motel void

MOTEL VOID: Could you introduce your project in a few sentences?

LIBBY BEARD: Libby Beard has been a solo project of mine for some time. I think it took awhile to get the sonic idea formed because I’ve written so many songs that fit into different styles/genres. When I decided to make ‘Dream Warriors’, my first album, that’s what gave the project life and direction. I was confident I could bring those songs to life and since have had a lot of fun playing live. I’ve written and recorded all the music with the exception of some guest vocalists.

MOTEL VOID: You’ve just released a new single ‘The World’. Will it be part of your new album?

LIBBY BEARD: ‘The World’ was actually written directly after finishing ‘Dream Warriors’ spawning new sounds from recent inspirations at the time like, Frankie Cosmos and Great Grandpa. However, I don’t think the end product really resulted in much similarity. It is fun to think about the original concept and how it transformed into something like it is now. I thought ‘The World’ would help as a stepping stone for the new record but since making it, I’ve been writing a lot of newer material, and would rather just keep it as a single/aftermath from the last record.

MOTEL VOID: Could you tell us more about the recording and writing process of your songs? Did it somehow evolve in recent years?

LIBBY BEARD: So, the entire writing process from the last batch of songs all began with just the drum parts that were recorded/created from scratch (no real song ideas). There was the idea of a structure to them obviously because the drums have distinct parts, but the song didn’t come to life until I began writing the guitar/bass and vocal melodies. It’s a fun process because it kind of feels random but since I’m doing all the writing it’s fun and I know exactly how to understand how the pieces will fit.

‘The World’ was really interesting because I intentionally wanted to have a song that changed tempos and felt sporadic. Lyrically it was also very spontaneus, which I liked but also made it hard to go back re-record parts and change things. Recently, I’ve been trying to approach most songwriting with more solidified guitar parts and ideas… I will say you can still expect always spontaneity in the writing process. I’d like the next record to be less Lo-Fi and try to make something more textural/unique for this project.

MOTEL VOID: You are/were a drummer in many other projects, could you name / recommend 3 of them to our readers?

LIBBY BEARD: Disheveled Cuss (there’s a new record in the works)
Talker (new record /tons of singles coming out this year)
CSS – they changed my life and took me around the world + they’re getting ready to play tons of shows this year.

MOTEL VOID: Your plans for 2024?

LIBBY BEARD: I’m close to having a good batch of songs ready to record and would love to make my new record this year. It’s been fun playing live and I would love to do more of that. I think it’s really nice to get out from behind the kit to sing and play guitar. I’ve always dreamed of that.