New York City-based indie electronic trio Occurrence chatted about their new single “Opportunity Window.”
How did “Opportunity Window” come about?
Ken: I was in a pretty dark space when I wrote the music. I’m a playwright in addition to being a musician. I had just gotten a string of bad news in the spring of 2022.
One night, I was really in the dumps, so I went into the studio working with some loops, creating sounds with a modular rack, and this song came out of that exploration.
Cat: I’ve known Ken for a long time, and to be blunt, he’s a genius. But at the time when we were recording this album, he was going through a lot of self-doubt. It was hard to watch, knowing how talented he is, and I just knew that it was temporary. I knew it was weighing him down.
It was just some arbitrary bullshit that would pass. His talent would rise to the top. So when he gave me this track, I wrote the lyrics so he’d remember that.
Ken: She found the joy in what I just assumed was bleakness.
Cat: And look at him now, he’s killing it. He’s got two plays running in New York this season. He really hates that I said that. I can tell.
Ken: (laughing) No comment.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
Cat: I pull bits and pieces from the past and the present, from books I’ve read and people I’ve known. Sometimes I’ll make up characters whole cloth, and create songs about them.
I think we all have a flair for the dramatic, for storytelling, and that definitely comes into the things we write. Our political beliefs often play a role.
Ken: I usually start with sounds and build a track around that. I love not knowing what something will be and letting the thing come into focus. Once it does, then I think we all pursue it.
Johnny: I think all of our songs come out of a personal place. Even when we invent characters or imagine things, we sew a bit of ourselves into the songs.
What do your plans for the future include?
Cat: Eating a lot of pasta with Ken and Johnny. My past has also included that, too.
Johnny: More days in the studio singing our guts out.
Ken: For the band, the future includes two more albums this year. We actually just finished mastering them today actually. As for the future of this country, oh man, it’s gonna be a tough few years.
How did the band name come about?
Ken: I have to take responsibility for that atrocity. When I first started writing music, it was for my plays. I was being produced in New York’s downtown theater scene in the early 2000s.
Theaters didn’t always have money for a sound designer, so I took it upon myself to learn the software and create pieces for my shows. I couldn’t afford ProTools or Logic so I used demo versions and then would record what I made to MiniDisc.
Everything was a one-time occurrence because I couldn’t save anything. It’s a terrible band name. But I kept it because I couldn’t be bothered to think of something else. I appreciate Johnny and Cat humoring me and keeping it.
How does it feel to be a band in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)
Cat: I first started recording with bands in the late 90s. We often recorded ourselves and it was such a hassle to even get anything close to decent sound quality. It was such hard work.
Not to mention getting your music out for others to listen to, it was a struggle. I have a lot of issues with the payment structure for bands on streaming, I do love the immediacy of being able to record something and quickly turn it around and present it to the world. It’s a mixed bag.
Ken: Yes, the fact that we can record in our home studio and make it sound as amazing as we want, there’s no denying how great that is. I can’t imagine booking studio time and watching the clock.
You’d have no time to (in David Lynch’s words) “get dreamy” and that’s so important. But streaming has really reduced music to background noise, devalued it so much that it can sometimes feel that music no longer has any lasting power.
Reading Liz Pelly’s new book just really hammers home how much Spotify is an advertising company with no real interest in music.
I do check our Spotify numbers and I can’t believe we have so many listeners in Finland. That probably wouldn’t happen if we were selling CDs through the mail.
What is your advice for young and aspiring musicians/bands?
Ken: Make what you love. Take it seriously. Have a day job that doesn’t kill your soul.
What does the word success mean to you guys? (My favorite question)
Cat: These days, success is recording something that the three of us love. And then sharing that. The process is more a part of the success than the end result.
Johnny: Totally. Feeling that sense of joy when making something special.
Ken: Success is hearing one of our songs on a playlist of songs I love, and thinking “damn, that stands up.”
What would you like to tell our readers about “Opportunity Window”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
Cat: To me, this song is about anyone making art who is doubting why they’re doing it or what it will achieve. It’s a message to trust your own talent and abilities, and to enjoy the making as much as the result.
Ken: Every slamming door means there’s a window opening somewhere.
Their music is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
For more information on Occurrence, check out their official website, and follow them on Instagram.
