{"id":3221,"date":"2022-08-10T06:22:51","date_gmt":"2022-08-10T06:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostinthenordics.com\/?p=3221"},"modified":"2022-08-10T06:22:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T06:22:51","slug":"interview-beatnik-party-st-michaelmas-danse-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/10\/interview-beatnik-party-st-michaelmas-danse-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Beatnik Party &#8211; St Michaelmas Danse (Part Two)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Rough, raw, jagged, minimal, post-punk, art-rock\u2026all of these terms could be used to describe Beatnikparty, but ultimatelythey come up a little short. True to their name, the lyrics and story-telling qualities of Michael Henry\u2019s vocals harken back to beat poetry and the bards of pre-British Invasion times. BP\u2019s presentation summons images of Bukowski or Burroughs pontificating in a smoky coffee house, but only if a clanging bass guitar and staccato drums were backing the vocals instead of bongos and finger snaps.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lostinthenordics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Beatnik_Party-St_Michaelmas_Danse_Part_Two-unnamed-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3223\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Hey, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Jenyr\u2019s an essential employee, so she\u2019s been working to fulfill peoples prescription\u2019s throughout the entire mess.\u00a0\u00a0And, I started drinking wine during pandemic, and doing yoga.\u00a0\u00a0I do a lot of yoga.\u00a0\u00a0So, I guess I\u2019ve become an alcoholic yogi.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q:&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>What first got you into music?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr: School music class started my love for percussion. I was a big fan of the Xylophones and hand drums. I was able to play in drum circles at Rainbow gatherings in Joshua Tree in the early 90s, as well as parking lot parties at Grateful Dead shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Well, my mom loved music and we would sing the Box Tops song\u00a0<em>The Letter<\/em>\u00a0when we were doing the dishes or cleaning the house.\u00a0\u00a0And, I remember seeing Kiss on television as a kid, but it was the Beatles documentary\u00a0<em>Meet the Beatles<\/em>\u00a0that really made me want to pick up a guitar\u2026. But I couldn\u2019t really buy one, so my Aunt Pat bought me a drum pad and some sticks when I was in 5th grade, because they are way cheaper.\u00a0\u00a0Then, my mom got me a guitar, which she ended up trading for a bass when I started high school\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Who would you most like to collaborate with?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Mike Watt.\u00a0\u00a0He was the first person who really made the bass guitar stand out to me with his\u00a0<em>Politics of Time\u00a0<\/em>album from the Minutemen- \u201c we don\u2019t need no stinking badges\u201d\u2026\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>it\u2019d be cool to do some double bass tracks with Watt\u2026 or else, maybe Keith Morris of the Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame, oh a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and Off!\u2026 it\u2019d be nice to not have to worry about writing all the lyrics all the time\u2026 So, Watt or Keith Morris\u2026\u00a0\u00a0or both (Laughter)\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr: I would super love to work with Julie Ritter, formerly of Mary\u2019s Danish. I would also love to collaborate with Stephen Perkins.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are both incredibly talented and I would probably freak out if I met either one of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Your latest song is &#8216;St Michaelmas Danse&#8217;. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Yeah, we had a song I wrote in \u201cD\u201d which was called\u00a0<em>St Michaelmas Danse<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0During pandemic we would get bored and rehearse it and let it ring out; then, Jenyr would goof on this band from New Zealand and play this beat afterwards\u2026. Because all their songs had the same beat\u2026. And, I started playing this riff in \u201cD\u201d, then I started writing lyrics and it became an excuse to play a 2 minute bass lead in \u201cD\u201d\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr: I wasn\u2019t goofing.\u00a0\u00a0(Laughs) It\u2019s just a fun beat to play\u2026. but I added the kick.\u00a0\u00a0The other beat was just a floor Tom and a snare.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Right, yeah\u2026 oh, but we\u2019re making a three and a half minute radio edit, with a shorter lead, because who wants a 2 minute bass lead? \u00a0(Laughter)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: St. Michaelmas Danse (Part Two)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/4sNH5VsjR7hbXZdl4q4IWp?si=d37399b9c0f04cc6&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What are you focusing on right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0We\u2019ve actually been working on converting a parking area into a rehearsal studio at our house for the last couple years, since Pandemic.\u00a0\u00a0However, we still haven\u2019t gotten the A\/C worked out enough for the AriZona heat; so, we are still trying to get that finished, then, we can finish recording the first and third part to this song\u2026. But we\u2019re just trying to stay cool in AriZona for now\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr:\u00a0\u00a0Lessons.