Glenarvon, a New York-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist led by Derek Brown, conveys our sentiments and ideas in their latest album release with the appropriate lyrics. Listening to Glenarvon’s “Idle Thrashing” music makes you feel as if you’re in their universe. Glenarvon’s “Idle Thrashing” album was released on August 28th, and they have already made a name for themselves in music, developing their style and career from the ground up. Keep a look out for this fantastic interview with Glenarvon, which we at songweb had the pleasure of conducting.
Songweb: Tell us about yourself and how your work as an artist is influenced by it.
Glenarvon: I grew up near the ocean in the biker capital of the world––Daytona Beach, Florida. Without being too precious about it, the ocean stays with you. I was also adopted and led to believe I was part Cherokee and from a musical background. Neither was true, but I felt heir to some mystical legacy and romanticized the role of the songwriter as a result. I was willing to risk everything if it meant growing as one. That equated to seeking out all kinds of experiences. So, just out of my teens, I’d had a bit of traveling behind me and had read and listened to everything I could. I was by then also living in New York City––where I’d ended up after leaving Florida abruptly, in the middle of the night. I think my music reflects that impulsiveness––that diversity of interests and experiences.
Songweb: Who are your most important artistic influences?
Glenarvon: Nirvana was my Beatles––until the Beatles were my Beatles. I’ve probably drawn most heavily from them. But I’ve gone through similar immersions in others (e.g., David Bowie, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Doors).
Songweb: Where do you get your inspiration and what trends influence your work?
Glenarvon: Lately, I’ll come up with a line––what I think will be a poem––and find myself singing it. Suddenly, there’s this alchemy of melody and lyrics, which hits like an espresso. That’s what inspires me. I’m rarely influenced by contemporary trends. I keep saying this album—Idle Thrashing––is the one I wanted to make at fourteen while listening to Nirvana, Weezer, and Hole.
Songweb: Could you tell us about your current project and its production process?
Glenarvon: This album started as an experiment. I wanted to record a song as Weezer might have during the Blue Album. It was, otherwise, a soppy ballad. I was just trying to amuse myself with I song I didn’t place much stock in. But people seemed to like it, and I started approaching other songs similarly. At least, by emulating other influences from that period. Production-wise, it was just my trying to capture, say, the drums from In Utero, or the guitars on Superunknown.
Songweb: In what ways has this project aided you in other aspects of your life?
Glenarvon: Recording this album made me want to help others realize their ambitions. So I’ve been working with other artists to help them reach their goals through production work with dB SPL.
Songweb: Could you define briefly the objective or purpose of your work?
Glenarvon: I’d like to faithfully capture a thought, experience, or emotion with just the right words, in just the right order, and with a melody that complements and enhances the whole.
Songweb: Do you have any artist relationships, and how do they help you?
Glenarvon: I have some artist and musician friends who probably help me most by commiserating over the process. It’s also fun to laugh about the, sadly, fleeting bouts of self-aggrandizement that accompany a breakthrough; which is often just the result of an accident anyway.
Songweb: Describe how we can help you advance your career.
Glenarvon: You can urge your readership to follow me on all the usual platforms and buy my album (everywhere, at least once)!
Songweb: What have your critics and collectors had to say about your work?
Glenarvon: The favorable reviews are just as often countered by unfavorable ones. I don’t think anyone has liked, or disliked, something another critic hasn’t contradicted. One listener thought the lyrics to “Traveling Man (Oh, No, It’s Me Again)” was too predictable. That’s strange to consider.
Songweb: How do you hone your abilities?
Glenarvon: I have my limitations. I just commit to achieving a certain level of proficiency and do as many takes as needed to get the performance I’m after. Lyrically, if I get stuck, I’ll consult my favorite authors for a phrase or image I can run with.
This is the album I wanted to make at 14, when I was steeped in Nirvana, Weezer, Hole, Soundgarden, and other 90s alt-rock darlings. The first single is the oldest song on the album. I wrote it when I was 15 and only recently came up with the self-flagellating lyrics. The chorus (“I’m a traveling man”) is a reference to the “geographics” alcoholics are known to pull, while also winking at Ricky Nelson. My grandfather had a great baritone and I have memories of him driving around while listening to “Travelin’ Man,” which he’d punctuate with a rich “bom-bom bom-bom.”
The climaxes of the songs are breathtaking, as are the soundscapes while the artist offers stories that reach us on a deeper level. “Idle Thrashing” contains chart-topping singles and is a work of art that exemplifies Glenarvon’s artistic ability.
Listen to “Idle Thrashing” by Glenarvon on SoundCloud and let us know what you think. Cheers!
https://soundcloud.com/glenarvonmusic/sets/idle-thrashing?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fglenarvonmusic%252Fsets%252Fidle-thrashing
You can follow Glenarvon here for more information.
