Sydney born, now LA based psych rock two piece The Black Ryder have had a pretty impressive career sine the release of their acclaimed debut LP Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride in 2009.

Having toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Primal Scream, BJM, The Black Angels, Broken Social Scene, The Charlatans and The Raveonettes off the back of their debut, Aimee Nash and Scott Von Ryper have now released their stunning follow up titled The Door Behind The Door.

Vocalist/songwriter Aimee Nash recalls the events leading up to the release of The Door Behind The Door “since releasing our first record we left Australia, toured America, relocated to LA, all the while trying to find our feet and get somewhat settled enough to write and produce this record. It also took some time to find the right scenario for releasing our music as well.”

Always remaining staunchly independent when it comes to every facet of their music (including running their own label The Anti-Machine Machine), we decided to chat with the band about how to remain independent while enjoying such a successful career.

Writing

Amiee Nash: “I find that environment, atmosphere and mood are really important when writing music. For us to make the record we just made we had to take a completely different approach to the last time because we had left our home country (Australia) and we were no longer living together as a couple. That meant any time spent on creating this new music had to be very focused. Everyone’s processes are different so figure out what works for you and go with it. Having an open mind is the best first step you can take.”

Scott Von Ryper: “There are so many ways to do this but I don’t think there’s a correct way. You need to experiment with what works for you, and then you have to remember that this may change all the time, so in a way you are always experimenting. What worked on one album may not work at all on the next. Don’t ever write a song that you think someone else wants to hear or might ‘work’. Write something that will become your favourite song regardless of what others may think about it. You’re going to hear it and play it a lot for a long time, and more than anyone else, so you better love it and believe in it.”

Recording

Scott: “Invest in your own equipment that you can use forever rather than just spend money on studio time. Work out how to use it by recording and mixing your own music. At the same time you are learning how this stuff works, you are also creating and finding out what it is that you like about your sound and music. If you’re not a computer person, buy an old 4-track cassette machine and use that.

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If you do end up working in a studio, don’t think that more money spent equals a better result. It doesn’t. Pay attention to what your engineer / producer is doing. Ask questions. The more you understand what they are doing, the more value you will get from the money you spent, and the better result you will achieve this time and even more, next time.

Also, don’t think that you have to do it all in the same studio.Record some tracks at home or at a cheaper studio if you don’t have equipment, and save the bigger budget studio for the drums or something that benefits from a nice room and great microphones. Don’t be intimidated by your super experienced producer or engineer. They may well be great, but no one knows the sound you have in your head better than you, so stay firm on your vision.”

Releasing Your Music

Aimee “Be involved in your own career. If you don’t have a label or someone backing you or supporting you then figure out how to do it yourself. The minute you start relying on other people to do things for you without you having an understanding of how it’s done then you’re already at a disadvantage. Know your business. You and your music / art are worth it. The more informed and involved you are the better it’s going to be for you in the long run. Self-sufficiency rules.

Have a plan. Yes it feels exciting when you’ve finished something, like a song or an album. But don’t just rush it out there without thinking about how to make the most out of it, otherwise it will be over in the blink of an eye. Think about the final product / song / album and how you want it to look / sound / feel. Really think about it. Try and think long term goals rather than racing to the finish line first. Some of the best advice a friend told me recently in relation to releasing music is that it’s a marathon, not a race. If you’re invested in your work as an artist then you’ll know it’s worth putting time and care into how you release your music.”

Managing Your Band / Brand / Business

Aimee: “There’s a lot of things you need to be across and action when you’re setting up a record release on your own label. Attention to detail and time management is important. Some people might get overwhelmed with too much business and administration, yes it’s hard work, but sorry, it’s essential. During the making of our record I took a graphic design course because I knew it was important to be able to visually communicate something that was complimentary to our music. I also created and manage our website (and social media pages). Did all of that take a lot of time? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. But if I can make what it is that I see in my head then that’s an asset that’s going to help us promote our music and save us a bunch of money instead of getting someone else to do it.

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If you’re going to sign a contract get a lawyer. Never sign something that you don’t understand, always get advice. It’s worth it the long run. History has proven that artists get screwed over time and time again from signing bad deals, or at least contracts that are not in the artists favor. And once you’re locked in it can be very difficult, expensive or impossible to get out of it. If something seems too good to be true it probably is. And anything that says ‘In Perpetuity’ is more than likely NOT going to be a good thing for you. It just means someone will own your music forever, and in my opinion nothing is worth that.”

Don’t Be A Half Arse

Aimee: “Don’t be a half-arse, and never expect anyone to care more about your music / art / business / brand than you should care about it. If you’re going to do something you’re going to want to do it right and the best that you can. The devil is in the detail. If you want to be a musician because you want to be rich or famous then that’s a whole other thing (and sorry to burst your bubble, but these are not the times for rich musicians sadly, it’s certainly very difficult for independent artists to make any kind of money due to streaming, downloading + the fact that less people are actually even buying music anymore), but if you really want to make the most of it as an artist know that it’s going to take time, passion, practice, blood, sweat and tears. You will make mistakes, but mistakes are okay too because with mistakes comes experience, and hopefully wisdom.”

The Door Behind The Door is out now via The Anti-Machine Machine

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