Exposed Vocals Interviews ‘Motion Planet’

Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?

 

Motion Planet: We found out about y’all through our Twitter account. We were just scrolling and thought your posts looked interesting. Glad we clicked “Follow!” Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist? Motion Planet: Jack Frink – I am a lifelong Austinite. When I was a kid my dad played Beatles tapes in the car on rides to school. My parents supplied my early taste in music by playing 102.3 (which used to be the classic rock station in Austin) during car trips, as well. According to them, I always was interested – from a very young age on – in watching people perform music on television.  

 

The decision to dedicate myself to playing music came from hearing any one of these great artists II was exposed to at an early age. I do remember hearing “Freebird” for the first time and going “what?” Or discovering Pink Floyd in elementary school (probably too young for The Wall). Also, it became apparent after a while that people (and the opposite sex) seemed to enjoy it that I knew how to play guitar. I’ve never really changed my POV or pursuits since then.

 

Emily Meo – Like Jack, I was also exposed to The Beatles at a young, impressionable age. However, my foray into music performance was through classical piano and, as I got older, alto saxophone.  I eventually became pretty good at these instruments, and I went on to major in music at the University of Texas. I now work full-time as a composer for games. But all of that has little to do with my bass playing, or Motion Planet…

 

I guess the relevant info is this: I began taking bass guitar lessons at sixteen, hoping to impress cute boys. It didn’t really work. But, by the time I was nineteen, I was a pretty okay bassist.  Jack was kind enough to invite me to jam with Motion Planet, and I have continued to jam with them for about six years now.

 

Robert De La Rosa –  I’m originally from Kerrville.  I moved away when I was about 15 and sort of reinvented myself; took on a few hobbies, and one of those that stuck was percussion.  I can’t quite place when I decided to be an artist, but it was likely before I could form adult memories.  My grandmother has a childhood pictures of me adapting recycled items into drums.  As a kid I modded breadboard sound circuits.  I think that experimentation continues until today, just with a slightly better equipment and experience.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Motion Planet: The name “Motion Planet” came from an hours long practice/planning session at the very beginning of the group. It was with Coley Marie, a wonderful singer who was a collaborator at the time.

My original idea for the band was “Chanson Soundwaves,” but luckily I was convinced that that title is both pretentious and (more importantly) hard to say.

The phrase “Motion Planet” just came from a general effort to find an easy phrase that wasn’t too generic or already taken by a music act. A Google search for the phrase only turned up one or two results. None of them were bands. So it was time to bite the bullet and pick it.

I‘ve always liked the celestial association of the name. Five years later it’s still with us.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free?

Why?

Motion Planet: I realize that sharing and streaming has cut into the income for a lot of artists and music industry folk, but it’s inevitably the way that good content is going to be transmitted more often than not in modern day. While I believe you shouldn’t steal, and I do still buy physical media, I admit I would be lost without Spotify and similar services. It does serve a major function we haven’t really had before – now people can “rent” music and experience it without having to buy it first. Or by having something force-fed to them by corporate radio. Motion Planet enthusiastically shares our music for free on our Bandcamp, at shows and elsewhere. However, you can also find us at in the racks at Waterloo Records.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Motion Planet: J.F. – Practice regularly. Once a week if possible. Keep trying to write songs. You’ll hate what you have at first. But eventually, if you keep at it and keep listening to more music, you’ll find your voice. Take whatever gigs you can get – send out emails, call people. Meet other musicians (there are tons of online groups you can find through a Google search). Get a presence on social media. Take these steps and keep working at them. You’ll see progress. And let your family and friends know about the project – a lot of early opportunities come through people you know.

 

E.M. – Honestly, the best advice that can be given is to keep finishing projects. Keep sending emails. Be consistent, get your shit done on time, and be decent to other people. It’ll be slow going at first, but you’ll start getting steady gigs as long as you practice regularly and network right.

 

R.D. – Everything Emily said.  Definitely make time for your craft and reaching out, even if it’s just an hour a week or 10 minutes a day.  Don’t let anyone take that time away from you – especially yourself.  Throw a house party if you can’t book!  Create a YouTube account and post your best-of material on it so you can be easily found.  Don’t be pushy or annoying.  Treat everyone nicely, some of the best leads come from unexpected people.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Motion Planet: Anyone who says they don’t, in some form, is lying to you. We’ve all had nights when we’re less than sharp up there. The other members of the band, though, have experience with the other people on the stage missing a few beats/notes/entrances.

They know that person’s rhythm even in a duff moment. The others can communicate to each other and rearrange their attack to get the slipping member “back on the train.” In Motion Planet, we let Emily stay as our bedrock if we slip along the way. She shows us where the 1 is. It happens in the moment and is hard to describe, but if you practice a lot you’ll know the songs and will know how they’re intended to sound.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

Motion Planet: We are still mostly playing around Austin and trying to expand our venue resume. We do have an upcoming show at the Carousel Lounge on Friday, March 25th that should be a lot of fun. It’s free, too!

