Congratulations on the release of your new album, ‘I Am Not Myself.’ Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the album and how it represents a transformative journey for Hotel Mira?
I think that the songs I write are usually a snapshot of where I am at at the moment and what I am trying to figure out. So this record was very inspired by the idea of identity, death and self-obsession and my big move to Los Angeles. Musically, we tried to do something expansive and pull from many different genres.
‘I Am Not Myself’ marks a significant departure from your previous work. What led to this change in your musical style and direction, and how has it been received by your fans?
My whole philosophy is I never want to make the same thing twice. And because of the covid
lockdowns we worked with multiple producers so each of them brought their own style to the record, which wad cool. The fans seem to dig it. My favorite artists and bands like Bowie, Frank Ocean and Radiohead are the ones who you trust will take you to cool unfamiliar places with their music. Historically we have been lucky to have that kind of trust with our fans.
The album’s title, ‘I Am Not Myself,’ suggests a theme of self-discovery. Could you share some of the personal experiences and growth that influenced the album’s lyrical content?
-I mean, the band is more popular than ever, Which opens it’s own can of worms in my brain. I had some friends and family die. I closed myself off. I was trying to find love and acceptance. I was trying to figure out what it even meant to be a useful citizen. I obsessed over fame and what it meant to make it or not.
Hotel Mira is known for its powerful and emotionally charged lyrics. Can you discuss the songwriting process for this album and how you approach crafting meaningful and relatable songs?
In a nerdy way, I just love putting words together. And I have this allergy to singing things that aren’t directly from the heart. I just always wanna go deeper. Most lyrics that are worth keeping are the ones that feel scary or dangerous to write. “Mama” has a few lyrics that were hard on my psyche for sure. But I am ultimately glad I put them out there.
Your recent trip to Australia for SXSW was a significant moment for the band. Can you share some memorable experiences or connections made during the festival that left an impact on Hotel Mira?
That was so much fun and we met a lot of cool bands and journalists and fans. It was a whirlwind. Ask me in a week, It’s still kind of a blur.
How does performing at international events like SXSW contribute to your growth as a band and the exposure of your music to a global audience?
This year has been an amazing exercise in “you never know who is watching and listening”. I had no idea people would like us in Australia but I think the whole point of writing music is getting out to the people who need to hear it. So we are always trying to share the music all over the world
Can you share any details about the creative and collaborative process during the making of ‘I Am Not Myself’? Were there any unique challenges or breakthrough moments?
Working with Parker (alone in america, mama, everything once, eventually) was a total joy. So many belly laughs. And I think with all those songs we were challenged to swing pretty big. Parker kinda became this guiding light for me to understand clearly what we were aiming toward.
The album artwork for ‘I Am Not Myself’ is striking. Can you elaborate on the concept and symbolism behind the cover art and how it ties into the music within?
Every leading up to it was so busy and aggressive and colorful. So it was cool to have the album be the combo breaker of that and kind of look more sixties and serene. The spiral of “I Am Not Myself” feels like a good visual representation of how it feels to ruminate on identity. The color palette comes from the colors on the garage doors I kept seeing when I travelled to Seoul.
Hotel Mira has gained a reputation for its energetic live performances. How do you approach translating the depth and emotion of your songs into a captivating stage show?
I go into a bit of a trance and try to follow every impulse and feed off of the crowd. It’s almost like the reverse is harder, capturing the live show energy onto a record. I would way rather feel that exchange than be in the studio.
Could you highlight a particular track from the new album that holds special meaning to the band or has an interesting backstory?
Vampire is such a wild song and that is by design. I wrote this thing on the guitar that kind of reminded me of the pixies and I took it to Steve and we were both listening a lot to “call me by your name” by Lil Nas X. So we wanted to make it catchy in a similar way. And then we just went bonkers with the rest of it, screaming, gang vocals, disco bridge etc etc. I am so proud of that song and I can’t wait to play it live.
As a band, how have you evolved and grown since your formation, and how does ‘I Am Not Myself’ reflect this evolution?
Cheesy as it sounds, this record brought us together in a significant way. So we are better than ever and we understand each other in a deeper way which makes everything easier. It was not an easy record to make but having each other made it doable.
Looking ahead, what are your future plans for touring and promoting the album, and are there any other exciting projects or collaborations on the horizon for Hotel Mira?
I think we are going to do some big tours. Hopefully get to some places we have never been before! Play some festivals and really give this album the record cycle that it deserves and that we didn’t get to have with perfectionism. I try to make content everyday to promo the band on social media. But in other news, we are already writing and demoing the next project in our down-time. And we shot a video the other day that I am really excited about.
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