Q&A: Introducing Small Shake
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY FAITH LUEVANOS ☆
A VULNERABLE CONFESSION OF SENTIMENTS UNSPOKEN – breakout artist Small Shake releases her debut EP, Platonics. Small Shake is the latest endeavor for Aarin Wright, who has been involved behind the scenes in the music industry for years, and this time, she’s on the other side of it.
Entranced by the thrill of songwriting, Wright takes listeners through her personal collection of five platonic letters, some of which are six years in the making. Now, she’s ready to give away these letters as a means to healing. Inspired by powerful female artists such as Sharon Van Etten and Julia Jacklin, Small Shake coins her sound as “tender indie rock,” the perfect addition to your summer playlist.
The Luna Collective had the chance to chat with Wright about the creation of Small Shake, her new EP, Platonics, her standout track, and more. Read the full interview below.
LUNA: As someone who has worked in different parts of the music industry, how does it feel to cross over into the artist realm?
WRIGHT: It’s equal parts terrifying and the most joy I’ve ever felt. I have a deeper level of understanding and admiration for the artists I work with now, as the roller coaster of emotions that comes with putting an intimate part of yourself out into the world is so intense. But god is it fun. Building upon an idea, adding various layers, writing easter eggs into lyrics, singing live onstage—it’s addictive and vital. It feels like I’m scratching a creative itch I’d so long buried.
LUNA: What inspired you to pursue music?
WRIGHT: I’d been writing songs for myself since junior high, but it wasn’t until an old high school friend asked me to play in her band that I realized such a path was possible. My entire “adult career” was spent working behind the scenes of music, in a space of awe at what others were able to create. Playing in someone else’s band really pulled back the curtain for me in terms of building out full, cohesive songs and performing.
LUNA: How would you describe your music to people who may be discovering you from this interview?
WRIGHT: I’ve been using the term “tender indie-rock”—trying to balance sweetness and softness with a little drive and edge. I grew up singing in choir, singing in musicals, singing any and everywhere I could, so there’s always an emphasis on harmony and what emotions I can convey through my voice. I try to add elements of whimsy, little sonic elements that fire up the pleasure centers of my brain, like a typewriter bell or a Frankie Valli-inspired trombone solo.
LUNA: Your debut EP, Platonics, symbolizes platonic love letters. What did the creative process look like? Were these "letters" written over a long period of time or all at once?
WRIGHT: Many of my songs are letters to people with things I’m afraid to say out loud, or a more eloquent expression of whatever word vomit spilled out in an emotional crux. While each song came together rather quickly, some are older (five or six years) than others. The first song written for Platonics was me processing my best friend pulling away. Someone I thought would be in my life forever suddenly wasn’t, and unlike a romantic break-up, we never discussed why. There was no closure, only long-sustained pain. Writing a song for her honors the importance of her role in my life, while also allowing me to mourn.
LUNA: How have the places you've lived in over the years on the West Coast played a part in your songwriting?
WRIGHT: There is a melancholy yet strong sense of perseverance that I think comes from living in constant gray and rain. Platonics was written in Seattle and Portland, where many winters (and falls and springs) were spent indoors, followed by the most beautiful summers you can possibly imagine. When I’m writing a song, I aspire to have moments of light, of joy or humor, even if the subject matter is downcast. Those flashes of sun are what make it all worth it.
LUNA: Who are some artists that you feel inspired by?
WRIGHT: Sharon Van Etten has the most remarkable ability to convey a full, powerful story in very few intentional words. Her songs, and her use of harmonies, hit me like bricks. Feist in a similar manner, in the way she controls and amplifies her voice to tell a story. She’ll have these soft, whimsical production elements that I equate to sprinkles on an ice cream cone—taking an already perfect song and making it somehow even better.
LUNA: Do you have a song on the EP that you feel the most drawn to? Why?
WRIGHT: “Lucky” brings me so much delight for the sheer number of references to rom-coms. The song is about falling in love with your best friend and asking for consent to enact an absurd grand gesture. There’s John Cusak holding up a boombox, Heath Ledger kicking through the bleachers, there are marching band trombones, a finale key change (inspired by countless listens to Britney Spears’ “Lucky”). It’s the most earnest, goofy, painful love song I’ve ever written.
LUNA: As you continue to grow, what are some goals you hope to achieve?
WRIGHT: There is just so much I want to learn and apply to future music, both in the studio and on stage. New instruments to play, guitar techniques, ways to manipulate my voice. My biggest goal is to continue creating, and to be given the opportunity to create, to build upon my music community, and be excited and proud of what I make in the future.
