You are currently working on your new album. You once described "Sound in Silence" as an "existential record". How would you label the new record?
This record compared to the previous is a bit more matter of fact. I really wanted to hone in on this organic perturbed aggression and this underlying tension that was apparent in my first demos. I approach a new song initially as an empty canvas, and I create a soundscape or environment for the content and voice to exist in, like set design on a film. Something special happened in the first stages, and I knew this record would work if I just didn't get in the way of it. I also took the liberty to further explore my fascination of electronics and synthesis on this one. Out of nowhere moments began to take on these unique rave-ish grooves, I figured it should be explored. The keyboardist for the band, Alon Leventon, assisted in the making of this record, and boosted my confidence along the way.

"Sound in Silence" was recorded in a remote Vineyard - the result was definitely worth it. What about the new album? Did you chose any special location to get inspired?
For this recording more things happened at home in the comfort of my own studio. We also did tracking in Williamsburg for drums. The comfort of being in my own studio helped nurture the intimacy, especially in the vocals, and the environment catered to a more internal perspective.

What would you call your greatest inspiration, be it other artists or influences in general?
I've always drawn inspiration from Brian Eno, especially from a production standpoint. His new record with David Byrne was no exception. I find a lot of my inspiration comes from the contrasts in life and I like to portray that musically. Some sounds that would otherwise come across as repulsive, portrayed in a beautiful way, really creates this unique tension. I find a lot of the inspiration comes from walking that fine line between light and darkness. One of my main goals is to unmask the hidden beauty found in unsuspected places.

One dream came true in the making of this record. It was the greatest honor of my musical career to work alongside Michael Brauer at Electric Lady Studios. I have great respect for him, his ear, and his craft. This music is an extremely sensitive aspect of my life, and I'm very particular as per who goes near it. Michael was my number one choice, and he simply got it. We were on the same page, and we could comfortably nit-pick together.

Imagine you had one wish that allowed you to work together with an artist of your choice - who would it be and why?
I would like to venture to that vulnerable place of creation with David Bowie. Growing up, the presence of his voice and the message of his music spoke quite profoundly to me.  Those moments are forever preserved in history. It would be a dream  to approach an empty canvas together.

You guys will be touring a lot in Europe in the near future. Have you ever been there before? Do you have any special expectations?
This is the first time this project has had the opportunity to go overseas. It's been at the top of my agenda for quite some time now and to have the resources to do so, I feel will be quite a fruitful experience for the music and its listeners. Overseas, through music previously distributed, we've been received quite graciously. Our fanbase in other countries has made it pretty apparent that it's important for us to bring the experience of the live show to their cities. Personally, I have spent a lot of time in Europe, my wife is from Marseille, France, which is a second home to me. Even backpacking when I was younger through Europe and experiencing the general receptiveness to new art and raw emotion, I was immensely inspired. I have written a lot of music out there as well.


Could you tell us about one shaping moment when you were recently on tour?
A shaping moment for the tour was more of a culmination of experiences. Generally speaking, in the particular cities where we are relatively unknown, it was exciting and refreshing to see people getting it.