How’d you come up with the band’s name?
Proudfoot is actually my middle name, not Native American, but Scottish. As for ‘Botanicals’ our sound can be very rootsy at times, almost jungle soul. So Botanicals helps to evoke that feeling and image. Also, the notion of roots serves as a reminder of where we came from, and what our mission as artists is.
What is your genre of music?
Mostly soul and roots-rock, although we’ve been known to branch into indie-rock, reggae, hip-hop and funk.
What made you get into music?
I blame Dispatch. I heard their song, The General, being played from my older brother’s room when I was in middle school. I heard that opening guitar riff, those harmonies, and instantly knew I needed to play that song for people.
What is the meaning behind “Wild One”?
The song is about two friends experiencing turbulence in their relationship. They’re at a breaking point, when one friend urges the other to ‘dig deeper,’ hoping to unearth to root problem in their differences and salvage their relationship. It’s about two people doing the emotional work needed to maintain a lasting, fruitful relationship.
Describe the track in two words.
Hopeful, unpredictable.
What was the writing process like?
I had written entirely different lyrics and a melody line that I wasn’t so keen on. And then one day the line hit me: “I must admit you are a wild one, so am I.” I sang that line during band practice, and everyone was like yeah.
What was the recording process like?
This recording process was different in that we had a chance to engineer some of the recordings ourselves. Keys were tracked in our keyboardist’s home studio, and I recorded some guitar and background vocals at my home studio. We want to be tracking instruments more in our home studios in the future, so this was a good opportunity to try that out.
Who did you work with on the single?
Peter Brownlee was our engineer and mixer. He mixed and engineered our last EP, and has done work for countless artists here in Asheville. He’s incredibly smart when it comes to production, and puts me at ease in the studio. For mastering, we worked with Anthony Thogmartin from Papadosio. It was our first time having his touch on our material. We’re all really pleased with the way the track turned out.
Will we see an EP or album? If so what can we expect?
We’ll be releasing a few more singles early next year, and plan for our first full length release Fall 2020.
What else can we expect in 2019?
We’ll be hitting the studio again, working on composing singles for release next Spring. If things are really flowing we may release another single this Winter.
Who are your influences?
Lately I’ve been absorbing a lot of Tame Impala, studying Kevin Parker’s production work. My keyboardist Rob, and I love to nerd out on Currents. Recently I watched Twenty One Pilot’s full set this year at Lollapalooza and was blown away by their live performance. As a duo they have such a powerful stage presence, I’d love to bring more visual elements and energy to our live set.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
Often times it will start as a guitar lick. I’ll record it into my phone and loop it. Then I’ll sit down with a pen and paper and write via stream of consciousness. Like sifting for gems, I’ll take a break and see if I resonate with anything I’ve written and go from there.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Asheville is an epic town for those who love the outdoors. During the summer I try to go swimming, either in creeks or waterfalls a couple times each week. I did a lot of mountain biking this summer, which was awesome. I also teach yoga, so maintaining a healthy spiritual practice is important to me too.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Before soccer games when I was a kid, my dad would always tell me the number one rule was to go out and have fun. I still think about that before I go on stage. Just have some fucking fun!
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians (not about the industry, just as an artist?)
I would encourage artists to figure out a way to do their own recordings as soon as possible. Having the ability to record and produce your own music is incredibly empowering as a musician, and will help hone your ability to compose and ultimately create the songs you hear in your head.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
The simple adage, “now or never,’ helps me in a lot of ways. From procrastinating too much, but also from falsely thinking that there’s plenty of time available to us to do the things we want. If there’s a dream or vision we want to realize, we have to act on it today.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Home!
2/ Who do you see first? My girlfriend.
3/What do you eat first? Chocolate ice cream made from coconut milk
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Facebook
Instagram
Instagram (Band)
Website
