Keith Murray of the rock band We Are Scientists chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about their upcoming album “Huffy.”
On the song selection process for “Huffy,” he said, “Well, it was difficult, this time around because we had a far bigger crop of songs than we’ve usually got in the running for an album. So, we recorded a whole slew of songs, and in the end, just chose via an algorithm that cross-referenced how excited we were about each song with how well it sat amidst the other songs that had made the cut.”
“Plus, many of these songs were chosen because they were the ones that would be the most gratifying to play live, once we’re back on tour. Holy crap, I can’t wait to play these songs,” he said.
When asked about his personal favorite song on the album, he responded, “There’s a song called ‘Sentimental Education’ on there that I guess is my favorite, at the moment? I like all the songs too much to really be sure, at any given point, but, yeah, right now that’s the one I’m the most excited about. Why? I don’t know. I think it toes the line of being a bit of a variation from our usual sound, but it’s still very recognizably a We Are Scientist song, by which I mean “it has a big, old, fat hook in the chorus that gets me every time.”
He opened up about the music video for “Contact High.” “Honestly, it mainly came about because Chris and I really wanted to go riding on some jet skis while he was visiting me, down in Miami,” he said.
“Obviously, we were going to film that, anyway, so we figured we might as well use that important footage for a music video. I mean, the only thing better than riding a JetSki around Biscayne Bay is filming it and incorporating it into a promotional video for your hot new single. So, yeah, that was pretty much the impetus behind that video,” he explained.
Regarding his music and songwriting inspirations, he said, “I mean, I’m always chomping down on music and books and films, and junk, but I usually get most inspired by the actual act of writing music.”
“It’s really intoxicating and compelling to sit down with no idea about what you’re gonna do musically and just see where that project takes you, over the course of a few hours. I’m the most inspired by the songs that kind of come out of nowhere, without too much forethought. Those are the ones that are the most fun to chase, and that I usually feel the freest to take big chances on, which, to answer your question again, is very inspiring,” he explained.
For young and aspiring artists, he said, “I guess my biggest advice is to never be too cocky or self-satisfied. The less you’re prone to thinking that what you do is innately so very good, the harder you’ll work on it.”
“When we first moved to New York City in 2001 and got a load of the many dozens of bands there who totally kicked our asses, it was a good kick in the butt. We spent the next four years working as hard as we could to make ourselves a band that could possibly stand out in crowded old NYC. That humility-giving splash of cold water in our faces was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to us. So stay humble, and work your butt off. Remember that everybody is always working harder than you,” he said.
On their future plans, he said, “Well, we’ve got a bunch of touring lined up around the world following the release of this record, so we’re mainly just excited to go out and promote these songs. I’ll tell you what: a year and a half of quarantine has made me giddy with excitement to even just do press for this record, much less to go out and actually play shows which, even under normal circumstances, is my favorite thing in the world to do. So yeah: there’s just a lot of excitement about playing live.”
Regarding his definition of success, he said, “My practical definition of it has been a bit deformed by the fact that my “art” is also my business, so there are all sorts of derangement there, what with trying to make sure that this business – my job – is actually one that makes sense to keep pursuing, financially and artistically.” “
“Other than that, it’s pretty delightful that, all these many years into writing songs, that feeling of giddiness at the end of a particularly exciting songwriting session is still the most ‘successful’ feeling in the world, to me. Just having a song that I want to listen to over and over and over again is a pretty solid baseline for success,” he said.
Murray concluded about “Huffy,” “I guess I would just tell them it is the finest album ever recorded, and that to fail to listen to it many dozens of times on the streaming service of their choice would be the height of folly.”
The album “Huffy” is available for digital service providers by clicking here.
