Have you heard of My Satellite band before?They have something that is quite special, with bright vocal lines meeting the rawer edge of ‘later indie pop’. In essence, the core of the group was Bryan Stage who is not only an incredible singer and songwriter but also an electrifying multi-instrumentalist. He later teamed up with Andy Marshall who played bass, guitar and keys plus Dan Grimes who completed the group as a drummer.
These include influences such as Tame Impala’s psychedelic rock, Radiohead’s atmospheric brilliance and others. One can almost feel that symphony coupled with discord of their tunes. It sets up this dense, huge canvas of sonic ground.
They recently released a track titled ‘Denial’ which comes from their forthcoming record, PERSON. The song touches on the raw emotion and all aspects of the first big fight that occur in most relationships. The whole album, which took nearly a decade to be completed, is, in fact, about the deepest questions of human existence.
In this episode, I had the chance to talk with the man behind My Satellite, Bryan Stage, about what led him to create PERSON, how the music is written, and the long process that My Satellite went through to get to their current state. This was quite interesting as it provided information directly from the respective parties. Maybe I should tell you more about what we were talking about. ..
Listen to Denial below
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https://mysatellitemusic.com
What is your stage name
My Satellite
Is there a story behind your stage name?
It was one of those mornings where the moon was still incredibly vibrant in the daylight and the song “Satellite” by Guster came to mind. “My Satellite” seemed the perfect fit with the tone of the music I was writing and my own personal fascination with space. I felt an immediate connection to that name and from that day on My Satellite was alive.
Where do you find inspiration?
Truly everywhere. I try to absorb as much art and information as I can so that when I’m ready to sit down and create, my tank is full of experience to draw from.
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
I did a lot of singing as a child. My mom loved to sing to my sister and I when we were babies and her love of music rubbed off on me in a big way. She’s the reason why 80s pop has always held a special place in my heart.
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Art and music were always around my family. My grandma played organ, my dad plays sax, clarinet and trumpet, my mom is an appreciator of art and enjoys china painting, and my sister is a dancer who also played piano and flute. The arts were never the single focus of our family life, we weren’t the Von Trapps, but they were a constant presence and held importance.
Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
One of my most distinct inspirational memories was my dad showing me the Woodstock documentary and seeing Hendrix perform for the first time. I had only been playing guitar for a few years and seeing this demi-god just destroy on stage at a pivotal moment in music history stirred something in me that has never gone away.
How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
Singing came very naturally to me so I was just fortunate to be gifted in that way. Of course, I’ve had to do a lot of work to improve and maintain my voice, but carrying a tune wasn’t something I really had to learn. I started playing guitar at 13 so I could join the youth folk choir at my childhood church. I was pretty much performing for people in church after only a few months of playing guitar which was quite the trial by fire. Needless to say, my inexperienced ass got burned a number of times during those performances.
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
My first big concert was seeing Rush. I know they can be a polarizing band to some, but it was a real privilege to see those three virtuosos play. I was awestruck by how good they were as a band
How could you describe your music?
I strive to create music that is an emotional experience. More of a description of the feeling of a moment than a linear story. It’s an evolving journey that takes you in and leaves you somewhere different than where you started
Describe your creative process.
For this album I typically brought some half-baked ideas into the studio and then Andy and I would put down layers and changes at it until the songs started to take shape. It began as a period of throwing everything we can at the song which was really fun and exciting. Then as we got past the tracking stage and moved into mixing, we started whittling away all the excessive layers to find the song’s final form. Wouldn’t say it was always the most efficient way to make an album, but it was really fun and creatively fulfilling
What musician do you admire most and why?
Bjork is usually top of mind for me. She has been consistently inventive all throughout her career and she’s the type of artist that puts out albums which have meaning and intention behind them
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Most definitely. I think you can very distinctly hear the evolution just within the My Satellite discography. But beyond that, I feel very fortunate to be someone able to evolve and grow my skills, my taste and my enjoyment of music as I get older, and to have a partner in Andy who feels the same. We refuse to be walled in by a style or genre
Who do you see as your main competitor?
I don’t see art as a competition. I love hearing how my fellow musicians are pushing the artform because it inspires me to push further with my music. Viewing creativity as a competition sounds like a miserable space to inhabit and, for me, would suck the joy out of music
What are your interests outside of music?
Movies, books, comedians, and hanging with my cat
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
Perhaps something in the film industry. I really love movies.
If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
My main wish is that the industry wasn’t so greedy and exploitative of the artist. For better or worse we live in a world that is run by money, but it’s been baked into the entire history of the music industry that the artist, the one creating the very thing driving the industry, is constantly getting the short end of the stick.
It’s unfortunate that something which can showcase and define the best aspects of what it means to be human, is run by an industry which has allowed humanities worst impulses to thrive
What are your plans for the coming months?
We’re going to keep grinding, promoting our new songs and playing live shows
What message would you like to give to your fans?
Thank you so much for sticking with us all these years! We love you and can’t wait to keep sharing more music and experiences with you!
