Interview: arrange – 10.19.11

You might know Florida bedroom musician Malcom Lacey as arrange, and if you don’t, then you’re missing out. He’s been regularly featured on this website for good reason – he released his excellent debut full-length, Plantation, earlier this year. My Car and My Guitar had a chance to ask him some questions, and he shed some light on his songwriting, what to expect from his new EP, and his self-proclaimed “weird ambient pop stuff.”

My Car and My Guitar: First things first – is it lowercase-a “arrange” always? Does it matter?
Malcom Lacey: Honestly I guess it really doesn’t matter all that much. On paper it was meant to be all lowercase letters, but I see it thrown around whichever way and it really doesn’t bother me.

MCMG: Is there any one question you hate being asked in interviews?
Lacey: Hahah, not really. Mostly I’m just glad people think I’m interesting enough to interview.

MCMG: How have you reacted to your spike in popularity, with blogs buzzing about you, getting reviewed on Pitchfork, etc.? Has it changed your day-to-day life much?
Lacey: It really hasn’t changed much at all. Visiting local record stores are a little different, but that’s about it.

MCMG: How has the vinyl been selling? I know that was a concern of yours.
Lacey: I haven’t yet sold out of the vinyl, but I’m sure it will eventually! The response has been a lot larger than I initially anticipated and I’m glad I pressed more than the original 100.

MCMG: You recently got engaged – congratulations on that, by the way. You’ve also talked about moving to Portland. What’s going on with that?
Lacey: I’m getting married come next fall! I’m so excited. I am moving to Portland on November 28th. I can’t wait.

MCMG: You’ve stated before that you’d love the idea of touring – any progress on that?
Lacey: I really want to release this EP and get settled into Portland before I tour, but once I get my live show rounded out, it’ll be the first priority on my list.

MCMG: How do you envision yourself performing live – with a laptop? Piano? Guitar? Other musicians?
Lacey: Ideally, it’d be with a couple more musicians. Very improvisational. Very stripped down. Piano, guitar, drums, etc.

MCMG: I feel like Plantation is a very solitary experience – was that intentional, or just a product of how it was made?
Lacey: It was definitely unintentional. The making of Plantation was a very lonely experience for me. Something I don’t wish to ever experience again, but something that was key in giving it that sense of authenticity. People get hurt. People you love will hurt you. It was harder to deal with and I was doing it alone. I don’t see myself ever making a record like that again.

MCMG: What’s your favorite track that you’ve recorded to date?
Lacey: Oh man, you know every time I make a new one, I think that one winds up being my favorite. I think all of the material on my latest EP is work I’m most proud of.

MCMG: You’ve mentioned that – your Five Years with the Sun EP coming out early next year, granted you find a label. What’s the progress on that?
Lacey: I’m looking at a few labels, but I’m not sure how they’ll pan out. I hope well. Ideally, I’d be signed to Type Records and be making ambient music for the rest of my life. Hahah. I’m definitely interested in making it a career.

MCMG: How close to done is the new EP?
Lacey: It’s done as of a couple days ago!
Ed. Note – Lacey posted the EP’s tracklisting after we conducted this interview.

MCMG: Stylistically, would you say that it’s similar to Plantation?
Lacey: Hmm. I guess the key elements are all there. Ambient music is still my passion. I love taking field recordings and using them as textures. In that aspect it very much is the same, but as far as the emotions involved I’d say Five Years With The Sun is a lot brighter, hehehe.

MCMG: Are you looking to do another physical release with the new EP?
Lacey: Oh yes, very much so.

MCMG: Is continued evolution of your sound something you’re interested in? For example, there’s nothing on Plantation as fuzzy as “I’m (Probably) a Shitty Person” or as R&B as “Marker Smell.”
Lacey: I think it isn’t something I set out to do, but it happens regardless. The arrangements on this new EP go from fuzzy/noise based tracks to large ambient electronic pop songs.

MCMG: I’d say that Plantation is your most cohesive work yet, but there’s a lot of variety on there at the same time. Do you feel as though you’ve developed a voice as a songwriter, or is this whole process just spontaneous?
Lacey: Plantation was a very singular record for me. The lyrical content was very personal and a lot of it obscured, because some of the things I was trying to convey were so intimate and fresh to me at the time. I feel like my writing process is very spontaneous and that there really aren’t many topics I set to delve in specifically before I start writing.

MCMG: I wanted to highlight the bonus track “Sore” – I think it’s a very interesting song, since it’s sample-based, in the vein of the Avalanches or something. What was the genesis of that tune?
Lacey: “Sore” was the second track I made for the Plantation LP. I got all of these old records from my therapist and one of which was Englebert Humperdinck’s The Last Waltz. One of my favorite tracks on the record is his cover of “Two Different Worlds”. Those first first couple seconds killed me. Those women. Everything about it was absolutely heartbreaking. It was perfect, so I decided to chop up “Ms. Fat Booty” and some Johnny Cash and Common and that was that.

MCMG: Do you feel as though your music has a genre? What do you call your music when people ask (as they inevitably do)?
Lacey: This lady at Cole Haan asked me what my music was like and I replied “weird ambient pop stuff”. And that’s usually my go-to answer to that.

MCMG: Is the era of the “genre” behind us?
Lacey: I dunno. I’m not sure I could really answer that. I’m a silly guy, you know. I don’t know much.

MCMG: I know you’re an avid music listener yourself – as of this moment, what are your current top 5 albums of 2011 so far?
Lacey: Ahhhh. TOO MUCH PRESSSSURE!

MCMG: Any last words for our readers, or just anything else you want to say?
Lacey: I love you.

We’d like to thank Lacey for his time, and remind you all to check out Plantation or his recent collaboration with Ricky Eat Acid if you haven’t already. Keep an ear our for Five Years With the Sun, and we’ll definitely keep you posted on everything Lacey’s doing in the future.