Singer, songwriter, and producer Almost Owen is making the most of the summer of 2020 with the release of his sophomore album ‘The Sum of Contradictions’. He describes his latest record as “an album of silver linings – and an inventory of the attempts we make to reconcile the bleakness of the present with our hope for the future”. Each of the 7 tracks features his signature earworm melodies and confessional lyrical style.
This project follows the release of his full-length LP Late Night Dangerous earlier this summer. His singles We Out There, One Lucky Man, and One in a Million have garnered close to half a million streams on Spotify and feature on ‘The Sum of Contradictions’. We had the pleasure of featuring Almost Owen earlier this year and it was equally a pleasure to speak with him about this album’s release.
Hi Almost, thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career to date. Please share with our readers how you got into music.
Thanks for having me. Always enjoy getting a chance to chat with the folks at Occhimag. Both of my parents are huge music buffs. Their vinyl collection provided the soundtrack for my earliest childhood memories. I was obsessed. I’d found myself banging away at the upright piano in the living room – not knowing what I was doing, but loving every minute of it.
I eventually picked up the drums and started regularly playing shows at bars and clubs around Boston in high school. There were a few guys from Berklee college of music who sort of took me under their wing. They’d bring my adolescent ass up onto bandstands that I had no business being on. That was my school.
Who are musical influences?
I grew up listening to a lot of the classics – Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and so on. I had an 8-year love affair with jazz that ended badly. I messed up some nerves in my back and shoulder and couldn’t play drums for a few years. But that brought me back to songs and songwriting, so I guess I can’t complain. These days I just try and keep up with what’s current. I’ve been on a bit of a Blackbear kick recently. But, if you ask me in a week or two, it will probably be somebody else. There’s so much good music coming out these days.
If you weren’t a musician what would you be and why?
Oh man, I suck at this question. It’s really hard to imagine myself fitting into any sort of traditional work environment. I crave novelty and adventure and am very bad at navigating boredom and bureaucracy. My dad often tells me that I would have made an excellent lawyer. But I’m generally quick to remind him that even for trial attorneys, most of the work does not actually revolve around engaging in an argument. I guess I could see myself as an English or history professor. I’m kind of a nerd.
After a string of critically acclaimed 2019 releases Late Night Dangerous is your first full- length album. Why have you released it now?
To be 100% honest, I had kind of dropped the ball on releasing that project. I initially had intended to put it out in 2018. My band was playing over 150 shows a year at the time, and I was juggling a lot in my personal life. To mix the metaphor – I let that ball slip through the cracks. I’m thrilled that it’s finally out. I wrote all of the songs during and in the aftermath of a deeply problematic relationship. They’re meant to be listened to together. If you run down Late Night Dangerous from top to bottom, you’ll get the whole story. I had released a couple of singles a little over a year ago. Don’t get me wrong – they’re great on their own. The original intention was for the album to be consumed as a complete experience.
This is a particularly intimate project, encompassing personal experiences, both good and bad? Has the emotive aspect made producing the album more challenging from an artistic perspective?
Not at all. The hardest part of making a thing is deciding what to make. When your life feeds you that emotional context, most of the work is already done.
What has been your greatest challenge as a musician and songwriter?
I often find it difficult to know when a song is done. There’s a very thin line between perfect and over-cooked – and it’s very difficult to walk it back once you’ve crossed it.
Please tell us more about the production of the album and what we can expect.
I wrote and produced all of the songs on Late Night Dangerous in my studio in Boston. My buddy KR co-wrote the songs “Good Thing“ and “If It Were Me,” which he also spits a verse on. A little over a year ago I did an unofficial release of Late Night Dangerous through my email list. I sent my fans a new song each night for the eight “nights” of the album, complete with background on how they fit into the overarching story. I was also live-streaming each night. It was totally crazy to see how many people were tuned in for the entire thing. I’m still running the album release this way. If you’d like to sign up and get Late Night Dangerous, you can do it here (it’s free btw): https://almostowen.com/aolnd
After the soft release of the album, I partnered with sweetwater.com to host a remix competition for my song I Should Know Better. We ended up getting like 500+ submissions from producers all over the planet. Fans voted on their favorites and picked Alex Martura’s incredible version.
You can watch the video here
2020 has been a challenging year for the creative industries, particularly independent artists. In addition to working on the album, how have you managed to keep motivated and inspired?
I hate to say it, but I’ve kind of been enjoying my quarantined existence. I spent the past several years performing 3-5 nights a week, getting into the studio when I could. I miss getting in front of crowds and playing with the band but the time away has allowed me to fully devote myself to creating new music.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate. I am deeply grateful that I’m in a position to make the most of this moment. That being said, I’ve got a bunch of friends who are really struggling – with inspiration, but also with just making ends meet. For their sake, and for the sake of many others, I deeply hope we’re able to get to a more solid footing soon.
What other projects should we look forward to seeing you involved in?
I had initially planned to do a US tour this fall, but that’s a no go thanks to COVID. Instead, I’ve been releasing music like crazy. I put out a The Sum of Contradictions last week. The response has been pretty incredible so far.
This fall I’m planning to put out a few singles and a short EP called Felt Cute… Might Delete. I’ve also been collaborating with a few incredible DJs/Artists: Neo Noir, Exale, and of course, Alex Martura. Expect to hear some very new and very different shit coming from that. I’m moving to LA in two weeks, so things are a bit nutty right now. I should be back in the swing of things by late September. I’ll have more news for you then. Let’s keep in touch!
Where will we find out more information about you?
I have an extremely active mailing list that I use to stay in touch with my closest fans. If you’d like to sign up to stay in touch, you can do it here.
- https://www.almostowen.com
- https://facebook.com/almostowenmusic
- https://instagram.com/almostowenmusic
- https://youtube.com/almostowenmusic
- https://soundcloud.com/almostowenmusic
- https://twitter.com/almostowenmusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/0cx6W9yZSat6dyJqqjNr5Q?si=-p-JX6aGR1CIMHRAVZHEIw
Photo credit: Peter Woo
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