Returning to the Stage at Sips and Sounds Festival
After a period of rest and writing following the close of a big tour in November, Skateland recently returned to the stage, performing at Austin’s Sips and Sounds Music Festival and feeling the “adrenaline” of the live connection once again.
By Isabella Allon | Artist to Artist
There is a distinct, cinematic quality to the music of Skateland. In hearing his music, you feel an out-of-body experience with his high-vibrational lines, shimmering synths, and arpeggiated rhythms. For the Las Vegas-bred artist, music isn’t just about melody; it is the visual story behind it and the deliberate practice of paying attention to the details and the world around him.
Last week I sat down with Skateland after his Sips and Sounds Festival performance in Austin, Texas, to discuss his shimmering soundscapes, diving into the unique habits and creative rituals of pulling from song titles out of art galleries and the visual world he has directed himself.
Skateland is more than just a stage name; it is an ambiguous identity, blurring lines between music, fashion, and design. Talking with him, I realized that Skateland is a world beyond the music.
Creating The Shimmering Soundscapes
Growing up in the digital pulse of Las Vegas culture, Skateland’s musical start was in programming and electronic textures, creating the foundation to his dreamy indie pop sound.
Artist to Artist: You have a lot of shimmering synths that come in and out. How do you songwrite? Is there a specific instrument you first lay down?
Skateland: “I am from Las Vegas, so I grew up doing a lot of programming and house music and digital… I always start with a synth or a keyboard, and I program a little beat. Then I like to make 10 or 15 soundscapes and loop those, see what kind of speaks to me, and then write words over that. But I always start with the shimmering stuff first.”
The Roots: The Art of Noticing
For Skateland, inspiration is rarely found in listening to others’ sounds and creations; it is found through the practice of noticing the world around him. He practices the art of noticing, placing himself in unconventional places to grasp experiences, details, and language to inspire his art.
Artist to Artist: One of your songs, “Joyce Howell,” was inspired by a name you found in an art gallery. Do you frequently get inspired by languages, titles, and words?
Skateland: “I think when you’re trying to make music, just listening to music over and over again doesn’t really help inspire me. So I go to a lot of galleries, I see a lot of movies, and I read a lot of books… Joyce Howell is a great local artist here. I really liked her work and the name; when I was writing that song, I remembered how I always wanted to put that name in a song.”
Artist to Artist: Do you tend to write from personal experiences, or do you like to create a fantasy world?
Skateland: “I think it’s 50/50 for me; I’m trying to write less on personal experiences and more fictional stuff. When I first started writing songs, it was very personal, but now I’m trying to get my life together, so I’m doing more fantasy stuff.”
Turning the Details to a Creative Piece
Skateland’s process of creating music is entirely by experimenting and exposing himself in new locations and ideas, capturing the rhythms and unique quality of the places he experiences.
Artist to Artist: Do you ever get inspired by the rhythm of the places you’re in? If you are at a busy bar, does that movement translate into your music?
Skateland: “It really does… I’m working on a new project right now and it’s crazy you said that. I was telling someone I was working with that this feels like you’re out at the club, and I can feel the people bouncing with the rhythm. And at a certain point, it kind of mellows out, and it feels like this is when you take a break outside to smoke a cigarette. I see that kind of stuff when I am writing… almost like a movie.”
This musical talent extends to directing the visual worlds his music inhabits. By the time the song is finished, Skateland has created and mapped out the visual world in his head.
Skateland: “I always think about what people are going to be seeing when I am making the song because I am already thinking about what the video or visuals are going to be, and I think that definitely plays a big part in it, directing my own music videos.”
Returning to the Stage at Sips and Sounds Festival
After a period of rest and writing, in closing a big tour in November, Skateland recently returned to the stage, performing at Austin’s Sips and Sounds Music Festival, feeling the “adrenaline” of the live connection once again.
Artist to Artist: You just finished playing Sips and Sounds. How was that experience?
Skateland: “It was fun! It was our first show of the year, so we got to get out and feel that adrenaline of playing in front of people again. I’m a big Christina Aguilera fan, so to be on the same poster with her was crazy. And I think it was cool being a hometown artist… a lot of people came out to support; we felt super loved!”
The Artist-to-Artist Piece of Advice
With every interview, I close with an Artist-to-Artist piece of advice to inspire those currently honing their craft.
Artist to Artist: For all the artists trying to pursue this career, what is your piece of advice?
Skateland: “Just don’t doubt yourself. If you have a vision, you gotta stick with it. It is easy to get swayed by trends and what’s popular, but if you want to have a lasting career, do the thing that you do well. Keep honing your craft, and eventually the audience that is meant for the kind of music you make… they will find you. You just gotta wait it out.”
Are you an artist with a story to tell?
Are you an artist with a story to tell? Artist to Artist is a community built on championing the creative voice and the dedication behind the craft.
If you are a musician, filmmaker, or creator interested in being featured in this segment, contact Isabella@artist-to-artist.net.
About the Reporter: Isabella Allon is a field reporter and the creator of Artist to Artist, a series dedicated to documenting the journeys, struggles, and inspirations of the modern-day artist. https://linktr.ee/IsabellaAllon
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