5 albums in, Ken Yates thinks he could have nailed it with Whole Cinema (Tone Tree)—and we are inclined to agree. With assist from award-winning producer Dan Ledwell, the London, Ontario, singer/songwriter has lastly assembled the absolutely operational musical car for delivering his delicate, meticulously noticed insights into the post-millennial human situation. He got here awfully shut with 2023’s Cerulean, an album that linked with American critics, if not a ton of listeners. However whereas that LP tailed off into formulation towards the tip, Whole Cinema by no means loses its inventive momentum, due to a surplus of memorable melodies that usually hinge on Yates’ creative guitar leads.
Yates’ boyish supply has one thing in widespread with Elliott Smith’s, in the way in which it makes vulnerability really feel so approachable—even charismatic. As with Cerulean, lead vocals are sometimes doubled on Whole Cinema, which provides one other dynamic to the album’s residing, respiration mattress of sound.
A couple of days after wrapping up an intimate pre-release mini tour with longtime buddy (and Incredible Cat member) Brian Dunne, Yates chatted with MAGNET’s Hobart Rowland.
Let’s begin with the lead quote in your newest bio: “I really feel like there are songs on this file that I needed to dwell my complete life up to now to put in writing.” That’s fairly an announcement.
I believe numerous my early albums have been written from the viewpoint of an observer. I hadn’t had numerous life expertise to derive inspiration from, so I wrote rather a lot about different individuals and occasions. With Whole Cinema, I felt like I had this depth of latest experiences to attract inspiration from. From grief and cynicism, to like and gratitude, there was a readability to writing these songs I’ve by no means had earlier than. I believe that comes from experiencing and feeling issues my youthful self wouldn’t have been capable of articulate.
You’ve additionally mentioned that Whole Cinema is the precise album you wished to make. How was that doable this time round?
With my previous information, I used to be simply nonetheless a bit inexperienced and didn’t have the boldness and readability to understand how I actually wished to sound. I don’t assume I found my “sound” till Cerulean. With that album, producer Jim Bryson and I stumbled right into a sonic fashion that felt genuine for the primary time. With Whole Cinema, I knew how I wished to increase on that. I wished to take what was engaged on Cerulean however create a extra dynamic album, pushing the tempo and quantity a bit whereas nonetheless sustaining a gradual pulse to weave the songs collectively. If Cerulean is one shade of blue, I wished Whole Cinema to be many various colours.
What has Cerulean’s important success meant to you?
Quite a bit. It was a pandemic file that originally had a quiet launch. However over time, individuals began discovering and sharing it round. It felt like an actual indie launch, with most individuals discovering it via phrase of mouth. And once more, it felt like the primary time I discovered my genuine voice, so it’s becoming that I now contemplate it my breakthrough file. It’s additionally a really private file, so it means rather a lot to see individuals connecting with it in several methods.
Would you discuss a bit about your work with Dan Ledwell on the brand new album?
I wished to work with Dan after he’d blended just a few songs from earlier albums. I’d all the time beloved his mixing fashion. His mixes all the time sounded costly, for lack of higher phrase. We’re additionally good mates, so I favored the concept of hanging out in his yard studio in Nova Scotia. I made my final three information with Jim. I really like him dearly and credit score him with serving to discover the sound I used to be searching for, but it surely felt like time to problem myself and check out one thing new. Dan has an ear for catchy, pop-forward productions, in order that contributed to the evolution of Whole Cinema.
Dan can also be a longtime instrumentalist on horns and woodwinds, in order that was a brand new ingredient I’ve by no means had earlier than. Many of the songs have at the very least some mixture of horns and woodwinds, which when correctly blended add form of a synth-like pad, which I really like. We additionally spent much more time sitting down and making an attempt completely different guitar elements and tones. It’s essentially the most guitar I’ve ever performed on a file, and it was enjoyable to problem myself to be a bit extra inventive arising with elements.
As a Canadian artist, how has your relationship with the U.S. formed your profession?
I’m a little bit of an odd instance in that I began my songwriting profession within the U.S. and moved again to Canada. The majority of my viewers and artist relationships are nonetheless within the U.S., however residing in Canada offers me the benefit of having the ability to take away myself from the “machine” of the American music trade and write songs with out too many exterior influences. I worth having that area to do my very own factor, however I additionally worth the shut relationships I’ve with American artists who’ve actually been champions for me. That enables me to do yearly journeys to Nashville, Los Angeles and New York, the place I can reengage with the machine in small doses. Having that steadiness is actually vital for me.
