Richie Quakes' Love Letter To New York
Photo by Josefine Cardoni
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was the process like creating the album?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] Creating this album was pretty sick honestly. I feel lucky that I was able to make it with a bunch of friends who are all strange enough to give me some unique perspectives and good inspiration.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song off of the album?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] It changes a lot but I think my favorite song right now is either “Like Smoke” or “Lucky You Lucky Me.”
[UNPUBLISHED:] I read that your album is a direct reflection of New York, what was your inspiration behind that?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] It is definitely a reflection of New York because I made it, and I live here, and I'm from here. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, I live in the Lower East Side, and my studio is in Soho, so it's pretty hard not to be a product of the environment. I just try to show what’s real to me and talk about stuff that I really feel and inevitably, it reflects that.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are some of your favorite things to do in New York?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] Nature walks! So many beautiful weeds growing from the sewers lately. And the wildlife is enchanting.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you think being in New York has influenced your sound?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] New York is a special place and there’s a lot of aspects of society and humanity that you get to see when you’re here. Think about all the music that comes out of the city, it’s always very charged and it always pushes boundaries because you have a sensory overload and it makes you want to make sense of it in some way. It's a mix of inspiring and infuriating but overall I'm a big fan of the city and its influence on who I've become.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How have your friends and family reacted to you releasing your first album?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] No one has mentioned it actually. I should ask them what they think! Just joshing! They love it and support me! I've only had one friend who said “you could’ve done better” and I appreciated the honest feedback.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What did you do to celebrate the release?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] I went and got a seafood tower, steak tartare, and three bottles of wine at Balthazar.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a lyric from a song you’re particularly proud of?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] I honestly like the most mundane lines because they feel very real. “I get all the mail for everyone who used to live here” is a line from "That’s Not Love" and I was just thinking about how whenever I open my mailbox I throw out 95% of it because it’s just for previous tenants. “I clean my room and then it gets filthy, clean it again, I know that you feel me” is a line from "Rollin Around" that I like because it’s just true in a completely unpoetic way.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you think your sound has evolved since you first started making music?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] It’s kind of coming full circle in a way. I started as a folk artist and then got more into electronic stuff, synths, drum machines, galore! But now I’m realizing that I’m functioning better when I play guitar and use real instruments. I think my music has become more “in your face” which I'm happy about. I'm trying to hide less these days.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Where do you find inspiration when it comes to creating music?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] Under the stairs, between the trees, through the subway, below the knees! Behind the chest, above the rug, on top of the roof, in hate and love! Am I Doctor Seuss??
[UNPUBLISHED:] Are there any artists you currently look up to? If so, who?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] I'm inspired by a lot of people right now. Too many to name but a few that I’ve been listening to at the moment would be Alex G, Wolf Alice, The Cranberries, Turnstile, and Caroline Polachek.
[UNPUBLISHED:] If you could feature anyone on this album, who would they be and which song would you feature them on?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] I'd have James Hetfield do a verse on "You!" Or Miley Cyrus on "Cherry Red."
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are you currently listening to right now?
[RICHIE QUAKE:] The sound of my fingers typing the end of this interview.
