EP 67: Release a Pattern of Electricity with Corrina Repp
Looking for inspiration to write a song? Hear how the pandemic has sparked something good. New projects have been unearthed. Could you turn a bedroom into a recording studio? Yes! We discuss being in a band versus solo work and the unfolding of Corrina's voice through time. Plus! Corrina takes beautiful photos and succumbed to the demand for people begging for her photos and has begun creating unique gift packs to share her photography with you. Listen in for inspiration. Maybe there is some new way you could share your work with the world this year?
Corrina Repp captivates with her music, crafting enchanting songscapes that activate all your senses. She plays the electric guitar and is a singer/songwriter unlike any other. She is an actress who was featured in 8 Portlandia episodes, and several independent films and she is a phenomenal photographer and wonderful person to be around.
A little bio about her from www.allmusic.com. Written by Katherin Fulton
“Specializing in sparse, fragile songs that favor the electric guitar, singer/songwriter Corrina Repp emerged from the music scene of Portland, Oregon in the late '90s. After releasing her fourth album, 2006's The Absent and the Distant, she focused on the indie rock band Tu Fawning (2007-2012) before reviving her solo career with The Pattern of Electricity in 2015. Repp has also acted in films and on television, including a recurring role on IFC's Portlandia.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after frequent childhood relocations, Repp began her career as a musician thanks to a part-time job. While selling band merchandise online, she connected with the Decemberists, who were so impressed by her songs that they recommended her to Hush Records. The label released her debut album, A Boat Called Hope, in 1998. The CD-R EP The Other of Mud materialized a year later. Repp followed up with the albums I Take on Your Days in 2001 and It's Only the Future in 2004, both on Hush. After touring with the Decemberists, M. Ward, and Cat Power, among others, Repp released The Absent and the Distant on Mark Kozelek's Caldo Verde label in 2006.
Putting her solo career on hold, Repp and musician Joe Haege formed the band Tu Fawning with Toussaint Perrault and Liza Reitz in 2007. They released a pair of albums for the City Slang label (2010's Hearts on Hold and 2012's A Monument) and toured throughout the U.S. and Europe. After Tu Fawning disbanded in late 2012, Repp took on several acting roles in small independent films and appeared on multiple episodes of the popular Portland-based sketch-comedy show Portlandia. In 2015, she resumed her solo career with her fifth LP, The Pattern of Electricity. It arrived via Caldo Verde. A joint release between sonaBLAST! and Jealous Butcher Records, How a Fantasy Will Kill Us All, followed in 2018.” -https://www.allmusic.com/artist/corrina-repp-mn0000123043/biography
OOh, and I’m shifting the format of the podcast a little and offering you about half the episode here for the general public. If you wanna join the inner circle for sparkly bonuses and to hear the full conversation join Patreon at patreon.com/thymeinthestudio. You can hear the full unedited version that includes behind the scenes chats about love, money, and a special tarot reading for Ms. Repp.
Why do this? I thought it would be nice to offer 2 options- some condensed wisdom for all and the full length version for those who can’t get enough. :)
OOh and thanks to Corrina for allowing me to play part of her song, “Release Me” for the intro. Listen to the end to her part of another song, “Need you/Don’t Need You”
Find her on instagram @corrinarepp
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Corrina Audio
[00:00:00] Sara: [00:00:00] What about you? Are you in LA? Where are you
Corrina: [00:00:02] still in LA? This is I mean, now it's been, I left Portland like five years ago and I came down to to LA and maybe I think it was 2016 for six months in the summer.
Spring, late winter and spring. So this month actually makes four years since I've been. Legitimately here. And then this cool little place that I landed in Obi January will be three years that I've been in the same in the same apartment.
Oh,
Sara: [00:00:31] amazing.
Corrina: [00:00:31] Which is, was, is really rare for me. I feel like in 2012, when my life changed in a really huge way that I didn't I didn't really have a home base for for years, like. I just kept moving and trying and moving and shifting and changing and trying. And then now, and then I finally have this place, like.
It's cool. Like rebuild my life because I realized I was thinking this morning that I was like, I had, when I, when I moved into this place, I had like one bowl all and one pot. [00:01:00] And like, I lost everything through all that moving and it's cool in a way to be like, really appreciative of all the little things that I have now, you know, like I have like three ornaments.
I had nothing, you know, and now I'm like, I have a few
Sara: [00:01:13] ornaments,
Corrina: [00:01:13] I've got three packages of lights. It's my second year. So, you know,
Sara: [00:01:18] making me feel like this
Corrina: [00:01:19] successful adult.
Sara: [00:01:21] Yeah. You're like really grounding. Yeah. Yeah. I'm curious.
Like, what was that that happened in 2012, that kind of kicked off just
Corrina: [00:01:32] all
Sara: [00:01:32] the change and all the Fluctuations. Cause you said everything changed
that
Sara: [00:01:37] year. Yeah. Do you remember,
Did you
Corrina: [00:01:38] ever know Joe Haiti and I, yes. Yeah. Yeah. So we were together for eight years and also had a band.
Sara: [00:01:45] Yes. Too funny, which I wanted to ask about.
Corrina: [00:01:49] Yeah. So we had that project. It started in 2007 and ended in 2012. And like, we just worked on stop on that project and [00:02:00] toured and toured and toured and did two records and an EAP in five years. Whoa. Which thinking about that. Yeah, that's a lot. Then the band and the relationship ended at kind of around the same time in the late summer, early fall of 2012.
And then that was when, yeah, my whole life changed when I was eight. I mean, it's crazy that it was eight years ago now I will like such a different person, but then kind of, not at the same at the same time, you know, I obviously feel better.
Sara: [00:02:31] Things are
Corrina: [00:02:33] a little weirder, you know, but but yeah. So when that, when that happened, I kept trying to find my, footing again, so yeah. Yeah, thanks. Thanks for having me.
Sara: [00:02:45] Oh my gosh. Yeah. I just love everything you do. I mean, I loved your music forever.
. And , I'm so glad you're doing your thing
Corrina: [00:02:52] yeah, I don't have a choice really.
