mp3 premiere: "I've Been Known" - Susan
Here at TGE we have a special fondness for Susan, and as each of their EPs and singles have been released, we eagerly awaited the news we're sharing today. Susan, a LA-based trio who makes breezy and bright garage pop will release their debut full length on 4/29 through Volar Records. "I've Been Known" is the very first single from that LP, and it too comes with a sweet sucker punch of fun. We'll let the band explain a little more in the questions below, but if you've ever lost yourself to something or someone take a listen to this single - it's about realizing that as shitty as it can be to feel alone or be left alone, finding yourself is sometimes exactly what you need.
The Grey Estates: How does it feel to release a debut full length and what went into recording that? What was the process like? You've been doing EPs and singles, so what did this require?
Susan: IT FEELS GREAT! Recording is always a long journey and can be stressful, but luckily we were able to work with really fun, inspiring, and talented buddies along the way (shout out to Scott Cornish who recorded/ mixed and Drew Fisher who mixed/mastered, seriously couldn't have done it without them). We started the process at the beginning of 2015 and went into the studio with some songs that were not totally complete. We felt that it was more important to take our time and make a record we could all be proud of and that represented all the hard work we put into writing the songs. Its was definitely a learning process but I think we came out of it with more direction and excitement for our girl Susan than ever!
TGE: How do you balance being a band and regular life because you're all pretty busy with "adult" jobs.
Susan: It makes you nostalgic for the days days when we all worked in a pizza shop, except none of us ever worked in a pizza shop. Honestly though, Susan is our love child and we are all kind of like single moms... actually she's really like a child... Keeps us up late at night and sometimes gets barf on us...
TGE: Tell us a little about the single and how it fits into the record as a whole.
Susan: I've Been Known is all about figuring out how to be true to yourself despite tendencies to fall in line with the expectations others place on you, whether they are romantic, work relationships, friendships, or family. Self discovery is a sentiment throughout many of the songs on the record. Individually the three of us have grown up and changed a lot since we started the project. We have at times all struggled with feeling uncertain in the new directions our lives have moved. Susan has always served as an outlet for expressing those feelings.
TGE: How did Susan come together and when you started did you anticipate the project becoming what it is?
Susan: We first got together by playing together in Katie's garage on lazy Sundays a few summers ago. We ended up really hitting off together, both musically and as friends, and Susan pretty much evolved from there.We were individually looking for new projects to dive into having all played in bands before (Jessica here in LA, Katie and Beth in Austin Texas), but when we started none of us had any specific expectations other than to have fun. Turns out, we write really well together and have a great time collaborating on songs. Its rad when things work out naturally, we are constantly learning and challenging each other to be better musicians, thats kind of the goal of any band, right?