Rock N’ Recipes: Chime School

After an excellent debut LP, Andy Pastalaniec’s Chime School are returning this summer with what many already consider an album of the year contender, particularly in the indiepop circles. We’ve already heard some great singles, like the personal favorite, “Wandering Song,” so we reached out to Andy to catch up, grab some insight, then learn about making vegan chili. Read on below, and pre-order the Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel from Slumberland Records HERE. You can stream a few songs from the new LP at the very bottom of the interview!

ATH: Let’s go with a softball question here…what’s the biggest change, sonically speaking, since the first record in 2021? How did you end up with this batch of songs?

Well to me, Paisley Hotel sounds huge compared to the first record. I learned a lot from making the first record and I wanted to go for a bigger sound generally. But I also took a bit of a step back and chose a more condensed palette arrangement-wise, so the record would have a bit more of a unified sound. I was also going for a bit more of a wistful and moody tone this time around.

 

I do see Paisley Hotel as an extension of the first record, which mined the more bedroom-popSarah Records drum-machine side of my influences, whereas Paisley Hotel aims for the biggersounding records that also inspired the project from the beginning, which my limited technicalability at the time prevented me from executing. Say Hello is a good example; it was one of thefirst songs I ever wrote, inspired by Gentle Tuesday by Primal Scream and Mile High Towersby the Razorcuts. Inever tried to record it for the first record because I couldnt get that bigstudio sound, especially on the drums. Aside from Say Hello most of the songs on PaisleyHotel were written after the first record was completed, and recorded in my home studiobetween February and October of 2023.

ATH: Would it be fair to say that you tried to stretch the expectations of jangle pop? If so, what were your intentions or goals in your own songwriting?

I feel like theres definitely a more harmonic and melodic depth to Paisley Hotel. Ive improved as a guitarist and singer, and probably was able to hear some chord phrasings that I couldnt quite reach on the first record. Theres some weirder chords on the record, some major 7 chords and chords that honestly I had to look up the names of to know what they were. Words You Say is a good example of that maturation, its got a more complex melody and chord structure, but it came together very naturally, with me following a melody that was moving through me, letting it take me where it wanted me to go.

 

Im not necessarily trying to stretch the expectations of jangle pop per say, but I imagine it might sound that way with some of the noisier or bigger aspects of the record. Honestly, Im at the point where I feel like making records should not be easy because I still have a lot to learn and theres a lot of territory I still want to explore. So Im always trying to push beyond my limitations as a songwriter and producer, and I feel like I really had a breakthrough on Paisley Hotel.

ATH: The LP version flips over at “Wandering Song,” and starts anew with “Say Hello.” Any secrets to the ordering of the tracks and their song titles? Do you ever ask for other people’s input in the track order?

Sequencing is hugely important to me. Once I had enough songs recorded, the sequence fell right into place: slowly and patiently unfolding with The End, blasting ahead with Why Dont You Come Out Tonight? followed by the catchy lead single Give Your Heart Away, settling into a groove with the more oblique Another Way Home, pausing for a moment with a more pensive, wistful Words You Say, followed by a bigger pop centerpiece with Wandering Song. Side two was similar, starting with single-worthy but still extended Say Hello keeping the rhythm and noise up with Desperate Days and (I Hate) The Summer Sun before Negative Monday mellows you out and takes you towards the spaced out and dramatic Points of Light which was intended as a crescendo and coda for the entire record.

ATH: Is there a statement song on the record, or a favorite that might not have made the list of singles? What’s the first song you’d share with your best friend?

I think Wandering Song is a centerpiece as its a bit longer and more sonically complex, but still catchy and single-worthy. I was able to sneak a couple homages to a couple favorite Sea Urchins and East Village songs in there too (laughs).

 

Give Your Heart Away as a pop song is the one Im the most proud of, as writing a catchy, concise pop song is one of the most elusive and admirable skills, in my opinion.

 

Points of Light is the song Id send to a friend as a curve ball. I was exploring some more far-out territory on that one, while still working within the bounds of indie pop, with a palette a bit more towards Field Mice For Keeps, or Northern Picture Library Alaska albums. I really pushed myself to come up with the instrumental passage that concludes the record with the distorted harmonizing guitars that fade into the gentle acoustic jangle that make up the climax at the end of the album, improvising it entirely during the recording process.

ATH: This album was recorded in your home studio by you, as was the first LP. Is there a conscious effort to have full control of the song’s or has it just been the most convenient/affordable option when the tunes are ready? Are there any current producers you wouldn’t mind working with in the future?

