motel void

MOTEL VOID: You’re from Rochester, NY. How would you describe the current music scene there? Do you feel that you’re part of it?

VIBROPATH: If you’re not familiar with Rochester, it’s got an awesome local music scene for all sorts of genre’s. There are some really cool local venues. The Bug Jar is probably my favorite, they tend to have more indie/rock/metal shows there, and a lot of times you can just show up and even if you don’t know the artist you’ll have a great time. I also want to shout out Iron Smoke in Fairport. They primarily have country music which I typically would not be into whatsoever, but I’ve seen some bands there I’ve really been amazed by and the atmosphere in there is fantastic. We also have a Jazz festival here every year with some pretty big names sometimes.

As far as me being part of it, I haven’t played live at all. I would love to, but as far as doing all my stuff solo I haven’t really worked out the logistics of that. Sure, I could probably play along with a laptop or launchpad or something but I always find shows where everything is live to be much more enjoyable. I guess for right now I’m mostly an “internet musician” only but I do hope that’s gonna change!!

MOTEL VOID: You’ve just released your new single ‘Snare’. Will it be part of your new record?

VIBROPATH: Snare is most likely going to stay as a standalone single, and there’s a few reasons for that. The number one reason is I’m still sort of finding my sound and niche. If you go through some of my past few releases, some of them differ a lot in sound. While snare is a pretty heavy grungy/shoegaze track, I’ve also had some mellow releases. And honestly, I kind of enjoy genre-hopping. My tastes differ a lot in sound as well and it’s hard for me not to chase something once it catches my ear. Maybe once I settle more into a focused sound I’ll find a way to keep it cohesive enough for an album. I’ve always liked the idea of it – a bunch of artistically cohesive songs. For right now though, I’m gonna keep sorting out my musical genre ADHD.

The other thing with singles which is unfortunate is online streaming rewards releasing of singles a lot more than albums. I won’t bore you with the details but the algorithims and pitching and things like that just favor a single release schedule over albums. Of course I value artistic integrity over that, but I also want to get my music heard!

MOTEL VOID: Could you tell us more about the recording and writing process of your songs? I believe you record all of your songs yourself…?

VIBROPATH: Sure thing! I do record all of my stuff in my home. Generally my writing process starts with the instrumental – I’m a guitarist and producer before a vocalist so it tends to be a lot easier for me to express ideas that way. Generally I find the vocal melody there along the way. On occasion a melody will come to me first and I’ll build around it, but it’s generally an instrumentals first thing for me.

I’m definitely still honing my craft when it comes to lyrics but I’m pretty proud of what I’ve done there so far. I typically just try to capture my feelings about something in my life and kind of extrapolate to something that might be more relatable for a listener.
My recording process is pretty simple most of the times. All my guitars/bass are direct in unless I’m doing acoustic. My drums are sampled and I record my vocals with either an Audiotechnica AT2020 or an SM57 depending on my mood or what the song demands.

MOTEL VOID: Your biggest inspirations right now?

VIBROPATH: As far as Snare goes, my biggest inspiration was probably My bloody valentine. I think for anyone making shoegaze music that’s going to be one of the gold standards.

Speaking more generally I think you could count most of the usual suspects for indie music in my inspirations. Tame Impala, Crumb, Her’s, Alex G, all stuff I listen to a lot. I also really look up to King Gizz artistically, I respect a lot how much they genre-bend throughout their discography. I think that really speaks to a mastery of music that’s just above and beyond. I also tend to feel a lot more inspired by DIY solo musician’s like Mac Demarco, Dayglow, there’s a ton of others. It made me feel like if these guys were doing it then I could probably do it too.

A special thanks to also my music teachers from my school years also, if they ever get the chance to read this. I wish I had listened to you more when I had the chance, sorry I was such a little s*** 😂

MOTEL VOID: Your plans for 2024?

VIBROPATH: I’m really really hoping to release more music than I have ever have before in 2024. I’ve been averaging only like 3 songs a year for the past couple years, my process has been really slow for a variety of reasons and I want to change that. So definitely look out for more stuff. Like I said earlier, it would be a treat to be able to play live with a band also. I’d also love to collaborate a little more, if any other musicians are reading this don’t hesitate to reach out.