What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
Lena: Anything sung by Billie Holiday.
Matthew: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten by Arvo Part.
How would you characterize your own music?
Lena: Aah, I don’t think any of us know anymore. Punky loud post-punk that’s fast but sometimes slow and could also be indie pop occasionally?
I think most people would say it’s just post-punk and deathrock and not think about it as hard.
What are your musical aspirations?
Lena: Basically anyone who’s not afraid to let go. My favorite example of this in a singer is Bjork. She just lets her voice out and doesn’t hold back. I’m working on that.
What are your main musical inspirations?
Matthew: Minimalism, electronic artists who experiment with timbre, back when punk/goth/new-wave hadn’t become distinct genres.
Lena: Honestly, pop music…and probably the Pixies.
What are your main goals in life?
Lena: I have so many huge unattainable goals and I daydream a lot. But I would say my number one main goal is to be able to make enough money off of music and art to survive. I just want to be able to live and do the things I love. And also have a house where one room is a ball pit and one room is fuzzy and basically I want to live in a fun house.
What motivates you to create?
Lena: Well, I feel like music and art are the only things I really know how to do. But my bandmates motivate me more than anything.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Matthew: I think I’m the only early bird.
Lena: That’s true.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
Lena: I love visual art almost as much as music. So far, I’ve done the physical art for the band and Nathan’s done the design work. But I’m really interested in fashion design, and I would love to learn how to dance. And hopefully I’ll write a musical one day. And a screenplay. And maybe a novel…
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
Lena: Surfer Rosa by the Pixies, when I was maybe 13. That album inspired me to be more creative and helped me realize you don’t have to define yourself by genre.
Matthew: F# A# Infinity by Godpseed You! Black Emperor. It was the first time I heard the punk ethos incorporated into something musically different.
What is the best decade for music?
Lena: I’m inclined to say this one, because it’s the one that I’m a part of. But I really don’t know. The internet has helped music stay alive and also killed it.
What do your future plans include?
Lena: Tour.
Autonomy releases October 28th, 2022
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Secret Shame
Cover art by Lena and Aster
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