Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with The Forest Effect
Introduction of the project: The Forest Effect, Elliot Page
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Listening to the Beatle’s White Album in the living room of my parent’s small farmhouse in Wisconsin. Surrounded by cornfields, there weren’t many other distractions, and the sounds that somehow came through the needle and out the speakers were mesmerizing.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
First just being a fan. From my parents’ small collection to buying my own records, to following the top 40, to rock radio. I loved being transported by the songs, whether it was “Dear Prudence” or Blondie’s “Dreaming” and later Floyd’s “Dogs”. It was my way of knowing there were entirely different worlds out there, away from the small town midwest and later on the mid-coast of Maine. I was a creative kid but didn’t get my first guitar (a Mako Strat copy) until 14 y/o and I didn’t write my first song until late high school (17). But I feel like I always thought I could write, just took a while to actually do it!
My guitar playing started w/ playing covers, “learning”* Randy Rhoads licks from tab (*more like “butchering”!), then Zeppelin, The Cure, etc. A friend tipped me off to Phish in ’88, and that showed me a DIY way of creating music.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I’m currently writing a record about climate change. I guess it’s a concept record. It’s a challenge lyrically, to make it still sound personal and relatable in every day life. I’m trying to address some of our universal fears, some of the idiocy, and some of the anger we all feel associated with climate change. I’m also including a cover of a Jane’s Addiction song, albeit a very different take on it.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
The Forest Effect sounds like the late afternoon light filtering through the leaves of a New England forest. If that’s too pretentious, you could say we sound like the guys from Dismemberment Plan playing Pink Floyd and The Black Crowes covers at Wilco’s loft. Still too pretentious? I hear ya!
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? From a macro perspective: you have to create the music for you. If you make it to
appease someone else’s tastes or for popularity or any other reason, the music won’t ring true.
From a more technical perspective: It’s ok to record the drums last. This might not seem so backwards anymore, but traditionally, rock bands would get keeper drum tracks early on in the recording process, and then add tracks and overdubs on top of that. That’s how
I started making records. Later I discovered that it’s more advantageous for my songwriting process to start with scratch drums (real or Logic drummer), build up the track with other instruments, edit, cut, paste, edit some more, etc – until the song is flushed out. Then I go to a pro studio with a drummer to capture the keeper drum takes. I may replace some of the other instruments and vocals after that, but it depends – sometimes what you think are scratch takes are the best.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process? ProTools, although lately I’ve been starting a song in Logic and later exporting it to
ProTools. My Hamer guitars. Universal Audio 6176. My favorite guitar amp – Mesa Boogie Mark V – has an XLR out that actually sounds great, so I can run that right into ProTools, turn off the speaker and record huge sounding guitars without waking up the fam. And lastly – being able to record ideas right into my iPhone is a game changer. For a younger songwriter, that might sound like a given, but believe me, it used to be a problem!
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
“Alien Vacation” by Moon Boot Lover
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? This is hard to sum up. I’d have to include growing up playing in bands (and still to this
day), living and working with all of my bandmates, with hundreds (maybe a thousand?) of live shows over many years. Personal relationships informed many songs (“Out on the Mountainside”, “Darkening My Door”), as did my family life (“Mosaic Tiles”, “From the Otherside”, “To a Heartbeat”). On my next record, my love for nature and the outdoors is coming into play, along with my distain for the greed of the fossil fuel industry and the politicians it feeds.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work? It depends on the song, yeah? But overall I hope the lyrics are relatable and the music
transports them at least a little, and becomes part of their life’s soundtrack. For my upcoming climate-related release, I hope it validates their feelings about our changing climate, and ultimately moves them to do what they can about it.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Music is always there for me. Also, musicians are best people on this earth.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’d love to see a promoter of one of the big festivals, like Bonnaroo or Boston Calling, put together a serious climate change festival, and of course, have The Forest Effect on the bill!
For venues, I’d love to be so lucky as to play Boston’s Orpheum and Red Rocks in Colorado.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? While Coltrane, Garcia and Bonham come to mind, I’m going to have to say Bjork. I’ve
been more directly influenced by other artists, but Bjork is just so unique. A collab with her seems like it could yield infinite results. And I’d love to add guitars to what she brings. I totally respect why she doesn’t use guitars, but imagine something like the instrumentation on “Homogenic” with my guitar sounds! Anyways, it’s fun to dream..
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links) Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theforesteffect
Web: https://www.theforesteffect.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7GYZY8zoUDzo4hbuytbGhO?
si=KBYS85YyQMqk-4AytI0FZA&nd=1&dlsi=9fd8a06722324c7e
IG: https://www.instagram.com/elliot_theforesteffect/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@theforesteffect
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I mentioned I’m working on a record about climate change. Working title is “Paradise on Fire”. I’m hoping to hire a pretty well-known producer to help. I feel like he’s way out of my league, but we’ll see! I plan to bring on some of Boston’s best musicians to help track it. Once released, I’d like to team up w/ a climate organization to help get music fans involved and engaged w/ the issues, while promoting the record. Shows around New England and New York would be great; a national tour if I’m really dreaming.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way? I hope they discover that I’m a unique songwriter. I believe I have something to say,
more than what you might find in a 20 second short. I hope that doesn’t come across as self-aggrandizing. I’m trying to make music that is layered, with elements that can be discovered with repeated listening. I also hope they dig my guitar solos – haha.
If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂 – see below
– Thanks for this opportunity! Cheers, Elliot
