Toronto's PACKS Share a Slice of Upcoming Debut "Take the Cake"
Madeline Link of PACKS, photo courtesy of the artist
Toronto’s PACKS are filling an indie-rock void with their sound that is equal parts laid-back and jangly, while also sophisticatedly pensive and bright. Before the pandemic hit, they were stirring a buzz with a collection of charming lo-fi singles, of which caught the attention of hometown label Royal Mountain Records, as well as Brooklyn’s Fire Talk Records.
With the enlisted backup of close friends from the band Lovers Touch, lead songwriter Madeline Link has taken her solo songwriting project to the next level. The now four-piece have announced the release of their debut full-length, Take the Cake, out this coming Friday, May 21st, 2021.
On Take the Cake, Link comments:
“The album is a meeting of old and new. Old songs from a year ago where I'm having really horrifyingly awful days at work, getting doored while biking in Toronto and flying into the middle of the street, or going on dates with guys who I'm either instantly in love with, or who end up creeping me out a bit. Those songs are more packed with that feeling of hurtling-through-time-and-space-at-breakneck-speed, manic energy. The newer songs are infused with a foggier, slower-paced disillusionment, and deal with the strangeness of a reality morphing before my eyes every day. I still try to be optimistic obviously, but these songs are really glorified coping mechanisms.”
Read our interview with Link on how her debut was realized despite a long-distance relationship with her band, as well as her thoughts on unexpected musical comparisons and figuring out label-signing for the first time.
Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: So, let’s start with some bigger obvious questions: How have you been doing and what has it been like working on an album throughout the ongoing uncertainty of the last year or so? What are your thoughts on creating during such a time?
Madeline Link: Well, other than working on the album at a distance with my band by sending them demos to build on, my music writing process hasn’t been disturbed by the pandemic much. The creation of [this album] was the least hard part, honestly. It was more so the conceptualizing of it that was tough because the whole process lacked so many physical experiences. I have never released an album of this scale before, so I feel like if it wasn’t a pandemic it would be a completely different experience. I would be having in-person meetings, maybe even going to New York to meet with one of my labels, planning shows and going on tour.
Also Cool: Absolutely, music-making right now is definitely unconventional to say the least. What it was like realizing these songs in a band format instead of working alone? From what I know, some of the tracks on Take the Cake are older than others and come from a more personal project, so I’d love to know more about how you reworked them on this release.
Madeline Link: I’d never bounced these songs off of anyone before, so it was interesting! I felt comfortable sharing them with these guys specifically because I trusted them a lot, as we were friends before we worked together on this album. They make up the band Lovers Touch, so I really trusted their musical ability and knew how talented they were. I really like the symbiosis we have going. With every song that I bring to them, they always send something back that totally surprises me.
AC: What else impacted your ability to be so open-minded with making PACKS into a more collaborative project?
ML: I’ve always used my songs as a way of exploring creatively and have never held them very close. Basically, my creative process is that I’ll record myself playing the song once I’ve figured out the guitar part and vocals and send it off to the band without really thinking twice about it. Since I never hold my songs near and dear, there are a lot of tracks currently in our shared folder that are just sitting there festering… ‘Cause you know, I like to have some shit songs and some good songs (laughs).
AC: I think that’s really cool. I guess there’s something to be said for being purposefully un-purposeful (laughs).
ML: Yeah, that’s exactly it! If I think a song isn’t going to get better, I’ll quit toying around with it. I pretty much spend an hour to two hours recording my parts in my free time and send them off to the band.
AC: I know you said that you’ve never held your work close, but has working with some of these songs in a new light changed the relationship you have with them? Or maybe the way you think about your songwriting at all?
ML: I really liked taking the songs and meshing them together; both old and new. I didn’t have any huge revelations about my songwriting, but I do feel as though I’ve really landed on a sound that lines-up with my identity. At the same time, I do think I’m keeping people guessing with what exactly a PACKS song sounds like. For example, when “Hangman” came out at first, I saw it on a Spotify “Americana” playlist, and I was getting labeled as “indie-folk” (laughs). But then “Silvertongue” came out and it was on all these punk playlists online.
