Check out our interview with Producer and songwriter Alex Kahn.
Alex just released his sophomore album The Marble Jar this month. The Marble Jar combines furry guitars, spidery vocals, and dry wit to create soft, tender songs that both comfort and disturb. After the unexpected death of his father and two cross-country moves, Kahn returned home to redraw the map of an unrecognizable life. Oscillating between the bright jangle-pop of 1991 and the faint intimations of Elliott Smith, Kahn explores the raw pain of grief, the uncomfortable realities of close relationships, and the crisis of belonging.
Kahn has released two singles from the album, “In Love With My Therapist” and “Lorelai.”
Follow Alex @kahnasutra
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Leisurely, reflective, hungry
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
I got my start writing jingles for a music house in NYC. For a few years, I engineered, produced, and composed a bunch of tracks for commercials, film, and TV. I fell a bit ass-backwards into it, as I did not know this was a viable career path. Later, I learned that Uncle Jesse did this. It was a great job to have while playing in bands in Brooklyn and making music generally. I learned a ton about working on the fly and hopping from genre to genre.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
intimate, moody, shmaltz
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
This is a pretty endless list. Most recently I’ve been very inspired by Jens Lekman, a Swedish songwriter who writes some of the most honest music I’ve ever heard. The way his lyrics deal with everyday material in such an artful way really resonates with me. His most recent record got me through some very difficult times. I’m also inspired by my friend and mega-talent, Benji Hughes. Benji is one of the most talented songwriters on the planet today in my opinion. We worked together in NYC where he cut his most recent record and I learned a ton about songwriting and life in general from him. Aside from that, I’m hugely influenced by Elliott Smith. I believe from 2009-2011 I solely listened to Elliott Smith, so I couldn’t untangle his influence from my musicality if I tried. Other influences on this record in particular have been Nico, Jonathan Richman, Morrisey (which I know is now unfashionable to say), Juan Wauters, Jessica Pratt, Stephen Merritt, The Sundays, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and so many others.
As far as non-musical influences, this record in particular is influenced by some classics from the existentialist philosophy canon such as Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard and Nausea by Jean-Paul Satre. The first track, “Life Can Be Long”, is pretty much an existential crisis in a pop song. It quotes Kierkegaard directly with the line, “The dizziness of Freedom churns like a tilt-a-whirl”. Obviously, I added the tilt-a-whirl reference. I liked the idea of a character dealing with heady philosophical concepts while eating a funnel cake at a pop-up carnival outside of a church and needing to hurl both mentally and physically. Philosophy is really only interesting to me when you can relate it back to your life. If it’s unrelatable and pedantic then what’s the point?
I’m also heavily influenced by alt-comedian Chris Gethard. I have a tattoo of his show’s mantra, “Lose Well”, on my forearm. He’s a brilliant and hilarious man. I’m always in awe of his ability to blend genuine, raw sadness with goofball humor. This record has that same split-screen effect, and I like to think that’s his influence.
Do you play any instrument?
I play guitar, piano, a bit of drums, sax, and clarinet (thought it’s been a while admittedly on this one). I also play harmonium which is one of my favorite instruments.
Do you ever get nervous?
I do, but at this point It’s a lot more manageable than it used to be. I’ve been meditating and going to therapy for years now, and that has helped a lot. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being nervous. In fact, it’s probably a sign you’re doing something vulnerable and important. Anxiety and excitement have the same physiological response but with different contexts.
Tell us about your new album “The Marble Jar?”
The concept of the Marble Jar itself comes from a self-help technique that my mom employed while I was growing up. Basically, whenever you express gratitude, kindness, optimism, or any other positive quality that Oprah would endorse, you get a marble in the jar. When the jar fills up, you get to go to Applebee’s or mini-golf or something like that. I think it’s a great start, but I wanted to make room for the complain-y, selfish, sad, and otherwise negative parts of life too. Hence, the concept of the expanded Marble Jar. This record, and music in general, has always been a place for me to make sense of the more unpleasant aspects of life. I wanted to create a space to bring all parts of myself to the table, and hopefully that would resonate with others as well.
