How do you like them apples?

American band draws parallel between indie musicians of both countries during recent tour to Pakistan.

KARACHI:

As jocular as their name may sound and as whimsical as their sound may appear, the Grace McLean and Them Apples act is no laughing matter. The three-member American band recently toured Pakistan to perform for the first time. They also drew some interesting parallels between the Indie musicians from both Pakistan and the United States.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, singer McLean described the band’s genre as something that does not fall into a particular category. “I think my music comes under a large umbrella. There’s this electronic element, then it’s also dance-y and it doesn’t follow a strict form. So, I’m interested in a lot of different kinds of forms,” she said.



Sharing how they came up with their interesting title, McLean recalled how the group initially thought of calling themselves Grace McLean and These Guys, but settled on Grace McLean and Them Apples, inspired by the popular American phrase, ‘How do you like them apples?’

Hailing from a theatre background, she believes that her work in Broadway musicals has ‘influenced’ her musician side to a certain extent, but she is unwilling to let either take precedence over the other. “I really value both these worlds. I learn so much from each of them. I perform in front of people and have a dialogue with them through my music and bring that into my work as an actor on the stage,” said McLean.

The band was able to get a taste of the local music scene since, as the initial part of their tour coincided with the Music Mela in Islamabad. For McLean, the opportunity to interact with some of the local musicians was interesting as, according to her, she didn’t come to Pakistan as a “Look how successful I am,” but as a ‘Hey! I’m working on this too’ kind of musician, so that the talent from both countries can work together.



The band has successfully released their debut album. On whether it is still possible for independent musicians to flourish in an established music industry like that of the US, band member Ryan Vaughn clarified that, contrary to the popular belief, most musicians in the US are now independent and doing everything themselves.

He compared the situation of music in their country to that of Pakistan, stating how major labels are not keen on investing in development of artists. “They are becoming more like banks and want return on their investments,” he said. According to Vaughn, it is difficult for musicians to make money out of their own music. “It’s like playing the lottery.” McLean also recalled how she used crowd funding to gather the required finances for her first music video.

Despite the obstacles indie musicians encounter, the group still chooses to remain optimistic. “It can be really scary but, at the same time, there are a lot of opportunities for artists and creative people of all types, who are daring enough to make their own way. For instance, if you had spoken to an artist 20 years ago, they would say, ‘If only I had the ability to get my music out there.’ Now, that ability is there,” said band member Justin Goldner.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th,  2015.

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