It would be great to record everything in a proper studio with access to expensive, rare gear and a knowledgeable engineer who could fix any little problem I run into or guide me through any unknown unknown mistakes I might be making. Im not sure I see it happening. For me, the studio is the place where the songs become what they are. Id probably have to demo an entire record at home before I could go into a studio and get things done on an affordable timetable and its just not feasible at all. When I make a record, I enter this zone where I dont really work on anything else and its kind of the only thing I think about. I really like being able to go downstairs, work on a bass line or keyboard overdub, do a mix down, listen to it for a bit, come back to it, workshop it some more. That type of freedom is just not feasible on someone elses time.

 

I really admire Jason Quever, from Papercuts, especially production wise. I suspect he works a bit similarly, as he has a (far more professional) home studio of his own where he records his own music, as well as other bands, for a living. I know he is similarly obsessed with getting the right sound. I love how his songs are incredibly sparse and concise, relying on every element having exactly the right sound, whether its a harpsichord, or a curiously de-tuned floor tom, so he only needs a few components to build an entire soundscape. Just super impressive stuff. Jason gave me some tips when I was making Paisley Hotel, helping me choose a better condenser microphone when it came time to record vocals for the album.

 

One happy medium that could work is if I could take my computer, or recording project files to someone elses studio from time to time, to record certain parts, get the best of both worlds in terms of being able to workshop the project on my own but occasionally tap into someone elses better studio space, or benefit from their greater expertise in certain areas. So thats a good thought!

ATH: You’re a key member of the Bay Area music scene (with various projects like Seablite, etc), and as of the last few years, the area has been putting out some incredible pop music unlike any other at the moment. What’s in the water out there that has made it so special, especially considering there was an exodus for a minute in the late 2000s because of housing costs (which still seem an issue from a distance). What are things other scenes could look to replicate?

Thank you for the kind words. I definitely dont feel like I deserve any more credit than anyone else in the scene. Its an honor to be surrounded by so many creative artists and musicians in the Bay Area. Theres so much to draw inspiration from, and I know for a fact I would never have pushed myself to achieve my creative goals if not for these fertile surroundings and the 15 years Ive lived here, absorbing them almost through osmosis.

 

Theres always been great stuff happening in the Bay Area of course, its not all of a sudden. Some groups getting attention now have been going strong for years, and some of the new groups are made up of people that were in previously renowned bands.

 

Mainly I think the shitty economics that caused people to leave the Bay Area in the past finally caught up with everywhere else, so there isnt much to gain from moving to LA, New York, Portland, or wherever. Capitalism is a race to the bottom, everywhere is expensive now.

 

I also think the free time that resulted from the pandemic lockdowns, when people renegotiated their work/life and social/life balances (by choice or as a byproduct of losing work) supercharged some folks creativity. Combine that with an incredibly talented crop of younger people coming into their own with a unique combination of influences, and its just a special time. Its not unique to San Francisco. Los Angeles has an amazing music scene going right now too, and its been really fantastic to get to know some of the groups down there.

 

I happen to think 2024 is a real banner year for music generally, one that we may remember for years to come. Im personally having trouble just keeping up with everything.

ATH: What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an artist? Be it this project or other projects…what are the difficulties you see in the world of arts as a whole? Any solutions?

Lately I feel like the biggest challenge is just finding time for all the side responsibilities of doing a music project; artwork, graphic design/layout, music videos, promotion, etc. Its great on one hand, because I see it as an extension of the music and I have ideas about how I want the project presented, but it can be incredibly time-consuming and takes time away from writing, recording, and rehearsal.

 

More generally, perhaps philosophically, its a challenge to negotiate the balance between ones creative life (or lives), and ones personal, or work life. One of my partners friends, an accomplished musician in her own right, has a funny saying about playing in lots of bands, are people who play in a bunch of bands afraid to commit to just being really good at just one band? which is something I think about from time to time, and Im only really in two bands!

 

I also have incredible admiration for people who sacrifice the comfort of steady paychecks or future stability so they can go all-in on a creative lifestyle, particularly when they lack any type of family-money safety net. There are bands who get together and rehearse three or four times a week or more, and they are incredibly good as a result. Its wild because (we easily forget) thats kind of how it used to be.

 

Ultimately, Im incredibly grateful for the experiences Ive had as a result of being in bands, and the talented people Ive been able to work with. Im not trying to do a music career from a financial standpoint, just make art Im proud of and have as many rewarding experiences as I can with other artists I admire.

