We have spoken about Occurrence at length in the past few years, and it’s always been clear to us that the American trio enjoys a strong creative vision, the kind of artistic resolve that allows an artist to go far in their career. ‘ANNIVERSARY’ is the celebration of that, an intriguing five-song EP that borrows from the project’s early works and reframes some of the best tracks in it, giving them a more cohesive, contemporary context.
With ‘ANNYVERSARY’, the American outfit seeks to pay homage to their tenth year as a band. Do not discount such an achievement… we could name a billion projects that have come and gone. Staying together and collaborating for years requires friendship, understanding, perhaps some kindness. Above all, it requires synergy, a feature that Ken Urban (electronics), Cat Hollyer (vocals), and Johnny Hager (vocals) possess by the truckload.
Eager to learn more about the anniversary and the new record, we caught up with Occurrence for a few questions… interview below!
Hey guys, thanks for chatting with us! ‘ANNIVERSARY’ has recently been released into the world, a five-track EP that celebrates your ten years as a trio. Did you ever think that Occurrence would last this long?
Ken Urban: Yes and no. Artistically, I definitely always felt that we would still be making music. There is always so much new territory we want to explore and, hopefully, I speak for all of us, we really love working together. In terms of our personal lives, there were definitely moments when I thought the band might end. Not because we wanted it to, but because life intervened. Careers, health issues, the demands of our lives… those things came close to ending the band a few times. But luckily, we refused to let that stuff stop us.
Cat Hollyer: Exactly. We’re all so busy, and then on top of that, life’s ups and downs would come along and throw a wrench in the works. But in terms of the desire to keep making music, that has never waned. And thankfully we kept pressing on regardless.
Johnny Hager: I’m the busiest of the three. I work the hardest, and I’m the most tired. So no, I had no idea it would be this long. But I also can’t believe I’m old now. At least I’m the youngest member. But honestly, Occurrence is pure joy. So to say that we have 10 years together as a band is one of the most special things in my life.
Revisiting some of your older material gave you a chance to make different creative choices, perhaps choices that weren’t apparent or comfortable back then. Do you consider those new versions to be better than their original shape?
Ken: I don’t think we would release them if we didn’t think they were better. The new version of “I Love You More When You’re Stoned” is far and away a million times better than the original. It actually ranks as one of my favourite things we’ve ever done, and before I couldn’t really listen to that track because I knew we hadn’t gotten it right. No doubt though in another ten years, I might be like, “Oh damn, we still didn’t get that song right.” But for now at least these are the definitive versions of these five songs.
Cat: Over the years, we’ve gotten better at what we do, and truth be told, our equipment has gotten better as well. I think we’ve also come into our own in terms of really defining what our sound is. So we were able to make choices that were different than we did the first time around. I really love the results.
Johnny: For me, yes, much better. But I hear recordings of Cat’s voice from 10 years ago, and it’s always just as expressive as it’s always been. I’m self-critical; I guess we all are. To recreate older material is extra special because we know it well and we can use the experience of the past decade to help shape what it will look like now. That’s how I feel about “If He Were Here.” I’ve known for years I’ve wanted to do it again and make it better. I like what we did this time around.
Do you still resonate with your older material? How did you go about reproducing them?
Ken: I usually find it hard to listen to our older stuff. But occasionally I will listen to one of our older songs and think, “Damn, Who Made That?” When you first start making music together, you are really making up the rules as you go along, and that can lead to some exciting things as well as cringey things. I want to reconnect with that sense of discovery. And I feel like we are doing that with the new stuff we are making, which feels very new to me. Like not being afraid of trying new things or being abrasive or beautiful.
Cat: I’m kind of sentimental about our older stuff. It captures these moments in time that I love having an aural record of. We’ve all come a long way as humans since those days as well, so listening back is a nice reminder of that.
Johnny: I agree with Cat. Moments in time and special memories come up when I hear those older songs. Then again, I also agree with Ken. I find it hard to go back and listen to stuff. Yet, things mean a lot more when time has passed.
