Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Seth Portenlanger
Introduction of the project
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My grandmother had a big record collection, old jazz and blues records, and some classical records. Some of them were even cylandar records from Thomas Edison’s factory. We would listen to them together and I would try to pick out the melodies on her piano.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Again, my grandmother. She and her brother were songwriters and published a few tunes back in the 1930s. I never met her brother, my great-uncle Mike, because he died before I was born, but she always told me how much I reminded her of him, and I have his old song books. The memory of her has always inspired me to create.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Currently, I’m working with my band after a few years doing solo stuff. I’m pretty angry these days, as are a lot of us—there’s just so much to be angry about—so we’re putting together songs about rage and all the emotions that are adjacent to rage: sadness, fear, regret, etc.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
At the intersection of punk, folk, and garage rock.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Collaboration is freeing. You don’t have to have all the ideas for a song if you collaborate with someone. You can leave space and say, “the drums can do something interesting there,” or, “the lead guitar can fill that in with something cool.” If you’re working with others you never have to finish a song alone.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I don’t think it’s as tangible for me as a specific tool, or instrument. I write mostly on guitar and piano, but what is essential are other songs and songwriters, or authors/poets. I get a lot of inspiration from how others put words together.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve been listening mostly to The Deadly Snakes’ 2003 album “Ode to Joy.” It’s aesthetic is what I want my next project to sound like, so it’s served as a research tool. As far as recent releases, I’ve been into Fantastic Cat—they’re just all great songwriters with super catchy melodies and they know how to rock.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I was born in 1981, so I hit that sweet spot of history where war and economic downturns started to happen right as I was trying to get a career started. 9/11 happened, then the Recession in ’08, so, rent was going up and job opportunities were dwindling. In a more concrete sense those times forced me into my music because I had nothing else to do, and at least shows paid a little bit. I went on the road a lot during that time and toured with a punk band playing drums, as well as touring on solo acoustic stuff. Life is hard, and that’s a lesson we all learn, I guess. For me, it’s taught me that shit is constantly going to change, sometimes that change is good, sometimes it isn’t. I try to write from that place. Just trying to observe how things move along, how ideas shift, how we all change, personally.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
Rage. At least from this new project. This world can do better, and we should all be really pissed off that it isn’t. My message, regardless of project though, is that we’re all free. And we should demand a world where we can express that freedom. We’re entitled to it.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That there are so many different people in this world and they all have something beautiful and interesting to offer. While on tour, you meet a lot of people. And even if you’re not into the same things, everyone is into some kind of music. I remember playing late into the night at a house show in Boise, Idaho. Our set was over, but other musicians just kept picking up instruments, or grabbing the mic and singing, and so we just kept playing, trying to follow each other. I’ve never seen those people again, and we might not have had all that much in common, but we were able to communicate around music and create something awesome for one night.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
No question, The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I’d love to record a song with Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. He’s been called the bridge between Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan, but he’s more than that. He’s an abasador for American Folk Music, and folk music made me want to be a songwriter. If you’re reading this, Jack, I’ve got some songs we can cut.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Reply
https://www.instagram.com/sethportenlanger/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/seth.portenlanger
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I just want to make music with my friends, and have it be organic. I hope people hear it, and are moved by it, and maybe start writing their own songs after hearing it. The world needs more songwriters.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I try to be as thoughtful about this human experience as possible.