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Motion Planet: We try to just keep listening to music – old and new – and keep an open mind. The best idea is not to try to intentionally follow a certain genre or trend. You listen to what sounds good to you, and you end up making music that sounds good to you. It’s work, but if you don’t box yourself in with expectations of what things “should” sound like you can find you way.

J.F – As a songwriter, I have an approach to lyrics that emerges from occasions where I’ll hear a random phrase or set of words and become intrigued by how the sound. I’ll save that nugget in a notepad on my phone. As a guitar player, I’m constantly noodling around. When I come across an idea or figure that interests me or feels like it could develop further, I’ll follow it for a bit to see if there’s a real structure possible. Once I have a vague idea of what shape the music could take, I go to that aforementioned notepad and start finding what options I have. Eventually, the song’s subject/meaning and additional lyrics come into form. You keep mining until there’s something worthy there. Sometimes the songs are totally abstract – not every Motion Planet song has a specific meaning.

E.M. – I mostly write music to go with specific media, so my process is basically Research into Sketching into Writing into Editing into Mixing/Mastering, but that usually has little to do with Motion Planet.  That being said, I do write the majority of my basslines.  My goal with my basslines is to keep them engaging and interesting, but I also try to hold back and hang out on the root of the chord when the situation calls for it.  As a result, some Motion Planet songs have very independent basslines that I’m actually pretty proud of! But there are other basslines that are a little “boring” too. That’s just what happens when you play a wide range of songs.

R.D – I might have the easiest part in the band.  Jack and Emily always have a great layout and progression of the songs, so I feel like all I have to do is roll some drums into the mix.  Typically with a new song, Jack will send over a vocal & guitar draft and pretty quickly I’ll visualize the rhythms I feel go best with it.  After that it’s really down to finding just the right fills and accents for the piece, which can take weeks to months.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Motion Planet: We have a Bandcamp that you can reach at https://motionplanet.bandcamp.com/releases. It has our 2015 EP Save The Youth Center in full for your listening pleasure. We also have a YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/MotionPlanetMusic that includes more of our songs. Robert put that page up on his own, so he deserves the credit. Of course, there’s also our presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Motion Planet: J.F. – I’m not embarrassed by any of the things I have on my iPod. However, some people might be surprised that I have both Cracked Rear View and Fairweather Johnson by Hootie & The Blowfish. They shouldn’t be; both those records are really good. I also have pretty much every Weezer album (my fandom doesn’t end at Pinkerton). Well, except Make Believe; that one was disappointing to me. I’ll go to bat for any of these releases.

E.M. — I don’t believe in the concept of “guilty pleasures.” I think people should listen to the music that inspires them, without judgement.  However… I have a lot of J-Pop CDs in my car. A *lot* of J-Pop CDs. I’m not ashamed of my Anime Weeb History, but I understand if other people in my immediate circle of friends refuse to listen to these CDs with me.

R.D. – Spice Girls – sometimes you just gotta spice up your life!  Kidding, I might have something worse – I still listen to A LOT of Dubstep and EDM.  People still ask me why I like the sound of Transformers joining giblets with Tesla coils.  I still don’t have a concise answer.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Motion Planet: J.F. – Pay off all debts and make a few smart investments. Then the fun stuff would start – put together a recording space that could be our permanent base for MP operations. I’d take a chunk of time off work, and eventually travel around playing our music.

E.M. – I actually really love my job, so I wouldn’t want to take the year off!  But I would buy a ton of studio upgrades… Komplete 10 Ultimate, all the Izotope plugins.  The Berlin Strings VST.  Maybe some nice analog synthesizers. I’ve always wanted a collection of analog synthesizers.  And don’t even get me started on the microphones I’d be able to buy. Pretty much, Motion Planet would never have to worry about where we should record our next release, because I would just literally buy myself a fully-equipped studio.

R.D. – I’d still keep working and tell no one.  Google

“Unlucky Lottery Winners.” Kidding, I’d definitely get an electric kit and a house in Leander.

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Motion Planet: J.F. – My stage setup is pretty simple. I alternate between an American Fender Stratocaster and an Epiphone Les Paul for live performances. I also have a Fender acoustic that I use for composition and the rare occasions when Motion Planet has an acoustic gig. I also use a Marshall 100 DFX (MG Series) amp that I’ve used for several years. That comes with it’s own footswitch –  distortion and effects. Finally, I have a BOSE OS-2 distortion pedal for that extra punch. This setup serves me well, but as we expand our sound in the future I might need to take on a few more pieces.

Emily or Robert, you want to take this one?

