Interview with Caithlin De Marrais, Kaia Fischer, and William Kuehn | By Renaldo Matadeen
Brooklyn indie trio Rainer Maria are back with their first album since their breakup in 2006. They returned to the label they call home, Polyvinyl Records, to drop S/T on Aug. 18. Regarded as a hidden gem in contemporary rock ‘n’ roll, their brand of music touches so many notes—from post-hardcore to emo to grunge—and spans from the ‘90s to the 2000s. This is what has Gainesville’s FEST fans eager to see them in October.
Lead vocalist and bassist Caithlin De Marrais, vocalist and guitarist Kaia Fischer, and drummer William Kuehn take a moment to fill fans in on the rest…
What would you say differentiates this new album from what came before? What’s the main theme behind it?
WK: Like all of our other albums, S/T is an album of its time and a representation of who we are as individuals in 2017. Past Worn Searching is a representation of us in 1997; Look Now Look Again, 1999; and so on. The main difference with this work is that we lived away from the band for almost 10 years prior to writing it. We had opportunities to experience life outside of the context of being members of Rainer Maria. For S/T, we were able to bring new perspectives and energy to the songwriting that we wouldn’t have accrued if the band hadn’t taken a break.
Shat does S/T mean? Does “self-titled” apply in this case?
KF: In a sense…? But listing the album as “Rainer Maria Rainer Maria” was a statement we weren’t trying to make. Ditto with calling it “Rainer Maria Untitled,” which also seemed like a statement we weren’t trying to make. Titling the album S/T is our way of saying there’s no album title, but neither is it untitled. It’s just Rainer Maria, really, and the S/T seemed like the pithiest way to get at that.
Every member did such different things in the breakup period. How did that influence the sound of this record?
WK: From both a songwriting and production standpoint, being able to play with multiple bands and individuals from a myriad of backgrounds helped me understand who I was as an artist and how best I can contribute to a group. Being a “hired gun” in certain groups also forced me to understand different methods of songwriting. There were many occasions where I would say to myself, “Wow, I would not have written this drum, guitar, bass, or keyboard line like that.” I had to learn to really focus on a song as a whole and learn how all of the instruments interacted with one another to make the song complete. That experience was a huge help for me during the songwriting and production of S/T.
Would you share some insight into the writing process?
CDM: I write about things I don’t understand but am intuitively drawn to. It’s my way of getting closer. I don’t understand desire, but I feel it. I grow flowers and edible plants, and I watch how my desire to consume them is entwined with their desire to be eaten. I delight in finding and assembling words. I have subject material wherever I go, because so many things fascinate me. I grew up in the woods and at the Atlantic’s edge—two environments that were very different from one another but both very intense. I look for tangible and intangible wonders in both places and seek to connect to them through the writing process.
William, this was your first time producing a Rainer Maria record, right? How was that process?
WK: It was an honor to be able to wear the production hat this time around. My bandmates were very open to my ideas about different methods of songwriting and exploring new sounds that helped to realize the songs on S/T. Kaia and Caithlin are incredibly talented and thoughtful musicians and individuals. Anything I asked of the instruments, they were able to achieve. It was a really positive experience.
KF: William has a very cohesive and very multifaceted personal aesthetic that has always permeated so much of what our band has done. Asking him to produce the record created a structure for that aspect to really bloom. And since that aesthetic already fit right into our work, it made us sound more like ourselves, not less. The writing and recording process remained very lateral in vibe—maybe more so? We had an oddly easy time losing ourselves in the music. Throughout the writing and recording, William kept us very near to the energy of discovery and of live performance, which I’m grateful for.
Did you feel any pressure about putting out a “comeback record”?
CDM: At first, there was no pressure. None at all. It was a complete pleasure, a blissful escape and opportunity to process everything through the filter of songwriting. In contrast, I’ve found the last few months more challenging. I’m looking forward to sharing and performing the record.
Getting into the songs, “Broke Open Love” and “Lower Worlds” are standout tracks. What are they about?
CDM: This record is deeply personal. I like to keep specific meaning close to the cuff and let listeners embrace their own personal interpretations. But I will say that Kaia partly inspired the lyrics to “Broke Open Love.” Breaking open love—examining it—is challenging, but it is enticing when personal change is happening. [The lyrics] “Changed how I look” could be about physical appearance, but it’s also about changing your perceptions. I also put a few lyrics in there as a reminder to myself as they are sung—a reminder not to cultivate regrets.
“Lower Worlds” is coming from a very deep immersion into desire, power, and the natural world. There’s a strong forcing motion, “slam shut,” but it takes place in service of harmony. I’m interested in words that tune into the nuances and energy of desire and love. That’s part of the energy I’ve always needed to bring to performing.
How stoked are you folks for FEST 16? What are you looking forward to most?
KF: It’s a pretty amazing roster of bands slated to play; of course, we’re very stoked. Performing is pretty much always fun for us, so we’re really looking forward to the performance aspect. There are also a number of other bands who will be there that we’ve never shared a stage with, and it’s fun to think about getting to meet people.
Lastly, what are your favorite songs off the new album?
CDM: “Forest Mattress” has been an important song for me. It feels like the culmination of all my other lyrics. It says things I’ve tried to say in other songs, but here, they really crystallized for me. I was interested in using different “voices” in the one song. I deeply appreciate the connection my family of origin has to the mysticism of the natural world, and I delight in exploring it in lyrics. Also, “Hellbore” was partly inspired by my daughter, so I will have a connection to it forever.
KF: Last time someone asked this, I said “Broke Open Love,” but I find my answer keeps changing week to week. Last week, I would have said “Forest Mattress,” but this week, I’m going with “Possession.” We haven’t played these songs out a lot, so we’re very much still in the honeymoon stage with many of them. How to choose? [Laughs]
Photo by Shawn Brackbill
