MADELINE LINK OF PACKS

Never standing still for long, Packs delivers another rapid-fire release. The Toronto native returned to New Mexico city to record her latest record. One that follows hotly on the heels of her previous album Crispy Crunchy Nothing and we discover more about Melt The Honey, Mark Twain, software updates, and breakfast cereal.

Melt The Honey is your newest record and the latest in a set of rapid-fire releases. Have certain events precipitated the outpouring of creativity, or is it a combination of having many tunes up your sleeve for a long time and now just seeing the light of day?

The release schedule of ‘Crispy Crunchy Nothing’ was so drawn out compared to ‘Melt The Honey’. We finished recording Crispy Crunchy Nothing in autumn 2021, and I just kept writing songs. Those songs finally came together and got recorded in March 2023, when Crispy Crunchy Nothing came out!

Thematically was there an overarching style and message you were trying to achieve throughout the record?

No, I think messages and styles come out after the recordings have been made. They manifest themselves in the songs and then I get to pick them out while I mix or when I answer interview questions much later.

In what ways does Melt The Honey carry on from last year's Crispy Crunchy Nothing, 2021’s Take the Cake, and in what ways does it change course into uncharted territory?

I’m still writing songs to deal with the annoying thoughts and ideas that plague me, but with Melt The Honey, there are more songs that are a product of me enjoying myself. As a band, melt the honey is also a continuation of our self-recording efforts on Crispy Crunchy Nothing and Take the Cake. We wanted to practice the songs more intensely before recording, and we also wanted to have more time on our hands to record. So we did that. Next record, there will be more specifications that lead to increased freedom, but also introduce a new set of restrictions. It’s fun! That’s what I like about recording with my bandmates: they are always game for the next project, but we always keep our eyes and ears open, noting what needs to be different for the next record.

Your lyricism can wildly vary from topics about breakfast cereal, and software updates, to inventive investments from Mark Twain. When it comes to writing, does it revolve around whatever grabs your attention at the time, perhaps a range of topics that you are currently focused on or does it stem from inspiration that is wide and far, both past and present?

Both of those things are true! Any story or painting or observation or dream that has been loitering in my mind long enough gets to have a go at being a song. If it works, I keep working on it. If not, I respectfully lay it to rest.

Having worked in such professions as set dressing, have you at times conceptually approached an intangible sentiment in an attempt at converting it into a tangible sonic entity by visually dressing the notion which is lyrically furnished so the idea becomes digestible to the listening audience?

Metaphorically, yes!

There is a saying in the recording industry ‘misery sticks to tape’ which isn't necessarily a slight towards negative sentiments but rather the more intense a feeling, the more sincere it feels and forever remains on record. Do you consider how your records and present moments in your recorded life will sound like in years to come?

Never! I focus on how the song feels as I’m writing it, then later as I’m playing it with my bandmates, and then finally, as I’m mixing it.

As with your previous releases, Melt the Honey was recorded in Mexico City, what is it about this location that drew you back and do you feel that some of its character is (albeit implicitly) imparted on this record?

We practiced three hours a day for eleven days in Mexico City, enjoying the art, the food, the friends, etc. We then headed down to Veracruz to record Melt The Honey in a small town called Xalapa. We lived in a house shaped like an octopus called Casa Pulpo, which we converted into our recording studio. It was humid and warm, like a rainforest. We felt calm and unbothered by anyone telling us how to do anything. Living in this environment made for songs with slower tempos, for sure. Maybe that feeling of relaxation comes through in the songs.

Traveling and visiting exotic locations has certainly featured in your work and it begs the question, what other avenues have you explored in your inspirational pursuit for this record?

I spent a few mornings observing the behaviour of one outgoing cat that was always breaking into the house and leaving fleas in our beds. That’s when I wrote Missy and brought it to my bandmates! Anything can be inspiring if you look close enough for long enough.

You have recently finished an epic North American and European tour with Slow Pulp and GEESE. Can you share some of your tour highlights and particularly memorable show?

Touring as a full band with GEESE, I think one highlight for me was when I accidentally threw out my bandmates’ cheese bagels at the gas station. I obviously felt horrible, but I still laugh about it to this day. We loved playing for sold out crowds and got along great with so many of the sound people; Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee standing out as the top sound guys by far! Playing as a duo with Slow Pulp was similar; the staff at a venue and the crowd that fills it are really the only things that matter when shaping a show experience. If they’re all amazing, you can allow the night to float by like a dream. If a crowd is tougher or the energy is off, you have to work to make your show the same as if the crowd were bouncing off the walls. The energy output can sometimes drain you completely, but it’s worth it because inevitably there will be another night where your energy stores get filled up beyond full with the effervescent life force of a great night.

How would you describe the current scene in Toronto and what other acts locally or further afield are piquing your interest right now?

I am very out of touch with the Toronto music scene, as I have had to leave it for years at a time to live in more affordable places. But whenever I am back in Toronto, I always get to go see my sister’s incredible band, Triples, and my drummer’s band, Supergenius. Paste and The Effens are also Toronto staples, plus they put on a really fun show. When we played at Sled Island in Calgary last year, I was floored by the fun-loving eccentricity of bands coming out of Edmonton and Calgary like Big Evil Rat, 36? and WUT. There’s also our labelmates, Cola, who we got to share the stage with at the block party. And lastly, we try to never miss a Love Language show. They’re also a Montreal band whose music is incredibly badass and seeing them perform makes my heart leap with joy!