.
I'm was watching this documentary, this ballet documentary and this one girl was like, [00:03:00] Oh, it was the chorus line documentary. , the most recent chorus line. And this girl was like, I didn't, I didn't create anything to fall back
Sara: [00:03:07] on. Cause I didn't want to fall back. I
Corrina: [00:03:10] wanted to like stay true to myself and my passions and my endeavors and not, and not fall back on anything.
Then part of me is like, ah, so tired of being stressed out about money there's a point in life where it's just not funny anymore.
Sara: [00:03:25] I totally feel that
Corrina: [00:03:27] I was working. I mean, and then when I was, I was always doing whatever odd job, like I was the queen of odd jobs because everyone knew, Oh, blitz has created to do this. Like the list is long shit I did in Portland. If someone really asked me to like lay it out in a resume, all the things that I've done, I'd be like, wow, I'm not bad.
But, but it got to a point where like, I would have like seven jobs I'd be going to, you know, in a week, like one would get, you know, pay me this. And one, I do this little project and this little project and but ultimately I'm, I've been . A food server. Like that's, that's what I've always done.
[00:04:00] But we went, I was furloughed in March until the second week of October. And then I went back to work serving for five weeks and then and the lockdown happened again. Yeah.
Sara: [00:04:13] Good things will fall into place,
Corrina: [00:04:16] but yeah, I think so too. I think I, part of me is just like, I don't see why not. Yeah. This point after doing this for so long and working so hard and, and and, and I just still try to really believe in it, not, not to be a fool, but to really just know that , after a certain level of dedication for however many years that S something is, will happen for me, that will allow me to keep doing it.
And in a way that feels sustainable in my life. Yeah, I know. And emotionally sustainable too. Yeah, like the, the voiceover thing, like wanting, you know, I took a class for that and that's been something that I'm like, Oh, that feels, that feels like a door that could open for [00:05:00] me that. Makes that makes sense for my skills that I have.
Sara: [00:05:05] Ooh. I love that idea because you have an amazing voice and you're wonderful
Corrina: [00:05:10] to
Sara: [00:05:10] be around and work with. .
Corrina: [00:05:12] Yeah, I know how to use the microphone.
Sara: [00:05:15] I don't
Corrina: [00:05:16] know. Also the thing that just makes sense too.
Sara: [00:05:20] Oh, I love
Corrina: [00:05:21] that.
Sara: [00:05:23] . Were you in, you were in some Portlandia episodes too, weren't you? Yeah, it's
Corrina: [00:05:28] funny. Cause I was just, you know, I'm sure you feel the same way about this year. About the time or? Yeah. I had found some old, I would always have like a little physical, actual physical day planner.
And I had that a lot in, in the two thousands into the early , 2013, even up until recently. And I'm so glad that I did because I was thumbing through on this morning and it was from. 2016. And that was the last, because I was thinking about Portlandia and how it seems like it's been so long.
But [00:06:00] that was when I filmed, it was the last season being filmed and it was the last. Thing that I ever shot for Portlandia was leaving in 2016. Cause it said like shoot Portlandia. And then there was the, the wrap party or something like that, that I ended up going to I mean, that was part of the reason I moved to LA too, was wanting to do more acting stuff.
Sara: [00:06:22] Cool.
Corrina: [00:06:22] Having had so much fun doing Portlandia and Jonathan Chrysler was like, you should move to LA. You can make money doing acting. And I have still remained wildly committed to music. I do audition for commercials once in a while, but
I feel like I'm the weirdo wild card that will probably never get cast in something.
Sara: [00:06:38] It seems like I would want to cast you and everything. ,
Corrina: [00:06:43] I'm not, I was, I felt like when I lived in Portland and I would go audition for things, I didn't care. Yeah. I was like, this is funny. I'm in a room full of people with headshots that really care.
Yeah. And, and I'd be like, this'll be fun. I'm [00:07:00] just going to show up and do this thing for, you know, Simon max Hill. Who's a, he's the cast main or the main casting guys in Portland, but And it was just fun. And then I moved down here and it, and the rooms felt different. Everything felt different, everything felt much more intense and much more serious.
And, and, you know, it was, it just felt like a whole new scene for me, that felt really intimidating and didn't really feel like I fit in. And so, you know, I'd go into these auditions. I had got some, some callbacks and like good things that had happened, it's definitely been a good experience, but it changed actually being in LA but I, I then became more nervous because it felt like I had more carrying more weight and I needed it more.
And then I, I just didn't. I stopped doing well in auditions. I feel like, because I, I just felt so nervous and I'd be like, I can walk up to a 10 top at a restaurant and like, Dazzle people and it'd be, I wouldn't be nervous at all. I could be. I could just look everybody in the eye and make them [00:08:00] laugh. And then that's what I started doing auditions.
Cause I would get so nervous. Oh, remember you can go stand in front of 10,
10 top. Yeah.
Sara: [00:08:08] And they
Corrina: [00:08:09] don't intimidate you at all. And I would just try to remind myself that I was capable and in to not be nervous and to not be freaked out. But my nerves just started getting the best of me because I started wanting it.
And it was better when I was in Portland and I'm like, nah, I don't care. I don't want it. I don't care. You know, I I'm a musician. And then when I moved to LA and it shifted and then I started feeling really nervous and I just didn't do as well.
Sara: [00:08:33] , it's just easier to be a cool cucumber when you're like,
Corrina: [00:08:36] could take it or leave it.
That was really fun. I was in like seven or eight episodes, I think. Yeah.
Sara: [00:08:43] I loved that show and I loved you in it. Such an awesome match.
And , I imagined you are going to be, you're going to have your own show.
Corrina: [00:08:51] I kind of secretly would love to do stuff like that. Oh. Like, I don't think I'm like the face of a television [00:09:00] commercial, but I'm pretty fearless when it comes to acting that I I'm the person that wants to do like kind of weird wild, far out thing.
And I'm not afraid of that. But again, then being an LA and it's just kind of like, Oh, I don't know where to where to even begin. And it feels so much more intimidating. Whereas I think if I were back in Portland, I think that it would be, again, it would be a different, a different scenario for me.
