Q&A: Paper Lady Turns Inner Conflict Into “Cellsword”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANY MIRELES ☆
“WE TURNED IT INTO “CELLSWORD” TO HIGHLIGHT THE THEME OF SELF-IMPOSED CAPTIVITY” — With distorted textures, layered guitars and a medieval festival edge, Paper Lady’s “Cellsword” turns conflict into something you can almost hear crashing against the walls. Written during a period of intense changes, the song explores power, surrender and the strange ways we can remain trapped in patterns that we have created. Inspired by everything from Sonic Youth and Autolux to The Mists Of Avalon To Autolux, the track transforms its central metaphor into a sonic battle; one where rebellion and submission coexist at the same time.
The Luna Collective had a chance to chat with Paper Lady’s Alli Raina and Rowan Martin about the song’s origins, its chaotic and explosive production and the spirit that continues to shape the band’s sound.
LUNA: “Cellsword” explores manipulation, surrender and self-imposed captivity. What drew Paper Lady to these themes for this particular song?
RAINA: We wrote “Cellsword” when we were all going through an intense period of change. I found myself thinking a lot about the dynamics of my relationships and the roles I take on regarding dominance vs. submission. I was also reading The Mists of Avalon at the time, so I felt inspired to explain the emotions I was having through a pseudo-medieval lens.
LUNA: The title transforms “sellsword” into “Cellsword.” How did that concept come about, and how did it shape the song’s lyrics and overall meaning?
RAINA: I had finalized the lyrics to the song before I decided on the title. I knew that a sellsword is a term for a hired knight, someone who will fight for whoever pays them. The term felt fitting for the song because it describes someone who isn’t really sure what they themselves want, but are down to follow praise, money, power, etc. I turned it into “Cellsword” to highlight the theme of self-imposed captivity. The title also calls to the ending lyric of the song, “love the cage you worked so hard to find.”
LUNA: Sonically, “Cellsword” draws from Autolux and Sonic Youth, with jagged guitars and a dense atmosphere. What were you hoping to capture with the track’s heavier sound?
RAINA: We really wanted the song to feel like a battle. The verses and pre-choruses are really tense and dissonant. To me, the verses feel like dexterous sword combat, the pre-choruses are when the reality of the fight sits in and you know you’d need to lock in, and the choruses are triumph.
LUNA: There’s a strong contrast between rebellion and submission throughout the song. How did you translate that tension into the arrangement and production?
MARTIN: I think most of the arranging came naturally to us just playing the song in a standard rock format. The biggest part in the studio was getting the intensity in the pre-chorus to get through. We brought our friend Owen Leonard in to play cello and just had him overlay as many weird sounds as he could, which I think added to that kind of medieval vibe of the song. We layered whatever instruments we could find to create this scary sonic mess that just feels so tense.
LUNA: What role did guitar pedals, distortion, and sonic experimentation play in creating the atmosphere of “Cellsword”?
MARTIN: On top of all the distortion we’re using, I used a lot of chorus, pitch shifting, delays, and loopers to fill out the atmosphere, as well as some in-the-box resampling of audio that we recorded.
LUNA: Paper Lady describes its sound as indie dream-rock, but “Cellsword” feels particularly heavy and uneasy. How do you balance the dreamy and more abrasive sides of the band’s sound?
RAINA: I think in the case of this song, it’s more fever-dream-rock. I think the dreamy and abrasive sides of the band come out very naturally. We more so allow them to coexist rather than think about balancing them. I think a lot of times we intuitively build the sonic landscape around the lyrics of the song we are working on. It also has a lot to do with the music that inspires us. We love bands like Cranes, Chapterhouse, Broadcast, Model/Actriz, Slow Pulp, The Sundays, Helvetia and so many more. We always let ourselves indulge in whatever sound feels right in the moment.
LUNA: You’ve built Paper Lady within the Northeast DIY scene while continuing to perform across the U.S. How has the DIY environment influenced the band’s approach to creating and releasing music?
RAINA: The DIY scene in Boston really allowed us space to experiment and flourish. There are so many great bands that got their start there around the same time as us, like Trophy Wife and Clifford. Seeing our friends change and grow gave us the confidence to do the same. We were able to find our sound in a very supportive environment where everyone was so passionate about new music.
I lived in a house show venue in Boston for three years, and that also taught me a lot about other up-and-coming bands in the Northeast. Now whenever we tour, we have friends we can visit in each state. Living in that house with so many other musicians was so motivating. I was always either making, playing or talking about music. I think as a band we still carry that experimental and explorative energy that the DIY scene instilled in us.
