Mother Mother Chat Gender Norms, TikTok Fame, & More

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Canadian indie rock artists Mother Mother sat down and spoke to us about their new album ‘Grief Chapter’ & more!

We spoke with Mother Mother, from their whirlwind of a year in 2020, to their more recent works, where the messages of mental health and individuality have remained as important as ever.

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Carys: Firstly, how did it feel to have such a huge surge in recognition suddenly in 2020, when the 8 year old album ‘O My Heart’, particularly the song ‘Hayloft’ and ‘Burning Pile’  blew up on Tiktok?

Jasmin: It was a massive surprise! I was actually in school at the time, trying to prepare my life for needing a second job (besides MM). We all thought the band was winding down, not quitting but just slowing to a degree. It was a shock to all of us that this little app called Tiktok had thousands of kids making videos and using our songs. 

Carys: A few of your songs explore the ideas of gender norms, -such as’ Verbatim’ and ‘Normalise’ what society expects from certain people, what is ‘Normal’. Is this something you are passionate about as a band?

Jasmin: I think gender norms have always been a theme in Ryan’s writing. In ‘Verbatim’ specifically, there is a nod to societal expectations of what makes a man masculine or what ‘makes a man a man.’ The lyrics challenge social norms in a tongue and cheek kind of fashion. This type of stuff has always been part of the band’s identity. It’s amazing that the world seems to have started identifying more with these themes and has probably been a huge part of why we’ve been embraced by the LGBTQIA+ community; and for that we are forever grateful and very passionate about listening and exchanging ideas with them. 

Carys: The lyrical messages of mental health, freedom, individuality, and running against the grain of society seemed to have struck a chord in ‘Gen Z’. Do you think that these messages are just as, or more important than ever, where the mental health of young people seems to be on a steady decline?

Jasmin: I think these messages are so important and always have been important, and it’s unfortunate that we didn’t talk about this stuff enough previously as a society. Even going to therapy was relatively taboo 15 or 20 years ago…maybe less. I’m so happy to see this be a huge theme in the new generations, and to see the de-stigmatization happening in real time. It is sad to see mental health declining and we really need to figure out why, which is multifaceted. In the meantime, we can continue to de-stigmatize by talking about it and embracing themes of the human condition through art hopefully helps people feel less alone. 

Listen/watch ‘Forever’ here:

Carys: The album ‘Dance and Cry’ communicates the importance of letting yourself feel emotions. ‘I Must Cry’ and ‘Bottom Is a Rock’ bear a stark contrast, from raw emotion to wild and careless expression. It feels like the process of recovering. Is this something you intended in the production of this album?

Jasmin: Life is a constant evolution for all of us; we are all in some kind of ‘recovery’ phase at various times. Every situation we move through in life can be seen as a duality, the light and the dark (dancing and crying), going through pain in order to grow and hopefully coming out on the other side a better person. Exploring the pain/growth cycle was definitely what we intended with ‘Dance and Cry’. 

Carys: How did it feel making a sequel to ‘Hayloft’ over 10 years after its initial release? Was it a nostalgia trip? Tell me how that felt?

Jasmin: It was actually so fun to revisit ‘Hayloft’ and to record ‘Hayloft II’. I personally always thought ‘Hayloft’ didn’t get the love it deserved when it came out. Even though it was always a fan favourite in Canada, and people would go wild when we played it live, it seemed to be a bit too weird for most radio stations, and record labels didn’t love it. The band always believed in it, we just needed the right generation of kids, and Tiktok, in order for it to blossom. 

Carys: Are there any other bands/musicians -past or present- that have shaped your own sound and style?

Jasmin: As a band we always say Pixies. Ryan and Molly’s singing alone has a bit of Frank Black and Kim Deal just by accident, but Ryan’s writing has certainly been influenced by them. We are all huge fans and we usually include a Pixies cover in our live sets. 

Carys: Are there any musicians now that you feel deserve more recognition?

Jasmin: Fellow Canadians The Beaches! They are having a moment right now with their song ‘Blame Brett’. It’s awesome, they are awesome, highly recommend.

Carys: Is song making a collaborative process for you? Is it more of a spontaneous burst of sounds and words that form into something that feels right, or something more organised? Is there ever a clear plan, or just pure expression?

Jasmin: I would say Ryan’s songwriting is pretty much off the cuff pure expressive. We do collab on lyrics here and there as a band, but mostly Ryan will start messing with a chord progression, and then begins to spew random gibberish overtop of the chords. A melody begins to form, and out of the gibberish emerges a theme. He puts the pieces together like a puzzle. It’s a marvel to watch, it’s like he has an antenna to a divine poetic and musical realm. 

Carys: What are some themes you intend to, or feel like exploring in future music? 

Jasmin: Oh that is a great question, and one I’m not sure I can answer with any certainty. I think our themes come from life, and we will have to see what life throws at us in the next couple of years. 

Carys: What do you guys like to do in your spare time aside from making music? Are there any group activities that you all like to do?

Jasmin: We all have various hobbies. Ryan likes to write songs in his spare time. Mike is a wonderful vegan cook. Molly is always playing around with crafts like felting. Ali plays soccer. I love quilting and sewing. I think as a band we love having band and crew dinners on the road, and I also think we’d have a lot of fun bowling together.

Carys: Lastly, being together as a band for over 15 years, how important is your relationship to each other? Does understanding each other on a deeper level help in making music together?

Jasmin: The way we relate to one another is incredibly important. I always say ‘we’ve had ALL the fights already. You name it, we’ve fought about it. We are in a beautiful phase of deep shared understanding. We all make space for one another to be ourselves, to have our moments, to need time alone etc. We often talk about how rare it is to have 5 people come together and continue to get along and have love for one another after this many years. We feel so lucky, and we will be family until the end no doubt.

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