Experiences, Interactions, and Challenges

Interview and Photographs By Rose Di Nardo

Musician Duncan MacEachern talks about the growing pains of being in a band, his different music projects, and the importance of making room for new ideas.

Los Angeles, USA

HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER YOURSELF AS A MUSICIAN? WHAT HAVE YOUR STRUGGLES BEEN LIKE ALONG THE WAY?

I think this is an ongoing process. There isn’t really one defining moment, but more a collection of experiences and interactions with other musicians, and creating challenges with myself, that have helped develop the sound that’s emulated today. Regarding struggles, there’s a lot of growing pains with band members like what direction you want to go in, writing techniques, musical disagreements, letting go of egos; everyone deals with stuff like that on the creative side. I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to not get too attached to what you have in mind and make room, or accommodate, for the new ideas that are better than your own.

YOU RECENTLY MOVED TO LOS ANGELES FROM PORTLAND. HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE MUSIC SCENE IN LA TO PORTLAND? HOW HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC?

To be honest, I don’t know enough about the music scene here in LA to compare it to Portland’s (I’ve been here for less than a year). But you’ll find every genre in each city if you’re looking hard enough for it, whether it be underground shows or ticketed venues where artists come through on tours. I definitely want to see more shows in both cities because they are constantly changing making it evermore exciting. I’ve always witnessed a great deal of support from the audiences from the shows I’ve been to and that’s been really cool to see, even if an act may still be figuring some stuff out.

ONE OF YOUR MUSIC PROJECTS IS CALLED NOYZLES. WHO IS INVOLVED AND WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?

Noyzles is our producer and bassist, Michael Mazzocco, and songwriter/guitarist, Duncan MacEachern. We have known each other since Kindergarten and have always had a shared passion for music. The name came from the Fender “noiseless” pickups, which basically cut out the humming noise when plugged into an amplifier. We believe less is more and try to implement that into the music as much as we can.

‘NOYZLES’ IS THE SELF TITLED DEBUT ALBUM. WHAT KIND OF JOURNEY DOES IT TAKE US ON?

The journey right now is a lot of zoom calls with people who work in the music space, and figuring out where to go with all these ideas we have and what this project could look like in years to come.

WHAT IS YOUR RECORDING PROCESS LIKE? HOW HAS IT CHANGED SINCE LIVING IN LOS ANGELES?

The process usually begins with Michael starting a project and I will offer ideas and sometimes guitar when needed. I’ll always send him guitar ideas and sometimes a song will build from there. The process of writing lyrics changes all the time. Sometimes they come and other times there’s a lot more workshopping. Michael is such a talented producer and musician, it’s a pleasure to watch him work and I’m so lucky to receive musical advice from him. When it comes to recording, there isn’t really a difference since everything is done from our rooms, but the energy of LA isn’t the energy of Portland. Where we are definitely influences the music in ways we couldn’t imagine.

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR MUSIC THE MOST?

It’s a mix of listening to a lot of music, playing our instruments, recording our own music, and taking time to leave the house and escape the practice of recording. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in thought and you begin to start forcing ideas. With time it gets easier to consciously recognize when that happens and when you do, step away, and eventually come back, the creative process becomes much more forgiving and fun.

YOU ALSO RELEASED TWO ALBUMS THIS YEAR FROM YOUR SOLO PROJECT, TRUBLOND. HOW DOES IT REPRESENT YOU DIFFERENTLY THAN NOYZLES?

Trublond is my creative escape and place to go when I need a release. I don’t know what the future holds for that project, but right now it’s a safe space for me to go and express myself and try new things. It’s something that will always be developing and evolving as I continue to grow as a musician and person.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU'VE GROWN AS AN ARTIST OVER THE YEARS.

I think it’s just been trying to write what’s best for the listener while still keeping the lyrics meaningful to me. I’ve been in bands in middle school, college, and post college, and each one has been a collective experience on learning how to work with different people and artists. But the main thing has been watching other bands and musicians who we opened or closed for and observing how they execute as a unit, and taking away certain things we liked or didn’t like. When I was thirteen my dad took me to a Killers concert, and that was when I realized I wanted to pursue music. Whitenessing David Keuning play Mr. Brightside up close in GA tends to stick with you, especially since guitar is my primary instrument. I’m also very lucky to have a family that supported this dream I’ve had throughout the years. Without them, none of this would have been possible.