INTERVIEW 62. nate martinez (thieving irons)

Thieving Irons is the project of Nate Martinez, based in Brooklyn (NYC), and started after his former band Pela broke up.
His first album - The Midnight Hum - was released in 2010 and last year Behold, This Dreamer! came out.
His music has an atmospheric, idyllic quality that could fit on a journey at the sea or a walk through uncharted territories. It's organic like a
waveless ocean that reminds us of its force through grandiosity and subtle movements, not intensity.
With a delicate approach to melody and an almost solemn songwriting, Behold, This Dreamer! takes its time to tell us a story (the one about the journey).
It echoes, it shimmers and transforms itself. Always connected to an aesthetic of dreamy imagery and storytelling, foggy atmosphere and slow burning sentiments.

Behold, This Dreamer! is not only one of the greatest albums I've heard last year: the closing track "Swimming With Minnows" is one of those gems... A finding or revelation, in the middle of your journey, if you will. It has a restraint, quiet and atmospheric feeling with amazing lines - "The silence is the loudest in my head since last May" and "Can I spend time to watch? Can I spend time to drown?" -  that every now and then pop into my head.

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Below is my interview with Nate. Inspirations, music in physical forms and a look inside his "subterranean cave"/studio after the jump.



01. How's your day so far?
It's going well. We'll see where it goes...

02. What is your first musical memory?
I remember around the age of 3 climbing onto a bench to play my grandmother's Wurlitzer organ. We visited my grandparents every Sunday and I would gravitate towards the organ each week to discover more sounds.

03. When did Thieving Irons started as a project? And where does the name come from?
It started in 2009. Some say the name comes from the internet, others say Australian slang. I like it.

04. If Thieving Irons were a planet, how it would look like?
If we were a planet, I'd hope we'd look very warm and inviting with lots of colors...

05. About creative process: how do you create music? What inspires you? 
Music happens every at moment. Sometimes the vessel I use is a guitar, other times a keyboard. It can happen while walking, in a studio, in my sleep... Inspiration comes from the experiences I have- also the things I read and see and feel.

06. This is a new question I start asking people and it's somehow connected to the one about creative process…
Where do you record your music?  Could you send a photo or describe the place you make your music?
As of recent I built a studio. I call it Twin Buffalo. It's a subterranean cave with lots of musical instruments and a growing list of recording gear.

07. 'Behold This Dreamer' is your latest album, it was released last year and features 11 songs soaked in texture, depth and with a floaty quality imprinted throughout the whole album. What were your ideas creating it? Being the follow up for your debut, did you felt any pressure?   
The idea was to not think too much. Instead to react. I wrote the songs and then booked some studio time and gathered 3 friends and we recorded all the basic tracks for the full band in 4 days- I then puttered around for 6 more days. So the album is largely just played live with each musician not really knowing the song ahead of time, just reacting in the moment. The depth, I think comes from everyone being extremely talented musicians, being old friends, and listening. No pressure at all comparing it to the last album. I can't compare. They're 2 different experiences. This one definitely came together extremely quick- the album was tracked and mixed in a total of 14 days- and completely finished.

08. What one can expect from a Thieving Iron's concert?
Tough to say... Hopefully to feel good afterwards.

08. Place and time to listen to Thieving Irons.
Anyplace, anytime.

09. What can we expect next?
I imagine more music will be happening.

10. Name a few songs you've been listening a lot lately.
I can't recall any particular songs, but I do play various vinyl albums from a pretty nice collection my girlfriend and I have. I like finding odd gems. I will say I enjoy Bombino- that's been a nice discovery over the past couple years. I love Saharan/West African music- especially the guitars.

11. Anything else you feel like saying?
Thank you for taking the time to asking these questions