Sara: [00:09:25] Yeah. Do you ever imagine going back to Portland or it seems like LA feels like a good spot for you?
Corrina: [00:09:33] I love LA, but I will not. I will not be here forever. I have to be someplace smaller. Yeah. But that's, what's great about where I live is like I live in echo park. Oh really cool neighborhood. It feels very removed. I have to like. I can see downtown when I go on my walks. And like, I know that I'm in a big city, but I'm so far removed and it's so quiet and I can drive a mile down the road and beyond sunset [00:10:00] Boulevard but I I'm removed and it feels like I'm in like my own little, tiny little town.
But I do see myself someday, not necessarily Portland proper, and not that I could afford it anyway, but I just have this community that I have there that I, as I get older, I know I want to be around.
Sara: [00:10:19] Yeah.
Corrina: [00:10:20] I'm like a good friend of mine, Rachel Lumbergh she used to do the drum and the Decemberists like,
and then she was like a drummer in North Oakland, Western and M wards band and had her own project called arch Cape.
Now that she's back in Portland, that that's a big part of me. That's like, Oh, you know, we're joking about her buying. They're buying a house and getting a little back house for me. Oh, you know, I can I can move into the little back house and take care of
Sara: [00:10:43] Karena wrap
Corrina: [00:10:43] machine,
Sara: [00:10:44] get to be at all like, Oh my God.
I love them. Yeah. So I see myself
Corrina: [00:10:50] maybe some someday, but I love going back, but it's so hard. Yeah. It was my love. Like I grew up there and was there for 21 years and I [00:11:00] got to, I got to sow my oats there and become a musician and who I, who I am. , I got to be there. It's such a magical time.
And and it doesn't exist anymore. And so, you know, going back would definitely mean like, I really have to separate myself from what it used to be. And what it is now. And I do that every time I go back to visit. Yeah. It's gotten easier for me to just, you know, kind of like, just put up the emotional blinders and, you know, drive to my friend's house and not recognize a single landmark
Sara: [00:11:31] I've been back.
I it's maybe been 10 years since I've been back
.
Wow. I mean,
Corrina: [00:11:38] I go back pretty often. I would also you know, I still have so many people up there and playing shows. I went, it was nice to go back twice last year and play shows and all the Damien Damien dates opening for him, like brought me around, you know, around the country, which was cool. But then also brought me back to Portland.
Twice.
[00:12:00] Sara: [00:11:59] Amazing.
Corrina: [00:12:00] Yeah. And so that was really great to play in shows there and like looking out in the audience and feeling like I was at my wake or something like that. People I've known for 25 years, like in the audience, you're just like, Oh my God, you
Sara: [00:12:12] guys, it was so crazy.
Corrina: [00:12:15] I don't know. But the weather is the, brother's hard on me.
It's hard on me. Like, I feel that too, they are just pure. Magic. . It's absolutely delightful. And the light is cool and this, and it's 70 degrees and it gets cold enough at night that it, you know, it feels like a season. The leaves do change on some of the trees and the, the shadows are really long and beautiful.
And for photography like, Oh yeah, just out of this world. And. Even the light, you know, in the, in the heat of late summer where it gets that really everything gets that really warm, beautiful glow. Yeah. The photographer that it's for pictures, it's just the best. It's just, [00:13:00] that
Sara: [00:13:00] seems incredible. Yeah. I, I've only been to LA a couple of times, but I just remember being like, Why is everyone?
Everything is just like so
Corrina: [00:13:11] beautiful. Like,
Sara: [00:13:13] yeah, the light feels so different and it becomes transcendent somehow. And.
Corrina: [00:13:18] It really is. And this time of year, I know when everybody else is kind of, I sometimes I'll look at the weather in Portland. We're all, I'll know what's going on because of Instagram.
I'll see, like 90% of my feed are all my Portland friends. Yeah.
Sara: [00:13:30] Great, great, great.
Corrina: [00:13:32] Yeah. And then I'm like out there doing my hike and shorts in a, in a sweatshirt and feeling really good, but yeah. But, you know, I do miss the trees and I miss the Gorge and there's a lot of things that I missed. It's it's my home for sure.
It'll always be my home, but I love being down here. I love that I made the move. And that I challenged myself in this way. Sometimes I'll drive around in LA. I can't believe I fucking live in LA.
Sara: [00:13:57] Yeah, I
Corrina: [00:13:58] did it.
[00:14:00] Sara: [00:13:59] Yeah.
Corrina: [00:14:01] I left when I was 40. Two years old. I decided, you know what, I'm going to change my whole life at 42 years old.
Sara: [00:14:07] That's awesome.
Corrina: [00:14:08] You feel happy for them?
Sara: [00:14:10] I'm about to turn 42. So that gives, that gives me hope.
Corrina: [00:14:13] Yeah, well hopefully you can still have it at any age that you can. What's your birthday,
Sara: [00:14:20] January 22nd. Oh, okay.
Corrina: [00:14:24] December 22nd.
Sara: [00:14:25] Oh, I think I remembered you were 22.
Corrina: [00:14:28] Yes, yes, yes.
I was thinking about that album that. I was like, man, I really want to give it to people I love. And like people whose music, I really love and people that I know whose music I really love that I'm like I have to just not be afraid and be really proud of what I've done and not. And not be afraid to share it with people only, just because I I'm just not, I'm just not that kind of person.
I'm not that kind of, you look at me, even though I'm a [00:15:00] performer, which has always been hilarious to me is that I don't like a lot. I don't like a lot of attention and I don't, I don't push myself on people ever. But I'm like, it's a new era.
Sara: [00:15:10] Give your music to
Corrina: [00:15:11] everybody, you know, to try to get people to hear this record.
Sara: [00:15:16] , so,
Corrina: [00:15:17] you know, ideally posting something on Instagram is like, is a pretty great way to be able to get information across.
. But I think people just kind of numb out when they're like just scrolling that are not actually like taking in actual information. Although with the post, I have to say the postcard project thing that I. I am amazed at how many people responded. I had, I had enough, I mean, I had enough orders that I was that I'm still actually waiting for more postcards to come in to fill the orders, which, which is cool.
