Artist Interview: Jack Swart from Mitts

 

Left to Right: Spike Miller, Brittian Piper, Jack Swart, Jack McKool, Doug Barber

 

Seriously, how do you not love Mitts? The Seattle-based quintet is living proof that indie-pop charm, alt rock intensity, and oddball, art-punk antics are not mutually exclusive targets. On their second LP, and third proper release, E-Motions, the band delivers 7 new tracks filled with their trademark nasally vocals, left-field tempo changes, and head-scratching song titles like “Sit In Your Mouth” and “Boobs on TV”. It is an undeniably awesome record that I've had real trouble staying away from since it was released last month, so I decided to contact the band and see if they would be willing to talk about it. I caught up with Jack Swart in the middle of their ambitious, 7,000 mile, cross-country tour a few weeks back to talk about the project. (Note: both of Mitts' releases are available on their bandcamp as "name your price" downloads, but give'em a couple of bucks if you can afford it.)

NGD:

What’s the story behind you guys getting together? Also, your work with Jack and Doug as Spillway is really killer too; was there any new lyrical or musical territory you three wanted to explore as Mitts?

JS

Yeah, Jack, Doug, and I moved up to Seattle to pursue music and met Tom McDonald and Ryan Mortensen once we got here. That's how Spillway got started.

Mitts started with Jack and I recording a few songs together ("Eyedeas", "Bicket Face", and "Tube Man") and then we got Doug, Brittian Piper (What What Now and Walter and Perry), and Alex Khunprachansri to play with us, and we recorded Romulan. After Alex moved to Chicago, Spike Miller (Herocop and Walter and Perry) started playing with us and we recorded E-Motions.

As far as writing goes, we try to keep it collaborative. Jack or I end up writing a lot of the songs, Jack more than me. "Kick Your Face" and "Chops" were written as a team but "OhyeahOhyeahOhyeah" and "Boobs On TV" are songs Jack wrote and Doug and I helped record. We haven't actually figured out how to play them live yet.

Mitts is definitely at its root meant to be just a fun pop punk band. There are songs like "Kick Your Face", which has lots of Kung-Fu and video game references. "Animals" (from Romulan) is about animals. We try not to take things too seriously. Some songs might have a deeper significance, but we tend to bury it under images until it's probably indecipherable. Maybe that's weird, I don't know.

Jack Swart (L) and Doug Barber (R) at Blue Moon on 8/23

NGD:

Even so, both Romulan and E-Motions still manage to feel like discrete and incredibly cohesive units. Would you say that there is an overall theme on either record, or does it just come together like that?

JS

Romulan didn't really have much of a theme. The recordings on that album were recorded in batches over a longer period of time, whereas the songs on E-Motions were, except for "Kick Your Face", recorded pretty much in tandem. Also, Spike replacing Alex changed the dynamics pretty significantly. Both of them are great guitarists, but I feel you can definitely notice the the stylistic differences.

NGD:

I understand you guys are in the midst of a pretty ambitious tour at the moment. How's it been going?

JS

Tour has been great! We're on the road with Koda Sequoia, Spike and Doug's other band with Joshua Costa. They're awesome. We left on July 10th and booked it to the Midwest, hitting up Missoula and Fargo on the way. We're a little more than half way through now. We're leaving from New York today so I guess we're starting a slow trek home. We'll be playing in some smaller towns on the way to Denver, followed by Boise and Portland before we get back to Seattle on August 2nd. Lots of fun.

NGD:

That sounds like a massive undertaking for an independent band, even with your collective experience. How did you book it? Anything different you'd do next time? Any particularly memorable shows?

JS

Well, we booked a lot of the tour through friends and friends of friends, but there were plenty of shots in the dark too. Websites like dodiy.org are pretty handy. Probably for every twenty e-mails we sent out we would get one response, and it was usually no. Yet, people were pretty helpful with pointing us in the right direction.

The biggest regret we have is, oddly, bringing too many pairs of pants. It's so hot! We keep cannibalizing jeans into jorts.

Top: E-Motions, 7/13; Bottom: Romulan, 3/12

Probably the coolest show we've had so far was at Trumbullplex in Detroit. It's one of the oldest DIY spots out there, it's awesome. We played with Tyvek and The Cray Crays, both of whom blow minds. Moorhead was a pretty fun show too. It was a six band basement show that we played with Eidelons from Portland and some other pretty cool bands.

NGD:

That must have been amazing; I love Tyvek! I hope were not gonna lose Mitts, or Koda Sequoia for that matter (who also have a great new record out) to another city anytime soon?

JS

Nope, I don't think we're going anywhere soon. Spike and Josh are both from Detroit though, that's how we got hooked up with the show.

NGD:

So, back to fundamentals: are their any plans for a physical release for E-motions? If so, with whom, and why?

JS

Actually, week have physical copies. I designed them using a template, printed them off, assembled them, etc. Lots of time and trial and error went into it, but I think they turned out well all things considered. It definitely has that special DIY feel. We've also been selling buttons with download codes.

NGD:

Finally, I think people love your music because it is so unique; you guys have an uncanny ability to assimilate twee jangle, punk austerity, experimental sound samples...really whatever you need...in a seamless and engaging way. How do you describe your sound?

JS

Super future.

 

NGD:

Thanks again for talking with us, Jack. Stay safe on the road home!  
JS: Thanks, Tyler!

Mitts at Blue Moon on 8/23