LOS ANGELES, CA- Cannons is a band that I first caught wind of when I went to the Bootleg to catch another band’s headlining gig last year. I noted that their music was for lovers, and I’ve tried to catch them when I can to hear how their sound is evolving. The latest effort, In a Heartbeat, was released today (July 13th, 2018), and maintains and refines the sensuality that captivated my attention the first time I saw them perform.
Blurred Culture was lucky enough to celebrate the release of their first single of In a Heartbeat at Madame Siam in Hollywood, and I was able to chat with them for a spell and take a few photos.
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So, the new single, “Round And Round”, how did you guys write it?
Ryan Clapham: I demoed it. It sounded like an 80’s song, like a really, really dark wave 80’s song. And then Paul started the production and put some special “Paul Seasoning” on it and that was it.
What’ is the special “Paul Seasoning?”
Ryan: It’s a secret!
Group laughs.
Paul Davis: It kinda is a secret actually. I can’t really… there’s not much…
More laughter and whispers among the group.
Paul, do you do most of the production?
Paul: Yeah, as far as the mixing and all that stuff.
So all the tracks that I’ve heard on Spotify, that’s all done in house?
Group: Yeah.
As a little bit of a background, how did you three come together?
Ryan: On a dating site…
Oh, for real?
Group laughs.
Ryan: No, no, just kidding. Craiglist. That’s actually how we met. Paul and I have known each other since we were little kids, always jamming back and forth. And we met Michelle on Craigslist trying to find a singer.
Michelle Joy: Yeah. I am from Florida and I was gonna go home, but I wanted to make music and I didn’t know anybody, so I went to Craigslist and met Ryan in a coffee shop … and I didn’t get murdered…
Group laughs.
Michelle: We just started making music instead.
So you almost went back to Florida, but because you wanted to sing, you searched through Craigslist?You found them and that made you want stay?
Michelle: Yep!
Paul: We wrote our first song without actually meeting for the first time. Ryan and I had a little track that we did, we sent it to her… She put vocals on it and sent it back to us, and then we created a song from that.
For your new EP, was there an overall theme yo had in mind while you were creating the music?
Ryan: There is a theme. There’s kind of a “making the same mistakes” motif … kind of going back, finding yourself. I think Michelle’s lyrics have a lot to do with finding herself in Los Angeles, and the people she meets…
Michelle: Relationships…
Ryan: Relationships.
Michelle: Ending…
Group laughs.
So, I’m assuming that a lot of the songs that you wrote for this EP are very personal?
Michelle: Definitely, yeah. They always are.
Is there any song in particular that was maybe harder to write or more difficult to record?
Ryan: I don’t think so. I think we honestly have so much material that we can scrap through the bad stuff. So if we’re not feeling like a good vibe from it within like two weeks, we kind of just push it on the back burner and just work with what we have … something that’s gonna keep us going with it, something that comes naturally with those songs.
Out of all the songs on this EP, what song was the hardest to record? What song was the easiest?
Ryan: Maybe “Backwards”
Paul: To get it perfect was kind of a struggle, a little bit. Just trying to get everything sitting well, mixing wise too.
When it comes to lyrics. How much of it is Michelle? How much do you guys have in the lyrics that she’s singing?
Paul: Me not at all.
Ryan: A bit. Me, the way I like to write, is like, I’ll write a hook and if the hook on the chorus has a vocal melody and lyrics that are already kind of complimenting each other, we kind of just go from there.
Michelle: Yeah. Ryan will write something, come up with something, and I’ll just mold the melodies, lyrics, or something new might come.
Ryan: I’ll do a verse, she’ll do a chorus, I’ll do a bridge…
Paul: Michelle’s pretty good at making sense of everything. At least for me, when I throw out a lyric, there’s no meaning behind it. Michelle tries to find a meaning for it, and usually does. She’s really good at that.
So, Michelle, you’re the person that makes sense of everything?
Michelle: “The Molder”
How would you describe Ryan?
Michelle: He’s the grandpa.
Group laughs.
Ryan: What do I do?
Michelle: He wants to go to bed at 8. I’m just kidding.
Ryan: It is past my bedtime.
Michelle: Ryan’s just…. let’s see…creative mastermind! Comes up with lots of good juicy things to start.
Ryan: I’m like the blueprint guy.
You’re the blueprint guy?
Ryan: Yeah. I’m like a rough draft kind of songwriter. And then I’ll send it to these guys. And Paul, like I said, Paul’s the guy that adds the spices and the seasoning, sautéed and simmered, and it comes out really nice after that.
Group laughs
Michelle: Yeah, Paul’s very talented.
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