Interview with The Supplements About Their Electrifying New EP ‘Moving On’
Today, we’re heading into the indie rock world with a band that’s making waves – The Supplements. Hailing from the eclectic music scene of Miami, this trio has carved a niche with their unique fusion of moody post-punk and riff-driven indie rock. With the release of their new EP, ‘Moving On‘, we wanted to chat and get some insights into how they bring their music to life. In this exclusive interview, we’ll be delving into the artistic minds of Ted O’Connell, Juan Olivares, and Carson Martin and explore the distinctive style that defines their sound. We’ll also unravel the stories behind their latest EP and find out about the creative process that brought this project to life. So, grab a seat and a cuppa and read on…
Thanks for joining us! So, you’ve just released your new EP ‘Moving On,’ what can you tell us about it? What inspired it?
Ted: The three songs on Moving On tell different parts of the story of a dysfunctional and ultimately doomed relationship I was in. While the songs are somewhat autobiographical, I tried to keep the lyrics from being too on the nose, presented more as a mosaic of different moments and feelings that tell the story. “Another Day” is the closest thing to a typical love song if you listen to the verses, but the true emotion of the track lies in its chorus which clearly displays my uncertainty bubbling up over the stability of the relationship. “Can’t Have Everything” tackles desire in the face of a match that is never fated to be. Emotional desires laid bare while I eventually come to terms with the fact that there is no sense in chasing something so futile. Finally, “Different Light” highlights the pain of love. The lyrics mull over the feelings of rejection that can truly sting you in a one sided relationship as you hopelessly wish for things to improve.
What significance does the title of the EP have?
Ted: The title was something we had to mull over for a while, it’s a lot harder to title an EP than a song, but ultimately we landed on Moving On because it succinctly conveyed the story the EP is trying to tell. A story of failed love and moving past it.
Why did you opt for an EP over a Single or Album?
Ted: Well, we’re currently in the process of clearing out a backlog of songs we’ve accumulated over the past couple of years. All together they don’t create one cohesive album, but I’m personally attracted to projects over singles. We released a three-song EP last year and decided the best way forward was to do two more EP’s as a kind of little trilogy. And these three songs in particular all came from a similar place of inspiration so we thought they should all live together on an EP.
What’s your favourite track on the EP and what do you like best about it?
Juan: I think my favorite is “Another Day,” as it has a somewhat positive and even happy melody, accompanied by lyrics of acceptance and hopeless lies we tell ourselves to remain in a situation that brings us sporadic happiness but we would ultimately be better off without.
Carson: My favorite at the moment is the opening track “Another Day” because it’s a bit of a brain buster to play live. The intro is in 3/4 then the rest of the song is in 4/4, with one bar cut out in the first verse. Playing it, you really have to focus on where the 1 is. We were thinking, how can we get to the verse and chorus quicker, so Ted just started cutting beats and bars.
Ted: By far, my favorite track is the closer, “Different Light.” Like many songwriters I write to get out the things I’m feeling, but it’s hard to be vulnerable in lyrics. Small things like the change from the present to the past tense between the two choruses would really hit me when listening to the demo walking to my dead end job at 5 am. A lot has changed in the last few years.
Are there any themes or messages you hope listeners will take away from ‘Moving On?’
Juan: The main theme is that we all go through experiences like this, and to know that life goes on one day at a time. Moving On is about falling out of love, and onto a future that may seem scary but eventually normal and hopeful.
Ted: I think Juan put it perfectly. I’ll just add that sometimes it’s good to know other people have made it through the struggles you might currently be facing and I hope anyone who might be in a similar place that comes across our music will feel less alone.
How do you navigate creative differences within the band and can you describe the roles each member plays in the band’s dynamics?
Carson: Creative differences are usually ironed out like this: we argue about a drum and bass sound for 3 hours until we all get tired and cave a little. The biggest differences we have are in the mixing phase. I’ll say, “make it more tough” and Ted will say “this song’s about love,” then Juan will say “I like it as it is.” As far as roles/band dynamics, Ted writes the songs, I try to change them, then Juan tries to mediate. Juan’s also the resident people person, he’s out there politicking, shaking hands, holding people’s babies, etc.
Ted: I definitely do bring the initial idea of the song in a lot of the time and I do write the lyrics, but I don’t think any of the songs would be what they are without the pieces Juan and Carson write. “Different Light” in particular wouldn’t exist without a bass part Juan wrote becoming the foundation of the verse. The songs are truly group efforts, though I will take credit for the mixes whether you think they’re great or they suck!
Juan: As of creative differences, we all have fairly distinct take in music so we’re bound to bump heads here and there. Ted writes and does most of the composing, but we all have creative freedom in the end. We’ll go over a section of a song or something new and go over it again and again, trying new things that may work, or not. We talk about it and eventually reach a decision that pleases the majority of us haha!
What’s next for The Supplements? Do you have any additional releases, projects or tours on the horizon?
Carson: We’re just trying to play more shows and bigger shows! We’re going to be out there tryin’ to hock this new batch of songs.
Juan: Yeah we’d love to get more shows going and hit the road eventually. We’ve got a couple of projects ongoing now, but “Another Day” marks the release of the EP we’ve been working towards, so we’ll see whether we go in a different direction or follow up with more tracks like these, either way, just glad to have some fun with great friends.
Ted: We’re clearing out that backlog of songs I mentioned earlier, so we plan on having our third three-song EP out in 2024 to complete the little trilogy we’ve started with Comfort Kills and Moving On. You’ll be hearing from us soon and if you’re in South Florida come see a show!
For fun… you answer the phone and a voice says … “Hey, we want you to collaborate on our next song”… who do you want the voice to be?
Carson: Haha! Dream collaboration would probably be with Thundercat or Billy Strings.
Ted: Such a great question, but hard to answer ‘cause I’d be so happy with a long list of potential people. A shortlist would include Julian Casablancas, Paul McCartney, Sting, and Josh Homme. But a phone call like that would only come in a dream. And like Carson said, Thundercat would be amazing. He’s my hero.
Juan: This is a tough one, I love thrash and metal in general, so for me, it would be an artist within those genres, though if I had to choose one, I’d go with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. I’m a huge KGLW fan, and with their range, who knows what we could come up with!! Thanks for the Qs, Matt!
Thanks guys! Be sure to check out The Supplements latest EP, ‘Moving On,’ available now on all major streaming platforms. Follow the band on social media to stay tuned for upcoming releases, and don’t miss the chance to catch them live.
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