Embark on a journey into the world of DUAL ANALOG, a band that has become a standout name in the Seattle, Washington music scene since its inception in 2019. At the core of DUAL ANALOG are Chip Roberts and Kurtis Skinner, whose collaborative genius sparked the creation of this unique ensemble. Chip brings a compelling dynamic to DUAL ANALOG with his skilled guitar work and captivating lead vocals, setting a powerful tone for their music. Kurtis, on the other hand, is the mastermind behind the keyboard bass and keyboards, also managing the intricate technological aspects that are integral to DUAL ANALOG‘s distinctive sound.
The essence of DUAL ANALOG is further enriched by the talents of their additional band members. Al Madis adds depth and complexity with his lead guitar skills, while Sarah Campbell anchors the group with her robust drumming. The harmonious backup vocals of Libby Franklin and Lindsey Ferrari blend seamlessly into DUAL ANALOG‘s unique sound. This interview delves into the creative heart of DUAL ANALOG, exploring their journey from the metal scene to the creation of “turbowave,” and offering insights into their musical influences, songwriting process, and views on the evolving trends in the music industry.
INFRARED MAG: Hello and thank you for answering our interview. Could you introduce the band to our readers with a brief background?
CHIP ROBERTS: We are Dual Analog based out of Seattle, Washington. We formed in 2019 after having played the metal scene for a few years. We got fed up with the limitations of the genre and decided to just write the kind of music we wanted to hear and play. Kurtis had been listening to a lot of synthwave, and I had been listening to a lot of New Wave, so we took some of those inspirations, mixed it with modern metal, and called it “turbowave.”
INFRARED MAG: What was the inspiration behind the latest release?
KURTIS SKINNER: The Neon Dreams remix was our attempt at getting the song to sound as big on the recording as it sounds live, as the originally released version omitted guitars and live drums. I’d say we got it as close as was possible.
INFRARED MAG: Are your songs created mostly the same way or does the process differ for different tracks?
KURTIS SKINNER: Each song comes about a little different – sometimes I’ll come up with one cool sound, and end up building a track around it, or I’ll be noodling on piano, and an interesting idea comes out. Sometimes I’ll be practicing one of the current songs, and start going off-script, resulting in some new song ideas.
INFRARED MAG: What, in your opinion is the mark of a good remix?
K: A good remix should be able to stand out on its own, adding new and different elements that make it unique. To me, most remixes don’t achieve this goal and just re-hash the parts of the original song, which doesn’t result in anything very compelling.
INFRARED MAG: These days short-form videos and consistent content in variety are two of the biggest trends in music promotion. What do you see in the future of promotion?
CHIP ROBERTS: I’m hoping TikTok, and short form videos will eventually implode, and we can go back to zero. The mystique of artists is pretty much nonexistent in today’s world. The trend is moving towards longform content in 2024, so we’ll just keep an eye on things and try to roll with the punches.
INFRARED MAG: What sets the latest album apart from previous work? Would you go back and do things differently on a previous album if you had the opportunity?
CHIP ROBERTS: The work we’re doing on the upcoming album is considerably darker than the last one, both sonically and lyrically. It’s more nihilistic, less hopeful, but I feel like there will still be a lesson learned in the end. I was satisfied with the work we did on the previous album; the only thing I might change are some minor production choices.
INFRARED MAG: How important is storytelling in songs and videos to you?
CHIP ROBERTS: I need to get off on what I’m singing to really sell it. That said, it can be very challenging to work with a storyline in music videos because you straddle the line between cheese and art; and that’s a very thin line. However, our lyrics are rooted in a story or theme, and we’ll be working with a new director for our next music video to assist with fleshing that out.
INFRARED MAG: Touring these days, it has been said is especially challenging for artists at least in terms of making a profit. What do you think it will take to turn that around and make it easier?
CHIP ROBERTS: Cost of living and the rate of inflation need to go down.
INFRARED MAG: Do you have a vision for how the new material will be represented in a live show? Are the tracks selected for live shows picked for any particular reason? (theme/length/fan favorite)
KURTIS SKINNER: We typically pick setlists based on the venue, and who else we’re playing with. Since our material has a rather broad range, we can tailor the mood based on who we expect the audience to be.
CHIP ROBERTS: The material for the new record is being arranged with a live show in mind. When we sit down to write together, we’ll ask questions like “Who’s going to play this part?” or “Are you running a track for that?” or pose scenarios “I can play keys on this song if you want to play live bass guitar.” Our live shows are where we see the fruits of our labor, and the past year of performing has given insight into what works best for the kind of show we want to have, so we’re gearing our new material with that context in mind.
INFRARED MAG: What have you planned for the forthcoming months?
KURTIS SKINNER: We are working on many new songs, several of which we hope to get finished up pretty soon. The makings of a new album are starting to take shape.
CHIP ROBERTS: We have a list of songs in various stages of being “done.” We’ve been chipping away at that list, then separating standalone singles from album tracks. Once we have a handful of songs that work well in an album sequence, we’ll fill in the gaps with new album tracks. In the meantime, we have lots of meetings with photographers, directors, promoters, DJs, trying to put together a crack team for our album release.
More info can be found on DUAL ANALOG at:
www.DualAnalog.com
www.Facebook.com/DualAnalogBand
www.Instagram.com/DualAnalogBand
www.YouTube.com/channel/DualAnalogBand
www.Spotify.com/Artist/DualAnalogBand