\u00a0\u00a0(Laughs).\u00a0\u00a0We both have the same teacher for drum and bass lessons.\u00a0\u00a0We started during pandemic with, the Zoom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: You are also based in&nbsp;Phoenix. Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0 Well, we\u2019ve been based in California, Washington, Idaho and AriZona throughout the years.\u00a0\u00a0AriZona has been different because we got hit by a bus in Idaho and we were kinda on hiatus until we moved to AriZona and had a chance to recover\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, I started taking an acting class and doing some work with a local Theatre Company in Phoenix.\u00a0\u00a0The Theatre Director, who was also active in music, convinced Jenyr to play a standard sit down drum set, instead of the stand up cocktail set she used to play\u2026. So, it\u2019s been easier for her to use her kick drum, and we\u2019ve been able to incorporate that more into our songs\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr:\u00a0And we\u2019ve been able to play out a bit more, at least before everything. So we\u2019ve gotten better at performing, thanks to all the great bands we\u2019ve been able to play with.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What is the best advice you\u2019ve been given?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Ron Goudie from Restless Records told me to have fun, when I was very young.\u00a0\u00a0He said, it\u2019s a pretty slim chance that anyone ever makes it, so just have fun. That way, at least you\u2019re having a good time\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0Well, we\u2019re a bit geographically challenged\u2026. We live about an hour between Phoenix and Tucson, right in the middle\u2026 but not off the freeway- sounds like a riddle (Laughter)\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>but it makes it kind of hard to go out and drink (Laughter)\u2026. And go to shows\u2026\u00a0\u00a0which makes it kind of hard to get shows\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr: Click tracks, and moving my equipment.\u00a0\u00a0(Rolls eyes).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: How do you structure your day?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: I\u2019m a Sagittarius, so I try not to structure too much of anything.\u00a0\u00a0I usually do my yoga and find some time to read throughout the day.\u00a0\u00a0Jenyr\u2019s a great cook, so we\u2019ll sort of plan our evenings around what dinner and wine we\u2019re having\u2026. but I practice scales and whatnot for about 2 hours a day, and I do yoga for an hour and a half- the rest of the time I am usually cleaning or doing homework\u2026. I recently learned the Alef Bet\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0Yes.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m super into Thelema and Yoga.\u00a0\u00a0So, I spend a lot of time reading.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And, meditating.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve started watching television more since Pandemic ended, which is weird because I didn\u2019t watch it during Pandemic, but Im trying to cut back\u2026 OM\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr:\u00a0as it ended?\u00a0\u00a0(Laughter) I still have a permit to drive in case the world shuts down again, valid until 2023 (Laughter).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Do you sing in the shower? What songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael: Not really.\u00a0\u00a0I take super short showers.\u00a0\u00a0Im from California where there is usually some sort of drought; so, I learned very young to take very quick showers\u2026. Less than 5 minutes, is what my Mom would yell at us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr:\u00a0I grew up in AriZona, and don\u2019t recall conserving water.\u00a0\u00a0(Laughs) I do occasionally sing in the shower. Usually one of the hundreds of songs in my mental Rolodex from the 80s.\u00a0<em>Never Say Neve<\/em>r by Romeo Void,\u00a0<em>Genius of Love<\/em>\u00a0by Tom Tom club, or Roses Grow by Concrete Blonde to name a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: And Finally, what are your plans for the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0You\u2019re guess is as good as mine\u2026. We\u2019ll probably always be playing music, because I\u2019ve always played music\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jenyr: I plan on day drinking right now, and going swimming\u2026\u00a0\u00a0with some Old Vine Zin\u2019 baby\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael:\u00a0That\u2019s the wrong kind of Zen\u2026. (Laughter)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Beatnik Party\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/artist\/0CsYsPojZuv63MpswIrp80?si=5aDg0tCXT2KzTZzoX3_LTQ&#038;dl_branch=1&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rough, raw, jagged, minimal, post-punk, art-rock\u2026all of these terms could be used to describe Beatnikparty, but ultimatelythey come up a little short. True to their name, the lyrics and story-telling qualities of Michael Henry\u2019s vocals harken back to beat poetry and the bards of pre-British Invasion times. BP\u2019s presentation summons images of Bukowski or Burroughs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discover"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nightshiftblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}