So Far So Good, the second album from Meernaa, finds Carly Bond constructing a layered world whereas processing loss, deciphering goals, and studying to just accept love. In truth, Bond’s mesmerizing guitar and vocals — together with the slinky contributions from her longtime collaborators Rob Shelton, Doug Stuart, and Andrew Maguire, plus a number of different musicians — current a tranquil, sublimely psychedelic expertise that was produced from scratch. “I wish I had more thorough intent going into a record,” she laughs. “I try to just write in the moment, and then whatever happens, happens. It’s always ever-evolving.”
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Either method, it displays a measured step ahead for the Bay Area-bred songwriter. The simmering “On My Line” opens every little thing up, whereas “As Many Birds Flying” blooms right into a lysergic trance because the report floats towards the soulful finale “Love Is Good.” It’s a trendy distillation of the Oakland scene that Bond started absorbing when she was barely 20, falling someplace between rock, jazz, and R&B. If you decrease your guard, the songs can take you out of your individual house, into intense moments of calm that usually solely really feel doable within the early stretches of morning or the small hours of night time.
As its title suggests, So Far So Good is an ethos, nevertheless it travels additional than the music — it’s an indication to take issues as they arrive. Nothing is ever assured, and alter can occur on a dime, however optimism is at all times an choice. Sometimes the easiest way ahead is to maneuver with the present — till it takes you someplace new.
With it being 4 years from the debut report to now, what sort of issues did you uncover about your self in that point?
I feel I simply realized quite a bit about writing and music and the enterprise facet of issues and the way a lot persistence is required in each step of that — and discovering peace and persistence. Patience was an enormous one for me, particularly with the pandemic and every little thing. You haven’t any management over something. All you are able to do is wait and see how issues unfold.
An enormous a part of the previous 4 years has been being comfy with being affected person, but in addition revising issues. When I write one thing, I’m like, “OK, it’s done. I’m moving on.” And with this report, I used to be actually pressured to have to sit down with it in an uncomfortable method. I’m tremendous stoked that it’s out, nevertheless it’s been via so many iterations up to now 4 years, which I by no means wanna do once more. But I did study quite a bit in that. Not attempting to hurry something is de facto necessary and what number of totally different variations of myself I’ve been in simply the previous 4 years and what meaning for writing, too, has been actually attention-grabbing to watch.
Another factor I needed to the touch on is your partnership with Rob and the way a lot of the report focuses on the way in which you view love. What’s one of many biggest joys of being married to your individual bandmate?
That’s a cool query. I feel it simply makes issues a lot simpler. Like having a associate who understands the work you do, and there’s no query about, “Oh, I’m gonna be out late tonight, doing something.” Or, “I’m in the zone working on something.” There’s no confusion about that, which is very nice. Also, it’s nice to save cash. [Laughs.]
Is he the primary particular person you present a new track to?
Not essentially. He was once. He’s helped me overcome my very own insecurities, in an enormous method. I can be capable to belief myself, which has been tremendous sick. He’s additionally challenged me in lots of methods, which is good. Now I’ve mustered up the gumption to have the ability to push again after I really feel like I have to.
What concerning the different individuals who seem on the album? I do know there are fairly a number of. Were you all in the identical room once you recorded these songs?
No, however everyone who performed on the report are actually, actually good pals of mine, particularly Doug and Andrew. They had been collaborators on the final report and have been with me for the reason that starting. Most of the time, I’d begin the songs on my own, simply guitar and voice, after which perhaps Rob would add keys, after which we’d convey Doug and Andrew in to play drums and bass, and every little thing was a sluggish layering course of. Not to say that we haven’t finished that previously, however with this one, I actually needed to start out from the bottom up as an alternative of unexpectedly.
What type of stuff do you join over with these guys?
When I work with different folks, I like to simply belief that they know what to do and so they’re gonna add their very own colour to one thing, however I’ll typically go in and be like, “Hey, think of these references or these colors or whatever and go for that.” I name it shaking their jimmies out. They need to play all of the issues that they should play or they suppose is gonna work earlier than they lastly get to that factor that’s the spirit of the track.
The video for “As Many Birds Flying” is so grounded in location and motion. Do you’ve got a relationship with nature, and does that affect your inventive course of in any respect?
Yeah, positively huge time. I’m actual granola, as they are saying. I’m slightly bit crusty after I’m not polished. I attempt to be crusty. [Laughs.] I’m an enormous backpacker, and I simply don’t actually like folks very a lot, so I wish to be outdoors as a lot as doable. I grew up in California and alongside the coast and actually wish to be in locations that aren’t very populated and really feel actually impressed by these landscapes.
Tell me about these actions that you simply’re doing within the video — do you dance quite a bit?
Historically no, however I actually needed to recover from myself and be extra comfy in my bod. And I simply occurred to fulfill a few of my now very, superb pals who’re each dancers and examine dance. I talked to them about this concept, and at first, it began off with them serving to me choreograph one thing, nevertheless it changed into a deep collaboration, and we slowly got here up with that piece. I actually needed to be intentional with that music video and never have or not it’s only a music video, however extra of a dance piece.
What does the phrase “so far so good” imply to you? Are you an optimistic particular person?
Oh hell yeah. I’ve adopted the time period “zen nihilist” ’trigger I really feel like, particularly after I wrote that track, too, it was only the start of the pandemic, and I didn’t have any cash, and I simply moved to LA with Rob, and we had no plans. Again, again to persistence. You haven’t any management. All you are able to do is wait it out and see what occurs. So far so good is such a humorous phrase to me ’trigger it’s like, “Well, you know, we’ll see if shit hits the fan. I don’t know, but right now, it’s chill.”
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