What is your name?
I’m Yaki Margulies.
What is your genre of music?
I play rock music, or you could call it indie or alternative
Give us a little bio about you.
I’m originally from Seattle, WA, but I moved to Los Angeles, CA, where I’ve been growing my music, comedy, acting, and writing careers (I try my hand at a lot of things; it’s nice to have many irons in the fire so I never get tired). I’ve been performing improv and stand-up comedy for years, acting in lots of national commercials for various brands, and writing things, in addition to performing live music around the LA area
What made you go into music?
As a really little kid, I had access to my mom’s record collection, which I loved to put on and dance to. Later, I saw my older brother playing and writing music often, so there was always music in the house. And in 2005, after listening to Paul McCartney’s latest album at the time, I sat down at a piano and thought, “How hard is it to write a song?” I tried it, loved it, and never stopped trying to write songs.
Who are your influences?
Definitely The Beatles. They’re the best (and I love their solo careers, too). But I have a lot of influences and musical heroes beside The Beatles. Just to name some: Billy Joel, Elton John, Warren Zevon, Kate Bush, Ben Folds, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Mitski… the list goes on.
Are you a signed?
Nope! But today independent musicians have access to lots of tools that allow us to create and distribute our music fairly easily.
You released your new EP ‘Sandpaper World’, tell us more about the EP.
It’s a collection of six songs, some of which I wrote a long time ago and recently (before the pandemic) started playing live again, with a band, and some of the songs are brand new, written during quarantine, when I had lots of time on my hands.
What is the meaning behind the EP?
There are a number of themes throughout the EP – more common topics like love – but a lot of it has darker themes and lyrics (despite upbeat sounding music), like dealing with your mortality, fellow humans, the state of the world, and mental health.
What was the writing and recording process like?
I wrote these songs over a very long period time, usually at home, and I recorded the whole EP in my bedroom during quarantine.
Describe each track in two words.
(You Don’t Think You’re) Good Enough – Relatable, right?
Leaving For The Ocean – Okay, Death
Looking Up – Semi-sarcastic inspiration
Thresher – Bummer world
Heaven We Build – Inner strength?
Iris Of Stars – Trippy instrumental
Glass Ships – Old wounds
Who did you work with on the songs?
My brother helped master the finished songs, but otherwise I wrote/recorded the songs by myself
Will we see a music video for any of the tracks?
Yes! I actually plan to release (low-budget) videos for the first five of six tracks.
What else can we expect in Early 2021?
Not too much else, music-wise. Due to the ongoing pandemic, I won’t be playing any live shows to promote Sandpaper World in the near future. But I’m already writing more songs, so hopefully I’ll release some more music later this year.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I have no idea. I’m not sure the things I’m doing are gaining wide-spread traction with an audience, but I love doing them. It’s almost like a compulsion, making music. So I assume in 5 years, I’ll still be writing and self-releasing songs.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
My mantra is “Everything in moderation.” It’s not particularly sexy or artsy, but I’ve found it to be very true in most situations and it’s served me well. As for a quote, I like Kurt Vonnegut’s advice: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’”
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
To breath and actually take in the experience before it’s over, to go slower than you think with each song, to bring my instruments and gear and band!, to greet/thank/chat with friends and audience members, and as lame as it sounds, to just have fun with the gig and stay loose.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes, I’m @yakimargulies on Instagram and Twitter, and you can find my music online everywhere music can be found. Thanks!
