Inspired #315 - Night Shop
Kevin Morby & Waxahatchee collaborator Night Shop has just released the title track for his new album ‘Forever Night’ via Dangerbird Records. He took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind the new single and his music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Billie Holiday because of the circumstances she overcame in her life to make this incredible music. Year after year, she is the number one artist I listen to.
Sam Cooke. I was already a fan of his music but in terms of inspiration, reading Peter Guarlnick’s “Dream Boogie” about his life really added to my admiration for his life and the choices he made.
Aaron Cometbus. As a teenager, Aaron was my hero for his bands (most notably Crimpshrine) and zine (called “Cometbus”). He was a drummer who wrote amazing lyrics and combined the personal and political in a really exciting way for me. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to call him a good friend.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
There are many films that inspire me. Honestly, I think a lot of my music is much more cinematically inspired than by other music I listen to, in strange ways. For example, I love the narrative of the obsessive quest and that comes up a lot in my lyrics. So when, in 2007’s Zodiac, the character Robert Graysmith says: “I just need to stand there. I need to look him in the eye. And I need to know that it’s him.” That kind of quest for clarity in the midst of an all encompassing mystery really speaks to me. Even if what I write about is a much different kind of mystery.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
Los Angeles. While its flaws and issues are myriad (see Rosecrans Baldwin’s “Everything Now” for a good exploration of this), it is a horrifying, beautiful mess that I love.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
My friend Katie McDonough. We met when we were very young and she has always been a guide for me through my life with her insight, intellect and sense of humor. She’s been through a lot in her life and I’ve been inspired by how she continues to show up for herself and others.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
For me, Forever Night is a celebration of a certain pace, a rhythm, a feeling of being in the mix with the great swirling mass of people and loving that feeling of still showing up to try to make something happen with this life.
How would you like to inspire people?
I would like to simply be another carrier of the message I got when I was young through punk music that you don’t have to wait for permission or to have some kind of talent or hidden knowledge to be what you want to be. You can start right now.