Sean MacLeod: “I Know Not”
Punk Head: Microtonal tuning is rare in indie pop. What drew you to experiment with it here?
Sean MacLeod: Yes, I imagine microtonality is rare in indie pop music although I think groups like the Velvet Underground and even the Beatles when they explored Indian music possibly explored elements of microtonality. Also, most guitarists in rock music play microtones because they bend the strings which creates microtones. The reason why I used it in this particular song was because I was simply exploring microtonal music, microtonal guitar and also ethnic music of Bali around the time I wrote the song so I just incorporated these elements into the song. I should say I more imposed them on to the song rather than blend it into the standard tonality of this song. However, I felt it worked all the same and even added something different to what is really just a standard pop song.
Punk Head: The track balances catchiness with avant-garde ideas. Do you ever worry about pushing too far outside the traditional pop framework?
Sean MacLeod: No, I don't worry about it. I like pop music simply because it is palatable so I always try to keep it so. If I do manage to go too much outside the pop framework then I don't release the song as a single but keep it as an album track or just as an obscure track that people have to go looking for if they are really interested. In fact I put together a collection of songs that were pretty much outside the pop framework called 'We Don't See that We Don't See' which I will release over the internet sometime next year. It's quite experimental but I won’t release it commercially, so to speak.
Punk Head: What does the title “I Know Not” represent in terms of the song’s emotional core?
Sean MacLeod: Lyrically, the song is really considering the rather materialistic idea that music and sound are just vibrations and our emotional responses are simply just the result of brain chemistry. I don't think that's true but its a little too beyond the scope of this interview to go into that her but if people are interested they can read my articles on it on my Substack page. So essentially it was relating to this question.
Punk Head: You recorded this track at home with intentionally lo-fi tools. How does that DIY approach enhance the creative vision?
Sean MacLeod: Well it wasn't really intentional it was more for economic and time reasons. The cost of recording in studios was a lot more expensive than recording at home. I have always recorded at home but I have normally gone into a studio to re-record the parts better and so that always added to the expense but mostly I always had to wait until I had the time to book the studio and often there is a sense of pressure when you book a studio because you have to get everything done within that time. This often means things get rushed or unfinished and also for some reason the feel just might not be there on that day and so you basically lost that day. Because home recording equipment is much more affordable now and the quality is reasonable I have on the last few albums just recorded most of the album at home in my own time. It also allows me to re-record things that I don't feel quite happy with whereas before I would just settle for substandard work. So, yes I guess from that perspective my reasons were intentional but if I could book out a studio for much longer time I would rather do that because I think good studios and good engineers do make a big difference.
Punk Head: You’re known for reinventing your sound across projects. What do you hope new listeners discover about Sean MacLeod when they press play on this single for the first time?
Sean MacLeod: I don't know if I reinvent my sound all that much to me the songs are just pop songs but I guess i am always listening to different music and searching for different music and exploring different ideas the songs might sound a bit like they are re-inventing themselves but I just try and write pop songs and I try and keep them interesting for me and for the people who might hear them. What I always hope listeners discover when they press play on a song for the first time or the 100th time is that they enjoy it and that its adds something good to their lives that's all. That's what happens to me when I hear songs I like I just feel in these few moments life is worth living and there is something good in the world. That's all I care about when people hear a song I released.