So I mean, it, it, it worked, it gave me a little bit of extra money this month and also super fun project. And I love that. I get to share my photos
Sara: [00:15:58] and.
[00:16:00] Corrina: [00:16:00] I hope to keep doing it.
Sara: [00:16:02] They're so beautiful. I just, I love the way they're packaged. They're printed super well.
I was actually curious where you printed them or what that experience was . It was all
Corrina: [00:16:13] honestly really accidental. I was thinking about doing a book. And then for my mom's birthday this year, I found I did this one. I tried this one company and got the book back and the coloring was all wrong.
It just looked really cheap.
Sara: [00:16:28] What company was it? Cause I was thinking of making a book
Corrina: [00:16:31] nation a nation limited or something like that. I forget, I had done prints with them in the past, and it's not like that. I love that. I love the prints, but they were good enough. And then, and so then I did the book.
This sucks. I don't like it. Then. I tried this company artifact uprising. Oh my mom. As just like a little trial run, but it was really expensive. It was like a linen hardback, really beautiful book. And it turned out great. And I ended up giving it to my [00:17:00] mom as a gift, but I'm like, well, I can't sell these because.
Who wants to buy a photo book for $150 so, and then I was like, I kind of put the idea to the side and then I was like, well, I still want to make prints. I just want these photos that I can actually hold and so on are artifact uprising.
And it was like picture, photo picture set. And I'm like, Oh, I'll do, I'll do I'll do 25 and see what happens. This is when I order, I just chose all these different prints and and ended up doing like five by seven. Whatever, you know, with the border. And they came and I was like, wow. I was like, this is crazy.
They looks so good.
Sara: [00:17:34] Beautiful. Their quality is really good.
Corrina: [00:17:38] The paper is cool. I was like, these were like postcards. And then I sent a couple, like just flipped it over and wrote on the back and sent it away. And then, then I was like, wow. I wonder if anybody would be interested. Cause I know people would always comment on the pattern, electricity photos.
On that Instagram being like, you know, can I get these are, these are so great. And I thought, well, maybe people would be interested. And so that was that post. I was like, would anybody be [00:18:00] interested in actually buying like a pack of five, you know? And I've had like 40 orders. Yeah. And and then also like through trial and error, I've seen kind of what works, what doesn't work, what prints look really cool.
And, and which ones, you know, don't work. And so but yeah, yeah. I've been doing that and that's been so, so fun, but now I don't know how actually I'm just not a business minded person at all. Like I, I have an idea and then I'm like, Cool. I don't know where to go from here. And so I'm also like, well, how do I, how do I actually turn it into something?
Cause I knew a lot of the people that made those orders. And so then I'm like my friend, she like my friend Val in Belgium, she was like, what's so great here. I'm so thankful for your pictures and all the lights. So I sent her five postcards of like.
Really bright, beautifully, you know, colored images. And like my friend named Jayna is a writer and he, you know, I sent him images that in my mind kind of told a story. And so I loved being [00:19:00] able to be very thoughtful about like, you know, okay, this is for so-and-so and then putting it together.
The little packs of five,
Sara: [00:19:07] so that
Corrina: [00:19:09] I hope that you liked your five. Cause I
Sara: [00:19:11] love them. Like they're beautiful.
Corrina: [00:19:15] They're just, yeah, that's a night blooming. I'm serious. That is serious. But
Sara: [00:19:19] that's
Corrina: [00:19:21] the bloom in my backyard. For one night, one night year. I, you probably see me posting these
I'm obsessed with them. And they bloom between late August to November by right by my lemon tree in the backyard. And it's for one night and they're just to die for stunning, beautiful flowers that wait all year for this one, one night. And they come in batches, there'll be like all of a sudden they'll be like, you'll see three buds.
And then they bloom. And then a [00:20:00] week later, you'll see two more buds pop up and then they'll bloom and they kind of just, just decide to show up. Whenever
Sara: [00:20:07] they're like little stars kind of twinkling. I just,
Corrina: [00:20:10] I
Yeah. And so I liked that, like the kind of felt like a behind the scenes look at this flower while it was like looking out over echo park app.
I was like,
Sara: [00:20:20] yeah, they're so good. Karena. So what is it called? Artifact uprising.
Corrina: [00:20:26] Uprising. Yeah. Oh, cool.
Sara: [00:20:28] Yeah,
How is the new album coming along? Like, what is that about? What are you writing about?
Corrina: [00:20:32] Well, it's kind of a funny, it's kind of a funny story, but I was supposed to you know, I was touring a lot last year.
I was doing all the shows with Damien and. And since I've moved to this apartment, I've been really prolific because I wake up every morning, I make coffee guitar, and I just actually have a space where I feel like my neighbor's okay with it.
She's an opera singer. And so I practice all the time and I know that she appreciates that I'm a musician. And [00:21:00] so I, I just have always felt very comfortable. Playing music in this space . And so I had an album ready to record in this. It was supposed to be spring or summer.
I was going to go up to Portland and record with a friend of mine. And then all of this happened and I started talking to my friend and he's like, well, look since you're not obviously not going to come up. He's like, okay. Why don't you try to do it yourself and, you know, and, and he was like, I'll send you some mikes.
And you know, we can talk about Mike placement and and then my friend, Rachel Blumberg was showed me again. I hadn't used garage band in so many years because I didn't have to. And then she gave me a tutorial, like how to use garage band. I already had two mics. I had an interface. And the next thing I know I'm, I'm.
I'm getting myself set up to record myself. In that time, I kept writing song after song, after song, and that was in around mid April and I'd already had a whole other batch of songs ready to record for [00:22:00] an album. But I started just, I was so prolific. I would wake up every morning and write a new song that I then decided to make a quote unquote quarantine album, which it's not at all.
You know, it's, it's not me singing about, about COVID, you know, it's about, it's also exploring all kinds of feelings that you're having when you're in isolation and you're alone and whatever else you think about in life, but you have, it's been much more microscopic time of creativity. And so I ended up starting to record myself and I had an album written and recorded by the end of July.
