THE GARMENT DISTRICT – “LEFT ON COAST”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
Jennifer Baron of Ladybug Transistor / Saturnine returns with her solo project / band The Garment District. with a new single “Left on Coast”, a psychedelic romp that blends the retro futurism of Broadcast with the tripped out bliss of Elephant 6 Collective. The full length album Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of the World will be released on vibrant orange vinyl on September 22nd, 2023 by long time Elephant 6 adjacent label Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records. Enjoy the first single and video and read about the single and video with both Jennifer going deep on the track along with the director of the video Nicole Czapinski.
ABOUT THE VIDEO
Written by Nicole Czapinski the video director / editor:
“I really love the challenge of jumping into a project without much preparation or idea of how things should look/work. I showed up to the Nike site for the first time in Jennifer’s car (blue 1988 Volvo 240DL). For this first shoot I didn’t bring anything except my iPhone. Jennifer drove us so we had the resources of her car which were plenty: old books, vintage dresses, instruments, a roll of tape. I like making do. I get this trait from my dad. I’ve worked on many projects with him as he’s helped me design and build a lot of my work. He knows how to make do and is an excellent creative problem solver. His methods and techniques are MacGyver-like (which is a show we watched together when I was a kid). He inherited his father’s tools and so our garage at home is crammed full of old odds and ends, tiny drawers full of screws, coffee cans filled with small tools and nails and so before he goes and buys anything from a store he roots around in the garage because he usually already has the thing or something close to the thing that will work. I get the sense that he does this not only because he likes to save money, but that it’s more fun to “make do” and enjoys a creative challenge. There is a kind of triumph, perhaps rooted in anti-capitalism, in being creative with what you already have so you don’t have to buy the thing you think you need.
Without very many tools you’re left using more of your surroundings which creates unexpected results. An iPhone taped to a rusty folding chair and stacked on a book as a makeshift tripod. Finding a puddle of water and seeing the reflection of the dome in the water and using the water as a filter or screen.
For the second video shoot, I brought along a large piece of green paper and a crystal prism to experiment with creating a green screen portal and was excited to test this out. The first part of the video is a green screen portal of Jennifer that cuts away to show the slow drive up to the Nike site revealing a weathered sign that reads “Seat belts will be worn at all times” The sign feels like a warning or a threat. Who is enforcing this rule? I wanted this part of the video to feel tense and a bit eerie with a slight buildup that mirrors the instrumental introduction of the song.
The second part of the video is where we “enter” the portal or enter the Nike site. I created four separate videos that play alongside each other for the duration of the song. Each time I shoot, the results are always slightly different and produce different effects, compositions, juxtapositions and colors. I hope to perform live alongside The Garment District and would love the opportunity to respond in real time to the music; it would be an exciting way to improvise visuals to sound.
Jennifer energizes a project with an enthusiasm that I find extremely motivating. Because of her openness and eagerness to experiment she is an excellent collaborator. It’s important especially early on in the creative process to work without inhibitions. This informed the video in so many ways. We feed off of each other’s energy in a really generative way and we share a deep appreciation for and fascination with the analog, handmade, do-it-yourself, and old-school technologies.”
ABOUT THE SONG
Written by Jennifer Baron of Garment District / Ladybug Transistor:
“I recorded the song “Left on Coast,” and the album, at the home-based studio run by my friend David Klug in Pittsburgh. I love the energy and vibe of recording in home-based studios and this experience connects to my background of writing and recording music at Marlborough Farms, where I lived for years in Brooklyn with my band, The Ladybug Transistor (Merge).
David’s studio is located few miles from my house so recording there has been a very natural and organic process. The recording of this new album really allowed me to stretch and challenge myself and create expansive full-band arrangements than on previous releases, including instrumentation such as strings, horns, a variety of percussion, and multi-layered and textured vocals and keyboards.
Lyrically, the song “Left on Coast” is loosely inspired by my love and admiration for the visionary photojournalism and creative process of W. Eugene Smith (1918-1978), who worked on colossal projects in Pittsburgh and New York City, two cities that play major roles in my life. The song started as a demo that I recorded at home with layered electric guitar parts and a drum machine.
I am very inspired by a wide range of analog instruments that I have collected over the years: for example, “Left on Coast” features a 1967 Vox Super Continental Organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, Fender Vibrolux Reverb, Rickenbacker 360, Epiphone Dot, and more.
One of the things that helped me achieve the fuzz guitar sounds I was seeking for this song are the 1960s and early 1970s guitar pedals I borrowed from my friend Gregg Kostelich of the iconic Pittsburgh garage band, The Cynics, who runs Get Hip Records.
Another extremely rewarding aspect of creating this single was working with my first cousin Lucy Blehar, who is a vocalist. I have always been drawn to the concept of family bands (I play in The Ladybug Transistor with my brother Jeff) and what can happen between close relatives who collaborate on creative endeavors. For the two of us, we are able to sing backups and harmonies and double certain lines together. Since we have a very close bond, a very organic and natural way of working in the studio, and love collaborating in that setting, when a song calls for it, we can expand melodies and harmonies that I write in advance on keyboards when making demos.
I love both experiences of creating intimate, experimental and spontaneous demos at home, sometimes even with my phone, and seeing how they evolve working in a recording studio. I also love the alchemy that is inherent in the artform of music, that can emerge when a song takes an unexpected direction, but remain true to its core, such as a melody or arrangement, with new dimensions being incorporated because of being in a very particular place in time in a studio. I am drawn to the duality producing and arranging a song, but also letting the creative process and instruments transport you and not being totally in control of or predicting the final result.
I am also very excited to have worked with a talented group of women who inspire me and push me creatively — friends based in Pittsburgh and California — on the “Left on Coast video,” the album artwork and my website.
The Garment District
Flowers Telegraphed To All Parts Of The World
(Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records)
Release Date: September 22, 2023
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