“Psychedelic Anxiety,” the name of Frances Chang’s second album that came out on Feb. 16, is a title that lets the listener know what they’re in for: dreaminess and uneasiness, or as Chang describes it, “slacker prog.” It goes down much smoother than the term “anxiety” suggests. The music bubbles up and then calms, like a wave, not panic. While there is a more obvious beauty and intrigue in the collage-like nature of the compositions, Chang’s lyrics are worth highlighting, like the poeticism of “the airplane ride stretched our psycho-string/ til it snapped and fell in love’s big eye” or the stab of “What is love if it isn’t sticking with it?”
Chang feels the release mirrors “support your local nihilist,” the album she put out in 2022, referring to the albums as two sides of the same coin. The album was largely home-recorded by Chang, and partially recorded in a studio with her Die Artists collaborator Andrea Schiavelli of Eyes of Love, featuring playing by Schiavelli, Liza Winter, Michael Sachs, and Nick Llobet. While Chang’s process is unmistakably idiosyncratic, she says, “I love collaboration, I really do, it’s like I let people into my world.” What a shimmery world it is.
I spoke to Chang about “Psychedelic Anxiety” in a conversation that has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Do you remember when you started writing songs?
Oh yeah, I was trying to write songs in middle school. I kind of remember them, but I try not to. I really had my first burst of creativity in high school. I had this little set up in my closet. I just recorded on GarageBand and my mom was so nice, she got me an M-Audio interface, so that was really all I needed. I DI’d guitar and I’ve just been doing it since then.
How did you come up with the album name?
I released a record in 2022 and they are both harping on a similar idea, basically the anxiety you get is an existential feeling, and anxiety from an existential sense of, “Oh my God, what am I doing here?” I think in general I spend a lot of time just staring at existential dread. I don’t know why… I guess I kind of like it. But it’s definitely creepy.
In terms of your songwriting process, your songs are kind of like different chunks with a line sewn through them. Can you talk about how this comes to be?
I feel like the way you are describing it is probably how it comes to be. What has always really spoken to me is the end of a song being completely different from the beginning. For example, “Satellite of Love” by Lou Reed, you know how there’s that weird breakdown at the end? There is something about that “now for something completely different” thing that always really spoke to me. It’s hard for me to really understand why, but I think just the whimsy of it, and like, “I’m going to do whatever I please.” It’s like a cat. You can’t understand why it’s doing that, and it’s not really trying to make itself legible to you.
Do you tend to have an idea about what you want the end product of a song to sound like?
No, for those songs, it’s so much not from the top-down. I can’t explain it, they really just happen that way and I follow the thread. I’ve definitely not been much of a planner or designer, you know, much more of a transmitter.
Do you approach lyric writing separately from the guitar part?
Up until this point, I think it’s actually a lot more about how they fit together. It’s almost like a synesthesia thing where there’s a line and then you have a melody for it and you’re like, “That is one thing.” It’s what I would call the brick, like in midair you have this brick and then things start to form around it and it starts to become solid.
If Frances Chang could perform on a three-band bill with anyone of your choosing, who would it be?
Laurie Anderson and Broadcast.
Read full interview with Frances Chang at Johanna Sommer’s substack.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ GUNK CLASSIFIEDSˋ°•*⁀➷
is your band (or solo act) looking to connect with other bands or performers to put together a bill for an upcoming show? send GUNK a little intro to your music (no links sorry) including an email address for a reply and we’ll publish the listings!
—> thegunkyard@gmail.com **if you’d rather your email address not listed let us know and we can get you in touch with interested parties**
LISTINGS:
My name is Vanessa Castro and I'm a producer/songwriter based in Ridgewood that has just started her first live full-band project (band name still TBD, playing under my name for now). I have one EP out called "sou" that I play, and have new music I've been bringing into the live setup. Brazilian tropicalia, British Indietronica and American psych-rock are major inspirations so expect lush guitar loops, deep groves, and beeps 'n' boops.
Email: vanessacdecastro@gmail.com
Im a local queer artist in Brooklyn releasing a new album this summer/fall. I'm looking for other bands to play bills with. I find booking to be stressful and I'd like it to be more fun and community driven. My music is indie pop, alt, with hints of shoegaze and psych rock. I have a full band (that I love) and we want to play a lot of shows. My band name is Nora Roy. You can find us on bandcamp and streaming services. noraroyisaband@gmail.com is the best way to contact me about sharing a bill.
I go by Kid Quizine, I’m a pop rap artist based in bushwick Brooklyn. Here’s a little bit about me and my sound:
Rejecting the concept of genre, Kid Quizine delivers sophisticated melodies guaranteed to bring your inner child to life. A music architect of sorts, Quizine engages in multiple parts of the music curation process. Music lover turned producer, engineer, and finally artist, his diverse background results in an even more unique sound. Drawing from elements of Pop-Punk and the iconic Cloud Rap era, Quizine's music remains inspired yet deeply original. (email us to connect w KQ)