Inspired #204 - Constant Strangers
New York singer-songwriter duo Constant Strangers talk us through some of their personal inspirations and the ideas behind their aching single, ‘Lie’ and their new self-titled EP.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
Mary: Nickel Creek, Tracy Chapman, and Brandi Carlile are bands and artists that I come back to over and over again. They write so beautifully and so truthfully, their music seems effortless. There isn’t a need for bells and whistles and production smokescreens because the music and lyrics stand so tall on their own.
Chris: James Taylor, John Prine and Nickel Creek all come up for me. John Prine's ability to get straight to the heart of an idea without pretension or distraction is something I aspire to. I love how James Taylor writes and plays, but mostly I admire him for how he accompanies people and for his musical partnerships with Carole King, Joni Mitchell and so many others. Mary showed me Nickel Creek when we were in college; in some ways, our collaboration feels modelled on theirs.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
Mary: I never thought I’d say this as a die hard Californian, but New York plays a huge part in this album - I’ve spent so much time trying to get away from New York to *be inspired*, but I end up just bringing New York with me. She finds her way into everything I write these days.
Chris: New York for me! No question.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
Mary: This is a really difficult question because so many people inspire me in countless ways - from public figures to my own family. Right now though, specifically through the pandemic, I’m feeling incredibly inspired by all my friends and family members who have chosen to pursue art professionally. Artists are adapting in ways I never even imagined possible in an incredibly difficult time. And I don’t just mean adapting their craft or their art specifically, I’m also deeply inspired by those who have chosen to step away and take time for themselves, or who are pursuing other means of earning a living right now.
Chris: I'm always tempted just to answer ‘Joni Mitchell,’ whose art always inspires me and from whom we have co-opted a few lyrics in various ways. I think my answer, though, is my parents—in the pandemic and long before, they have worked to build a partnership that serves them and brings them joy. Though Mary's and my partnership is art-making rather than cohabiting (unless you count the three weeks we quarantined together to finish this record), I think of how my parents listen to, negotiate with and honour each other every time Mary and I get to work.
What were your inspirations when writing your new single, 'Lie'?
Mary: ‘Lie’ draws from real relationships I’ve had - on the surface it explores infidelity, but at its core it’s really about the feeling of loneliness inside a relationship and how pervasive that specific type of loneliness can be - it leads to a breakdown in communication not just with a partner, but also with the rest of your chosen family/community. This was a song I’d been wanting to write for a long time and it’s still one of my favourite things we’ve written because it just needed to get out onto the page. There was a part of me that was set free with its release.
Chris: For me, writing 'Lie' with Mary drew on my experiences of relationships where I didn't share all of myself with someone and, as a result, was always a little alone. Much of the process was also about listening to Mary and trying to come up with words and sounds that expressed the story she was trying to tell me. I think a lot of our work is about that—in a way, it's about trying to erase the distance between each other that we're describing in our music. It's a tremendous honour to collaborate with someone who will share this part of themselves with you.
What were your inspirations when writing your new self-titled EP?
Mary: We didn’t set out to write this specific EP - each song had its own life and the pieces just fit together.
Chris: We wrote the songs on ‘Constant Strangers’ in a relatively short period of time. I think what connects them is what we were both feeling at the time: the strange, crowded loneliness of living in New York in your twenties.
How would you like to inspire people?
Mary: I’ve been a singer since before I can remember, but I never felt like I was destined to write original music. This collaboration came as a bit of a surprise for me, but it feels more personal and more important than a lot of the art I’ve produced in my life and it’s coming at a late(ish) stage for me - I’d just want people to know that starting fresh and creating something new can happen at truly whatever age or stage of life you’re at. It’s not too late. It sounds so cliché, but it’s something I still have to tell myself everyday.
Chris: I hope we inspire people to work together, to listen to each other, to create art both from where they align as artists and where they don't. ‘Constant Strangers’ could never have come from either Mary or me alone. I hope people hear this record as an invitation to share more of themselves with one another.
Interview by Karla Harris