The past few years have been some of the most challenging and transformative years of my life. I moved across the country twice, lost my job in a dramatic fashion, stopped eating animals, and got married, to name a few. However, the most harrowing thing that happened was that I lost my dad to cancer quite suddenly, and that process of grief was long and painful. However, it did illuminate the parts of life that are worth living and cast away a lot of the garbage that had been floating around in my body/mind. In that way, grief has had a cleansing effect on me, which made space for creativity, love, and openness. Loss certainly has a way of putting things into perspective like that.
And about the singles “In Love With My Therapist” and “Lorelai?” What’s the story behind this songs?
“In love with my therapist” is an attempt to explore the therapeutic relationship. Because it is not a friendship, a romance, a business relationship, or a family relationship, it occupies a special and unique role in our lives (if we’re lucky enough to even see a therapist). It is so extremely intimate, while at the same time can feel kind of aloof. The song is one of the more openly comedic tracks. The track has a sensual, R&B feel, and is at times reminiscent of Flight and the Concords, though a bit less on the nose. It is getting at the heart of attachment. The narrator is clearly attached to the therapist, so it’s not really romantic love but rather more like a parent-child relationship. That is the beauty of therapy. You just project whatever your own shit is onto the whiteboard and the therapist can reflect that and prodive other options of dealing with it. It is also trying to make fun of myself and my narcissism, and the sense that I’m the greatest client and most interesting client that ever was. Again, grandiosity is on high display. I’ve been in therapy for a long time and it has been such an important part of my life. I wanted to write a song to honor that while also making fun of myself.
“Lorelai” is a love letter to my dog. It explores the non-verbal ways of communication that occur between a person and their dog. How do we live in such intimate communion with another being for so long and not have a single conversation in human language, yet so much is said and expressed. I wrote this song inspired by our long walks through LA. The song also gets into some feelings of helplessness and control. How do we embark on relationships with pets when we know we will outlive them. There is a feeling of “pre-grief” that accompanies this song and is expressed fully in the last verse. But that is the point. We take a leap of faith and bring this love into our lives knowing that they’re going to die and so are we. All we can do is jump into the fire. It also touches on my own neuroses surrounding losing her. In a self-deprecating way, I make fun of all of the safety precautions I take with my dog: gates on the stoop, GPS collars, etc. Because losing her would be too much to bear as she was a keystone of comfort for me during these difficult years. It is also a potential insight into how I might feel as a parent, which is terrifying. The music itself is subdued and intimate. The classical guitars have a soft tone that feels ambivalent. Both sad and also hopeful.
Did you had plans/concerts planned and cancelled because of COVID? If so have you done any online concerts or interaction with your fans?
No I didn’t. I’m pretty much coming out of musical hibernation with this record. I did want to pursue playing live again, but of course, this is now out of sight for at least a few more months. However, I am doing a livestream this Friday, 12/18, and will contribute to do others when I can.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
Hmm well there is an artist, East Forest, that I really admire. He wrote a beautiful, five hour piece of music called “Music for Mushrooms”, which is meant to guide someone during a mushroom trip. I’m also studying to become a Music Therapist, so I would love to integrate my skills there and compose a piece of music that is either meant for guiding a psychedelic trip or a guided meditation. I’ve never explored writing ambient music, but I listen to a lot of it and I think I could take genuine stab at it someday when I’m not writing neurotic, four minute knee-slappers about myself.
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
There isn’t much that isn’t fun and rewarding about making music. I suppose something that is difficult is the unpredictable way that the songwriting muse can strike. I anthropomorphize the creative urge as a mischievous ghost that comes around from time to time and wants to mess around and make music. When it’s present, it demands a lot of attention, and it can be tough to deny its demands, even for activities that I normally enjoy, such as cooking, exercising, or sleeping. The best thing to do is ride the wave, know that it comes and goes, and be ok with that. Change is the only constant. There is no use in trying to overly summon the ghost or push it away. Our culture is so obsessed with productivity at all costs, and when this mindset sneaks its way into art I get very annoyed. Clearly, songwriters and poets should be loafing in fields of flowers and daydreaming about their art instead of scheduling social media posts and doing “write a song every day” challenges. I mean if that’s your thing I have no judgment, obviously people vibe at different frequencies, but I make this hyperbolic statement to drive my point across.
What’s next for Alex Kahn in 2021?
I’m working on another record called THREELEGGEDBUCK which will be the sister album to the Marble Jar. It’s kind of like taking a microscope to the second half of The Marble Jar and zooming in. I’m looking forward to it but it still has a long way to go, so hopefully 2021 is still in the cards for it (see my last question).
