The Greeting Committee on Their New Album, Current Listens, and Covering MGMT
[UNPUBLISHED:] Loved your most recent album Dandelion. What was the process of creating the Deluxe like?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] The Deluxe was slowly put together. We had wanted to put out a Deluxe for Dandelion at some point but we had no idea what that would look like. Most of it started with the song “Sort of Stranger” which features Briston Maroney. We had written and recorded most of that song in the same timeline as Dandelion but ultimately decided to hold off on releasing that song. It ended up becoming a great song to kick off the Deluxe album, especially having Briston on there. The Deluxe was a new challenge for us as we tried to find ways to reinterpret songs on the album. It is definitely a lot different than starting something from scratch.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song off of the Deluxe?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] I’m happy with the MGMT cover that we put on the Deluxe, but “Sort of Stranger” feels the closest to my heart since Addie and I both fought hard to keep that song around, so I’ll go with that one!
[UNPUBLISHED:] What inspired you to include “Kids” (MGMT cover) on Dandelion (Deluxe)?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] “Kids” was a song that we had covered and played live in our early days of us being a band. We had decided on recording a cover song for the Deluxe but finding a cover that we could all agree on was a difficult process. Covering any song in a way that’s new and fresh is equally as hard, but in the end we decided on reviving a slightly revised version of that same cover.
[UNPUBLISHED:] If you could have MGMT cover one of your songs which one would it be and why?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] I think a lot of the songs on the album Dandelion would be great, especially considering we worked with Dave Fridmann who has worked closely with MGMT. However, I’d love to see them do a cover of “Hands Down.”
[UNPUBLISHED:] How has Dandelion differed from your previous albums?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] In a lot of ways! We wrote and demoed out our ideas in many different places and in many different ways. This led to different band members leading different songs whereas previously we would write most of the songs together. There’s always some sort of new element when working with new producers and mixing engineers as well. With Dandelion, I think we reached a place of knowing what works for us and being more comfortable with how we write and record music.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you think your sound has evolved since you first started making music?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] The easy thing to pinpoint is the instrumentation. Every album has grown to introduce more instruments from where we started as just a 4-piece guitar-based band. We’ve grown a lot as people too, and our desires for what The Greeting Committee can be have all evolved. We’re always being influenced by so many different things and some things might push us one way over another. We’re always trying to find the fine line between making fun, meaningful art and making music that will lead us down a successful path. We are simultaneously business owners as we are artists, and balancing those things alongside our working relationships can be tough to juggle but all weigh into whatever music we evolve into.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I love the album cover, what was the inspiration behind this?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] I think seeing someone’s face so up-close and distorted is such a symbol of intimacy that fit alongside the lyrics that Addie had written.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Where do you find inspiration when it comes to creating music?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] Wherever I can! Sometimes I like reading books and writing music based on that certain feeling. Sometimes I’ll see a movie and want to write something within the same vein as that soundtrack. Sometimes I’ll just hear a song and find a way to recreate the same vibe in my own way. I will also try writing with my focus on a particular instrument, whether that’s drums, bass, or guitar. I think it helps make things interesting for me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Are there any artists you currently look up to? If so, who?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] I look up to Hank and John Green. They’re both educational content creators and authors, and the content they put out makes me more confident in my own ability to pursue both academic and artistic goals.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are you all currently listening to right now?
[THE GREETING COMMITTEE:] I’m listening to a lot more pop music. Sometimes it’ll just be contemporary indie pop but I’ll also throw in 80’s Japanese pop or some French dance music to mix things up. I like keeping with new music too, but sometimes the mood just calls for a good podcast instead.
