fueled by fierce drums, synths, guitars and vocals. In some of its chambers, the tracks pull you into a frenetic vibe. In others, the music pushes you around as you brood. The production is impeccable. “That’s all Mat,” says Keenan, who prefers not to be in the production room for the mixing. “Sitting in there while he’s tweaking knobs? Fuck no, hell no. We need to give Mat his personal space.” Mitchell is happy to take it. “It’s like a big puzzle, so when there are pieces all over the floor, you don’t need someone pointing out pieces that are in the wrong spot,” the producer says. “You know, it’s nice to kind of develop what the picture’s gonna be before I’m ready to present it. I’m not one of those guys who mixes a song in an hour; it takes time because A, I’m slow, and B, because our songs are different. Things vary from one to the next, so it’s not like we can create one bed and mix the whole record upon that.” He’s made a record that sounds so clean and precise while avoiding the sterility that sonic clarity can bring. The title track is a march that subtly drives you through its four-plus minutes with speed and ease. It’s got a flow you can sway to as it uses a firm-but-gentle hand to imprint its message. “Normal isn’t/Forgetting doesn’t/ Soothing hasn’t/Footing and balance ravaged/Settled never/Certainty over/ Confidants fewer/Still Navigating the Triggers.” “Pendulum” is a gorgeously moody track. It’s dense and stark, allowing Keenan’s voice space for his breath to echo out after he finishes a sentence. As you lock onto that fleeting sound of air, Round’s voice enters the song, making the tune haunting, even as dance-y beats are intro- duced; its weight holds you. It’s a dreamy goth track that would be right at home on an ‘80s album. In fact, in December, Keenan, Round, Mitchell and drummer Gunnar Olsen released playlists of what they were feasting their ears on while recording “Normal Isn’t.” While there were some newer artists among their selections, particularly Olsen’s, the majority were among the best of ‘80s goth and new wave. Bauhaus, New Order, The Cure, Lords of the New Church, just to name a few. Round reminisces, talking about the ways music brings people together, and we talk about how vital human relationships are during the fucking turmoil dripping down the world’s walls lately. “Coming together as a community is all we have. You need to share, break bread and you need art,” she says. Then adds with a laugh: “And sometimes alcohol.” Keenan, who has been an Arizonan for some time now, has continued to create destinations in northern Arizona’s Verde Valley. Wineries like Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, and retail spots like the Queen Bee Vinyl Cafe, where you can munch food, buy records and see bands, are all spots that have people flocking to partake of their offerings. He wholeheart- edly agrees with Round’s sentiments. “That’s all I really think I can do, honestly, is feed you up north,” he says. “We’re growing everything up here: mush- room factories, chickens for eggs, ducks for eggs, greenhouses and produce. We’re making wine, and then we’re gonna sing songs and tell you stories and hopefully in those stories there’s something that inspires you to explore.” I ask him if that’s always been part of what he wanted to do: to build and grow. “I think so,” he replies. “It’s taking care of people and feeding, metaphorically. And, as Carina said, art saves lives — that creative process of sorting through prob- lems, coming up with solutions, and just being creative together. That’s what’s going to end up helping with weathering the storms.” “So, I think somewhere in me, having grown up in a small farming community, I think this was always something in the back of my mind, balancing the artistic point of view with the utilitarian’s ‘let’s feed people’ goal.” A mix of mortality, a world gone mad and a collective myriad of experiences lived, these three people are on the same page. Kindly, Mitchell asks Round if he can share something she said just that morning, and she obliges. “She said she’s found a new apprecia- tion of just sitting on her porch in the morning and listening to the birds, looking at your environment,” he says. “We can all benefit from slowing down, putting our phones down and giving ourselves a minute to pay attention to what’s around us. There’s something beautiful right outside your door.” After a pause, Round smiles and adds, “And find the community that lifts you up.”
