Photography by Heidi Jewell. What strikes you about the way young listeners seek out new music these days? How is it different from when you were younger?
"I think that one thing that’s interesting about today is that music is a lot less categorized then it was. You know, people that are into dance music might also listen to jazz, so audiences can be broader. Maybe there is also a downside. There is a kind of full speed that we consume at now, which I think sometimes is kind of difficult. People just sort of go through things. So, what you were listening to three days ago isn’t necessarily what you’re going to listen to tomorrow. There is a huge, really fast turnover, and that’s different.
Why Pitchfork? Why this particular festival?
"I think Pitchfork is where I go and look for music. For us, it’s been an honor to be invited."
Your new album has a lot of really beautiful moments of sadness and of anger, especially with your voice and range. Do you think this is your most emotional record to date?
"I think that it’s the most naked record. It wasn’t made in a way where we went back and re-polished things and went over the rough edges. It was about unleashing a bunch of stuff. I feel like I was releasing pain and looking at the quirky sides of life, and learning how to laugh again and cry a bit, kick out a bit. The songs were written in a way that were almost like a stream of consciousness. I wrote quite a lot of it with my husband, Cameron. We would just sit next to each other with a laptop each, writing lyrics. I was trying to get into a thing where I was just letting my subconscious go, meandering. We would shape what we wrote, and make songs out of it. So, I think there is this thing, like, wandering up a street, talking to yourself.
Blank Project is out now.