Two Tale Interview

Interviewed by Riley Grannell

Who is behind the creative curtain of Two Tale?

Two Tale is a musical project helmed by Micah Edmonds hailing out of Melbourne Australia that has a unique outlook on what an artist can create to portray specific themes within his music. Not only are his songs associated with this project incredibly well produced, mastered and written, he has experimented with using audio recordings to tell a story. This is evident in the first song off his album titled ‘House Parties’ where the introduction to the album is the audio of someone arriving to a house party, evident by the sounds of walking, keys locking a car and opening a door. It is an incredibly unique way to start an album, pulling the audience into the character that is Micah as he navigates through space at this house party. Throughout the album and embedded within some of the songs is audio of him asking creatively charged questions to the guests, almost like an interview style while the instrumental parts of his songs play in the background. This allows the listener to be drawn into the foreground of the piece, listening to the characters discuss what they think of creativity and their general lives, while being guided through the conversation with the instrumentation in the background.

I wanted to look deeper behind the curtain of who Two Tale is, so I reached out to Micah and asked a handful of questions, which gave incredible insight into the creative process, inspirations and goals for Two Tale.

What are some of the inspirations for this project, more specifically the album ‘House Parties?’

Micah gave a wonderful response to this question, delving deep into his personal inspirations and artists that help shape his unique sound and way of recording himself “The concept album idea was particularly inspired by another Australian musician 'Lucianblomkamp’, who's command on atmosphere taught me a lot when I first started recording myself.” Influences as unique and varied as Micah’s allowed him to craft a musically magnificent first album, with complex melodies and beautifully written lyrics, topped all together with impressive vocal ranges and thorough understanding of dynamics and storytelling. He also clarified that the artists ‘Grizzly Bear’ and ‘Daniel Rossen’ are what influenced his superb guitar techniques and style present in ‘House Parties.’

What is your long term goal with this project?

This question was very standard on my behalf, looking for any news or specific goals Micah may be targeting at the time, but his response was so incredibly unique. He states that he views Two Tale as a collection of chronicles, especially ‘House Parties’ which he quoted, “House Parties chronicles a time of my life which I was leaving at the time, and is a sort of amber crystal for those years - something I can always look back on, remember people that I knew.”

For Micah personally, Two Tale is about preserving those lived experiences, chronicling and storytelling being the main focus. Micah sees himself more so as a writer, and really enjoys the creative freedom that encapsulates, whether it be writing for Two Tale or his other projects. His main long term goal for Two Tale is to be a snapshot of those experiences.

What are you looking forward to doing in the future with this project?

Some of the hardest subjects to come to terms with when creating art are our own limitations, so when Micah answered this question sincerely and honestly, he tackled it from that perspective. He hopes for more collaborative work in the future, stating, ‘I know what I like to create, but there are means and instruments and stories beyond just my own head and hands, and I'd love to find ways to meet people on my wavelength and build something bigger.’

Art is bigger than any of us and sometimes it absolutely is a collaborative effort, either passively from influences or directly, such as working with another artist on a single idea. Being open to collaboration and even sometimes being open to harsh criticism is what makes a better artist, so I personally am incredibly excited for the future after hearing such an insightful response.

What creative process do you go through to write a Two Tale song?

Everyone handles their creativity differently, whether it be having a prewriting ritual, on the spot inspiration or just sitting down and thinking for hours, every artist handles it in their own unique way. Micah’s response to this question really delves deep into the mindset he has when tackling Two Tale as a project, “There's no trick to it, it has to do with language and timing and mindset. I need to be in a moment and the words just appear. The chords you can forage for, but the words need to be natural.” This mindset that you must let it come naturally and all you can do is place yourself into a spot where you can receive those creative energies, is something I know a lot of artists can attest to.

Micah has stated that he loves the freedom of having Two Tale as his own project, not tied down to a label or timeframe. “I've always been a bit intimidated by the 'industry,’ since it’s so alien to me, but I think the distance might have afforded me an amount of creative freedom that I’d be lost without.”

All of these answers really helped paint a picture of who Micah Edmonds really is as an

artist, his mindset and views of his own work allow himself to create some incredibly unique pieces. Recently Micah has been teasing a new Two Tale song on his instagram, and whenever that song comes along, I know it will be the perfect addition to his wonderfully creative discography.