Given that you are celebrating an important milestone in Occurrence’s artistic journey, I’d love to know the top three moments from the project over those 10 years… Is there anything that you remember fondly?
Ken: That guy with the mullet in the bar in Lawrence who loudly played arcade games during our set because he was pissed that our show cancelled karaoke that week. That was pretty memorable since I have never felt so aggro playing live before. Making “SLOW VIOLENCE”, the dance theatre piece, was pretty memorable. That was also awesome because we spent two weeks uninterrupted together as a band, which is sadly rare these days.
Cat: I agree with Ken about our dance theatre production of “SLOW VIOLENCE”. That’s a highlight for me, not just of our band, but of my entire creative journey. Any other highlights for me have to do with the three of us being ridiculously silly together. It’s such a joy to be in a band with people with whom you love spending time, even when you’re not doing band stuff.
Johnny: “SLOW VIOLENCE”, no question. It was such a special show. The friendships made with everyone involved. But it is also amazing anytime we go to have dinner at Saggio when Cat’s in town. We love the pasta. I also love watching how Cat will come up with the most kick-ass melodies, get it right the first time and then take an amazing nap. I wish that was me.
Likewise, is there a lesson or two that you have learned along the way? Perhaps some wisdom you can share with our readers?
Ken: Streaming can turn you into a data fiend. That is not helpful for your art. Constantly checking your Spotify for Artists will just bring you misery or, worse, a false sense of accomplishment. Do ethically whatever you can or want to promote your music, but always make sure the focus is the music.
Cat: One of the things I’ve learned is very specific to the way we make music. We are often writing lyrics/melodies and recording in very quick succession. And often, the first time I sing something aloud that’s previously just been in my head, it sounds very unconvincing. And of course it does; it’s the first time I’m singing it. I’ve learned to give things a chance before I discard them.
Johnny: I work at a school. Making music is pure joy for me. We need that in our lives. Something that doesn’t necessarily need to bring us money and fame. I want that for the young people that I teach. They need to see art and music. They need to understand creating as an outlet and as a way to get to know themselves more deeply.
I have to say, most of the bands and projects I write about don’t last very long. Financial restraints, ego clashes, and general life events are often big hurdles to get by. In the case of Occurrence, I get the sense that you guys have been working very well together. Would you say that making music is a necessity by now? Is it something that you need to cope with the world around you?
Ken: Yes. Without a doubt. Even if Johnny and Cat told me to fuck off and never wanted to record with me, I would still need to do it, even if it was only for me and a few friends.
Cat: Absolutely. For me, Occurrence and making music is so enmeshed with the deep friendship I have with Ken and Johnny. I could see us being senior citizens and still trying to make this work, even if no one was listening—because it’s how we spend time together. That and eating pasta.
Johnny: Yes, pretty much. Friendship, music and love.
In terms of influences, do you still listen to the same artists you were listening to in 2017? Has your musical taste remained the same?
Ken: Yes and no. I will always care what Boards of Canada or Autechre are doing. But also, hopefully I’ll have open ears so I can always discover new things. Just in the last few weeks, I have become obsessed with all the releases by weed420, a Venezuelan music collective, and I love that new Gi Gi album out on Mood Hut, and that collab album between begotten and phantom on Geometric Lullaby, the one with the disturbing cover art, is pretty enchanting. All the recent releases that Life is Beautiful records is putting out, I’ve really enjoyed. I love the new Gila Band album, especially that second half. I suppose all of these things are part of a lineage of experimental electronic music. I haven’t gotten into country or anything.
Cat: Gosh, what was I listening to then? Definitely HUG OF THUNDER by Broken Social Scene. That feels like an evergreen album. I always dip a toe into hip-hop, so I was definitely listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown back then. Also, Ibeyi, they blew my mind. I have some music I never stray from: Aphex Twin, Fugazi, Yo La Tengo, Pavement. What can I say, I love the 90s.
Johnny: Jesus, I don’t know, Ken, what was I listening to, and what am I listening to now?… 🙂