LONE PHONE BOOTH
Photo by, Super Vintage Party
Meet LONE PHONE BOOTH
Emotional rocker and all caps enthusiast Grace makes up LONE PHONE BOOTH. Hailing from Albany NY they produce music that will make you feel everything all the time. Their latest release “RE/SOUND” has been comforting me through a lot of my quarantine alone time, and it was great to get some more insight into this terrific musician. If slow driving rock tunes are your thing this project is a must-listen.
A Self-portrait by Grace of LONE PHONE BOOTH
Would You Rather
your skin flash like a fast strobe light, or be incredibly slippery? Why?
I would rather be incredibly slippery. People have seizures because of strobe lights, right? I don't want my skin to do that. I always wonder how cop cars are allowed to flash like that. If I were slippery I wouldn't give anyone a seizure.
Some questions with LONE PHONE BOOTH
Do you write music in your head, in a notebook, on a computer, or on your phone?
I can't write a whole song in my head. I'll get tiny ideas that I'll sing into my voice memos, or phrases I'll write in a notebook, but my guitar is a huge writing tool. That's why my vocals follow the guitar so much. Sometimes I'll have a little melody stuck in my head and it'll take me months to figure out how to frame it correctly. I don't usually move onto my computer till the bones are all laid out. Lately, though, I've been working with more field recordings, which act as the skeleton of the song. It's flipped my process around a bit.
Who would be your dream collaborator? Why?
What a huge question. Probably the person from the cradle, I don't even know their name. Their music is so genuine and they speak their own language. That's a process I'd like to see in action. Or someone like Ylayali, who somehow blends noise and drone and songs into one new thing. That's a balance I'm trying to get down.
What has been the driving force behind your project LONE PHONE BOOTH?
I guess I just need to make sounds. Performing holds me accountable to my work and introduces a sense of community to it. Getting involved in Albany's scene has introduced me to some of my best friends. Plus, a big reason I put my music out publicly is to be the sort of representation I wanted as a kid. I guess I've just tried to loudly be myself and encourage others to do the same.
Do you see a relationship between emotion and tempo? Does this affect your songwriting process?
100%! I struggle with depression, and sometimes on the bad days, I can only play the slow songs if I'm experiencing a lot of lethargy or brain fog. It's all about the energy level. It can be really cathartic to play slowly with distortion when you feel that way. It feels honest. My brain literally just doesn't move fast enough for fast changes. When you're moving that slow you can really sink into the sound.
Is there a meaning behind the all caps motif running through your project's work?
I like how insistent and like, unhinged all caps is. A lot of my music is gentle but it comes from big caps lock feelings. & How an album is presented affects how you hear it.
What would the title of your memoir/biography be?
"Fern, Unfurling."
What are your hopes for the Albany Music scene post COVID-19?
I really hope the house shows stay alive. I was actually planning on leaving Albany this year to live in a van exploring the southwest. That plan got pushed back, but hopefully, it will be safe enough to head out next year. I hope I can stand in a few more sweaty crowded basements before then. I hope people keep having physical spaces to share what they do (and ones that are run responsibly).
Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)
Recently we got an enamel bowl in at work, and whenever someone looked at it I'd be like "don't you just wanna eat breakfast out of that?!?" So eventually I got the damn bowl to eat breakfast out of. Now I have breakfast with my dog mug and my yellow bowl. If you have a good breakfast it's hard to have a bad day.