Knock Knock, Open Wide:

tUnEyArDs

Words by Emily Bourke

Merrill Garbus, the musical force of nature behind tUnE-yArDs, released her third album Nikki Nack, this year, which musically knocks on many doors – part indie pop, part Afro-Caribbean rhythms, part vocal fury. Ahead of her visit to Stockholm we spoke with Merrill about the personal, the political and the awkward typography.

photo: Holly Andres

You’ve talked about Nikki Nack being the product of a more structured and focused creative process than your previous albums. Where are listeners noticing that shift the most?

That’s one of those questions that puts me on the outside of my own music, translating how it might be perceived, and I’m not so good at that! But I think the songwriting improved – lyrics with more depth and stronger choruses – as well as my vocal performances and our playing. I had a lot of time to grow as a musician, practicing drumming and singing. And I grew a bit of patience and surrender as a human, which helps with devoting yourself to a creative project until it really becomes what it needs to be.

Tell us a bit about the album’s eponymous character – why is it named after her?

Mostly because it sounded good. But I also liked how the album had, indeed, taken on a life of its own. I don’t have kids but I imagine it’s a similar feeling; you spend a lot of time making something, but once it’s all cooked and done you realize you have no idea what or who it is, or what it will become.

Did any new influences – musical or otherwise – creep into your work since your previous album?

Some old influences crept in, like 1980s New York pop-radio, the American traditional folk music that my parents play, and En Vogue. And [tUnE-yArDs bassist] Nate and I took Haitian drum lessons with Daniel Brevil, a master drummer from Haiti who lives near us in Oakland, so elements from those rhythms very much influenced some of the songs, as well as my overall approach to drumming.

People comment on the mingling of personal and political commentary in your work a lot. What’s was on your mind for this album?

The collapse of society, collapse of the environment, degradation of women and their subsequent paths of resistance, economic exploitation of developing countries in the guise of aid… You know, that kind of light, fun stuff! The weird part is how light and fun so much of my life is. I guess that’s why the music and lyrics are often so juxtaposed. Joyful terror. Chaotic celebration. Something like that.

Having been so depleted after your last tour, how do you feel about being back on the road?

I have both a lot of fear about it and also so much excitement. I can’t wait to tour and see the world again, and hopefully a lot of our friends who we don’t often get to see unless we’re touring. I hope to stay centered through all the inevitable craziness. We also have a great new band, with three badass women, so it should be another great adventure. I guess the music does take a lot of energy, and yes, it’s tiring, but it also gives us back so much energy. 

tUnE-yArds, BiRd-BrAiNs, w h o k i l l; where does the love of playing with capitalisation come from? And why has Nikki Nack escaped it?

I’m a visual person and this project has always needed to have corresponding visual elements to it. The band name capitalization was initially a way to draw attention to it on a tiny MySpace icon (remember those?), and it also reflected the child’s-play aspect of things. I think the words Nikki Nack do all of the above, without the need for capitalization. It looks snazzy, sounds snazzy and like a kid’s song. Thank goodness we chose it!

tUnE-yArDs will be playing Debaser Strand on Nov 14