Mood Board is our column where artists share a few of the things that inspired their new record. This time, the Mississippi-born, LA-based songwriter Dent May tells us about how Elephant 6, The X-Files, and more shaped The Big One— out now on Carpark.
— Annie Fell, Editor-in-chief, Talkhouse Music
1. Elephant 6 Collective
I’ve been inspired by the loosely defined group of Athens, GA DIY psych-pop bands known as Elephant 6 Collective for most of my life now, so it was a dream come true to see this documentary released in 2023. The sound of The Big One is largely a mix between classic singer-songwriters like Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson and the homemade kaleidoscopic sound of Elephant 6 bands like Apples In Stereo and Olivia Tremor Control. One of the most special shows I’ve ever played was opening for Olivia Tremor Control at The Georgia Theatre in 2012, just a few short days before Bill Doss tragically passed away. Serendipitously, they just announced new music for the first time in years, and it’s excellent.
2. The X-Files
The X-Files is my favorite show. Although the song itself has nothing to do with the show, the title “I Want To Believe” is an obvious reference to this hallowed television program. And while “Last Night I Saw A UFO” is 100% a true story, there are some strong parallels between my own experience and the kind of adventures you might see from our friends Mulder and Scully. Coincidence? You be the judge.
3. Otari MX-70 1" 16-Track Tape Machine
Album producer Paul Cherry and I share a Los Angeles studio called Honeymoon Suite, and the acquisition of our Otari MX-70 was the defining sonic moment of making this album. In the past, my albums have mostly been made alone on my laptop, then taken to the studio to record live drums and a few other things. This time around, that process felt quite stale. I sent skeletal voice memos of my songs to a bunch of friends, and we cut the basic tracks straight to tape with no click track and very little rehearsal. In a world that is increasingly optimized by our virtual overlords, ditching the computer and embracing human imperfection felt like the right move.
4. I-55
Is I-55 the most beautiful highway on planet Earth? Probably not. Is it the highway that runs through the heart of my hometown Jackson, Mississippi? Absolutely. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over 10 years, but returning home to Mississippi is still everything to me. This album is about the bittersweet and humbling process of attempting to understand your place in the world, and I-55 is one small yet very important piece of my world.
