by: Cameron DeFaria
13 August 2024
Bryce Connolly, known professionally as indie dance maven Mindchatter, delivered an electrifying live set to a packed Sutro Stage during the 2024 edition of Outside Lands. Earlier this year, Connolly released an official remix of Poolside and Ben Browning’s “Ride With You,” which streamed via Counter Records. Shortly after, the New York City-born producer released two new singles, “Brain Pills,” followed by “Corporate Shakespeare,” rounding out his second EP, which appears on ODESZA’s esteemed Foreign Family Collective and is titled This is a reminder that you are not behind your face.
Following a major performance with Walker & Royce at The Shrine, as well as sold-out headlining tour dates in Los Angeles, New York and Denver, Mindchatter has co-signed two official remixes for his two latest releases. Ahead of his blistering performance at Outside Lands, which marks the culmination of his North American tour, Mindchatter recruited Familiar Faces, who delivered a minimal-tech version of “Brain Pills,” and Azzecca, who delivered their caustic take on “Corporate Shakespeare.”
With Outside Lands over, mindchatter is already gearing up to hit the road again; this time overseas. In an exclusive Q&A with Dancing Astronaut, the Foreign Family artist revealed a series of new tour dates that bring his A Chorus of Monologues Tour to over 35 dates in 5 different countries. In addition, the acclaimed DREAM SOUP The producer confirmed that he is indeed working on his third studio album.
Browse Mindchatter’s extended tour dates and read the exclusive Q&A below.
Big festivals are nothing new for you. How has your live set evolved over time?
Bryce: “I’ve added a lot of different equipment. It used to be me standing up there on a flimsy little stand, but I’ve expanded my production to have more stage presence. I’ve added a MalletSTATION, which is the xylophone you see on stage. That’s changed everything because I feel like it’s more visual and engaging for the audience… I’ve also added new visuals that are time-coded with new music, so it’s brick by brick, so to speak. I used to use house VJs who would mix on the fly, but my production feels a lot more professional now that I bring a VJ on tour with me. I have a more solidified team.”
Last year you released “Got Cash” with Emmit Fenn, with whom you also worked on “Hips” in 2022. Aside from these records, Mindchatter works pretty independently. Is that a coincidence or do you like working alone?
Bryce: “I definitely like working solo. I started out as a producer and then I was the one looking for singers to work with. But eventually I just started bringing my own voice into it. So I’m pretty self-sufficient. I can make a record all by myself, which is fun. I’ve gone to sessions and sometimes I’ve felt like anything special that I might have leaves the room. That level of access requires me to basically isolate myself and shut the world out for a while. But I’ve loved working with Emmit because we have a lot in common; he sings and produces both… But he’s also a classically trained pianist, which I’m not. I lean a little more towards the production side. When I can work with people like that, it works really well.”
DREAM SOUP officially landed over two years ago, in April 2022. Did it feel that long? How strongly do you still identify with the project?
Bryce: “Damn, that makes me feel old! I made some of these records when I was in music school, about four years ago. So, yeah, I felt like I needed to get this project off my chest. There are certain songs that you leave lying around for so long that they get boring. DREAM SOUP was a way for me to get out all the old stuff that I loved and finally present it to the world in a cohesive format. But I’m ready to move on, and I feel like the stuff I’m doing now is a little more elevated. Sometimes I listen to old stuff and cringe a little bit; it can be like looking at an old Facebook photo.”
You have maintained a consistent aesthetic since launching your artist project in 2019. What inspired this vision?
Bryce: “It really grew organically. It started with the first cover for ‘Trippy’, the first song I put out. I work with a really talented graphic designer. I remember telling him I wanted a man looking back at himself with his eyes in his hands to represent confidence. The cover went through a number of different iterations. We finally landed on a Greek statue and that felt so right. All the images since then fit together in an organic way, but you can’t really tell what it is. If it feels right, we keep it. If it feels wrong, we throw it out immediately.”
What criteria do you use to select producers who remix your original works?
Bryce: “Anyone who has done a remix for me is someone I’m a fan of. It’s as simple as that. And I try to pick a song for them that they can put their own spin on. I wouldn’t give anyone a song that doesn’t fit. There are a lot of people that I approach. Usually it’s about 10% of them that, if they’re not touring or busy, have the time or inclination to do a remix. You don’t always get everyone you want, but I’m super grateful to the talented artists that have remixed my stuff.”
Do you have any upcoming shows in cities you would like to perform in?
Bryce: “Yeah, I’ve never played in Europe before. This will be brand new. Outside of the US, I’ve only played in Canada, but Europe is a whole different thing. I feel like I’ll have a lot of listeners there, which is great. I’m excited, it’s going to be great.”
Can fans expect another full album soon?
Bryce: “Yeah. I don’t want to get hung up on it, but that’s definitely the next project I want to put out – a really serious album. And I’ve written a good chunk of it. It’s something I want to do right. I want to have the creative vision locked in long in advance. And really take my time with it.”
And finally: Even though you work more independently, is there anyone out there you would like to release a record with?
Bryce: “Julian Casablancas, from The Strokes.”
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