Meet Blue Plutos

Hot off the release of their latest album “Come Back This Way” Blue Plutos stopped by to have a short chat with us. Back in 2012, the NYC based jangly rocky trio popped into the scene pulling people in with their atmospheric swirling sounds. Cut to eight years later and they are still going strong.

Check out our latest interview as we talk about their new album, jumping really high up in the air, and releasing an album during the quarantine.

Two truths and a lie with Blue Plutos

Answer at bottom of interview.

Truth: Were working on our fifth and sixth album right now 

False: Pluto is blue.

Truth: We all live in different cities right now.

Would You Rather

be able to jump a hundred feet in the air, or make things move with your mind? What would you do?

Ryan: Move things with my mind. I would move mountains back to where they belong. 

Some questions with Eliana

If you had to be on one reality TV show which one would it be? What would you do?

Ryan: The Osbornes

Tyler:  Wolf Blitzer's Breaking News Variety Hour

What track off your latest album "Come Back This Way" are you most proud of? Why?

Ryan: Patrick, Willingly - it started from a quick recording session which began from an oblique strategy that we worked on a few hours before going to see Helloween live at Irving Plaza. It reminds me of a late 60’s Monkees’ track And features parts written by all of us. 

Tyler: Probably Clipper Ship. The initial chord progression came to me on the train after hearing Steve Ballmer scream on a podcast. Ryan and I wrote most of the rest of it in a couple of days and I think the chords have that sort of slick/shlock yin yang I tend to like a lot in your Al Stewarts, Steely Dans and Genesises while still sounding pretty modern. It is probably the most angular of our angular tracks.

What was the process like working on your latest album "Come Back This Way"?

Ryan: As is the case with all of our albums, try to make something that’s a bit different and better than the last record. 

Tyler: We wrote probably like 3-4 times more than what we recorded. To be honest, we probably waited too long to put it all down and decide which tracks we were going to base the album off. I like it a lot - I think it has a really cohesive sound, and it is colder and less bouncy than our other albums which was largely intentional. I think the next record will have a little more warmth.

What was the most memorable performance you've had to date, and why?

Tyler: I think recording Passing Time and Anemone from the last album. Just a lot of joy in that session. Seems like forever ago now.

How do you navigate releasing an album during quarantine?

Ryan: Lots of source control and code reviews. Using a trello board helped a lot. 

Tyler: I wish it had a bigger response to be honest, but I just don’t think a) a bedroom band from a few different cities that b) doesn’t play shows and c) is mostly interested in uncool music is going to catch on. Even saying ‘releasing’ makes me cringe a little bit. You make music mostly for you, and the expectation that you’ll get a response decreases a little bit with each album. But you love it so what are you going to do? It feels a little masturbatory to make albums for yourself and your friends, but it’s equally useless to deny yourself doing it too. This is a rumination our group of friends / creative people have basically had ad nauseum for 10 years. I am grateful to still be interested in making music. That is to say that quarantine doesn’t change anything. Maybe we could promote more though? We released it on cassette, and you can snag it at Blueplutos.bandcamp.com 

What was the creative spark or inspiration behind your latest album "Come Back This Way"

Ryan: We’re always writing and always have an eye on making new records. we had focused on a couple of specific precepts for this one which included trying to achieve a feeling of having space in the song, and limiting the number of overdubs and guitars. 

Tyler: What Ryan said, and also that we wanted a lot more songs than we would ultimately put on the record so that we could cultivate a certain feel, and not just ‘hey this is everything we have right now.’ That worked, but it also led to a longer gap in between albums than we wanted. The 5th one should be out a lot quicker.

What do you think will be the long term effects of COVID-19 on the NYC music community?

Tyler: That is a good question - who knows? I’ve been here for 6 years and most of the places I have played are closed already - so I think COVID might be hastening a process already underway. The venues that were built during rock and roll v1 when going to a show was a much more common form of entertainment, instead of like an event in which you can’t help but be aware that you are ‘going out’, will probably be replaced. Trevorshaus is a venue built for now. Also Saint Vitus will keep kicking ass because metal seems to be impervious.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Tyler: Thanks for the interview! If you like Blue Plutos, check out some contemporaries of ours - The Droopies, Cherry Slide and Mercy Wizard. Abacab is a really underrated record. RIP Tim Smith of the mighty Cardiacs.

Two truths and a lie answer key:

Truth: Were working on our fifth and sixth album right now

Lie: Pluto is blue.

Truth: We all live in different cities right now.