Strange Majik Talks New Album ‘NYC Animal’, Music Gear and More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Photo Credit: Michael Williams
American vocalist, songwriter, musician and producer Strange Majik has released his new album ‘NYC Animal’ which is out now. We sat down with him to get the lowdown:
Your new album ‘NYC Animal’ is out now. How did you want to approach the making of the record?
The pulse of Manhattan has always fascinated me. I was coming home from a studio session and a young gregarious Edie Sedgwick type wrangled me into a club.
Turned out I had a few fiends from the music scene in there and it was poppin’. The DJ was spinning Y2K rock bangers and some 80s classics and the fashion was sort of gnarly punk boudoir and what has now become known as indie sleaze. There were a couple of scene photogs doing snaps, lots of flashes, and the vibes were high. Those characters inspired the song “NYC Animal.” I felt a bit like Lou Reed writing “Walk On The Wild Side,” telling my own NY story of these barely 20 year olds NY cool kids in punked out threads prostrated on the pavement for a fresh social media dopamine rush. “Un Nouvel Amour” was inspired by a crazy night at Paul’s Baby Grand. “Nomadic Girl” was there too and still roams the nights. Eventually it became more of an internal journey and by the end of the record I reconcile my spirit and escape for the shores of Catalina.
Where did you record it and who produced it?
I recorded it at my studio in the LES on Rivington. I engineered, produced, mixed and mastered and the band came in to lend their ace chops.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
I really wanted disco strings on a few numbers and I hired Tory Anne Daines to come in. We built up some nice violin and viola sections around my arrangements. It was the first time I had arranged for strings and got fully engaged learning the ranges of each. The wildcard was I had Tory do “Black Lashes” cold and run a few violin takes. What emerged was a haunting beautiful landscape that is one of my favorite music moments on the record.
In addition, you have your title track single which is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the song?
I pretty much answered that in #1 but the lyrics were completely off the top of my head walking through my hood. I just dictated them into a voice memo. I knew who she was but the images just came down to me like drops of rain.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals?
For every record I bring in a new guitar for inspiration. The Kramer Pacer from 1986 was in the case for ages. I always said I should sell it but it had a great neck and I always liked the sound of the Dimarzio. It was called a super strat from the era of bands like Power Station and Cameo all that funk rock of the late 80’s. Its also a great funky guitar for comping and has a Floyd Rose whammy. I used it all over the record and am adding a bunch of whammy stuff live.
Do you have any live plans for 2024 in the UK and Europe?
I would love to. Looking for an agent for that at the moment!
Who do you perform with in your band?
Geoff Burke on Sax, Sean Spada on Keys, Steve Conroy on bass, my son Owen Pattillo plays drums on Animal and Catalina and joins me on bass a lot live, Colin Taylor played drums on the rest and Jordan Auber who added percussion plays with me live, also Wylie Wirth from The Dead Exs fills in here and there. Plenty of drummers!
Cole Razzano sings backups and Tory joins us on violin.
How do you look after your voice?
I think daily meditation is the best medicine for musicians. It allows us to reach greater levels of mastery and focus. I’ve been off smoking anything for years and have grown accustomed to skipping the drink these days. I guess I’m a bit boring socially but feeling great and enjoying the moments.
‘NYC Animal’ is accompanied by an official music video. Who worked on the video with you and what was the thought process behind it?
I wanted to finally get a fun video together and had some general ideas. I sent the song to a young director named Bishop who always saw us play at Belle Reve in Tribeca and had done some social stuff that was stellar. He brought in Abbey Immer who was a bartender at the bar and an actor. Bishop is a human fountain of ideas and a great spirit. He even had his cousin show up with some LED light bars to put in my Land Cruiser. We pimped it out!! Abbey did an incredible job.
What does New York City mean to you?
When I moved here it was a mirror. The East Village was bustling with artists and everyone like me looked like a ragtag bohemian. Today it’s been ransacked by adderall fueled bougie marketing mavens, real estate agents, and data jockeys. I’ve never seen a generation more convinced that they know what’s up. Certainty dominates discussions and the absurdity that once defined the punk rock ethos of NYC has been sidelined. But NYC is huge and there is always a pocket of cool that emerges and you cherish the moments. The NYC Animal party was one of those brief moments. It’s like a candle that eventually burns out and you have to light a new one somewhere else.
Was it a difficult album to write?
I find my inspiration in people and places. Some of the songs I had the music before the lyrics. That is always the trickiest with me. If I have a clear lyric concept it’s usually attached to a melody. Songs like “Dopamine” had about 10 titles, I just kept digging, “We All Want The Same Thing” came to me as I was walking in Nashville after hanging out on lower Broadway. I was inspired by so many cultures of people gathered to enjoy live music. It was a luminous reflection of finding common ground in this troubled woke generation. It gave me fortitude to continue doing my music.
Which of the tracks on the album hears you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
Happiest – Catalina
Angriest – Un Nouvel Amour
Most Reflective – Black Lashes
What makes Strange Majik happy and what makes you unhappy?
Happy: Lifting the spirits in a packed room.
Unhappy: People limiting the “is”
Feature Image Photo Credit: Michael Williams
Strange Majik’s new album ‘NYC Animal’ is out now on Vinyl and Digitally.
Vinyl: https://bangbangboogaloo.myshopify.com/
Bandcamp: https://strangemajik.bandcamp.com/album/nyc-animal
For more information visit his official website here: https://strangemajik.com/
