With Andy Suzuki & The Method
Our Background:
I’m from Maryland, and Kozza is from Boston. We met in college in providence, RI in 2006 and have been making music ever since. We have been living in NYC since 2010. So it certainly feels like home. Our new album (The Glass Hour) is very eclectic. We set out to make a dope album, and we didn’t have genre much in mind. We just wanted to make something that felt natural to us, regardless of what radio station you would hear it on. We ended up with The Glass Hour, which pulls from many different genres and cultures. In that sense, our album definitely reflects our adopted hometown of NYC.
A Subtle Nod to New York:
There’s a lyric in “Mama Told Me” that references NYC. Find the line — if you can…It’s not actually that hard to find.. There is a semi-hidden, semi-non-hidden pun in the NYC-related lyric, and a nod to a famous song about NYC. We had to give one obvious shout-out to our city in one song, amidst a bunch of non-obvious shout-outs throughout the album.
The Local Spots That Shaped The Glass Hour:
We recorded all of the vocals in BedStuy at a studio called “The Breakfast Club” owned by Grammy-Winner, Dominic Fallacaro. We hung out there a lot, near the Myrtle Ave stop, right by Bushwick. There was one bagel spot we went to for coffee and fuel…everyday. We also did some recording at “The End Studios” in Greenpoint, closer to where I lived at the time. And we wrote most of the songs in midtown Manhattan in an empty office building. This album took years to make, and we sent files back and forth from NYC to our producer, Juny Mag, in Los Angeles.
The Art of Brooklyn:
Honestly? Dollar signs play a role. In general, creative people don’t have as much money as career-oriented people with 9–5 jobs. In general, Brooklyn is cheaper than Manhattan. Do the math. A bunch of creative people who value art over financial security coming together will lead to some cool stuff. I think it also has to do with space. Brooklyn has space for studios of all kinds and Manhattan doesn’t. Then it becomes a positive feedback thing, where people who are interested in the creation of art flock to Brooklyn because that is where they are “supposed” to go.
Biggest lesson learned touring with: Ringo Starr, Amanda Palmer, Marc Broussard, Eric Hutchinson:
Being on time is underrated! I learned that lesson the hard way. People stereotype musicians as being relaxed about time, but watching these pros showed me the importance of sticking to the DOS (Day of Show) schedule. I know it’s not a very sexy answer, but it’s super important.
~Andy Suzuki
For more information and tour dates visit: AndySuzukiMusic.com
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~Feature in collaboration with/produced by: Jeff Gorra
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