We have had the honor of speaking with Mae Simpson in the past and I’ve seen her a bunch of times. So, it was fun to get a chance to ask her five questions about her upcoming album Chandelier & Bloom. The album has the high energy of her live show with the advantage of being able to listen to my favorite songs again and again. That being said, my favorite song changes often! You can hear the whole album at the release on September 9 at the Fine Line. (Also, be sure to check out the super fun video for Cap Guns!)
I am so glad to see California – Carolina on this album. Now I can quit listening to a terrible video I took at a live show a while back. Why did it take this long to get my favorite song on an album?
Mae- Haha! I know right!? You know we decided it’s very much a part of who we are and what we started. We wanted to capture it the best we could and I think we did it! So you will be as happy as can be when you get to turn it all the way up and dance!
You’re originally from South Carolina. Are there parts of South Carolina that we can hear in your music or in particular songs?
Mae- Yes! I think all across the board there is a little bit of that southern feel. I have a little bit of an accent that still crosses over every now and then. Also Just within the songs we write there are notes of the south but also collectively from a lot of different influences!
You’ve been in Minnesota a while now, how do you think Minnesota is impacting your sound? (Beyond just the charms of a Minnehaha Mama!)
Mae – I think Minnesota is this beautiful gem that often gets slept on for incredible artists. We do have that “Minneapolis sound” However we branch off as well. Minnesota raises its artists. I say that because you grow up in it. Regardless if you have lived here your entire life or just for some years. Minnesota allows you to be who you are and create anything you want, and you still know you can get it out there and be successful. You like Minnehaha huh? That is an ode to Minneapolis!
It seems like we’re hearing more tender, heartstring songs about childhood (Cap Guns and Plain Clothes Dream). Is that an intentional inspiration or just how they are coming out? What is the writing process for you
Mae- Cap Guns is truly about my childhood and I remember writing it in that way. I felt that if I grew up this way. I know there are many more people out there that can truly connect with the nostalgia I was bringing in. That and Plain clothes dreams for me are the most authentic form of myself I could put out there. Mind you. I Wrote plain clothes dreams a few days before the studio. I wanted to really tell my story. I wanted it to be out there. The whole album is this journey of ups and downs and where you find yourself after the dust settles. For Cap Guns and Plain Clothes Dreams the writing was simple. Me and the guitar and writing about how I came up and it felt genuine for me. After I have that all settled. I bring it to my incredibly talented band mates. Jorgen Wadkins, David Kellermann, Paul Pederson, Aaron Silverstein, Brian Snowman Powers and the magic they can create as well. They nailed it. The exact feel, emotion and movement that I wanted. It takes everyone in my mind, and we are incredibly excited for the music video to come out. It is a tear jerker for sure.
Audience participation and engagement are such a component to your live shows, especially for songs like Why or Somebody. How do you replicate that vibe in studio? Or do you even need to? (They sound as awesome on the album as live – but I picture you jumping around the studio to get it there.)
Mae – You have the best questions ever! Well it’s something that we have learned over time. Make no mistake Brian Snowman Powers and Tom Garneau had a lot to do with that. How they placed things and had us run them as much as needed. Brian is so very good at setting a mood for me. So when I needed it he would almost paint a picture and ask me to live in it. Very creative way to get emotion out of you. Chandelier & Bloom is something we put a lot into. We wanted something bigger and better. something that truly sounded like us as close to live as we could get while still creating something you could hear on the radio more and more. I think with everyone involved we were able to deliver something we can truly be proud of.
Mostly Minnesota 