Q&A: Night Tapes Weaves Tapestry of Sonic Dreams Through New Single “projections”
CONSTANTLY BUILDING ETHEREAL WORLDS THROUGH THEIR MUSIC — Night Tapes has returned with their latest single, “projections.” From the minds of Iiris Vesik, Max Doohan, and Sam Richards, the dream pop trio combines their remarkably creative talents to prepare us for their new EP, assisted memories, which will be ours to hear on June 7. In “projections,” the trio weaves a tapestry of sonic dreams that will transport listeners to distant realms of introspection and longing.
Through whispered confessions and soaring refrains, Night Tapes invites listeners to embark on a journey of self-discovery and catharsis, in which each song is a testament to the human spirit's resilience.
As if the songs weren’t dreamy enough on their own, Vesik shared her own poetic perspective on the meaning behind the new single, referencing personal memories to create, witnessing the evolution of the group, and more. Read the full interview below.
LUNA: What's the story behind your new single, "projections"?
VESIK: The basis of this song comes from personal experience. I’ve been really into reading about psychology and the term “projections” just really stuck with me. Fascination always includes projections. Projections are a normal part of interacting with reality. We categorize and assume so that we [can] move through the world efficiently.
If used with an open mind … projections are speedy information highways to learn about a subject or each other. But if we refuse to be open to our own projections, then it can be easy to be trapped in a self-referential reality tunnel and be cut off from any real communication with the external. The worst use of the word “projections” would be to undermine another person's reality. It's good to be aware, though are we in interaction with a person or with just our idea of them? We learn through mistakes, and to be unkind to yourself after making some mistakes is just not useful to anyone.
LUNA: How would you say this new track ties into the new EP?
VESIK: The new EP, assisted memories, is lyrically about honoring and remembering the different versions of ourselves. I think I’m at my sixth version right now. Each song relates to a memory that includes an understanding that came with changing. Lyrically, [there’s some] emotional organization and [an attempt] to capture the understandings in some form so that I could remember them, as I’ve understood that we humans are forgetful creatures. Those who write history down take some sort of control over it. If you write your experience down, then it’s easier to take responsibility for your own reality. My diary entries have been like letters that I’ve sent to my future self. [I’m] just on a journey of trying to be more kind to myself and others, I guess.
LUNA: When creating such dreamy soundscapes, do you reference anything beforehand?
VESIK: I think I can speak for all of us to say that art doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and everything we’ve ever loved will influence what we make. But at the moment of creation we’re just trying to follow instinct and record the vibe that’s already there. If anything, we’re referencing our own memories on the new record — the feel of driving at night with your friends, the busy road under your window, dusk falling on the skyline of our favorite park, the waves on the beach of our childhood getaways, that sort of stuff.
LUNA: As far as production, are there any elements you would say are your favorite?
VESIK: We love textures and incorporating something real into the tracks we’re making, whether it’s phone or dictaphone recordings. Running audio through hardware and exploring the space between the digital and analogue. I’m a big believer that there’s magic in between these worlds.
LUNA: Do you have any specific favorite lines in “projections”? What do those mean to you?
VESIK: “To be an impossibly beautiful girl in an impossible world” was a revelation in this song for me, as I just expected myself to be perfect and never make mistakes when I was younger. Why did I ever expect to be perfect for anyone? What an unkind thing to do to oneself. So unuseful.
LUNA: From the creation of the group until now, what has that evolution looked like?
VESIK: Night Tapes started out organically from the hangs and jams we had at our shared house in London. We could hear each other from the walls working on our individual projects and got really excited by what everyone was doing. We didn’t make a band to go conquer anything, we just enjoyed creating together. From the get-go everyone could just play whatever instruments they wanted to and everyone brought in their songs. So we’ve just been able to get better at our practices together and learn from each other, which has been nice. I’ve gotten better at guitar and production, whilst the boys are awesome at mixing now and Max has real chops at playing the bass … when he used to be only a drummer, and Richie has gotten really awesome at keys when he used to be more of a lead guitarist. Things seem to be popping off now, though, and that has pressed us to be more organized in our approach to the band and our creations. We’ve come to a place where we’re trying to get the balance right between order and chaos.
