FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Methyl Ethel’s Ambient Psych-Pop Is As Confounding As Their Name

Methyl Ethel wants you to think, even if ‘Everything Is Forgotten’.

At the core of every record lies a little hesitation and excitement. For Methyl Ethel, whose digital trails lead back to Perth, the information of their Western Australia hometown can be heard just beneath the surface of their ambient, psychedelic motions.

Led by Jake Webb, Everything Is Forgotten champions very few concepts but executes them well: enigmas suddenly become mirages and the authenticity of their pop-laden riffs muffle any attempt at finding answers. Of course, this can best be heard in lead single "Ubu", the contagious continuation of the best of EP Teeth and Oh Inhuman Spectacle.

Advertisement

Discussing morality, we spoke with Webb about the concept of Everything Is Forgotten and how craft comes from good intention.

Noisey: Were there any anxieties or worries when you were writing Everything Is Forgotten? 
Methyl Ethel: I think that definitely one side of me would want to say, "of course not—I'll just do what I do regardless and that's the choice that I made." But I think it was, in hindsight, a good and constructive critique of the approach. In a lot of ways, I've learnt how to write music from listening to music, rather than from a book. I imagine it would only be natural—and for a lot of people when first beginning—it would be natural to pull in different directions. I think that whether I like it or not, that critique definitely would be in there when beginning to do it.

So you're totally self-taught? Was there a turning point where you felt comfortable to release music?
Yes, more or less. I'm comfortable and have been comfortable because I suppose I know my limitations. I'm also at the same time, always trying to get better at it. Whether that means, you know, studying music theory and things at home and using that to try new things later. I guess I'm comfortable in that regard, because I have no expectation on myself. I guess I'm surprising myself.

Was it strange navigating to this world of a recording an album?
Yeah, it was interesting knowing that you're going to make a record that is going to be released, that being the first time. It was strange but challenges are good.

Advertisement

When I listened to the album, there was definitely a lot more synth and dance present. In a way, it was still really genderless. Was inclusivity an element you were always working towards?
I think it will always be an element. I think I want the music to be genderless and I think I need to push the lyric to be more so as well. But then, I also like to write in a conversational way… I find sitting down to write lyrics can be and come out a little contrived and a little thought-out sometimes.

For you, do the lyrics come after the music?
They have been lately, yeah. Sometimes it seems to just write itself and when it does, I think that's just when it works best. Like, the vocal will seem like it was meant to be there and then I can listen to it as a song but it isn't me.

So you're always trying to think, how can I better myself in a way?
Yeah, I don't want to get lazy with it as well. It can be—not that it's a competitive thing—but just passively listening to music, sometimes even when you're in a cafe or something. You're always listening and thinking about what ideas you can use in the approach. It's sort of boring.

I think if I were making music to make money, I'd be very overwhelmed trying to put aside what I can make and do compared to what else everyone else has or had made.
Yeah, especially in Perth. A lot of your contemporary's are just constantly putting out music, great music, so it keeps you pretty honest. It keeps you working.

Advertisement

Do you think those origins have made you work harder?
I think so. There's, a, yes. Honestly, I think nobody really tries to break out of Perth and that's the funny thing. I feel like most of the people I know… probably did it with the intention of never to do it to get out, but to just do it and make it good. And do it a lot, you know? Sometimes it feels like these bigger cities, everyone has this heinous thing of trying to make it—it's just so gross. I don't think it's a good formula for good music and good creative endeavour to make it, you know? No one I know who has made great music have ever done it to try and use it as a means to "make it".

Following that, do you think the idea of focusing on your craft really resonates in the new record coming up?
It all is a focus on the craft and that is, to make a good song and the intention. It's something that makes me at least feel all those tingly things, you know, when you hear good music. Perhaps they're all my little fruit tingles—all 11 of them.

The concept of Everything Is Forgotten to me feels quite lonely. Is it strange to think that no matter what happens to you, your music will linger on?
I haven't really thought about it to be honest. But that's the thing, isn't it? It's just something you think about and you know, you spend all of your life kind of bouncing between the two points. It's almost like, "do you care about your mortality or not?" You can't go one way or the other, it's too extreme: you need to be aware of it and you kind of not need to care about it at the same time.

Totally. I feel like as well social media is changing the way we exist too. How are you hoping Everything Is Forgotten will be remembered?
Yeah, they're big things. Like, is that even you anyway? If that's what's remembered then, is that even worth remembering? With the album, I probably haven't figured out the best way to describe it myself. You know, I'm still trying to figure out what it's about at the same time.

'Everything is Forgotten' is out now via Remote Control/Dot Dash Records.

Image: Anna Victoria Best