AC: How do you feel about being segmented into these different genres? I’ve seen your stuff coming up on different publications where people have compared you everything from Sonic Youth to Sebadoh. Are there any particular influences that you draw from that people aren’t necessarily picking up on?
ML: Well, I remember thinking that Best Coast was a strange comparison that one writer made because I personally don’t hear it at all. I remember reading that and I thinking to myself, “Are you just saying this because I’m a lady?” (laughs). No offense to Best Coast or anything, but I really don’t hear any similarities.
ML: In terms of influences… This is going to sound so obvious, but every Radiohead album has probably weaseled its way into a PACKS song. Hmm… do you know Autolux?
AC: No. I’ve never heard of them!
ML: They’re this band from the early 2000s that I’m really into. They have this one particular album, Future Perfect, that really grabbed me. They’ve got this really hard guitar sound contrasting with the singer’s quiet falsetto voice and I love that. What else? I do find I can be influenced by country as well. I grew up in Calgary and we always had so many different genres playing in the house. I find myself always going back to the basic chord structures that make up country and blues songs when I start writing. I want to follow certain tenants of that genre, you know?
AC: Definitely. So, it’s safe to say that these questions of who influences you have come from you signing to two well-known labels and stirring up some excitement around Take the Cake. How are you finding this transition in your career so far?
ML: Deciding whether or not to sign to a label was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made; not even exaggerating! On one hand, you have a lot of people encouraging you take on a new opportunity, and on the other, people warning you of what might happen if things don’t turn out like you’d expected. That being said, when I did announce that I had signed to these labels, nobody was like, “You freaking sell-out!” (laughs) To be honest, I have really enjoyed having the support from these labels and all of their great ideas. But you know, I don’t give away my power very easily (laughs). This might sound cheesy, but thankfully both the labels I’m working with have the artist as their number one priority. I still have control over everything I post online, music videos… stuff like that.
AC: What kind of advice would you give to young musicians to help them navigate the process of working with a label for the first time? I feel like getting this kind of insider information is really important for people just starting out, and the kind of thing that can be gatekept, you know?
ML: Yeah, definitely. Well, I don’t really like giving advice (laughs) but okay. So, the fist label I ever worked with was, and still is to this day, the number one label in the entire world. They’re called Art of the Uncarved Block. They’re based in Toronto and run by twin brothers Robin and Pete. I didn’t sign a single contract while working with them, we just met up in a coffee shop after they asked [my other band Triples] if we wanted to release a tape with them. I also released a PACKS tape with them, and it was like, the dreamiest label experience you could have.
So, I’d say if you’re just starting out and doing a DIY thing, I would suggest not running into a contract straight away and working with a smaller label. If music is something you’re doing just for fun, don’t submit your stuff to huge labels. If you’re enjoying yourself and just trying to get your music out into your local scene or whatever, [labels] will notice that, and they will approach you. Treating it like a job application and not getting responses after making a bunch of submissions makes you feel like shit! (laughs)
AC: I think that’s good advice, personally. The Canadian music world seems so untouchable on the surface, when at the end of the day it’s like the same 10 people emailing each other back and forth.
ML: Exactly. You really just have to trust the process in a way. I ran into Pete from Uncarved Block when I was trying to decide about label stuff, and he encouraged me to go for it… It was kind of like a sign from the universe.
AC: To end things off, what are your plans to celebrate this release?
ML: When I was going to bed the other night, I had this idea for a wild Instagram video… I’m picturing a gigantic cake in front of me that’s full of candles. Like, 200 candles or something. And yeah… I want to do something that’s kind of unreal. Maybe I’ll post it? Maybe I’ll keep it for my personal archives? You’ll just have to wait and see.
TAKE THE CAKE
Out May 21, 2021 via Royal Mountain Records and Fire Talk
1. Divine Giggling
2. Clingfilm
3. Two Hands
4. New TV
5. Hangman
6. My Dream
7. Hold My Hand
8. Holy Water
9. Silvertongue
10. Blown By The Wind
11. U Can Wish All U Want
All songs by Madeline Link
Mastered by Sarah Register
Related Articles
