‘New EP’ is where a band or artist answers some questions about their latest release. Up next is Greta O’Leary, who has just released her debut EP Treasure Horse.
When/where was the new EP recorded?
The songs have all been recorded over the past year. The first half with Toby Lloyd at Tiny Triumphs Recordings and the second half with Charlotte Yates, at the Surgery Studios, Homerun, and the Massey studios.
Who produced/engineered the EP? How did the tracks come together in the studio, or at home?
So Toby produced and recorded the first part, then when Charlotte and I got our NZ on Air funding we jumped in the studio and she produced the second lot. Those tracks were recorded by a few different engineers, as the above studio list eludes. Andrew Downes was instrumental, then Lee Prebble at the Surgery and Mike Gibson and Nicole Hardie at Massey. Toby also tracked some guitar for me before he mixed the full collection.
Did the shorter format of an EP give you the option to experiment in any way with your sound or with different forms of song-writing?
Honestly everyone advised me I should not release an EP this early and should only put out singles, but I’m not a huge fan of singles culture, and naturally move towards bodies of work. An EP was a more manageable sized project to kick off with, and has given me lots of learning that I’ll be digesting over the summer, before I set up my next year of work. The development funding we received was incredible for having the resources and time to explore my sound in studio with session players. I’m very grateful for that.
Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
In terms of instruments, we used primarily acoustic instruments with just a sprinkling of electric guitar and a couple other things. I’m a pretty big fan of strings.
Is there a particular track or theme that the EP was formed around?
The 5 tracks were all written in a specific time in my life when I guess I was transitioning from being a very inward person to someone who’s a lot more comfortable taking up space. Its all based around my experiences, and hard times like grief, goodbyes, and this earnest and unshakeable optimism that runs lines through those darker times and changes them. Its an incredibly uplifting and positive collection for me, but may take some enquiry for the listener to find, I’m not sure.
Where do you see the EPs place in growing an audience online? Do you see it as a progression towards an album or a separate entity?
This is very much an exploratory collection, and it is already having the desired impact of drawing in musicians and music lovers alike who are on my vibe, to build community and this career I’ve found myself in. Yes I am very excited to make an album, but things take time and I’ve got time. My brain needs some time by a river now to reboot.
Which digital platforms is it available on?
All good streaming platforms! And digital sales available from Bandcamp.
Are you doing any gigs or promotion for its release?
Yes we are on tour at the moment, with our big Põneke show happening December 4th, an afternoon show at Vogelmorn Bowling Club in Brooklyn.
