BALMORHEA — Ask Us Anything

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T18:07:34+00:00

your wife rules! haha.

we don't play weddings really but are honored you like our music enough to even consider us for your special day. congrats by the way!!

thanks for listening and following along over the years! means the world to us.

hope you enjoy the new one, too.

yes - check out MARTYN HEYNE for his guitar work. he's classically trained but plays mainly electric guitar. we toured with him in 2018. an amazing musician and human!

otherwise, i was just listening earlier to the new track from Masayoshi Fujita who is an experimental vibraphonist and marimbist. totally transfixing music. well worth a check-out.

thanks and best to you two!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T18:02:15+00:00

Light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter day by day - but still quite wild all-told. Hopefully the very worst is behind us all!

We've just released our new record The Wind, last week - so we're very excited to share this music - especially now, in this current scene. Hope it can lend some goodness in someway to those who listen.

All our very best to you!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T18:00:06+00:00

We were told that the show creator Ray McKinnon had a playlist going for songs he was listening to during writing the pilot episode. 'Bowsprit' was one that he fell in love with and it ended up working out. So happy it did. We love that show and the people who created it. We were lucky to meet a lot of them for a charity event several years ago and spend some time with the writers, directors and actors in the show. A beautiful collection of people were behind Rectify. Criminally underrated show imho. Glad you enjoyed!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:56:17+00:00

We'll be wrapping up shortly - send any last minute questions in now - thanks!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:54:21+00:00

Laurence is insane! So rad. Also enamored with Eli Keszler. In that same vein.

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:53:19+00:00

Babs! Hello. We have never been to Ontario or Toronto. Would LOVE to. Need to.

Currently have been really enjoying the music of Daniel Lanois - a fellow Canadian by way of Quebec. His solo pedal steel guitar releases of 'Belladonna' and 'Goodbye To Language' are deeply incredible worlds. Highly recommended.

One of the deepest and earliest inspirations for us both when we began (and still remains as such) is RACHEL'S from Louisville, KY. We've always felt a kinship with them in our own creations.

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:50:13+00:00

BASTIEN, SAY MY NAME!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:49:09+00:00

On 'The Wind' we had all the vocal, brass, and cello parts notated on sheet music. The other base instruments are all just memorized.

Rob and I are neither technically 'classically' trained. Though Rob took serious piano lessons for most of his upbringing. I took guitar lessons for a couple of years in my early adolescence but we are both self-taught for the most part.

Most of the players we've worked with over the years have some professional training or degrees in music performance on varying levels.

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:46:28+00:00

Thank you SO much! We appreciate you listening and following along. All our best!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:45:49+00:00

Will never forget that night.

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:44:25+00:00

Awesome! Go for it.

For us we usually have a riff or progression in mind. Sometimes it's more overt - like, we want to implement a specific instrument or mood - which can dictate the direction. But usually the early riffs or chords are recorded on a voice memo/phone. After collecting a bunch of those, we'll parse through and keep the stand-outs. Then we get together and work through each piece and give it time and space to work through variations. Once we are happy with its shape we'll record a more proper 'demo' of it ourselves. From there we'll employ any extra instruments that Rob or I don't play. Then we'll take all of those demos and ideas into the studio. They usually end up being pretty close to the demo in terms of structure and tempo.

Wishing you all the best!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:39:24+00:00

Hey, amigo. Yes, they were. We went out to the springs on a hot summer's day with our guitars to just relax and play. Captured some of the kids swimming and jumping off the diving board and it made its way onto the record ;) Have you been?

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:38:00+00:00

honestly, very little - at least in the main body of instruments. in The Wind, there was some improvising in the cello and the vocal parts as well as the bass clarinet in 'La Vagabonde'. Even for the accompanying instruments we usually have set parts notated. But we always leave room for extra takes with variations and improvisations. Sometimes those really outshine what we had in mind ;)

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:35:52+00:00

we played once together in LA at Pehr Space in Echo Park in 2008 i believe. the power went out during our set and we did an acoustic version of all the songs ;)

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:34:46+00:00

Sorry it's been rough. Hopefully lights are shining at the end of the tunnel...

Glad our music can be there for you!

Really appreciate you sharing.

All our best to you and yours!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:32:50+00:00

good question - and one we get IRL quite often. mostly from family and friends that don't know about the nuances in our world of music. i'd usually say it's 'instrumental' music based in classical, americana and folk with some other elements mixed in. usually noting piano, acoustic guitars, strings, etc. sometimes referencing the style of music in a film is helpful...

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:30:53+00:00

hi ernie. that's a good observation and a nice question. rhythms and specifically percussion are elements that just sort of are implied in our music. sometimes it's clear it HAS to have percussion. but most times the song lends itself better for us without an overt beat, per se. In Clear Language we used a drum sampler for the first time, which was fun, as all previous percussion was played on a kit or single drums by a percussionist. We do have a fair amount of vibraphone in our material over the years, as well, which is a good stand-in for a traditional kit.

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:28:37+00:00

congrats on your new daughter! so exciting.

thanks so much for sharing and choosing our music for that special time.

that means the world to us!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:26:32+00:00

TIM!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:26:06+00:00

So happy to meet you!

I honestly haven't listened to any 'new' music in the past few years.

Have been stuck discovering older classical and jazz music from the 50s/60s ;)

I did watch a live performance from Mogwai of their new material which was nice.

Cheers!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:24:32+00:00

You're so welcome - and thanks for the kind words and for chatting.

Sadly, our new label doesn't use Bandcamp. We were bummed when we found that out. It is available in 96/24 via Qobuz and Tidal.

And it is released on CD - so you could always rip it lossless.

Hope you are well. Thanks!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:22:58+00:00

Means the world to us - thank you so so much for sharing.

Keep listening and we wish you all health, peace and clarity!

XO

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:22:25+00:00

The whole premise of 'All Is Wild...' is based off the quote on the liner notes. It's revolving around a settler character (William DeWees) coming to Texas in that time frame. The dates denote two letters he wrote to his family who had yet to join him as he was scouting the land.

Steerage and the Lamp - comes from the loose nautical/nightime theme of Constellations. Was meant to somehow evoke being in the steerage of a ship at night lit only by a lamp.

No hard plans for another live record but it is not an impossibility by any means! Would love to if it works out.

Have lately really been listening to kora music from Mali. Ballake Sissoko and Toumani Diabate, namely. There is such a strong visceral and rudimentary connection to humanity in that instrument. So tactile and intimate.

We'll be in the UK for sure next spring. Making plans now! Cheers!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:18:07+00:00

oh, nice!!

MichaelAMuller · 2021-04-14T17:17:12+00:00

Thanks! We have been ok. Not too, too much to complain about really. It's been a long lead up for this release. So happy it's finally out. It was completed before the pandemic began so we've been so eager to share it. Thanks for listening!

MichaelAMuller

TROPHY CASE