Wow. And it was, it was done and there was 10 songs. And and right now I think it's going to be a nine song album. And so in that time, also the friend that was supposed to help me he kind of disappeared. Which in a good way, ended up being really great for me, because I could just go do my own thing and explore.
And [00:23:00] the album is not going to sound like it was recorded in a nice recording studio with an awesome engineer, but in a way I it's a hundred percent me and I did everything on it. I made all the choices. I. I had never had that experience before recording myself and, and being tough on my takes, you know, and be like, no cleanup, actually, you can do that again.
Sara: [00:23:24] Ooh.
And
Corrina: [00:23:26] listening to it and being very diligent and and tough on myself, but also having like this expansive creativity and time, endless time to be like, I want to do is weird. Guitar lead opening to the song. I don't know why. It's what I feel like doing. And I can, and I would sit around and noodle on the guitar for three hours and come up with exactly what I wanted it to be.
Whereas in a studio, I would never have the time. I would never have the money, you know, to go in and be like, Hey,
Sara: [00:23:55] Hey buddy, do you mind if I just sit here and noodle for three hours
Corrina: [00:23:59] and [00:24:00] find the thing that I want to do because I'm self-taught I do everything by ear. So I have to
Sara: [00:24:04] actually
Corrina: [00:24:05] find it. And that part was like, I was happy.
Yeah. Happy that's supporting itself over that time. Like I would wake up every morning, make coffee and sit and work all day. And, and I was like, I'm a musician, I'm a musician. This
Sara: [00:24:25] is
Corrina: [00:24:27] not have a day job.
Sara: [00:24:29] I was stoked.
Corrina: [00:24:31] And then I finished the album and I kept waiting on the same friend to mix it. And it was about a week and a half ago that I was like, I'm just going to take this off your plate because it was supposed to be done at the end of November.
And it's the first week of December. And I haven't heard a single mix yet.
Sara: [00:24:45] So
Corrina: [00:24:47] if I was talking to my friend Ashad and I had told him, you know, that like, I. I don't know who can mix this album. I don't have a budget and I'm kind of stuck right now. And he's like, I [00:25:00] have the person for you. And he gave me the email, this guy, Jim Putnam, and and introduced me to him.
And Jim was like, why have I never heard your music? I love your music. I would love to do this. And within five days of our introduction he had already sent me a mix of the first song. Oh, amazing. And it was like near perfect. Near exactly what I, what I wanted.
Sara: [00:25:26] Oh, I
Corrina: [00:25:27] love that. So that was like three nights ago that I got this mix.
I was literally like listening to this mix, going, just crying. Wow, because I could not believe I'm finally going to make progress. I'm finally going to get to his results. And and, and it was good and it sounded good.
And it's going to make it out into the world and yeah. I can't wait to share it with people, but also it feels good. Cause it's mine. It's this thing that I, that I did. And I worked really hard to make it, to make it happen and to make it me. And yeah, so it's [00:26:00] finally happening.
Sara: [00:26:01] Oh, so exciting. . I'm curious to your process of writing a song, like do, are you writing the words as like a poem and then you're filling in with music or do you
Corrina: [00:26:13] create
Sara: [00:26:14] the, the guitar parts and then builds Markerlyrics into that?
I'm kind of curious just how your songwriting happens.
Corrina: [00:26:25] It's always the music first.
Sara: [00:26:28] Okay,
Corrina: [00:26:28] cool. Like I'll just sit down with my guitar and all of a sudden that one day I'll decide to put the Cape on, on the fourth fret and, you know, pluck two strings in the shape of G and be like, Wow. Oh, that really resonates.
And all of a sudden, you go to the next chord and you're like, Oh, that's doing something. And then, you know, three minutes later, you've, you're writing the first verse. And then it turns into a chorus and, and [00:27:00] sometimes I'll have a song in 20 minutes. And I think that's what I love about the process of songwriting and why I keep doing it.
Why it's, it feels like such an addiction in a way of like catching the song spirit. If you show up for it, and sometimes it just shows up for you. Like when I was writing this album, like I was saying, like every day I would sit down, pick up the guitar and have another new song. Wow. It was just like, just song after song, after song, it was just falling from the heavens.
And with the funny thing is, is that I, you know, I wrote my last song at the end of July. And then I traveled for a couple of weeks and then I came back and I had nothing musically. It was, it was all gone. And then I was just, you know, playing guitar is still, but just working on instrumentals, I wasn't singing at all.
I wasn't even going to attempting to write a song and I didn't write a song again until so two weeks ago, what
Sara: [00:27:56] was that pause about? I think that
Corrina: [00:27:58] happens every time I [00:28:00] finished, I finished an album. Yeah. I just, I'm just done . Like that was the chapter you created this, project, especially this one was such an intensive.
You had such a very specific amount of time that I felt like I kind of captured, I captured everything that I could and was supposed to at that time. Well, I just won't, I won't even attempt to write anything. Like I didn't even, I would still always play guitar or these past four months, but like, I didn't attempt to write a song until one just came out of nowhere where two weeks ago.
And it was one of those, again, that was like done in less than a half an hour. Wow. And then I had this new song.
Sara: [00:28:44] That's amazing. It's
Corrina: [00:28:46] one of the things I love about it and you'll listen to song, right. I mean, it was funny. I mean, Damien Gerardo, I Markerwas like one of my favorite songwriters, but it's crazy watching or talking to him about his process because he really is a conduit for songs.
Like he hit his songs and he's [00:29:00] more of a storyteller. For sure. But and I think it's like that being an artist anywhere or any way of that, you know, you're kind of a con a conduit for this creative energy and if you're open to it and you show up for it you know, it, doesn't always, Markerit's not always there, but if you show up for it, On a consistent basis.
It'll, it'll keep showing up for you. And I think that that was, that has been the great part of the last few years of being so prolific is that I, I did just keep showing up, you know, I love having the song usually would just show up for me too. But lyrics always come in after I've. Kind of either simultaneously with the, with the chords that I'm playing or the notes that I'm playing and how it resonates with me inside and emotionally.
