Just to be like Ski Lodge: an interview with Andrew Marr

If you like your melancholy wrapped up in jangles that remind you of the 1980s, Ski Lodge is pretty much the go-to band for that. Ski Lodge recently released their debut album, Big Heart, and I talked to frontman Andrew Marr about being compared to The Smiths (like, a lot), the realities of touring, and Twin Shadow remixes.

Irene Lo: Is being compared to The Smiths a blessing or a curse?

Andrew Marr: It’s a little bit of both. I mean, personally, they are one of the greatest bands of all time so, you know, if people keep comparing us directly to them, it kind of sucks because I don’t think I’m ever going to be as good as them. But it’s also flattering. I love their music and they’re definitely a big influence. It’s awesome that people can hear the influence.

IL: What is the biggest stylistic difference between the Ski Lodge EP and Big Heart?

AM: There’s a lot more synthesiser and complementary keyboard parts. The EP was pretty bare, and I didn’t have a lot to work with. It was in my room with a guitar, bass, and drums. There was a lot more production that went into Big Heart, and it was a big step forward. The songs are more mature and the lyrics a little more personal. It’s got more of an 80s Smiths vibe as opposed to the EP that got compared to Vampire Weekend.

IL: “Just to Be like You” was a personal song. The video was interesting as well. What was it about the idea of a cult you thought connected with a song that’s about fathers and sons?

AM: The video wasn’t my idea. Basically, the directors came up to me and it was their interpretation of the song and lyrics. The idea was, I don’t know if I can explain it as well as the directors, but it’s a desire to be something that is not necessarily good. You should set up an interview with the director, Ian [Perlman]. He’s done a lot of videos for bands from Brooklyn.

IL: Aside from that beef jerky incident, how was touring with Chad Valley and the whole experience of being on the road?

AM: It was amazing. Chad Valley, I don’t think there could have been a better person to floor with for our first time. He was really nice and enthusiastic. It was tiring. We were only on the road for two weeks so I can’t imagine what bands go through when they’re on tour for months at a time but it was cool. In each city we went to there was at least a handful of people there to see us. That was awesome, and I got to see a ton of the country I’ve never seen before like the Pacific Northwest.

IL: “I Can’t Tell.” It’s the last song to end Big Heart and it was different to the songs that went before it. Could you tell me a bit about the process that went into recording a song like that?

AM: Yeah that song was written a couple of years before the other ones. When I was talking to Lewis who produced the record and my label, I had fifteen or sixteen ideas for songs and that was one of them. I didn’t think it was going to be on the record but everybody was like, this is beautiful we should do it. It’s completely different so it was good.

I used to write a lot of songs like that on the piano, and it was nice to get back to that and not just write these guitar jangly surf songs.

IL: Name a producer or DJ you’d like to remix one of your songs

AM: Twin Shadow. Maybe “Anything to Hurt you.”