It is impossible to tell the story of the Baker’s Basement without using an upside-down, rhythmic bucket. The Cleveland indie folk-hop duo firmly believes that any sound can be made musical and that anything can produce sound.
The duo has maintained an inventive spirit since they first began performing in 2012, when everything was in basements and on the street. They soon arrived at the “Tempeh Kit,” a percussion instrument they had made themselves out of a variety of paint buckets and more conventional drum parts. The duo’s personable and playful sound, which frequently features guitar and their two singing voices, is powered by this inquisitive rhythmic core.
The “Tempeh Kit” can now be used while standing, allowing guitarist Adam Grindler and drummer Kate Dedinsky to move and perform as one unit. The two met in 2011 in Chillicothe, Ohio, where they started learning the craft of recording, amid the peculiar aroma of evergreen and paper factory.
They celebrated their undeniable chemistry and shared obsession with song-craft and sound-sculpting as the winter of 2011 started to thaw. The Baker’s Basement was born when Adam moved from his Virginia home to Cleveland. Their conversational and lighthearted lyrical style frequently volleyed and intertwined the two voices across the stage. Their musical genres include indie folk, funk, and rock with a light hip-hop and jazz undercurrent. What name might that have? Consider Indie Folk Hop.
If you’re going to pass away tomorrow, could you please let me know today? I might have to work a little harder to come up with the right words. Intense conversation gave way to these eerie opening lines on a snowy February afternoon in Cleveland, serving as the foundation for Baker’s Basement’s most recent single, “Words I Need to Say.” The two felt as this song started to take on a life of its own as they were both in a strange mental state and unsure of how to help a friend. This atmospheric piece of indie rock asks the question of what one might say to a loved one if they knew their time was running out. A video tapestry that presents a specific internal playback was created because such dark wonderment would almost certainly be accompanied by obscured visions of memories that had been created in the past. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: Kate & I (Adam) met at recording school in Chillicothe, Ohio back in January of 2011, and began writing songs together. A year later, I moved from Northern Virginia to Cleveland where Kate lived, and we named ourselves the Baker’s Basement. Our friendship and musical bond felt undeniable, and we wanted to cultivate our love for creating. Ever since then, it’s been a wild ride of performance, composition, recording, and creating in a multitude of other mediums.
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: We both had small bouts of formal training at earlier ages. Kate was in jazz band at high school and used to take guitar and drum lessons. My first instrument was violin, and I played in school orchestra for a few years—also had a couple private guitar lessons but nothing too consistent. By and large, much of our ability has involved teaching ourselves through trial and error.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘THE BAKER’S BASEMENT’?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: I always say my upbringing involved a different type of music coming from every corner of the house: grunge, rap, folk, classic rock, classical. The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Outkast, Bone, John Denver, Vivaldi, George Winston, Chili Peppers, REM, Counting Crows—these artists hold some of my earliest musical memories. Kate’s earlier influences were bands like Blink 182, Sum 41, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She’s been heavily inspired by Mac Miller and Lana Del Rey. I think we both tend to draw a lot from the craft of hip hop: the rapid fire handing of rhyme and the playful twists and turns therein.
After going through 7 or so different names (the Mighty Bones, Open Ocean, Figment’s House, Up that Hill… just to name a few), we landed on the Baker’s Basement. We loved the alliteration, and the nod to the magic of our first practice space: the basement of a bakery.
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?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: Our sound and story can’t be told without mentioning a single five gallon paint bucket. When we began, Kate was usually on a full kit when performing. But as we explored all performance possibilities, we were drawn to street performance—a place where we could perform for many hours at a time. Kate would play a bucket, I’d strum guitar, and the two us would sing. There’s something grounding about being stage-less and on level with unsuspecting listeners. We feel the personable and raw nature of busking contributed to a similar approach in how we write lyrics. We love using detailed imagery and a conversational approach to how we phrase our words—we like our songs to feel tangible and sensory. The single bucket evolved into more of a standing kit involving a bunch more buckets. We call it the “tempeh kit.” It can hold its own on larger stages, but something about its material, size, and history keeps us grounded and casual with how we deliver a performance. It also made us big believers in using found objects and sound effects in the creative process. Everything holds some type of pitch and timbre, and many everyday sounds carry rhythm and pattern. I think we tend to draw a lot from that.