And then, and then maybe I'll have a visual that will be created by. Like sonically, how it feels. And then I'll start writing a song from there. And lyrics will kind of start words will start pouring out of me and images will [00:30:00] start pouring out of me. And then, and then that'll be the song
yeah.
Sara: [00:30:03] I can feel how that happens . When I got to see you perform in Denver with Damien, I guess that must've been last November or something, but there's just these visuals that come in as I hear you. Your songs have a very visual element to them.
I can't remember what that's called. Like synesthesia, when like a sound is like a color is like a number, like there's like ways that our senses kind of blend or overlap. And I feel like there's something. There's that happens somehow with your music where it's like listening to your music, brings up visuals and other sense sensor activated through your music.
Somehow. I don't know why that
Corrina: [00:30:48] is for me when I do it. I mean, I feel very I, I really do attach visuals to my music whenever I'm even. Writing the song I can, I I'll, I'll literally even just like close my [00:31:00] eyes and bring myself into this scene or to this scenario and be able to describe it or write about it or feel it
Sara: [00:31:06] Oh, wow.
Corrina: [00:31:08] As it's, as it's happening. And it also informs me, it gives me more information also about the song and what I'm writing about and the feeling. Wow.
Sara: [00:31:18] I feel like maybe you should make videos. Yeah. I mean, two more videos.
Corrina: [00:31:25] I want to do more videos for sure. Yeah. I was actually the first song that I got back from gym that was mixed.
It was the first time that he did that. I was like, I want you to do this song first. Cause it's my favorite. And so when he sent it back and that's one, for sure, like, I see. I have pretty strong visuals for that and, and and have a daydream video in mind for that. So that's, that's again, it's one of those things of like sharing it with someone, with the possibility, this is a more of a collaborative effort, but also being like, I wonder if this person would like this, [00:32:00] I hope they would like it, but I'm going to share with them.
And perhaps they, if they like it they'd want to collaborate.
Sara: [00:32:04] Yeah.
Corrina: [00:32:06] So that would be, that would definitely be something that I want to do with this, with this album for sure is.
I want to be able to pay people for their work. Weirdest thing about the music industry or just arts in general. Like I just, just it's like, you should be grateful that you're on a playlist on Spotify, even though you're never going to see a penny. It's
Sara: [00:32:31] kind of crazy to me. Like I actually wanted to ask you about like, how can we restructure the music industry so that musicians can get paid?
Corrina: [00:32:41]
I don't know. They're just, I mean, they're just basically needs to, everything just needs to be like blown up and crumble the pieces and restructure because it's not working for the artists.
People can listen to music for free. Any music in the world for free. [00:33:00] So I just think it needs, if there needs to be like either a major lawsuit or someone at the top needs to speak up and, and be like, this is actually wrong and we can do better.
I don't know if that'll ever happen. I mean, people, people in a position of power, the people who have the power to speak up and help, help facilitate that change. Cause it needs to happen. It's not, it's not sustainable. Although, you know, there's more music out there than ever and nothing stopping anyone from, you know, putting their music up on streaming platforms.
We're all still doing it because we want to hear it. Yes, the ultimate goal. So, you know, for someone in my position, like, of course I want people to hear it. But you know, it would be nice to get paid a little bit of money too. There are ways to support artists and there are other ways to get people's music, you know, , I think it is band camp actually. Yeah, they doing that where they'll waive their fees on Friday. So artists will get a hundred percent of
Sara: [00:33:59] the,
[00:34:00] Corrina: [00:34:00] of the profits from the sale of CDs or vinyl.
Sara: [00:34:05] That's cool.
Corrina: [00:34:06] So, you know, it is also up to us to be like, well, instead of listening to this album for free on Spotify, I could actually go buy it for $12 directly from this person's band camp and and listen to it that way.
So, you know, there, there are other options. So I, I just remain in charge of what I can be in charge of.
Sara: [00:34:28] Yeah. And be in the present moment. I think that's actually a brilliant place to be because.
.
Corrina: [00:34:36] It's just best for me to keep my eye on the prize and focus on what I know and what I have control over, which is, which is making the stuff.
Sara: [00:34:45] Yeah.
. Yeah. I love that. I I'm curious. Just thinking of like working with other people, I'm just kind of curious your Looking back at your work over the years, like I know you did [00:35:00] so much beautiful solo work and worked with other bands and then had.
You were in to fawning and you were touring all over the U S and Europe, and, and now you're doing more solo work. Again. I'm curious what working with
Corrina: [00:35:17] other people have,
Sara: [00:35:18] that's different versus doing it on your own, like how that feels different and what you've maybe learned from those collaborations that you bring into your solo work.
Now.
Corrina: [00:35:30] I think the beginning stages of being a solo performer, cause that's where I, that's where I started from, you know, it was just me and my guitar and I would do open mics. And then I really found a lot of bizarre joy on, you know, getting on stage by myself and quieting a room and And sharing my songs in that way, there was, it was very emotionally powerful for me to connect with people in that way.
And and it got to a place where I just felt like [00:36:00] I had kind of reached my peak in terms of what I was learning and able to communicate. And it felt increasingly vulnerable for me to to get onstage alone and, and to kind of. Make a room be quiet and not all the time. Of course, you know, you still have those obviously traumatic memories of having to sing through a bar crowd.
And then I would, I just. I was working on this album in 2006 and I met Joe and he was playing in 31 knots. Did you ever see those guys?
Sara: [00:36:31] Yeah. Oh my gosh. They were amazing.
Corrina: [00:36:34] And so I just was like, Joe and I met when I was just finishing this 2006 album.
And and so it was like the solo record. I think he was just putting out and finishing this 31 knots album and We just kind of naturally, you know, I would go in and S you know, I think I would go into the studio. He came in and helped me in the studio on the 2006 record, the absent and the distant.
And then I would go into the studio and sing on 31 knots stuff, and [00:37:00] he loved my voice. And I obviously like, loved what he was doing, and he's an insane musician. And then we both kind of finished our respective. Projects at around the same time. And I got invited tour to do this European tour solo.
