Sweet Shadows, The first Daughter Darling LP is out in Europe since the begining of june. It was the good moment to ask some questions to the band. Thanks to all for there kindness.

Where the name Daughter Darling comes from?

Natalie : Travis’s girlfriend then suggested the name and he mentioned it to me and I couldn’t get it out of my head for the longest time. So I told him that it was the name for us. It’s kind of ironic because I had a “daughter darling” of my own within two years after we came up with the name!

Travis : Actually, me, Natalie, and Steve had all come up with our own ideas for names, mostly random words. Daughter Darling was one that I came up with, and my girlfriend at the time picked that one out of the bunch, and so did Natalie. I liked that one too, it was just different. I wanted to make sure nobody else had the same name as we did. One of my brother’s names for the group was Sweet Shadows. He hated the name Daughter Darling, but majority decided that DD was the name, so we decided to make the name of the album Sweet Shadows as a compromise.

Why do you choose to make music? Is it a real job for you? Why music instead of another artistic way?

Natalie : Making music almost seemed like it was something I had no choice but to do.
I have always lived and breathed music. I don’t see it as a real job. (It doesn’t pay the bills consistently yet :o) I see making our music as a privilege…something I will look back on when I’m old and wrinkled to be really proud of. And I’m not really good at other arts. At least not good enough to make a living from it!

Stephen : (I choose to make music because I love the emotional response or feeling it evokes in a persons spirit, whether it be relaxing, a bad relationship or just who someone can relate to our music. That's the greatest feeling in the world to me.)

Travis : This may sound kind of arrogant, but I feel making music is the easiest of the arts. I myself am a visual artist, fabricator, and designer. Working with sound is abstract and very forgiving. You can literally do anything you want. I’m not saying its easy to make a song that really works and will strike a chord in people, but the medium itself I think is very easy. But the real reason, is that the final product is something that has the power to reach around the world. There is no better feeling than listening to a song in my car after its just been mixed and hot off the CD burner.

I will listen to it like 20 times in a row to make sure its right. It’s a dream of mine for Plain Jane Records to have around 10 female artists, all very different, all amazing. It will take a long time to get there, but for now I am enjoying the fan letters from DD. It keeps me going. We are all so busy in our own lives, Natalie has a brand new baby, Steve has a family and 2 little girls, and I have my own interests and girlfriend. The studio is where we shine, and I can wait to share our next song.

What are your musical influences (some fans say your music is closed to portishead)?

Natalie : My trip hop influences would have to be the sneaker pimps, Kosheen, goldfrapp (black cherry), air French band, portishead, lamb, soulstice, bjork, u.n.k.l.e and zero 7.

Stephen : Everything under the sun...besides what I grew up on I search for old obscure samples like Japanese jazz and orchestral stuff like Stravinsky. Hip hop has had the greatest impact for me.

Travis : Bringing together all my influences is Daughter Darling. You have gorgeous female vocals. I am a huge fan of female artists such as Tori Amos, Poe, Portishead, Fiona Apple. I also love classical music, the more cinematic styles like Philip Glass. When I hear this kind of music, especially rich string sections, I feel its missing beats and Natalie’s voice. I hear them added in my head. I also love drum and bass, and started out programming very elaborate d&b beats with female vocal snippets in my infant stages of producing. I also love piano, and I feel it’s the most expressive instrument by far. When I hear the lower chords of a grand piano, I can feel it in my heart and my gut.

Travis told me "Sweet Shadows" will be out in Europe in June 2004 (with lucemusic). Why did you wait for such a long time to try to touch European Trip-Hop fans?

Natalie : I don’t think its so much that we’ve been waiting on purpose. It takes awhile to set things like a distribution deal up. I know there has been a lot of paper work involved and a lot of planning involved. I think its more because the process has been a long one. And FINALLY we have the pleasure of releasing “sweet shadows” to our very supportive European fans!!!

Travis : We didn’t wait at all. It takes a long time to do things when everything is financed out of your own pocket. Lucemusic had heard about us from a radio station in Europe that I had sent a demo cd to. You have to be patient if you want to be the one to call the shots. I am very careful about retaining the rights to our music, and waited for the right company to represent us overseas.

Tell me about your Counting Crows cover. When Natalie sings it, the song seems to be even more touching than the original one. When will we be able to find it in music stores?

