5 albums in, Ken Yates thinks he might have nailed it with Complete Cinema (Tone Tree)—and we are inclined to agree. With assist from award-winning producer Dan Ledwell, the London, Ontario, singer/songwriter has lastly assembled the totally operational musical automobile for delivering his refined, meticulously noticed insights into the post-millennial human situation. He got here awfully shut with 2023’s Cerulean, an album that linked with American critics, if not a ton of listeners. However whereas that LP tailed off into method towards the top, Complete Cinema by no means loses its inventive momentum, due to a surplus of memorable melodies that always hinge on Yates’ ingenious guitar leads.
Yates’ boyish supply has one thing in widespread with Elliott Smith’s, in the best way it makes vulnerability really feel so approachable—even charismatic. As with Cerulean, lead vocals are sometimes doubled on Complete Cinema, which provides one other dynamic to the album’s dwelling, respiratory mattress of sound.
Just a few days after wrapping up an intimate pre-release mini tour with longtime pal (and Incredible Cat member) Brian Dunne, Yates chatted with MAGNET’s Hobart Rowland.
Let’s begin with the lead quote in your newest bio: “I really feel like there are songs on this report that I needed to reside my complete life up to now to put in writing.” That’s fairly a press release.
I believe loads of my early albums had been written from the standpoint of an observer. I hadn’t had loads of life expertise to derive inspiration from, so I wrote quite a bit about different folks and occasions. With Complete Cinema, I felt like I had this depth of latest experiences to attract inspiration from. From grief and cynicism, to like and gratitude, there was a readability to writing these songs I’ve by no means had earlier than. I believe that comes from experiencing and feeling issues my youthful self wouldn’t have been capable of articulate.
You’ve additionally mentioned that Complete Cinema is the precise album you needed to make. How was that attainable this time round?
With my previous information, I used to be simply nonetheless a bit inexperienced and didn’t have the arrogance and readability to know the way I actually needed to sound. I don’t suppose I found my “sound” till Cerulean. With that album, producer Jim Bryson and I stumbled right into a sonic model that felt genuine for the primary time. With Complete Cinema, I knew how I needed to develop on that. I needed to take what was engaged on Cerulean however create a extra dynamic album, pushing the tempo and quantity a bit whereas nonetheless sustaining a gradual pulse to weave the songs collectively. If Cerulean is one shade of blue, I needed Complete Cinema to be many various colours.
What has Cerulean’s essential success meant to you?
Rather a lot. It was a pandemic report that originally had a quiet launch. However over time, folks began discovering and sharing it round. It felt like an actual indie launch, with most individuals discovering it via phrase of mouth. And once more, it felt like the primary time I discovered my genuine voice, so it’s becoming that I now take into account it my breakthrough report. It’s additionally a really private report, so it means quite a bit to see folks connecting with it in several methods.
Would you discuss a bit about your work with Dan Ledwell on the brand new album?
I needed to work with Dan after he’d combined a couple of songs from earlier albums. I’d at all times cherished his mixing model. His mixes at all times sounded costly, for lack of higher phrase. We’re additionally good pals, so I favored the concept of hanging out in his yard studio in Nova Scotia. I made my final three information with Jim. I really like him dearly and credit score him with serving to discover the sound I used to be in search of, but it surely felt like time to problem myself and check out one thing new. Dan has an ear for catchy, pop-forward productions, in order that contributed to the evolution of Complete Cinema.
Dan can also be a longtime instrumentalist on horns and woodwinds, in order that was a brand new aspect I’ve by no means had earlier than. A lot of the songs have a minimum of some mixture of horns and woodwinds, which when correctly combined add kind of a synth-like pad, which I really like. We additionally spent much more time sitting down and making an attempt completely different guitar elements and tones. It’s essentially the most guitar I’ve ever performed on a report, and it was enjoyable to problem myself to be a bit extra inventive arising with elements.
As a Canadian artist, how has your relationship with the U.S. formed your profession?
I’m a little bit of an odd instance in that I began my songwriting profession within the U.S. and moved again to Canada. The majority of my viewers and artist relationships are nonetheless within the U.S., however dwelling in Canada provides me the benefit of having the ability to take away myself from the “machine” of the American music trade and write songs with out too many outdoors influences. I worth having that area to do my very own factor, however I additionally worth the shut relationships I’ve with American artists who’ve actually been champions for me. That permits me to do yearly journeys to Nashville, Los Angeles and New York, the place I can reengage with the machine in small doses. Having that steadiness is admittedly vital for me.
