“Both as a band and as individuals, we have come to appreciate vinyl and albums as a whole and we all have a pretty substantial vinyl collection. Perhaps in part because we want to push back against the 3 minute, single orientated, soundbite, immediate culture we find ourselves in.”
“I think most of all, because listening to vinyl and settling into an album is more intentional and an investment of both time and effort. We feel that the artist deserves that. If they put in 1,000 hours into it, the least we can do is take 44 minutes and hear them out. We’ve found that this investment of time and effort pays off and allows you to get into the headspace of the artist in a more meaningful way. The themes, the song sequence, the production, it all plays off of one another and great records, front to back, really stand out these days.
Singles are fine, but it is like reading the headline of an article, thinking you understand, and scrolling on by. Vinyl is like reading the article and actually learning something. It is an attractive medium for these reasons alone. Not to mention it is nice to physically own your music and have a tangible keepsake with artwork and liner notes.
It is oddly refreshing to truly take time with anything these days. We always try to be efficient with our time, even with leisure and pleasure. For us, music deserves time, and vinyl offers this and encourages us to just stop, and take it in.
We believe in this idea as a band, and we even started a Spotify playlist (ironic, we know) that features albums from front to back. We’re trying to meet people half way. If they’re not willing to buy vinyl, that is fine—but at least listen to the album front to back. Our playlist is called “The Anti Playlist” and we feature albums that we love and that have stood the test of time for us.
Some of them hit us in stride musically and have a nostalgia compounding our appreciation for them. Some of them are just objectively good, and we feel people ought to know, take time, and learn for themselves. The music speaks louder than our agenda or philosophy, so we let it do the advocating.
I remember quite vividly my first interaction with vinyl. For me, it was an old Supertramp Crime of the Century record that my dad had. I must have been around ten years old. I put the needle down and heard that beloved crackle and the harmonica came in, which opened up the song. It is a pretty epic opening to an album.
I remember turning it up way too loud and when the drums finally did come in (about two minutes into the track), I was blown away and quite startled. I also remember being slightly perplexed and amused that you had to flip the record over after four or five songs. Up until this point I was only really exposed to a disc-man. Vinyl was definitely more fun and interactive.”
—Matt Kopperud
Close Talker’s new single “Half Past Nine” is in stores now.
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PHOTO: NICOLE MARIE
