A few words with indie all-star, Glom, at Kilby Block Party

You’ve been living under a rock if you haven’t noticed the significant rise in the indie scene over the last decade. With artists like Mac DeMarco and Djo being among the top charting artists globally, it’s hard to ignore. Despite the growth, the best part of the indie scene is still the smaller acts, painstakingly composing their artistry in a world of social media and clickbait. Off the Record was fortunate enough to visit one of the best indie festivals in the country, Kilby Block Party, this last weekend, where we had the chance to sit down with one of those smaller acts, Glom. Rising out of New York City, Glom has been curating indie beats for nearly a decade. They just released an incredible album, Below, back in January, that has proved to be an earworm for us here at Off the Record. Below (pun intended), you’ll find our conversation, where we discussed everything from Below’s unique creation story to Kilby Block Party’s hallowed ground. 

You just released an album back in January, your first in six years. What was that process like? How was it different than before? Was it harder to complete, or easier? Were there any specific songs that proved challenging?

The project went through a lot of changes in that timeframe. It got to the point where I wasn’t sure if I was gonna keep it going, but I realized that I had to. It began with an extensive demoing process in Fall 2022, which took all the way until November 2023 to complete. The hardest songs to get done were definitely “Steel” and “Late to the Party”. Those were essentially musical collages that had to be painstakingly pieced together to make sense; maybe they don’t even make sense now, though. 

I think they’re great! Was there a reason you waited to release it, or did it just happen that way? How has your relationship with the songs changed over time? Do you still connect to them in the same way, or has their meaning changed for you? Are you currently in the recording process for any new music, given it's been a few years since this record was actually completed?

I started releasing a few of the tracks by myself with no real strategy, and I felt that I needed to find the right label partner to make it happen in a meaningful way. I believe in these songs wholeheartedly, and I owed it to the songs to be released properly. 

As time goes on, I find new meaning in the songs. When I write, I don’t really know what I’m talking about until several years later. I definitely like to write in a stream of consciousness way, so sometimes it takes me time to process what I was feeling at the time.

I definitely get that. It sometimes takes me a while to really connect to a piece of art, even if it’s one that I made. In terms of live shows this year, not only did you make it onto this spectacular lineup, but you are also playing All Things Go in September! Do you like playing festivals? How does that process differ for you when you are getting ready to play for a small room versus thousands of people? Are there any lineups that you are hoping to still make it on in the future? 

I love playing festivals. They’re like amusement parks for the concertgoer and artist. It’s harder for me to get fully in the zone at a festival because I’m unable to do my usual pre-show rituals, which include pacing around and eating zyns in a quiet environment, but that’s part of the festival experience. The energy is higher, so I have to adapt to that, and I enjoy doing so. 

I would love to play a California festival. Whether that be Coachella or BottleRock, I just really wanna play a festival in California.

Now onto another deeper question. I know you are pretty active on social media. How has your relationship with social media impacted your artistry? Do you enjoy posting, or do you find it difficult?

I generally enjoy posting on social media. It’s taken me years not to let the performance of a post affect me. I don’t wanna be a social media band as much anymore, but I’m ok with people associating me with TikTok and Instagram for sure because it’s definitely a helpful tool. 

Realistically, I still enjoy coming up with content ideas because it’s a much more immediate process than recording music. I can make a dumb video and post it and know within a few mins whether or not it’ll hit, vs waiting a year to drop a song, which is its own process.

That’s interesting, I’ve never thought about that before. I know “Glass” is super popular, but my favorite song off the album is easily either “Virginia” or “Teeth”; I love the way they are produced. What is your favorite right now? Is that also your favorite song to perform? 

Thank you! That means a lot! “Virginia” and “Teeth” are some of my favorite things I’ve ever recorded. I think those two are the closest to how I envisioned the tracks sounding when I wrote them. Other than those, I think the recording of “One Track Mind” is perfect. My favorite song to play live is “Window”, and it has been for a while! 

Your music, especially your latest release, falls directly into the indie niche. The rise of the indie rock genre over the last decade has been monumental. Do you have any advice for artists who are just starting out? Anything that you would do differently if you could go back? 

You know, I’m always my own top steamed artist on Spotify, and I think that’s because I make music that I want to listen to myself. In high school, I would record songs just to put on my iPod. I never showed them to anyone, but I listened to them every day. I still do that with Glom, haha. All that goes to say, I think if you make music for yourself, regardless of what’s trendy, that’s a more sustainable approach than trying to catch up with trends. A good song is a good song, and the song that’s good to you might be good to someone else.

I wouldn’t change anything because it’s all built to where my career is now. Enjoy the ride! It’s supposed to be fun sometimes.

Okay, last question and a fun one! Are there any artists on the Kilby Block Party lineup that you are looking forward to? It’s a crazy day today!

Flipturn, American Football, Haley Williams, and Lorde.

KBP marked the beginning of a national tour for Glom. There are still plenty of dates left, so check out a show if you can! If not, make sure you check out Below on Spotify.