What is your favorite song? And why?
It’s really impossible for me to rank things like this, but I’ll try. One of my favorite songs of all time is “Dum Dum Diddle” by ABBA. I’m pretty obsessed with ABBA. Their music is one of two artists that, when I play them, my brain does instant fireworks (the other being Of Montreal). It’s like a manic episode in a bottle. Listening to ABBA a cappella recordings on youtube is one of my favorite pastimes. This song in particular just hits me hard, the way the melody moves, the upbeat pulse of the whole thing. It’s perfect. Also, “to be so near you but not quite hear you” is a great line. I could go on, but I’ll stop for the reader’s sake.
Any loves other than music?
Yes many! I am vegan and I love to cook. My partner and I make delicious plant-based meals all the time. She is better than me at this point, but I’m still pretty good. I make a great Sichuan sesame noodle dish. Other than that, I love to spend time in nature, particular the woods outside my house where I spend as much time as possible. I also like to mediate, sleep, and watch Star Trek (currently watching DS9).
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Hmmm, maybe Andy Kaufman? I would first of all want to figure out if he’s actually dead or alive. But outside of that, I would want to eat lotus root soup with him and maybe just watch him go about his life for a week. I’d love to meditate with him since the Transcendental Meditation organization disowned him and that always bothered me. I think he would love all of the new apps and just appreciate generally how much more people accept meditation in 2020. I don’t think he would like me very much though, I’m pretty boring.
Best advice ever given?
“Just because you CAN, doesn’t me you SHOULD” – my mom
How’s a typical day in your life?
Well I’m in grad school right now, so I spend a lot of time reading research articles about Music Therapy and creating experientials that typically involve egg shakers. Besides that, walking the dog in the woods, meditation, running, cooking, sleeping. Again, I’m pretty boring.
Name one your strengths?
I’m pretty incredible at remembering directions. I’m very bummed about our collective dependence on GPS. I can go to a place once in a city I’ve never been to and get you back there pretty confidently most of the time. I think if I was a hunter-gatherer, this would be the only role that the group would respect me for, and perhaps save me from getting killed since there would probably be little use for a ~*songwriter*~.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
Wake up late, meditate, drink decaf coffee with some kind of fancy mushroom powder in it, eat lots of fruit, walk in the woods for hours either by myself or with my partner and/or dog, play my 12-string guitar, read a book by Adyashanti, meditate, make a vegan pizza, watch star trek, eat popcorn, go to sleep early.
What is you favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
“Panic” by The Smiths.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Not searching for it directly. Happiness is only enjoyable when it is a byproduct of something else, like purpose, meaning, creativity, or connection. It is not an end in itself, otherwise heroin would be the ideal way for most people to be happy.
Do you support any charities?
I’m pretty broke, but the person I’m financially connected to does. We support social justice organizations like Color of Change, as well as a farm sanctuary in upstate NY. We should do more.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Probably plain popcorn with nutritional yeast
And your favorite cheat food?
Vegan Philly cheesesteak made by myself
What would be a deal breaker on a first date?
Anyone who has a plan of how their life is going to go outside of the next five minutes.
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
Lol. I swear I did not see this question before I answered the last one. As you now know, I do not look at my life like that. I see it more like rock climbing. You’re in one position, and you look around and say, ok, i can go here, here, or here. I can’t really see anything outside what’s directly in front of my face, but that’s ok. It’s fun to explore. This is more in line with my experience of life. Literally, nothing in my life has turned out the way I thought it would, and I’m in LOVE with that.
How would you describe your fashion style?
I would describe it as needing help..
What do you think of Social Media?
I have mixed feelings. I didn’t even use social media for a whole year in 2018 (when I was writing the album actually) and it was unbelievably freeing. The documentary, “The Social Dilemma”, really sums up any feelings I have about it in a much more eloquent way. I think we have no idea what it is doing to our brains (except for the fact that we know it’s not good). That being said, I have to use it to get my music out there because I see no other way. So I have some ambivalence there..
Where we can follow you?
I’m mostly on Instagram @kahnasutra
Quote: “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” – Carl Jung
Movie: Creep
Travel Destination: Taiwan
Sports Team: Philadelphia Eagles (sadly)
