Q&A: What’s Next for Mother Mother? The Band Hints at Their Most Adventurous Album Yet
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA☆
Audrey Hertel
A BAND THAT NEVER STANDS STILL — Ten albums into a career defined by constant experimentation and pushing sonic boundaries, Mother Mother is still finding new ways to evolve. The Canadian indie rock veterans brought that spirit to Lollapalooza on Friday, July 31, delivering a performance that celebrated both the songs that built their devoted following and the promise of what comes next.
For a band that has spent nearly two decades building one of indie rock's most recognizable catalogs, the momentum has never felt stronger. One year after the release of Nostalgia and already looking toward a new chapter in the studio, Mother Mother continues to balance honoring their roots while refusing to remain creatively stagnant.
While Nostalgia paid tribute to the band's past, Mother Mother has already shifted their focus toward the future. One year removed from the release of Nostalgia, the band has had the opportunity to watch the album settle into fans' lives. Rather than reinventing themselves, the record intentionally revisited the energy that introduced audiences to Mother Mother.
“We try to create a creative, inspiring, positive and inclusive atmosphere,” frontman Ryan Guldemond tells Luna. “We have a lot of young fans that are finding their way, finding themselves, who are fairly artistic, and so we try to support them as best as we can.”
Before taking the stage at Lollapalooza, Luna caught up with the band to discuss the enduring connection fans have with Nostalgia, the emotional significance of returning to the festival and why their next album may be their most adventurous yet.
Audrey Hertel
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires the atmosphere or sonic world you aim to create for your listeners?
RYAN: We try to create a creative, inspiring, positive and inclusive atmosphere. We have a lot of young fans that are finding their way, finding themselves, who are fairly artistic, and so we try to support them as best as we can.
LUNA: It’s been a year since the release of your Nostalgia record. How has it felt to watch listeners connect with the record over time?
ALI: It always feels surreal. If anyone listens to this album, we tried to honor our roots, where we came from, and so I think the super fans really responded to that. People always love the early music, right? I think this record lived up to its title, Nostalgia, harkening back a little bit.
LUNA: Now that you’ve had some distance from Nostalgia, are there any new sonic territories you’re excited to explore?
ALI: We're really playing the new songs as a band, getting into the studio and writing parts together. It feels very inclusive. Everybody's part is very equidistant. It feels very cool.
LUNA: Can you describe the energy and atmosphere at Lollapalooza? How does it compare to other festivals or shows you’ve played?
RYAN: Lollapalooza is the best. It all just feels very grand and exciting and organized. It's the first show that Molly and I saw as kids was a Lollapalooza back in Vancouver in the 90s, not to date ourselves, but it always feels really exciting and full circle to be here.
LUNA: You’ve built a solid reputation for your live shows. How do you keep your performances fresh and engaging for both longtime fans and new listeners seeing you for the first time?
MOLLY: I think we first go with what really appeals to us and what we enjoy playing, and try to balance that with what we know the fans are going to want here. I think we're lucky in that we all really enjoy playing a lot of the old stuff that the fans like too. So for us, it's a mix of keeping it fresh for ourselves by playing new stuff and playing old stuff perhaps in new ways that push our own boundaries with stuff that we were used to.
LUNA: What goes on backstage for you to ensure you play your best set? Any pre-show or post-show rituals or regimens that you do that helps get you in the right headspace?
JASMINE: I mean, we're pretty boring in that way. We do the usual weird vocal exercises, and just before we get on the stage, we hover around the edge of the stage and do a bit of jumping up and down and high fives or fist bumps, that kind of thing.
Audrey Hertel
LUNA: What’s fueling your fire right now — musically or personally — that’s pushing you into this next chapter?
MOLLY: Getting in the good stuff before I die or we die collectively.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
RYAN: We have a really exciting producer lined up that we've been a fan of for a long time. We’re going to hand over the reins more than what is typical, which is exciting but also scary. The next record is going to sound very different from what people have come to expect from us thus far.
Audrey Hertel
