Twin Shadow is the sort of indie pop that you can dance yourself silly to,  pondering the deeply intimate lyrics paired with lush synthetic melodies and strung out disco funk beats. Twin Shadow is essentially the brainchild of George Lewis, Jr., whose debut album Forget was recently released this summer as well as a split 7″ released with Violens (now available here). I spoke to George on the phone this afternoon, answering my questions about his current musical project in a soft spoken, thoughtful manner.

How long did your debut album Forget take to write and record? Did you play all of the instruments yourself, or were there other players involved in the recording process?

It probably took about a year total. I played 90% of it myself. My keyboard player played on it a little bit, she played some synthesizers on it. This guy Prince Language did a few things with programming songs, but for the most part it was just me.

 

What was the recording process like?

It was really fun, and pretty relaxed. It was challenging because I kind of had to teach myself certain instruments that I didn’t know. Like, playing certain drum parts on the record, stuff that’s not programmed. I really practiced a lot of piano playing, trying to get myself ready for the record. I already played a lot of synth, and when I really knew how to play piano I really pushed myself.

How does an essentially one-man record translate to a live show with a full band?

I’m very much the leader; everyone’s trying to play what I played on the record. But everyone is adding their own thing, and I love that. I think that’s important to keep people playing my music. I’m very turned on by the idea of other people adding to what I’ve already done. It’s very exciting for me- there’s a lot of freedom there.

What’s your mindset onstage? Is it a cathartic experience or is it pure fun?

It’s a little bit of everything, every night is different. I hope for it to be cathartic everytime, but I don’t know if that’s possible. That’s the goal, I guess, to not think about it too hard. To make it have a truly-energy based thing, so I’m not thinking too much or over-analyzing.

Tell us about your current tour. You’ll be moving through the US until October when you’ll head over to the UK and France. Have you toured internationally before?

I’ve been to Europe and done some music over there, but I’ve never toured with a band. That’ll be a first. I’m really excited about it, I hope that it continues. The American tour has been fun with Jamie Lidell, it’s been a good expiernence. We’re about halfway through right now.

What are your goals for your music? To share with others? To play bigger and better gigs? Or to collaborate with bigger and better artists?

That’s a lot of questions (laughs). It’s a combo of everything, but I’m very honest: I do look at it as a business, I do want to make money and be able to be comfortable one day. The only way I know how to do that is to write songs. My goal is always to try to make something that stands out and goes above the…I’m not into just making mediocre music because I don’t want to add to the pile of music that’s out there. We don’t really need that much more of that music in the world. My goal is to make it good enough to make me feel okay with its existence.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?

I’d probably be a painter, I think I’d try to paint. It’s the only other art form I’m really interested in.  I’d probably be living a simple life somehwere, driving a truck. (laughs)