A Chat with The Baker’s Basement (29.11.22)
Inspired by the likes of Mac Miller and The Beatles to Modest Mouse and Lana Del Rey, US-based duo The Baker’s Basement has a sound that is almost indescribable and definitely inimitable. We speak with Kate Dedinsky and Adam Grindler about their album Wild Wild Sheep, future plans and what inspires them to make music.
OSR: How did The Baker’s Basement come about?
Dedinsky: We both met at an audio engineering crash course outside of Chillicothe, OH. We were there to learn the tech side of things but ended up more focused on songwriting in between classes. Long story short, our chemistry as a music-making duo was engrained and Adam moved from Virginia to Cleveland a year later to give the musical journey a chance.
OSR: You describe your music as “indie folk-hop”, what exactly is indie folk-hop?
Dedinsky: I was operating on a more traditional kit when we first started, but we steadily evolved over the years to this infatuation with the paint bucket; this would eventually lead to our current “Tempeh” kit. We used to do a lot of street performing – Adam on acoustic, myself on a bucket, and both of us singing. There’s no stage quite as raw as setting up on a street corner and all those hours of performing out there shaped our style. Both of us have always had a love and fascination with hip-hop; it was always among the mix of everything else we listen to. Adam grew up drawn to the acoustic guitar and finger styles of playing. As our style took on this quirky edge that seemed to have elements of hip-hop in the rhythm, we would laugh about what to call this music we were making. “What genre do you play?” is always the question that comes up. We feel our music pulls in a lot of ingredients, so we gave it a name that seemed to touch on flavours representing two extremes of our mixture.
OSR: What can you tell us about your latest album Wild Wild Sheep?
Dedinsky: Wild Wild Sheep is a big step for us. In the past we have worked on records for years at a time and things would begin to drag. We would invest so much time agonising over the smallest details, and while we don’t regret all the trial and error, we’d end up burnt out by the time the album was ready for release. Wild Wild Sheep is the best reflection of where we are at right now. It reflects how we perform live better than many of our other releases. The album is one of adventure, both of places real and fantastical. These are the variety of sheep that one might count when trying to fall asleep – the thought being: once the sleepy shepherd has dozed off, those sheep are free to roam about through the subconscious, uninhibited by any perception of boundary.
OSR: If you could change anything about Wild Wild Sheep, what would it be?
Dedinsky: Great question! Honestly, that is tough to answer. As we make more and more music over the years, we try to be less focused on what could have been different. We both like feeling that we’re making “art at the edge”, not allowing as much time to overthink it. To us, it feels like a core element of creativity, catching something off the cuff and bottling it up before it gets overworked by the mind’s demons. All that said, we’re always considering different ways to approach the technical side of the production; listening back on a fully completed work can always inform us on ways to improve tomorrow’s effort.
OSR: Do you have a favourite song on Wild Wild Sheep?
Dedinsky: I really like ‘Words I Need to Say’. It is one of our sadder songs but it felt good to put that out there. Everyone can relate to losing a loved one and sometimes that is extremely difficult to talk about. I hope the song helps people navigate those darker times and allows them to feel the emotions necessary to move forward.
Grindler: I’m going to have to echo Kate on this one. I’m pretty obsessed with ‘Words’; speaking on a heavy and tender subject in such a direct way feels cathartic every time. I love performing this one.
OSR: What about a least favourite song?
Dedinsky: I don’t really have a least favourite to be completely honest. I wouldn’t put something out if I didn’t love it.
Grindler: I love all the songs and try not to get caught up in ranking them. They feel like a collection of unique personalities, all existing for different reasons. When Kate and I choose the songs that land on a record, we’re always brutally honest with each other about whether they are keepers. We don’t take the act of cutting a song too personally, there’s always another song waiting around the corner. We’ve found that getting caught up will only hinder future expression. All that said, from a technical point of view, while I love ‘After Midnight’ in so many ways, I feel our harmony work could have been stronger. It’s no regret, just a beacon that will help us craft the next song.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Dedinsky: Anything and everything can inspire a song. Phrases in casual conversation, sounds from the street, smells from the kitchen, all the big and little moments. There’s so much ground to cover and that alone is inspiring.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Dedinsky: I want them to take what they need. I know every song isn’t for everyone. I just want them to really connect to some aspect of what we do and hope that it can shake someone up in some way, shape or form, even if it’s only for 2-4 minutes.
OSR: Do you have future plans for The Baker’s Basement?
Dedinsky: Yes! We have a lot of fun recordings and video projects in the works and a new song dropping this winter called ‘Something’s Brewing’. We also have a raucous tune called ‘Skeleton Party’ that dropped in mid-October (we literally transformed into skeletons for the video shoot of this one).
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Dedinsky: Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us! And if you’re a creative type or have wondered about trying to create something, be it a song or a painting or a sculpture or a photo or a recipe – just attack it. One of the hardest parts about the creative process is often the very first action, which may be as simple as grabbing a piece of paper and a pen.
Many thanks to Kate Dedinsky and Adam Grindler for speaking with us. For more from The Baker’s Basement check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
