A stroke of instrumental genius warrants a voice as smooth as silk
With a little bit of patience, they can run this town.
A rollercoaster of sound, the song begins with an astral ascent on the keyboard slowly lulling into a deeper strum of chords resembling an engine rumble, and then launching into the ride with the crash of cymbals.
Squeeze Mason begins the 2023 season with a bang, with their brand new single “TItan” featuring non other than Americana-bound liv.
“[Liv.] is like fine wine. Every time we work with her, it’s just better,” bassist Dexter Dippong chuckles.
“I got a text from Dexter back in February of 2022 saying “Hey, we were talking… Would you be down to bus on up for a weekend and do another song and video shoot with us?” liv. says, as she resides in New York, and Squeeze Mason are based in Montreal. “It was an instantaneous yes for me. We work really well together.”
If “Rachelle” and “Fishing for the Blues” are anything to go by, you would know that this collaboration is one of the greats.
“The first time we worked with her, we didn’t really know her that well, we had just kind of seen each other in passing,” Gary Schulze says. “We listened to her music and we decided that her voice was perfect for what we wanted to do. And once we worked together, we just realized that there was this undeniable chemistry between us. That’s the reason we did the second song, pretty much off the bat.”
The first recorded song was “Rachelle (Your Hair is on Fire),” that liv. actually co-wrote with Dippong, and “Fishing for the Blues” followed a week after.
Although liv. is more known for the country twang in her voice, clad in an acoustic guitar, belting Americana tunes, her collaborations with Squeeze Mason entail more of a raspy, bluesy sound that she fully embraces — and fits her like a glove.
“The instrumental on Titan was just so fucking beautiful, we were like we need to find like the best singer possible,” Schulze says, “and it was like “oh who do we know” and snap, we were all like LIV! No hesitation, that’s our girl.”
Dippong and liv.’s respective creativities compliment each other, as Dippong states that whenever he finds himself stuck on a melody or lyric, liv. sweeps in with the missing piece.
“Every time we hang out with her, it’s just clean. She kills whatever she does, and it always perfectly fits the vibe. She’s a good songwriter.”
Not to be confused with a love song, “Titan” is a tune about a lost cause, running around in circles trying to make an unsolvable situation into a healthy one.
“I think this song is about the cultivation of a wanna-be-healthy-relationship that isn’t exactly that,” liv. says. “It’s about wanting to talk things through, but not ever really solving the conflict.”
Compared to previous work liv. has done with the band, one can notice a new-found maturity in her voice. The deeper rasp, the softer tone of voice throughout the verses alongside the fluctuating vocals she applies in the chorus, culminating in a belt.
And indeed, as Schulze was saying, the melody on “Titan” is exquisite, and not just as an accompaniment to liv.’s singing. Standing out are Adam’s guitar riff doubling as the song’s bridge, as well as Ted’s keyboard solo as the song nears its end, which makes for a meticulous cocktail of song.
The single is part of Squeeze Mason’s upcoming EP, The Astral Ballroom, recorded between March and November of 2022. At the start of the recording sessions, Squeeze Mason was not yet the five-piece it has come to be known for starting spring of last year.
Originally formed in 2019, the band at first included twins Gary and Ted Schulze, hailing from Whitehorse, Yukon, and Dexter Dippong. Gary is the multi-instrumentalist, Ted is on the Keyboard, and Dippong is the bassist as well as is a producer.
In March 2022, however, Charlotte Grieves (vocalist) and Adam (guitarist) joined the crew, and the instrumentalist threesome turned into a five-piece full fledged band.
(Read more in Busybee’s May interview with Squeeze Mason https://busybeesplaylist.ca/2022/05/28/squeeze-mason-the-band-that-keeps-on-giving/ )
At the time “Titan” was recorded, however, Grieves hadn’t yet been appointed as Squeeze Mason’s vocalist. She joined later on in the process, and you can actually hear her vocals beautifully elevate the tune’s harmony in the chorus.
When asked whether she would be open to a duet with the Squeeze Mason front-woman, liv. did not hesitate.
“Totally! Charlotte’s super talented!”
Squeeze Mason will be playing a show on 3 February alongside Façades at Quai des Brumes.
Make sure to follow Squeeze Mason on their socials as an eye out for their upcoming EP.
Hint: it is the closest thing to an intergalactic voyage, without leaving the comfort of your home.
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