by martina rexrode
photo by lindsay thomaston
Bathe Alone is the musical amalgamation of artist Bailey Crone’s ideas and inspirations. Working closely with producer Damon Moon, Crone dropped Bathe Alone’s sophomore album I Don’t Do Humidity just a few weeks ago. The album is filled to the brim with material pulled directly from Crone’s personal life that surrounds this release with an incredible authenticity and a hazy sonic atmosphere. We talked to Bathe Alone not long after the album release, touching on the creative process, the influences of a background in classical music, and future goals.
It’s been just over a month since your album I Don’t Do Humidity dropped. How are you feeling? What was the first emotion you felt on release night?
Bathe Alone: “So the day the record dropped, we were actually on the road and playing a festival in Nashville. To be honest, show days are so crazy, I didn’t have a real chance to process that the whole thing was out! We had decided to play some new songs from the record that we’ve never played live before, so that was one small way to soak it in. It was nice to be able to spend this day in the sun with my friends.”
Which song were you the most excited for listeners to hear?
Bathe Alone: “I feel like ‘Victims’ is the song I’ve been most excited to see out in the world. I’m really proud of that one, and it tells such a huge part of the story of this album. During the rollout of the album, it’s been hard to keep that one a secret.”
What made you choose a lyric from the opening song “Lake Sympathy” as the album title?
Bathe Alone: “The album ended up having so many references to water, but in a negative way. Toxic relationships and divorce, things that really weigh you down. When we were trying to title the record, ‘Lake Sympathy’ had already been written, and reading that line back just felt like the right thing to tie all those concepts together, but with the attitude I want to carry from here on out. I don’t want to feel weighed down by those things anymore. Despite how serious the content of this record is, I’m actually a big troll in real life, so the title sounds almost as snarky as I would say it in real life.”
What was the creative process like? Did you pull in any collaborators or try any new techniques throughout the making of the album?
Bathe Alone: “This record took a long time, but it was just me and Damon doing what we do at his studio, but for a lot longer. We don’t allow a lot of people to be in the studio when we’re cooking, just so we can stay hyper focused and in the tone zone. As far as new techniques, we’re constantly trying to keep the process inspired, so there’s almost always a new thing we’re experimenting with, sonically. On this record specifically, it feels like every time we got a new piece of gear, we used it heavily on a song, and that has a big impact on my memory of it. Like ‘Victims’ has this fretless jazz bass and a Mellotron, and ‘Fresh Start’ was a Microcosm Hologram doing really weird things to drum machines and vocals.”
How has your background in classical music affected the sound you’ve created for yourself today?
Bathe Alone: “I think I have a good grasp on harmonic movement and how to support chords to get the right emotion based on the surrounding arrangement. In other words, I try not to think like a player in a band. I try to think from the bird's eye view. I want to see the picture as a whole. I feel like if you think like a player in the band, then ego gets involved. You may want to show off because you can, but that doesn’t always serve the song. I try to do things that are appropriate for the vision as a whole. Dynamics are the most important thing that I learned growing up in all those ensembles and bandy bands — it helps in deciding what the most important instrument is to be heard at any given point.”
What is the biggest incentive you’ve discovered for delving into such personal material in your music?
Bathe Alone: “I can’t afford therapy.”
Are there any goals you have for yourself or your music for the second half of this year?
Bathe Alone: “I’m looking forward to getting back on the road and really giving the songs on this album their own lives on stage. I feel like they always take on a brand new energy with the band, so I’m really pumped to play some shows and connect with our fans!”