Drawlings Interview: SXSW 2010

Think of music that you might find on a children's horror movie soundtrack accompanied by a high pitched yet melodically poppy & eerie voice and you have a song by Drawlings. Drawlings is the brainchild of Abigail Portner, who was formerly in the lo-fi New York band Rings and is the sister of Avey Tare who is a founding member of the band Animal Collective. Her solo project is a mixture of dark electronica music and visual arts. She is gearing up to record a full length record which is due out this fall. Drawlings will be performing at SXSW. Spinner recently had the opportunity to chat with Portner about everything from her writing process to the most insane experience she had while touring.

1. Describe your sound in your own words.

I would say it's pretty, sort of horror movie music/children's story book.

2. How did your solo project form?

Rings started playing less music because Nina was in school and now Kate's in school. So we couldn't play as much so I just started working on stuff by myself at home just to keep on working on music while we were taking a break. I wanted to relate more to the artwork, it's more focused around the visual aspect of the way I saw things. I just started making songs and playing by myself.

3. What are your musical influences?

I'd say it's all over the place. Everything from kids music to Disney to show tunes, dancehall, and folk music. It's kind of all over the place.

4. How did you come up with your band name?

Because of drawing and doing artwork stuff. Growing up I said drawing was drawlings and it just seemed fitting to tie it all together.

5. What are some your must haves while touring?

I always carry around this pouch with me. It has Emergen-C, rose spray and deodorant in it.

6. What's your musical guilty pleasure?

I'd say Broadway music and show tunes.

7. Beatles or The Stones?

Beatles.

8.What's the most insane thing you've experienced while touring?

I'd say the most crazy experience I've had would be going and playing MIDI festival in Hyeres in the south of France the first year I started touring with Rings. It was the most amazing beautiful place and the most amazing people run that festival. It was my birthday and we baked this crazy French pie and the whole festival sang Happy Birthday. It was a really beautiful experience.

9.Describe your writing process.

I make a lot of samples. I either make samples on my keyboard of just sounds or sample something from a movie and mess it up and manipulate it to where it makes a rhythm that I can sing over. Then I try to work on some sort of vocal with it then try to add to that with other sounds and melodies.

10. What do you enjoy more: touring or recording?

Touring.

11. Any pre-show rituals?

I really don't like to eat before I play and I don't like to be around a lot of people before I play.

12. What's your biggest vice?

I'd say being outside I guess because I live in the city. I'm obsessed with always wanting to be in nature. Escaping the city.

13. Do you prefer to play festivals or intimate venues?

I really like playing art spaces because they're really intimate.

14. First instrument you owned and how old were you?

A piano at 3yrs old.


Andrea Mitchell is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.