The members of “Occurrence” are Ken Urban (electronics), Cat Hollyer (vocals), and Johnny Hager (vocals). The band, which is based in Washington Heights, New York City, was created when Ken messaged his college friend Cat on Facebook after they hadn’t spoken in nearly 20 years. Ken enquired about Cat singing on his brand-new songs. On the initial release, they worked together virtually. Alejandro Necochea of Bang Camaro and Kip Berman of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart both contributed to the 2016 album THE PAST WILL LAST FOREVER. They asked Ken’s partner Johnny Hager to join as a vocalist once they started performing live. They started producing EVERYONE KNOWS THE DISASTER IS COMING as a trio, and it was published in 2018. Shortly after, the companion mini-album IF HE WERE HERE with new songs and remixes by artists like Daniel Kluger H1987 and The Assembled Minds was released. The entire net revenue from this publication was given to initiatives to reduce gun violence.
I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE was the group’s first single, and it was released by Archie & Fox Records in 2021. Twelve songs on the album, drawn from French author Roland Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse, traced the beginning and end of a romantic relationship. Check out the exclusive interview with “Occurrence” and their EP ‘Music from Vapor Trail’ below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
OCCURRENCE: The band really formed when Ken reached out to his college friend Cat on Facebook after not seeing each other for almost twenty years. Ken was in New York working as a playwright and Cat lived in Lawrence, Kansas, working as a writer for Hallmark. Ken asked if she would sing on new tracks he was writing. Both were in the midst of major life changes, looking for creative outlets. She agreed, and the two embarked on a now six-year collaboration. When the duo began to perform live, they invited Ken’s romantic partner Johnny to join as a second vocalist, completing the band.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
OCCURRENCE: Cat and Johnny studied singing, and Cat was in a ton of bands before. Ken is definitely self-taught. Those piano lessons he was forced to take in middle school don’t really count.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘OCCURRENCE’?
OCCURRENCE: Ugh, the name question. When Ken first started making music, many years before we became a band, he couldn’t afford the programs, so he used the demo software and then recorded the results onto MiniDisc. Every track was a one-time occurrence. Drum roll, please. Sadly the name stuck. We thought about changing it when Cat and Johnny joined, but no one could think of anything better. Influences, gosh, we have so many. But definitely Nine Inch Nails, Hot Chip, Massive Attack, Beach House, Portishead. Johnny loves Barbra Streisand. We are a weird bunch.
4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
OCCURRENCE: We describe our music as nostalgic electronic pop. Forward-looking but with a backward-looking bent. Listeners tell us they connect with both its uniqueness and how it reminds them of stuff from the 1990s and 2000s.
5. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
OCCURRENCE:
Ken loves being in the studio and would record all day long if he could. Cat and Johnny love performing. We strike a compromise.
6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
OCCURRENCE: Individually, we are each engaged with our world. We follow politics and shifts in the arts. Our music cannot help but be influenced by what’s happening in the world. But when we are writing and working in the studio, we look inwards towards our own live experiences as inspiration. But in being so personal, the songs hopefully resonate outward, capturing the challenging spirit of our sad times.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
OCCURRENCE: Expect less. It keeps you from getting too disappointed.
8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
OCCURRENCE: Ken usually records a demo which he titles. Then he plays it for Cat or Johnny or both, and if the tune and/or title connect with them, they write lyrics. Sometimes Ken writes lyrics. When the three of us in our studio in Washington Heights, things take off. It’s really an intense collaboration between the three of us.
9. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
OCCURRENCE: No symbols where none intended, to quote the great Samuel Beckett. We aren’t shy (mostly) about talking where the songs come from, but we also hope that listeners will find their own way into our music.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
OCCURRENCE: Making music for over 6 years. Getting to play shows. People caring about what we make. All of that feels like a win.
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Photo credits: Cameron Scoggins