And I invited him along to kind of back me up on some songs. And that was when we started playing together. And that was around 2006, 2007, and kind of, kind of very quickly, we became two fawning and. We knew that we didn't want to do the ordinary, like four piece rock band. We didn't want to do the bass drums, guitar kind of thing.
And so we were trying to think of like, multi-instrumentalist just that we knew would be a good fit. And so that's when we invited both Liza and Tucson into that project. Because Liza played like keys and violin and Tucson played the horn and, you know, percussion. And and that was kind of when [00:38:00] we became you know, became to finding.
And for the most part, you know, especially in the beginning, it was just Joe and I writing songs and they came into it. And then I think for that last album, 2012 album, a monument, we were spending more time together in the rehearsal space, like working out parts and stuff like that. I love that time because I was able to explore not being just a songwriter.
Yeah. I really felt like I was able to explore being a musician and you know, then Joe and I started living together and he had a drum kit in the basement that was the drummer from 31 knots and leave it in the basement. And and so then Joe would start playing it and then I. Just one day, I just sat down on the kit and started playing.
It was kind of miraculous. It just worked for me all of a sudden, like, My kick, my kick foot, you know, kick drum foot was just like keeping the beat. And my right hand was doing something in [00:39:00] my left hand was doing something. And I was like, Holy shit, I'm playing.
And then, so then I started playing drums and then, you know, and Joe and I are singing together or writing together, I'm making music, I'm coming up with like four part, little vocal part harmonies and yeah. I just, it was fucking great. It was such a wonderful time and just explosive creativity and Joe is a workhorse too.
And so he really brought that out in me sometimes, you know, it was a little, it was like, no, I just want, I just want to chill right now. It's like 10 o'clock. I just want to, I just want to watch a movie you know, and shell and work with a song. Like he is like a very, he's extremely hardworking a musician.
But I don't know, everything just happened so fast. And there was a period of time that I was like, is this happening right now? Like, did we just get signed to like the coolest label in Europe? And, you know, are we [00:40:00] really doing our third-year pian tour this year? Like, is this shit really happening?
And I was a front person, all of a sudden where, you know, it's just me and a mic and I'm jumping up and down in a crowd of people. And all of a sudden, I didn't know how to be a front person. I didn't know how to be a dynamic singer. And I was really kind of thrust into a very quick education of how to be a rock and roller and playing the drums and, you know, and then I come back to Portland and be like, fuck, I lost my voice. MarkerMarker
Like. Five days into that tour. Like, what am I going to do? And so I started taking voice lessons, Oh, I keep losing my voice. I'd go to the merge table every night after a show and talk to people at night. And and in playing drums, I would lose my breath very quickly. So all of a sudden I'm like I had to learn all these new skills.
About how to kind of be this new, this new kind of musician that I wasn't [00:41:00] before. And so in that way, you know, looking back on it, I, it was a very intensive, like five-year master's program at how, how to be a front person in a rock and roll band.
Sara: [00:41:15] That's amazing. Do you feel like, I mean, I imagine that sounds just like, so all encompassing and just such a rich experience, did it, do you feel like it transformed your solo work and the way that you interpreted your own, like creating music as a solo person?
Corrina: [00:41:36] Well, , it made me a better musician and better because I was doing this talk singing for a long time where I didn'tMarkerMarkerMarker want to be another girl with a guitar emoting very early on. I was, I just found myself in a place where I didn't need to, I didn't need to be a part of that singer songwriter group where I [00:42:00] just didn't want to emote.
I wanted the emotional, but in my own, in my own way. And that, and that was this kind of talk singing thing that I did for a couple of records. And it was also inspired by bill Callahan. I was a big smog fan. Yeah. Back in the nineties and early two thousands. And so I was, you know, So when I met Joe, I got asked to do this song for like a kill rock stars, compilation.
And when he's turned, he actually singing, he was, he was like
Sara: [00:42:35] the Marker
Corrina: [00:42:35] , like what is going on? You have this voice and why haven't you been using it? Because
Sara: [00:42:40] I got, I don't know. I just didn't want to.
Corrina: [00:42:43] Everybody else's it's fine. I don't know. I don't want to be the big voice and I want to be the voice. I just didn't.
Maybe it was, I didn't want that attention. Maybe I just didn't want to be another girl with a guitar. I don't know. I had a lot of hangings about it until I met Joe and he, he really pushed me [00:43:00] to to really use my voice. And so I'd have to say off, go from that to really learning. That I have this voice and this range and this kind of operatic thing that I, that I tapped into.
And yeah, I learned a lot of things from it, but you know, when the band broke up in 2012, I, I didn't play music for a year after that. I was pretty, I was exhausted, but I was also pretty good at that, that project. And the relationship had kind of come to an end at the same time, but yeah. But it was an incredible time.
Yeah. I still think, I mean, I obviously still think about it. It was such a whirlwind, you know,
Sara: [00:43:38] it sounds
Corrina: [00:43:38] incredible 11 tours or something, European tours.
Sara: [00:43:42] That's amazing. I remember seeing, seeing you play before too funny, and then seeing you play with two funny at Doug fir and I just, yeah, there was. It's just like a, kind of a transformation that I could see occurred through that time and I can feel, [00:44:00] yeah, just something different in your music now. So it's really amazing just to hear you talk about that transformation.
Yeah,
Corrina: [00:44:07] it was mostly, I mean, a big part of it was, was Joe, just, you know, our, our personal relationship was very challenging. We're, we're two very passionate, fiery people. But I do feel like. You know, we, we, we were brought together to kind of, to really challenge each other. I feel like I kind of like pull him back in because he just is out.
He would just be out there and more and more and more. I'm like, no, no, no, let's bring it back and make it a little less than he would be like, Hey, push me out there. And you should try this and explore that and do that. And And so I feel like in a way we kind of met each other in the middle and had a really pretty decent creative balance.
And I, I just listened to some old, to finding stuff a few weeks ago and, and was still just like, man, that was a good song.
