We’re kicking off a brand new month here on Positive Publicity with an interview with Philly/DC-based musical duo, La Palma, whose debut full-length album is out today on streaming and vinyl. If you’re seeking music for your upcoming summer road trips, this is the album for you. Comprised of Tim Gibbon and Chris Walker, La Palma’s music weaves together kaleidoscopic layers melody, rhythm, and found sounds. Working between two cities, the self-produced and self-released album was created correspondence style, passing recordings back and forth to build textured compositions that glean from everyday sounds and experiences, steeped in beachy psych-pop and indie folk. Meet La Palma:
- Hi guys! How did you both meet and begin playing music together?
- Chris: We met years ago back when we were in bands in DC. I remember Tim made me a mix CD that blew me away; felt a kindred spirit type connection. A little later, when our bands broke up, Tim moved to Mexico and gave me a copy of an album of music he’d secretly made. Again, blown away. It’s like a dream collaboration that’s been over a decade in the making.
- Tim: Totally, a rare kinship and musical compatibility. About a year ago we reconnected and started making recordings, and it quickly mushroomed into a band and an album.
- ‘La Palma’ evokes images of white sandy beaches and relaxation, which is fitting since you create music with beachy psych-pop inspiration. Where did the name La Palma come from?
- Chris: La Palma is town in El Salvador. El Salvador’s folk art has a very particular style and it’s everywhere. You think it’s a traditional art style that’s been around forever but it was actually created by a painter in the 70’s named Fernando Llort. His intention was to create a simplistic style that anyone could copy. He set up a bunch of workshops in the town of La Palma specifically for women to have a chance to learn a trade that they could do to make money for themselves. I was at home chewing over names when I looked up to my wall and saw a framed piece I have in that style. Click.
- Tim: And Chris’ parents lived in El Salvador in the 70s and connected with Llort, and Chris lived there as a kid. We liked that connection, since family is a driving force in our music. We both have young kids – and I have a baby on the way this month! We wove recordings of our families into the tracks, we even included old family pictures in our band photo, because it’s such a part of our music and lives right now. My dad played cello on one song, and my 4-year-old daughter played tambourine on another.
- Tim, you live in Philly, and Chris you live in DC. Give us an inside look what it’s like to make music when you live in different cities.
- Tim: We have a pen pal correspondence-type process that works well for us. Sending tracks back and forth and building on each others’ material until songs are fully-formed.
- Chris: We both have our little labs at home in some corner. We both write and sing our songs, so there’s a mix of styles and perspectives across our music. I’ll write a song, do a quick basic recording, maybe add a layer or two as suggestions. Pass it over to Tim and he’ll takes a rough sketch of a song and just goes bananas with textures and instruments and samples. When Tim writes a tune, he’ll send it to me and I’ll basically try to completely mess everything up and see what happens. Back it goes to Tim and we have a new song!
- How does it feel to be releasing your debut album?
- Tim: We’re excited to share it. The recording is like a time capsule of the last year of our lives, and holds a lot of meaning to us. We hope it resonates with other people too.
- Chris: I’m super proud of all of it, and It feels like we’ve done so much in such a short period. One of the best aspects of this whole process that’s been different than past bands is how we fully subscribed to the idea that these songs are for us first…
- Tim: Making music that rings true to us, as opposed to what we think people want to hear.
- Chris: It’s been so liberating, it’s like, do anything that you’ve ever wanted to do. Strings, samples, crazy beats, wolves howling, anything goes, the more out of left field, the better.
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