E.M. –  My home studio set-up is a whole other story, but my Motion Planet-related gear consists of only three things: My Rickenbacker 4003 bass, my Mark Bass combo amp, and my Shure 58-beta.  I don’t really have any gear upgrades planned, but I do need a new guitar strap! I guess if I had to pick something to upgrade it’d be the Shure, but it’s so much more durable than most “nicer” mics would be. I don’t know, I guess I’m just pretty happy with my gear! I guess some effect pedals would be cool. Maybe one day…

R.D. – I want to incorporate more effects (or rather any effects) into our live music.  I have a MIDI pad and an old laptop I can use, so all I need to do is remember and set aside some time.  For now, it’s all acoustic on the drumming end- I’ve got a Pearl Forum 5-piece with its original cymbals, as well as some Zildjians mediumthins.  I do want to work on acoustically dampening our practice area.  At some point I want to upgrade my hihats and later get an electro kit.   

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Motion Planet: We are a consistent social media presence, and we keep records of everyone and everywhere we’ve played or recorded with. Our music is at Waterloo and we’re reaching out to local radio stations with our material. We got played on KOOP’s Sounds Around Town in late 2015. As our first radio play, that was really exciting.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Motion Planet: J.F. – Alive, I’d love to share a bill with Wilco, Pearl Jam, The Flaming Lips, Stephen Malkmus or open for someone like Neil Young. I think our sound would mesh well with one of those acts. Of course there are also the obvious big names – Paul McCartney (Emily will back me up on this), Radiohead, The RollingStones, Dylan, Springsteen. Elvis Costello, Deerhunter, Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective are also great artists we would be honored to open for. This conversation could go on for a while. Passed on artists – David Bowie, of course. Lou Reed, who is a big influence on my songwriting. Grateful Dead; I could see MP conceivably complementing them well if we could’ve been a warm-up act back in those days. Nirvana definitely – we’d make a good parallel because both bands would’ve been trios. Jeff Buckley, The Band, The Clash. Again, how long have you got?

E.M. – I can’t really top Jack’s answer on this one, but I would like to say that if we shared a bill with literally any of these artists, I would be a sad ball of anxiety the whole time. This would not be fun for me.  But maybe I could hang out with the headliner’s audio engineer and pick up some mixing tips.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Motion Planet: We will be entering the studio later this year to record the first-ever, full-length Motion Planet album. We have a prospective song list and other infrastructure in place, but we’re gonna keep a lot of information on the down low until things are more concrete in shape.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Motion Planet: J.F. – I’d use my content creation skills and and film/video experience to find something in the marketing or public relations field. Or working as a screenwriter/filmmaker has always been a dream, as well.

E.M. – This is something I’ve actually put a lot of thought into, and I have two answers that I feel are about equally likely:  

• A cartoonist and/or comics writer of some sort. Comics are a lifelong love of mine and I spent a ton of time in my formative years making my own.  Comics are pretty much what I thought I’d be doing with my life before I turned to music.  
• A peer to peer sex educator. The state of America’s sex ed is awful, and full of toxic, outdated, sexist ideas.  I personally believe that there would be few jobs as honorable and rewarding as teaching teens about birth control, healthy relationship dynamics, and consent.

R.D. – I’d probably be doing 3D artwork and animation and/or brewing beer.  Probably a little more sci-fi writing.

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Motion Planet: J.F. – The first two records I bought were the previously-discussed Cracked Rear View and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. As I already said, I was definitely too young for The Wall, but it was so weird and different that I still loved it. I had seen a commercial for the movie on VH1 and it grabbed my attention. I got the Hootie record because it was everywhere that year – it was one of the most successful records of 1994. I had heard about it through the grapevine, and knew I was interested in rock music. I still like both these albums a lot, so I feel pretty good about that purchase.

E.M. – I actually don’t remember the first album I bought with my own money. Many of my albums growing up were gifts, and/or stolen from my parents collection.  I do remember spending $50 to import ‘The Sixth Day,’ a singles compilation by Japanese pop star Gackt when I was 16, but I doubt that was the first record I ever bought…  Possibly a Beatles record?  Maybe the Moulin Rouge soundtrack? The answer is lost to time, I fear.

R.D. – Spice Girls’ 1996 7x platinum-selling-smash Spice.  It was for my sister.  Blues Traveler’s Four was my first purchase for myself after I had scratched up the one given to me.   

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

 

Motion Planet: J.F. – I keep my work responsibilities and thoughts at the office. MP meets regularly on the weekend for rehearsals to keep active and so as to not interfere with work schedules. Luckily I have a very supportive wife, who loves the band, so domestic responsibilities are never an obstacle to work with the band.

E.M. – I write music for a living, so…. I don’t?  I try to make time for my relationships– my family, my boyfriend, my friends.  I also try to stay on top of game releases, since I’m developing a career in the industry. But between my job, Motion Planet, and my freelance work, my life is mostly All Music All The Time.

R.D – I have the incredible luxuries of a job that stays at the job, no children, and insomnia, so it’s generally pretty easy for me to fit it all in.   

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

Motion Planet: The new record, more (and bigger) shows and some other surprises. We’re moving at a good pace at this point, and are just as excited about the future as possible.