In the words of vocalist Scott Meyers, Northernmost‘s new EP, Pinedale is different, but it’s still very much Northernmost. Comprised of four very distinct tracks, Pinedale, which definitely does feel like a step in a new direction for this Massachusetts five piece is out now!
Read the full interview and check out Northernmost’s new track, “Milo” below!
Interview by Dom Vigil
You guys are just releasing your new EP, Pinedale. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
This is an EP comprised of 4 songs, some of which are B-sides from the past that we never used, and others are newer songs where we experiment with a different styles. Pinedale is a lot different than the other things we’ve released but it still maintains the same intensity as our previous releases. We’re all very proud of it!
How was the writing and recording process for these songs?
I think we were all really excited to be trying something different. There wasn’t like a specific mold in which we were trying to fit these songs. Each song is so different and I think that’s why we enjoyed writing and recording them so much. Clint Lisboa, our producer at Soundbox studios, really knows what he’s doing and did a great job with our music.
Did you have any major goals in mind when you started working on Pinedale?
We just wanted to have fun. We wanted to experiment with music that was a little more upbeat but still maintaining that raw emotion from the past. Song’s like “Cloudy” and “Greenbrier”, I feel exemplify that idea. The songs are so upbeat and make you happy, but the lyrics are different. I think truthfully we as a band just wanted to keep it real, be true to ourselves, and release something different.
The first song you released from the EP was “Milo.” What’s the story behind this song?
This is a song I wrote awhile back in my grandmother’s bedroom in the middle of the night. This song is named after an ex’s cat named Milo. The cat really liked me a lot, and would sleep on my head. I don’t really get to see that cat anymore so I wanted to write a shout out song to him.
How do you feel Pinedale compares to your previous releases? What noticeable areas of change (if any) can fans expect to hear from these songs?
I feel like Pinedale is the yin to the yang of our past releases, the Kenan to its Kel, Penn to it’s Teller. Pinedale is just different. It’s still us. It’s still everything that we are as a band, just presented in a slightly different light. I think one noticeable change you will see in our music, is that if you play them to your mom or dad in the car or something, they might actually ask you to burn them a CD. I think there’s something on there for everyone to like even those that aren’t usually into this type of sound.
How do you feel the band has grown or changed with this new EP?
I think tour this summer was a real growing experience for us. We had already received the masters of Pinedale before we left and I remember every once in awhile throwing them on in the van and I couldn’t help but to just smile. We’ve come so far since we started, we’ve done so many things, and met so many people. Pinedale will always make me think of 2015 because this year has been both fun and extremely emotional.
What, if anything, would you like Northernmost to be known for?
I’d say keeping it real and being authentic. This is a passion project for all of us so I’d love for that to come across to people and be known for that.
What would you like listeners to take away from your music or live performances?
That we are pouring ourselves out there for them without shame. It’s tough going out there and singing sad lyrics that make you look like an emotional baby. I would like everyone to take away from our live set that every once in awhile, we are all emotional babies. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Once the EP is out, what is the rest of 2015 looking like for Northernmost?
Playing some shows around the area, and working on the next full length! We want to make sure we release something we all think you will love, and we want to take the time to make that happen.
Thanks for chatting with us for a bit! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for the interview and all that The Prelude Press has done for us so far. Our EP comes out on September 18th and we hope you check it out.