Interview with Shelly Steffens and Donny Mahlmeister from A Tundra

Shelly and Donny will be featured Friday, 2/10 at our Songwriter Showcase at Elastic Arts. The two were kind of enough to give Homeroom an interview and talk about how they write songs.

1. What’s your first few steps in writing a new song?

Donny – Messing around with a vocal melody until I feel it’s catchy enough to see the light of day. Then I try to come up with chord progression that sounds unique to my ears.

Shelly – I usually have a kernel of an idea that generally comes from goofing around on the guitar and then hearing something I like and just playing it over and over again until it becomes something tangible. Or trying to learn a song that I like and not quite figuring it out or messing it up but using that fuck up as a basis for something new.

2. How, if ever, do you collaborate with other people in your songwriting process?

D-Hearing the other person play something that sounds interesting and wanting to take that part or kernel to another place.

S-This is a perfect question for us because we mostly collaborate on our songs together in A Tundra. Donny is more prolific than I so often he shows me a ton of ideas and I pick out what sounds interesting to me and try to write a guitar part and/or vocal melody that sorta makes it sound more messy or less crafted. For some reason I have an aversion to writing/presenting things that are too “pleasant”.

3. A Tundra seems to have a deliberate sonic pallet. How much are instruments and equipment a factor in your process of creating a song?

D-It does play a big role for me but hopefully not too big of a roll where it gets in the way of the song standing on it’s own. I guess we’ll see on Friday?!?

S-For me effects are more of an afterthought. My parts are more important to me as a whole or else I have a hard time remembering what I was playing/doing in a song. I do like using effects a lot but as a texture or compliment to the overall part. We used to do more improvising as a band and effects for me played more of a part in the process of creating a musical idea in that context. I think Donny and I both think a lot about our tones and equipment plays a huge part in that sonically speaking. Type of guitar and amp as well as vocal effects equipment are all factors in to our overall performance as a band.

4. What’s the most fun you’ve had with live music in the last year?

D-Playing some improvised music with respected musicians at the Whistler.

S- Doing the Giant System video shoot was really fun for me, probably one of the most fun live music things as it was really interactive. And I saw some pretty incredible live shows over the past last year. Being a listener is cathartic to me!

5. What song or songs do you want played at your funeral?

D-Big Black Car-Big Star
S-Smog—Dress Sexy At My Funeral