Artist Interview | Minor ‘Love
INTHECLOUDS chatted with Joey from Minor ‘Love on their debut album, #careergoals, and the best place on Earth to play. Check it out below.
How did you guys meet/get together?
I met Cory (our guitarist) in high school when I first moved from New York to Ohio in 2013. It wasn't til 2015 when we became friends and started making music as The Shades of Cool. We met Austin through our old rhythm guitarist, and he's been our close friend and creative partner ever since the summer of 2015. Morgan was asked to join the band in the summer of 2016 as our kick-ass bassist.
Your music inspiration/influences?
My inspiration and influences on my music come from artists like Lana Del Rey, Adam Green and David Lynch. At least in my writing, this is where a lot of the lyrics and the mood of what I write are derived from. Music and sound-wise, we draw from past emo bands like Algernon Cadwallader, Glocca Morra, and Sunny Day Real Estate and newer emo like Mom Jeans and Joyce Manor.
How did you come up with the name and how angry do you get when people spell it wrong?
Funny story about that. We stole the name from something I really enjoy just like The Shades of Cool. Minor Love is Adam Green's sixth solo record. Not to be confused with Minor 'Love, the four-piece sparklepunk quartet. I don't get too upset when people leave out the apostrophe, though, it's the correct spelling.
What would ‘making it’ look like to you guys?
We 'make it' everyday. Our music brings us bounties of joy and a never ending stream of things to do. We've made countless friends, we've met countless bands, and we're just going to keep doing what we're doing. We get better everyday with every song and every show we play. The end goal of Minor 'Love is to quit our jobs and focus on this full time. I'd just like people to remember us one day. I think we've accomplished that on a small scale, but go big or go home!
The place you’d absolutely love to play at (could be anywhere, including you know outer space)?
We want to play House of Blues in the EXACT contact of Freaky Friday (the one with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis) where Jamie Lee Curtis has switched bodies with Cory and it's just been a really rough ride but we do a great job and there's lots of family values and moral themes through out the whole show. We are the best band.
Who writes most of the lyrics or is a collaborative effort?
I wrote most of the lyrics on this album. The only songs I didn't write were Glue, Headache, and Liars. However, throughout the LP, the writing on songs like Crosshairs, The Great Northern, and Talking Nonsense were a collaborative effort. We like to play kind of like a writing hot potato. Someone writes a verse and passes it on. The poem at the end of Crosshairs is something I wrote a couple months ago, it means a lot to me.
Favorite track on Insults?
My favorite tracks on Insults are a tie between The Great Northern and Crosshairs. The consensus seems to be that Sweet Like Sugar is the most popular among fans. The Great Northern is such a good bop about Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks and that guitar lick is fucking sexy.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
The hardest thing about being in a band is being in a band. Literally the whole thing is always intense. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not fun though! We love a challenge. I like to challenge myself artistically in all aspects of my art.
But, also what’s the most rewarding thing about your project?
The most rewarding thing about Minor 'Love is the love and support we get. The feeling after I finish a set and the deafening roar of a crowd is euphoric. I love when people scream the "RUSHIN!!!" part in Headache back at me. It gives me life.
If you weren’t making music (or if you have day jobs) what would you be/what are you?
Cory and I are pizza boys at Dominos full time, I wish the band was full time but Dominos gives me money to help make this dream come true. Working and recording is difficult. Luckily, I have dedicated days to band-stuff now. Austin does factory work and Morgan is a student in Grad School!
What's next (tour, making music, traveling Europe)?
Next up for Minor 'Love is Day 1 of SHOT FEST 2 in Columbus at The Shrunken Head with bands like Everyone Leaves, Cure Culture, and Secret Stuff, and so many more good freaking bands! Our tour kicks off on Dec 31 with Mountain-House in New Bremen, Ohio and ends on the 7th (my birthday) in Nashville, Tennessee! All of those dates will be announced on our Facebook very soon. We're always making music. That's always a constant.
