We recently caught up with Katie from Houndmouth, to discuss their new album, From The Hills Below The City, working with Rough Trade, and rescuing burning kittens…
Basically whoever sings the song wrote the majority of it. As a band we finess the structure of it.
We’ve only released the Houndmouth EP before this. It was all done ourselves. We just had a couple of mics so things couldn’t be too live on the recordings. Most of the album was tracked live. The album was also bounced to tape so it has a natural gritty sound to it. We recorded with Kevin Ratterman who helped produce it.
Rough Trade has a long history of incredible, successful artists. They are progressive with their signing of the Alabama Shakes, and that appealed to us. They are also very artist friendly. They were persistent and we hit it off with all the folks at the label. Geoff Travis said a few months ago ” I think we’ve taken Houndmouth out more than any band in the history of Rough Trade.” We just like the people.
We all knew each other and grew up in the same small town. When all four got together for the first practice as what is now Houndmouth, I think we all knew we had found something special. For the first several months we would practice all day and night just because we were in love with what we were creating.
Playing music that we love to play. Our fans are amazing. The experiences we’ve had so far are so far beyond what any of us expected.
Shew. All of it?! Okay —
#3 doing Conan and Letterman were pretty “surreal” experiences
Can’t pick just one. I heard recently we might have an opportunity to do a cruise with John Prine. I wouldn’t mind that at all.
Best film ever?
You are asking the wrong person. I like way too many girly movies to have a respectable answer.
Best film score ever?
Give me all the Disney classics.
I’d rescue kittens from burning buildings for a living.
These questions are hard!
1. Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street
2. Nick Drake, Pink Moon
3. Otis Redding, Dock of the Bay
4. Velvet Underground, Loaded
5. The Band, Music from the Big Pink
6. Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker
7. Bonnie Prince Billy, Master and Everyone
8. Hall and Oates, Abandoned Luncheonette
Joe Brainard’s “I Remember” to help the creativity.
