents me facing my fears, and finding value and strength in my emotional expression.
Your music feels deeply layered and immersive. Can you tell us about the main instruments or gear you relied on to achieve this sound?
Thank you! Much of the sounds on this record came from electric guitars, a Korg Minilogue, and Moog synthesizer. I also relied a lot on vocal layering and harmony to create this sound.
The production involved James Chrisman and Felix Walworth. What was the recording process like, and how did their collaboration shape the album's final sound?
James and Felix were so integral to this record, and my musical development more broadly. James and I spent many hours working out these songs, watering them and letting them bloom from their acoustic guitar roots. I was and am so grateful for the time that both him and Felix spent on these tracks, and their dedication to helping me articulate myself musically, even in moments where it didn't feel as seamless.
Most of these songs were recorded in live takes in a basement studio in the Lower East Side, and the live band recordings proved critical for these songs to retain their energy and flow.
You mentioned that songwriting was something you once thought only others did. What gave you the push to start writing, and how has this journey transformed you as an artist?
A few things gave me the push to finally dive into songwriting, and kick off my journey as a musician. For one, I was spending more nights alone in my apartment with my guitar nearby after I had gotten robbed and was temporarily afraid to venture out at night.
I also began dating a musician at the time, and she was deeply inspiring and encouraging of me. These things forever altered my path as a person and an artist.
Your single 'Flowers Fell' uses changing seasons as a metaphor for growth. How do you approach translating deeply personal experiences into music, and do you find it cathartic?
I once heard the piece of advice that the best shot we all have at creating unique impactful art is to try our best to create something that feels genuinely expressive of our unique experiences and tastes.
I have always tried to hold that as a guiding light -- especially when trying to work out vulnerable and complicated feelings in songs.
To answer your question -- yes, if a song feels cathartic coming out, then it's a song I can stand by. At least that's how I feel so far.
For live performances, how do you translate the more intricate, layered aspects of the album? Are there any particular pedals, setups, or gear choices that make this easier?
I use a Boss VE-20 Vocal Performer pedal to emulate some of the vocal harmonies, and vocal modulations that you hear on the recorded versions of these songs.
On the guitar, I've been loving the Electro Harmonix reverb pedal, and the Fulltone OCD Overdrive V2 distortion pedal.
James and his robust pedal board are really who I can thank for translating the lush layers of this record into live performance.
You’ve described the album as a way to externalize chaos. What were the biggest challenges you faced while creating it, and what advice would you give to other artists navigating similar struggles?
I was humbled by how hard it was to envision and describe the sounds I desired for my songs, having never recorded music before. It was like I didn't even know what was possible, and thus didn't know what language to root myself in!
I'd encourage other artists to do their best to trust their gut instincts and initial responses to things/ideas -- while also staying relatively open to experimentation :)
Sometimes I think the quickest way to find out what you want (in art, and life) is to discover what you definitely don't want.
You’ve collaborated with notable names in the indie music scene. Are there any dream artists you’d love to work with in the future?
Oh wow...in a dream world, I'd collaborate with Perfume Genius (I love the new single "It's a Mirror" so much). I'd also love to collaborate with more electronic-rooted artists like Oklou and Loukeman.
With singles like 'Flowers Fell' and 'Photo Booth' rolling out ahead of the album release, how are you promoting 'New Thing,' and what advice would you give to emerging musicians trying to reach wider audiences?
It's been really exciting and fulfilling to create a visual world around New Thing.
The imagery and photography for the record have really been at the core of the promo so far, but I'm hoping for more opportunities to tell the story of the album via interviews and reviews and to share bills with exciting new artists.
AI-generated music is becoming increasingly common in the industry. What are your thoughts on its impact, and do you see it as a tool or a challenge for artists like yourself?
I've never used AI in my music-making/promotion and I am sure there are ways it can and will be a tool for artists.
For me, though, thus far, music-making has been a practice rooted in a very human sense of collaboration and process -- in all of its messiness and lack of efficiency and ephemerality and inexplicability.
And I'm a bit wary of anything that attempts to replicate or machine-ize that process in the name of productivity.
If you could send one track from 'New Thing' into space as a message to the universe, which one would it be and why?
"Somewhere To Go." I think it's the most otherworldly and eerie, but at the same time pretty and enveloping. Not sure why I chose this one, but I feel the aliens would be at home within it.
Connect with Avery Friedman
Instagram / X / TikTok / Facebook / Bandcamp / Spotify
About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@kinkl.com
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