music

Polvo

Q: i saw a playlist of yours, titled 2025, and was so delighted to see a smattering of polvo tracks in there, from cor-crane secret, and celebrate the new dark age.

over the years i haven't really been able to track down someone who is very excited about polvo. i've come to wonder whether there is some specific sub-aesthetic or cognitive thing about them that draws me to them, and doesn't really cause other people to stop and do a double take/double listen.

seeing them on your playlist was very affirming. and given what i know of your music, i am so curious to ask you what your relationship is to them.

there is an explosive part of "pick up that knife" that struck me, at first, with Harvey Milk inflection. but i heard it again and again and i feel in it, at 00:58, a throbbing and impossibly cantilevered rats nest of angular, serrated and dangerous machinic sounds. I REALLY LIKE IT. there are aspects of it that associate with polvo for me.. but they are also a bit more arid (?) (bleeds is so JUICY and wet... (blood letting?)).

could you share what your feelings are about polvo, and if you have any favorite songs or associations about them?

it's a tradition for me to come to see you guys play when you come through philly. i'm excited for november! we were actually standing next to each other for a moment during hotline tnt's set at your last show but i didn't feel like getting to say hi was worth interrupting the moment you were having with yourself. so here's a delayed hi.

the cold spot in the lake in bitter everyday : ' )

A: bruuuhhh yeah I just had a deeeeep dive moment with Polvo a few months ago. Idk what took me so long to get into them cause they’re everything I love… dissonance, choppy messy guitars, passionate ass vocals, energy energy energy combined with immense beauty and patience sometimes. Also the fellow North Carolinian band thing counts for a lot.

I love Cor-Crane secret that’s been my go to album of theirs.

The thing that made me dig deeper with them is this episode of my favorite podcast Drifters Sympathy.

I love Harvey Milk too but I think what I was channeling for that part of Pick Up That Knife that you’re talking about is this Spirit of the Beehive song around the 1:20 mark. I love this first SotB album… I think what happened with Duster is gonna happen with them and Palm in like 10 years. Both bands are/were doing something so ahead of their time and I think are p underappreciated.

I actually appreciate that I can stand in the crowd and listen to the openers without having ppl come up to me tbh! So thanks for letting me have my peaceful moment in the audience!

Revision/Editing

Q: Hi Karly, not sure if this particular question about the writing process has been asked before. When I write a song, it'll typically fall together from riffs and lines I've written down at random. How much time do you spend on each word, each line? How much do you edit and revise compared to actually writing? I don't think I've talked to many musicians about their revision process for their songs. Anyways, thanks!

A: I’m not a huge reviser honestly…. but I’m writing something now that’s making me have to adjust that a bit.

As far as songs go I’ll usually get down the broad strokes of what I want to say and then I’ll just go back and replace words or lines that could be more interesting/engaging.

My songs usually come together similarly to what ur sayin, I’ll write and record voice notes of riffs over time and pair em together for songs whenever I need an instrumental bit for something.

Ringtone

Q: Hi!!! I had a very specific question that I think is truly a good tell of a person. That question is what sound do you use for your alarm ringtone?

Sending well wishes from Boston!

A: On my clock with my ipod on it I usually queue up “Upside Down” by Teethe as my alarm…. It is a beautiful way to wake up

When I don’t have my alarm clock on tour and use my phone it’s just on the default “Alarm 01”

On Sparklehorse

Q: Huge fan of your music and was wondering if you have ever listened to Sparklehorse and if so do you have a favorite album by him? Thanks and have a great day!

A: Oh hell yeah dude

call me basic but I love VivaDixie….

my fave Sparklehorse songs are “Cow” “Hammering the Cramps” and the “My Yoke Is Heavy” cover on Distorted Ghost.

The last one is originally by Daniel Johnston and me and Jake reference it in “My Voice is A Little Horse” from the Guttering EP.

This documentary on Sparklehorse was our main reference for how we wanted to do our “Rat Bastard’s” doc. It is a joy to watch. Makes ya love him even more!!!