I swear, the more I learn about Pat Keen, the more there is to learn about Pat Keen. It’s genuinely a wonderful rabbit hole to dive into. His new album, “I Saw A Bug,” is a unique view into his sonic world, a place where technical prowess and inventive songwriting crash into mountains of whimsy and wonder. There is so much there there that every time I put on the record, it reveals something new, all while feeling like a familiar, warm embrace. But there is certainly a lot more to Pat Keen, and then some more.
“I Saw A Bug” is out now on Island House. Grab a copy HERE. Also, Pat’s got an album release show coming on August 24th in Minneapolis. Details below!
As ever, I want to start with your earliest musical memories. What were some of the first things you remember, whether it’s songs, bands, or even environmental sounds? Was there a lot of music playing in your house when you were growing up?
I started piano lessons when I was 4 or 5. My teacher was giving me lots of sheet music to read and my mom would help me figure out how to do it. Little did she know that I was just memorizing what her hands did and following along with my ears as opposed to actually reading the music.
Another memory is that I definitely remember my dad listening to a lot of Clapton and The Doors in the car. We’d go get haircuts and he’d play rock and roll for me.
At what point did you realize you wanted to be a musician and start playing/creating your own sounds? Was there any certain impetus that pushed you in that direction?
I got my first guitar (a Baby Taylor that I still have!) when I was 8 and was decently into it until I became fully obsessed with The Beatles when I turned 11. That’s when I started playing guitar all the time and learning lots of rock music. A couple years after that I wanted to get into playing jazz. I started trying to learn jazz guitar but shortly after saw an upright bassist in the high school big band playing at the middle school renaissance festival and was very enamored. Plus I realized that the bass was always playing in jazz, whereas guitar was more sparse. I got my first upright when I was 14 and the rest was history, including the quarter-sized blisters on my fingers that formed the calluses I have today.
You’ve had a varied musical journey, collaborating with working with so many people like Guerilla Toss and Chris Weisman, and so many others. How have these experiences shaped your approach to composition and performance?
During my time at New England Conservatory, I started touring in the East Coast DIY/house show scene. A lot of folks at the music school were into experimental music and I certainly ran with that crew. That squashed any notion of discouragement in any of my musical ideas. My creativity surged because of the communal encouragement to be different within that scene. Running in those circles is how I got involved with Guerrilla Toss proceeded by Wei Zhongle when I moved back to the midwest.
Studying with Chris really opened up my guitar playing a whole lot. I was already into writing songs on guitar even after a long music education process on the upright bass. We didn’t study songwriting per se, he just had so many wonderful exercises that we’re geared toward ear development via guitar shapes. That caused a similar outburst in being able to pick up an instrument and write something on it.
How has your work with Humbird influenced your solo projects? Are there distinct differences in your creative process when working collaboratively versus solo?
Humbird has taken all of what I learned from the avant-garde stuff out east and asked the question “How can you put this into something that the general population would enjoy listening to, but still make it interesting?” It has been a rudder for me creatively in putting all of my whacky ideas into a balanced output.
I adore the description of “I Saw a Bug” as a collection of sonic stones marking an inviting path. Could you expand on this a bit and how that became the framework you were working with?
Well, Tim McManus from the label had Jen Powers write that description, and holy hell did they do a wonderful job. I’m honored to be reviewed by such creative writers. Yourself included!
That being said, the album did unfold that way when I was making it. I released a record of my songs with lyrics during the pandemic called “Cells Remain on Birdwatcher.” I’m super proud of that record, and like many things during the pandemic as well as the uprisings here in Minneapolis after a police officer murdered George Floyd, disappointed and confused about the outcome. There was a shift in my creative process then. It didn’t feel right to write lyrics as a white dude with privilege. I still wanted to make music but I didn’t necessarily want it to be so delicate and cerebral when it came to the scope of it. Taking lyrics away made that make sense and allowed me to make different decisions during the creative process that there wouldn’t typically be space for if there were words.
What surprised you the most about making this album?
It completely shifted my concept of having fun while making music into another dimension. The creative process was so rewarding and joyous.
What’s the story behind the album title?
Every day that I recorded a track I would usually take a hike in the morning before, especially on the bulk of the music, which was worked on in Taos, NM at a farm I stayed on for 2 months to get some personal space in early spring of 2021. I’d come back and start working on a piece of music and once it was time to save the Logic file I’d quickly rack my brain to something related to the hike. I ended up calling one of the tracks “I Saw A Bug” because I did indeed see a bug that day. I don’t know what kind of bug it was. At the end, I thought that was the strongest one so I decided to make it the name of the record too.
How did you approach the sequencing and flow of tracks? It’s one thing that stands out so much to me about the record, and it just enhances the listening experience so much.
Great question! There was a lot of deliberation between me and my dear brotherly friend, co-producer, and mixing engineer, Dex Wolfe, on sequencing. After many correspondences and one in-person meeting on it, we finally arrived at the final sequence. This record doesn’t sound half as good as it does without his contributions.
Your music features a variety of instruments and textures. How do you decide which instruments to use for a particular piece? Could you describe your approach to production and arrangement?
I call it my hamster wheel. I’d go back to voice memos of guitar or strumstick pieces I’d written, make a form out of it quickly, record that piece, shift to the drums, then mosey over to keys or lead guitar, and I’d always record bass last since I feel that my sense of time is strongest on bass. I felt that it would tie it all together from a groove standpoint that way.
After working on the bulk of the music I got the Arturia Package which is essentially every vintage synth ever but in computer form. That definitely took some of the sounds to the next level. That being said there are still a decent amount of midi synth sounds on the record that came with my version of Logic.
What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome in making “I Saw A Bug”?
Honestly just making time to finish it! It can be hard to find time for self-creativity between all the touring and performing I do with other folks. I love it all the same but that’s just the reality.
How’d you come to work with Island House on this one?
I sent the record to my pal Cole Pulice (who makes truly stunning music) and inquired about an introduction to Moon Glyph which is the label that puts their stuff out. Cole told me that Moon Glyph was on a breather from releasing music for the time being and told me to reach out to Tim at Island House! I sent Tim a few emails before almost giving up on my pitching process and just throwing it up on Bandcamp before he emailed me back and we were quickly on a phone call to discuss a plan. It has been a true joy to work with Island House on this release!
And to close, I always ask… what are your favorite sounds in the world?
Over the past few years, I’ve really gotten into birding so I love trying to discern what is calling at a given moment. I also love the sound of a cottonwood or aspen tree’s leaves shaking in the breeze. The sound of natural running water. I suppose my final answer is – Going outside and turning on my ears.
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Wow this is awesome. Thanks Brad! So happy you love the album