CH.89: If you were to categorize or describe the style of your music, what would it be and why?
S: We’ve been everything from punk to experimental. Scarves is a hard band to categorize. These days, our music has skewed towards dreamy indie rock.
CH.89: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
S: Bands like Eels, Built to Spill, and The Cure influence a lot of our music. Lyrically, our lead singer Niko draws heavily from short stories.
CH.89: What made you want to start a music project and how did you come up with the name?
S: Playing the video game Journey.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new album?
S: Scarves is really collaborative. Niko starts with a lead guitar riff, and I write a corresponding part to fill in the chords. We often rely on our rhythm section to help flesh out the structures. Then, last to follow are lyrics!
CH.89: What would you want people/ the listener to take from your music?
S: We try to have a positive outlook in our songs, though it might not always seem that way, hah. Our songs are often about carrying on even though the world might seem like it’s ending. Our record Dinner Dates feels weirdly prescient all the time.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?
S: These days being a musician mostly means staying inside and doing home recordings.
CH.89: When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?
S: Definitely impulse. You need the freedom to allow yourself to spitball ideas and make mistakes, at least when creating.
CH.89: What is one major lesson you’ve learned as an artist?
S: Be adaptable! We’ve gained so much from letting songs take us to unexpected places. Every Scarves record has been influenced by our collaborators in unique ways.
S: You know what they say.
CH.89: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?
S: Getting your parents to take you seriously, hah.
CH.89: What is one thing you love about being an artist?
S: It takes you places. Through music, we’ve met some of our best friends, and people we’ll only see once but have really intense conversations with at Waffle House at 4 AM.
CH.89: Is there anyone in particular, any artists that inspire you in any way?
S: Eels, Built to Spill, The Cure.
CH.89: What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?
S: I mean, a hammer is technology, haha. It behooves artists to use any sort of tools available to make music.
S: Only in a practical sense–an electrician can see a lot more in an apartment building than I can, but I can listen to a song and pick out the chords being played. I think we’re all here to cherish consciousness whether we’re artists or not. I don’t think artists are superior in that sense.
CH.89: Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?
S: Yes, and we love to visit Austin.
CH.89: Do you have a favorite author or book?
S: It changes all the time, we actually read quite a bit.
CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your music?
CH.89: What does being an artist mean to you?
S: Mostly it means making music and being socially conscious.
CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your music?
S: We paint with blue.
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