ATH: Do you have big tour plans for this next LP? Are there any places you haven’t traveled or played that you’d like to include, if possible?

Yes! Were playing a few shows in California right when the record comes out, that our friends The Telephone Numbers will be joining us for, as well as a bunch of other great bands along the way:

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– August 23 at the Makeout Room in San Francisco, with The Telephone Numbers, Hits and a bunch of friends playing records.

 

– August 24 at Permanent Records in Los Angeles, with The Telephone Numbers, Nic Hessler, and Le Pain.

 

– August 25 at GONZO! In Carlsbad with The Telephone Numbers

 

One of my biggest goals for Chime School was to tour in the UK/EU. I tried to time out the release of this record so I could achieve that goal. In January I got a message from Paris Popfest inviting us to join their 2024 fest from September 26-28, which is such an honor, and exactly the anchor I needed to build a wider tour around. I then reached out to Reuben at Outsider Artists, the UK-based tour agency that recently brought Cindy, The Umbrellas, The Reds, Pinks & Purples, Kelley Stoltz, and many others across the pond. He graciously invited me to join the roster, which was amazing. Were doing ten shows in the UK in September/October.

Aside from that, were going to try and revisit the Pacific Northwest in early December, (a KEXP session would definitely be a bucket-list thing if theyd have us), and next year wed like to play some shows on the East Coast for the first time, and mid-west if possible. Theres so many bands all around the country that I really want to see and play with.

 

For the future, Id absolutely love the opportunity to play Spain, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe. More ambitiously, Japan someday. Well see how many of those boxes Im able to tick off in the future!

ATH: Tell us about your recipe. Where did you learn to make it? Anything special about this recipe in particular?

My partner was, um, dismayed, (laughs) when we first moved in together and I had absolutely no talent or interest in cooking. That was very much not cool, and very juvenile of me. So I started learning to cook, and Ive come to really enjoy it and get somewhat decent at it. I really appreciate the finesse of it; knowing how certain ingredients will react with each other depending on how you put them together and for how long; getting the order of operations just right to make something turn out the way you want it. Kind of like making a record in a way. I also have, err, my own taste in the kitchen (laughs). Youve heard of super-tasters right? People whose taste buds are so sensitive that cilantro tastes like soap, or spicy food is really unbearable. Well, my partner likes to joke that Im like a no-taster. I just season and spice the shit out of everything! Chili was one of the first things I learned to make because its really easy, but it was also one of the first recipes I started to improvise and make my own. Added bonus, since its vegan, it keeps a long time in the fridge so you can eat it all week.

Chime School Vegan Chili

Ingredients:

• Chili powder
• Curry powder
• Cumin
• Red Pepper flakes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1-2 chipotle peppers and some of the sauce (or more if you want it more spicy) ● 1 large jalapeno, diced
• 1 package El Burrito Organiz Soy-rizo (vegan fake chorizo), the secret weapon. ● 1 large zucchini
• 1 can each: black beans, kidney bean, white bean, whole kernel corn ● 1 large can roasted crushed tomatoes

Step 1

Chop onion, garlic, jalapeno. Pour some olive oil in a large pot and heat it up. Add onion and garlic, and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper. Simmer with lid until onions become translucent, then add chipotle peppers. Stir.

Step 2

Add the entire package of Soyrizo. Season with salt and pepper. Add a liberal amount of chili powder, cumin, some curry powder, and some red pepper flakes. I always eyeball this so I cant give you a measurement for the spices. Let the items simmer and coagulate a bit.

Step 3

Chop zucchini, and add it to the mix, stirring it in and giving it some time to cook a bit.

Step 4

Drain and rinse beans and corn in a colander. Add them to the mix, stirring them together. Let them sizzle in the mix for a minute.

Step 5

Add the entire can of tomatoes, and stir it all together. Add a bit more chili powder, and cumin. Dont be shy, keep in mind the cumin helps balance the spice of the chili powder.

Step 6

At this point your chili will be very thick so add some water until its just a bit more watery than you ultimately want it to be. The water will cook off over the next 30-45 minutes when you let it simmer on low. If you add too much water you can add a bit of tomato paste, or just let it cook a bit longer with the lid off the pot. Be sure to stir regularly.

Serve in a bowl topped with chopped green onion and cheddar cheese if desired, and a side of homemade cornbread. Pro-tip, its also really good over a baked potato with cheese and sour cream (if youre not vegan). Bon appetit!