Natalie : I learned that song when I was 17 from a good friend of mine who I had my first band with. He played the song for me and I fell in love with it immediately and I was determined to learn the piano part of the song. It has always moved me each time I sing and play it and I find that other people love it so much as well. So of course we have a music video of “colorblind” that you can watch on our site www.daughterdarling.com.
Travis: Luce may releasing Colorblind as a single to promote us in Europe, along with the video. We will keep you updated.

Will next album be the same style than "Sweet Shadows"? I also heard about a mix/B-sides/cover album.. can you tell me more about it?

Natalie : Our next album will be a lot different I think. We are all growing as artists and as individuals. I think our sounds and tastes are really maturing. I want to have a little more drum & bass influence on our next album. And the b-sides is defiantly in the works, but I think we are concentrating on releasing our 2nd actual album next.

Stephen : There is a song called “Sancken’s Doll” that is a definite tear jerker movie soundtrack song that will go with a romantic or sad movie score. That song has movie-like quality, it is a really beautiful almost heavenly song. As our collaborations expand with other musicians , change is a natural progression. It will be interesting to see what we come up with.

Travis : Its hard to predict what this next album will sound like. But be aware this album is the first album I have ever produced. I have learned a lot, and I am always learning. One thing is for sure, the sound quality will be better, it will be more lush, more varied and will include more influences and styles. I am excited to see what we come up with. Another thing you can be sure of, we aren’t going to sell out. I will make sure that whatever our success may bring, it wont be bad music. The B-sides will probably be released sometime shortly after our second album is released.

Stephen & Travis, how can it be possible to change from HipHop to TripHop?

Stephen : When I try to explain to people what trip hop is..I say if u take the hip hop drums..punchy and raw snares, skratches and ambient vinyl samples and mix it into a song that has melodic cores than u got our style of trip hop. But the inspiration for the song varies so much that it is what it is, even though people have to categorize things.

Travis : For me it was a necessity. Hip Hop to me is dead, and it has been dead since around 1993. I just grew out of it. The violence, ignorance, and shallowness it is made from doesn’t relate to me. Its very difficult trying to explain to someone who doesn’t know our music or what trip hop is. As soon as you say trip-hop, people think hip hop and I don’t want them to think they are anything alike. In my opinion they are very different. Hip hop is a commercial music for the mainstream non thinking people.

I think trip hop could be just as big, but record companies need to change. Only the independents will make trip hop more viable, and marketable. A lot of car commercials can be credited for the promotion of many unknown trip hop names such as Amon Tobin in the BMW commercial. If we could land a car commercial or movie soundtrack, it could change things for us in a big way.

Natalie, your influences are varied (from Deftones to SigurRos...) how did you come to TripHop?

Natalie : I started listening to trip hop a year before I met Travis and Steve. It was almost like fate was preparing me for what was to come. As much as I love so many different styles of music, trip hop has that “certain something” that really inspires me. I would never be able to sit down and passionately write a rock song even though I love rock. Trip hop just suits me and I knew it the first time I downloaded the sad & lonely sample.

What are you listening to for the moment?

Natalie : I’m listening to the orb.

Stephen : Whatever albums I’m diggin through at the time. The thing is I have my inspirations but I try to listen for interesting sounds that are obscure. But mostly I will only listen to thing trav lets me here that he's found, and of course dj qbert and dj d styles cd's. Amon Tobin is my favorite though.

Travis : definitely take an hour, and browse through cdbaby.com. there are so many jewels in there. Some I have found that I am listening to the moment are: Gramaphone, Molly Zenobia, Charlotte Martin, and Moonraker. Also I have been listening to Toby Lightman, and Paula Cole a lot lately. Its funny that I listen to Christian artists such as Paula Cole and Susan Tedeschi when I am a die hard atheist. It just goes to show you music crosses boundaries, even though I don’t agree with what they are saying, I feel their passion, and I sing along like I believe in what they are saying in an ephemeral sort of way.

When will we have the chance to see you in France?

Natalie : I hope SOON!!! I love French culture so I’m sure it will be one of our first stops. I am so anxious to tour right now, but sadly these things really take time and planning.

Stephen : When I make my payment on my new G-4 jet. HA HA

Travis : Its hard to say, right now its not in the immediate future. We have to bring in more money to finance such a trip, but its definitely a goal of ours. I am waiting for the right offer from a promoter to make plans. I cant wait to go though!

Can you describe your music in 3 words?

Natalie : Sad, dark and moody

Stephen : Emotional, textured and Natalie’s writing is very metaphoric

Travis : classy, raw, melancholy