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT:
I’m not sure the learning phase has or should ever end, but our earlier days definitely involved a lot of tripping over the basics of holding good time & maintaining a pocket. I especially struggled with this when we started. We’ve also come a long way with finding a greater sense of confidence which has done wonders for vocal delivery. We’ve always tried to steer clear from specifically emulating any particular artist or even having a specific name come up in conversation while writing, but we did draw a lot of inspiration and encouragement from another 2 piece Cleveland band called Mr. Gnome. I would say their style and ability to hold their own as 2 definitely trickled into our earlier songs. One of the biggest contributors to our style has been the belief in approaching songwriting with an open mind and playful spirit: songwriting games; prompts; building in creative boundaries. We like to give something a go before ruling it out. A strong mutual respect has been critical to us maintaining that spirit. We often describe our style as “Indie folk hop.” We love a strong and simple back beat, mixed with an acoustic style that gets swinging and funky at times. We love word play, and at times a rapid fire lyrical approach.
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?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT:
We’ve always felt music has a time a place in every aspect of existence. Some artists are built more for crafting music as political commentary, and others may strictly want to make the people dance. This is what makes music beautiful. There’s a song for every time, place, and occasion. Most of our songs pop up out of casual conversation, a game, a bout of laughter, or a tiny shred of music, be it a melody, a chord, or a texture. We like to roll with the moment, and feel whatever that moment may be is as deserving as any for the writing of a song; plus we like to write quickly. So we end up with all kinds of songs: a song about sheep traveling through the subconscious; a song about an island off of Galway; a song about a skeleton party; a song about quarantine; a song about avocados; a song about snails; a song about the inability for two very different groups to trade perspectives; a song about death; a song about feeling sick; a song about not wanting to get of bed on a snowy day; songs about baseball; a song about a friend’s recollection of her father while growing up in Texas. Some like to write about a few certain topics, and some like to write about whatever consumes the mind on a given day. I’d say we’re more of the latter.
7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT:
The only expectation either of us have for the future is to keep creating. We certainly expect this to show us all types of unexpected paths. I’ve found that the more we believe in and are grateful for the consistent daily act of creating, the more things work themselves out. The more grace we find. Success? Fulfillment? The act itself is where we tend to feel our best. So yes – I’d say the music gives back more than we could ever ask for when it’s approached with joy, curiosity, love, and graciousness.
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?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT:
It starts in all different ways. A phrase in conversation that sticks out. A joke that cracks us up. An encounter with a stranger. A certain mood. A fragment of a melody that pops into mind. Sometimes we ad lib back and forth with the memo recorder rolling. Sometimes we play songwriting games where we build in all sorts of boundaries; this helps us begin the creative process from new directions. In short, there’s no usual way. We always like to consider ways to shake ourselves from any particular tendency.
9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: Simply being a two piece is a challenge by design. It’s taken us some years to figure out how to confidently perform as just two; especially on nights when every other act is 4 to 5 pieces. We both know that part of what makes our band special is the personal nature of creating as only two, but we have had moments where we wonder if we need to be bigger.. or need a bass player.. or – “how do we represent the album version of a song?” and do we need to be bound by that?… Luckily, the years have proven this matter of doubt to be more a part of our identity that we take great pride in. Again – creative drive through limitation.
10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
THE BAKER’S BASEMENT: The creation of our bucket based “tempeh kit” was a significant turning point for our band. The tool at our rhythmic core is something all our own, both musically and aesthetically. It’s an oddity, and we feel the show often begins before we start to play because people are curious about that tiny homemade drum kit. After we overcame the challenges of integrating a kit that’s fairly different from more traditional set ups, it’s only fed our chemistry, improvisational ability, and confidence in our odd ball identity as a two piece.
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Photo credits: Jessica Klodt & Frank Lanza