Unleash the groove, let the cats move! After Ours are back with their signature, guitar centric jazzy productions. Read our discussion with Eli Kahn, guitarist of After Ours below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
We often refer to our music as ‘head nod jazz’ – we used to play at a producer showcase in Detroit called ‘Head Nod Suite’ & someone said we were a head nod jazz band at a show and it just kind of stuck.
Tell us a few things about your work Music for Cats. What is the main idea behind it?
The album is a sonic trip through a variety of moods & feelings – we wanted to make something that felt heavy in some moments, uplifting in others, & demonstrative of our musical versatility. It’s music for listeners who dig into lots of different genres & can appreciate the variety of what we do – ‘cats’ is a term used a lot in the jazz world for performers or listeners of the genre, so we’re just applying that label to people who can appreciate all sides of our music, even though it’s not strictly jazz.
Which track of the album, if any, represents you the most and why?
The first track off the record, ‘Cerberus’, is the most representative of our sounds – it has elements of post-rock, jazz, grunge, & some psychedelic vibes that really encapsulate the style that we have cultivated in our 15+ years of working together. It’s definitely the heaviest track we have released and it seems that’s naturally the direction our sound is moving towards.
Improvisation is a vital part in your creative process. Is improvisation a talent or a skill?
I would definitely say it is a skill – it took time to develop but & we’ve definitely improved at improvising over 15+ years of working together & learned to think on our feet. Most of our music is written during improvisatory portions of our live shows or rehearsals that we record and then revisit later to write new material from those improvised moments. To me, improvisation is like any practice, in that it takes time to build chops but it’s also very freeing because it’s not like following a set of directions – it’s more about navigating the unknown and responding to it in the moment.
Which individuals and artists have influenced your unique blend of jazz, hip hop, and pop?
Arthur (drumset) is a big fan of jazz, as well as 90’s grunge (he’s a big fan of Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, etc). I’m a huge fan of the hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter, who inspired me to play the instrument that I play (the hybrid guitar, which has the range of both bass & guitar in a single instrument), as well as producers like Madlib, J Dilla, Shlohmo, Samiyam, & Devonwho. I’m also into bands like CAN, Russian Circles, Battles, & Stereolab, which are all bands that utilize a lot of repetition, which is something that appeals to me as a loop-based musician.
Cats do sleep 15 hours per day. In which state of mind do you imagine cats (and people) might listen to your album?
Well since our album is instrumental, it allows listeners to project their own narratives around the music. With that in mind, it can be great for setting a mood for getting work done, doing creative things like painting or making art, taking walks, and even laying in a sunbeam (although that last one is probably most suitable for cats).
What is the story behind your name?
We’re admittedly fans of puns – the idea of being After Ours has a few meanings, the first being that we are pursuing what we want: we are on (or after) our own path and on our own trajectory to get there, hence we are after what is ours but also our music also has this sort of a smokey, late night element, typical of an ‘after hours’ vibe.
Would you reveal each other’s funny habits?
Arthur is incapable of walking without snapping his fingers. I am an avid rubber duck collector.
Thank you!
Follow After Ours
Facebook
Follow our Spotify Playlist “Reinvented Eclectic” feat. After Ours
Secret Eclectic 