Sara: [00:44:52] Yeah, we did some cool stuff.
Corrina: [00:44:55] And I, yeah, I'm really proud of the time, but I think I saw some photos recently of myself and I was like, wow, it [00:45:00] doesn't even look, it doesn't even look like me.
, it was challenging to get on stage alone again, but I feel like I had become a much better musician and singer.
So I had, I just, I, it just felt like it just opened it up for me as a solo performer. And, and I still feel that. That way now, you know, when I was doing all those shows last year I just had become a better solo performer. Yeah. But I definitely miss collaborating. I miss I miss contributing an idea to someone like Joe, I would share something with him and he was always just so excited to hear what I was.
Would bring to the table and yeah, and he always, so instinctively always brought something back to me that I fell in love with. We had a very, you know, in a lot of mutual respect for each other creatively and and really encouraged each other and push each other. So I do miss that part of collaborating.
And I do, I, it will happen again for sure. At some point, like we had Heather, [00:46:00] Patrick I don't even know Heather Woods Broderick, but she's an incredible musician. She lives close by now. But but we we've definitely talked about working on stuff together.
Sara: [00:46:11] Just.
Corrina: [00:46:12] Cause I think we both really respect and admire each other's stuff, but for the same reason that she's a solo performer to that, right.
Let's see like,
Sara: [00:46:20] yeah, what happened to it?
Corrina: [00:46:23] So I don't know, still doing what I'm doing and still being a musician after all this time. And like not throwing in the towel to, you know, to go straight and narrow and get a banking job or something. Is that I still. There's still so much possibility.
Sara: [00:46:41] There's so much
Corrina: [00:46:42] growth and so much to learn.
And so many more songs to write.
Sara: [00:46:47] Yeah. Oh my gosh. And I can't wait to hear the new album. I'm curious. When do you have like an expected really state for that?
Corrina: [00:46:56] Well, I'm going to work with Rob Jones at jealous butcher. So he did the [00:47:00] vinyl, the last release, and I've known Rob since 2000. And he's been working on the music scene in Portland for that long and dear friend of mine small label, but he loves what he does.
Maybe may or June. I would like it to come out. But I wanted to, I always want it to like come out within the year.
Sara: [00:47:18] Yeah.
Corrina: [00:47:19] Since its inception. And then the time that just for my own personal, you know, my own just personal goal, it just come out in this window of time where it still feels like it's a part of you.
Yeah. Where you still have that like deep connection to it.
Sara: [00:47:38] 2020s.
Like they
Corrina: [00:47:40] struggle with it.
Sara: [00:47:43] Yeah.
Corrina: [00:47:44] I've learned so, so much. I mean, obviously it just isn't as an aging person. I think that that's the biggest quality you can learn about getting older is like, is just letting go and just being cool. Yeah. [00:48:00] You're not always going to get what you want. And obviously you're going to be filled with a lot of disappointment and, and you'll be a much happier person.
If you set yourself up with the tools to limit expectations, to still obviously be positive and and to be a light. A light person in the world, but to kind of temper temporary, any emotions around things, like I really wanted it to come out in March.
Sara: [00:48:27] Yeah. You know what, it's not going to,
Corrina: [00:48:30] it's not going to and who cares?
Sara: [00:48:33] Yeah. So that's how it was still going to
have
Corrina: [00:48:36] out. You're still going to love it. Hopefully people will like it too.
Sara: [00:48:40] I love that. Yeah. Oh my gosh. It's been so fun chatting with you. I'm just, I want to leave space if there's anything else coming through. And then also, how can people support your work and know about what is going on with you?
Corrina: [00:48:56] Yeah, well, I mean, I guess my band camp, so it'd be Kat Corrina rap at [00:49:00] band camp. There's also, I have a SoundCloud page. Instagram. I have two Instagrams. I have the Kareena rap, which is my music one and then pattern of electricity, which is my photography one. And that's also named after my 2015 record.
And I started that originally as my music one, and then it took over when I wasn't touring as my photography once, and then I just kept it. And so, yeah, I'd have to say probably the Instagram, Instagram is probably the best way. And then jealous butcher. Once, once they, you know, released the album, hopefully in early summer you'll be able to get, get it on vinyl.
That's the great thing about Rob is he's very, he's all about the vinyl. So there it'll be, it will be on vinyl and he, he did last time. He did a special, limited addition of colored vinyl.
Sara: [00:49:46] Ooh,
Corrina: [00:49:47] like usually 200 or two, 250 will be, it will be colored vinyl. So,
Sara: [00:49:52] Amazing. And then
like a mini exhibit that you are doing like [00:50:00] portable mini exhibits is that you can also, I mean, people do that.
Corrina: [00:50:04] You can just email me on either Instagram or just Kareena, rapid Gmail. You just have to spell the name. Right? Our R I N a R E Gmail. And I'm doing five prints, five, five by seven postcard prints for 25 bucks.
And I've been doing that unless you live overseas, man. It cost 15 bucks
Sara: [00:50:25] to send those postcards. Yeah.
So I'm
Corrina: [00:50:29] very easy. I'm very easy to find. I'm very, obviously, you know, a very friendly warm person. So if someone, I don't know once I can't, I want some postcards hails. Yeah.
Sara: [00:50:39] Yay. Yeah,
they're so gorgeous.
Corrina: [00:50:42] Thanks. Thanks. Yeah.
Sara: [00:50:43] The only thing is like, I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to mail any of them because they're so beautiful. I was like, Oh, I'm gonna be able to mail them away. And I'm like, no, I think I have to keep them. And my mom,
Corrina: [00:50:57] I know I've had people tell you that, like, I
Sara: [00:50:59] actually [00:51:00] don't want to send these.
Corrina: [00:51:01] They're like, well, you
Sara: [00:51:02] can buy another pack, but then you'll have like
Corrina: [00:51:04] five different images and then you'll be like, Shoot. I want to keep these images too. But yeah, I dunno. Struggle.
Thank you so much for having
Sara: [00:51:13] Oh my gosh. So glad to be in touch with you.
Okay. Have a great night. Bye honey.