You may have recently heard Yumi Zouma’s Charlie Ryder on Y-Not Radio, the home of Philthy Radio. Earlier this month, the guitarist/bassist/keyboardist of the New Zealand indie-rockers did a Y-Not Radio Takeover (now streaming) where he took some time to discuss and spin tracks from the band’s fifth LP, No Love Lost To Kindness (which hit shelves January 30th via Nettwerk), along with some of the music that’s inspired the group’s latest sounds. He also chatted with Y-Not’s Joey O. about the band’s upcoming North American headlining tour, which begins in late April and features a May 1st stop at The First Unitarian Church. Charlie also took some time to chat with me earlier this month about the album and tour, in addition to Yumi Zouma’s debut LP turning 10, the Oasis reunion, and “the best conditions for a healthy mosh pit.”
Izzy Cihak: You recently dropped your fifth LP, No Love Lost To Kindness. Have you had any favorite reactions to the new music so far?
Charlie Ryder: I’ve been interested in hearing people’s reactions to the overall sound of the record – I’ve heard a few people say it still sounds like us but just a bit different, which is good. And I’ve also loved seeing people connect to the record in ways I didn’t predict – I’ve had a few people reach out to say that some of their favourite songs have been non-single tracks, so that’s always a nice surprise. Also seeing fans already debating which songs they want to see live before the tour has been very sweet.
Izzy: You’ve said that the album reflects you “becoming a rock band and leaving dream pop behind,” and that that was deliberate. What brought about that decision? Was it certain things that you were listening to that inspired you, or did you just feel like it was time for something new? Or was it a combination of a lot of things?
Charlie: I think it was a combination of a lot of things – it wasn’t really a decision that we all sat down and had a meeting about – it was more a consequence of what we were into at the time, how our listening tastes have evolved over the years, and how we wanted to expand our discography to incorporate some elements that we thought were missing. We also went home during the recording process to go to a music festival in New Zealand called Camp A Low Hum where we really enjoyed a lot of the heavier bands that played, so I think that played a part too.
Izzy: You’ve put out official videos for a number of album tracks, whose imagery would seem to sort of mirror the evolution of the band’s sound. What kinds of things inspired these recent visuals, or did I sort just of answer my own question?
Charlie: I would say the visuals mirrored the audio in the sense that we didn’t really stay restrained or aligned to a particular lane like on previous records. We just did whatever seemed easy and appropriate for the song and had fun with it!
Izzy: Do you have a favorite track at the moment?
Charlie: I do! Mine is the non-single “Waiting For The Cards To Fall.” It’s the last track on the album and probably our most beautiful song. I like it especially because it came about via a mistake during our first recording sessions in Mexico City – we were moving around parts of the demo and misaligned some of the bass. Before we could go to fix it, our drummer Olivia came up with the idea to actually push it in the other direction, creating a chorus that I really love.
Izzy: Are there any artists, albums, or even songs that you’ve all been listening to recently that have maybe inspired your latest sounds, or even that you just think more people should check out?
Charlie: For this album, I was inspired a lot by Stellar*, Tadpole, Republica, Elastica, Zed, Garbage, Hole, Silverchair, and Shihad. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Caroline, Nina Garcia, They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, and Julie.
Izzy: You’re gearing up for a major North American tour. What can be expected of the live show this time around?
Charlie: I’m keen to do much shorter versions of songs and focus more on what happens in between the songs!
Izzy: Do you have a favorite type of venue or setting to play? Here in Philly, you’ve played Union Transfer, which is a classic “black box rock club” and The Lounge at World Café Live, which is a listening room, and you’re preparing to play a DIY church basement, which are all pretty wildly different types of spaces.
Charlie: I definitely have a love for the black box rock club in terms of providing the best conditions for a healthy mosh pit. But the other rooms are fun too because they challenge you to change your set to suit other types of environments!
Izzy: Not to detract from your new music, but your debut LP, Yoncalla, turns 10 in May. What are your thoughts on your first full-length a whole decade on?
Charlie: My thoughts are that it was a very sweet and innocent time, that it sounds a bit cheap and plastic-y, but that the songs are still good.
Izzy: What are some of your most vivid memories from that period, whether relating to writing, recording, or touring?
Charlie: Mixing the record at Motorbass studios in Paris before Philippe Zdar died. I’ll always remember him calling me while he was hiking in Ibiza to say that we could have the studio for free because he wanted good energy in the walls. He was a cool dude.
Izzy: A little bit after that, you did a great cover of Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, so I have to ask if any of you got a chance to see Oasis on their reunion run? I didn’t, but I saw them a handful of times in the early aughts and they were always great.
Charlie: Yes, Josh and I both did! I saw them at Murrayfield in Edinburgh with a big group of friends. I sang the whole time. It was like the world’s biggest karaoke party.
Izzy: Finally, what’s next for you, after your North American dates wrap at the end of May? Or is that something you haven’t even started thinking about yet?
Charlie: I think we’ll tour Asia Pacific and get started on the next record!
*Get your tickets here.
