Tidal shares journey recording first album "With Love"
Mixing genres like folk, punk and indie Cody Kuuttila and Mariette Heubel are a two person band taking on Michigan.
Kuuttila and Heubel formed their band Tidal in December, 2012. The duo started their journey playing house shows for free and now headline at bars with bands like Flint Eastwood and Small Parks.
The two Mason musicians started from humble roots and are sharing their experiences through music. Tidal sat down with Central Michigan Life to talk about their muses and difficulties for latest album, "With Love."
Tidal will be performing at 8 p.m. on July 15 at Mac's Bar in Lansing.
We asked Tidal to put together a playlist of songs they enjoy:
The waiting room by Fugazi
Dead Oaks by Now Now
Shaky Town by I heart Hiroshima
Our Sword by Band of Horses
Back in Your Head by Tegan and Sarah
How did you two form Tidal?
C: We'd both in bands previously. I've been in bands since I was 15. She told me about the project she was doing on her own and I told her if she ever needed help with drums, I'd be happy to join her project.
M: I desperately needed help with drums.
C: A week later she texted me asking if I wanted to help her with some jams and we wrote "Shark" that first night.
How did you come up with the name Tidal?
M: We were naming off any potential band names and I came up with Tidal. The reasoning for it was because tides are ever-changing, just like our music. The style of our art changes.
What shows have you played in Michigan?
M: The biggest show we've done is the double headliner with Flint Eastwood at the Loft in Lansing. We've played at Mac's Bar a ton of times. We've played a lot of house shows with Small Parks.
C: We've played with some punk folk bands. One of the coolest shows we've played was a house concert with Ghost Mice in Lansing.
M: Yeah we played in the basement. That was probably the biggest and best turnout we've had for a house show. Having them perform in my living room was crazy unreal.
How should listeners feel when playing your music?
C: When I listen to it I get pumped so I hope they feel that way too. Musically it's dancing and getting up moving around. Lyrically it's a little more emotional and deep.
M: It's a little of heart break and dealing with what life hands you.
Where should your music take listeners?
M: I would love it if our music took listeners to a sunset. I love sunsets they're absolutely beautiful and they're are a couple of songs that take me there, like John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." I want listeners to experience that same thing. For me, sunsets are calming and a pick me up.
Tell us a little about your album "With Love." What inspired it?
C: Our exes. Getting your heart broken and putting your life back together.
M: We're trying to stick with really bitter songs because the album is a satirical comment on our past relationships.
What were some of the difficulties you had recording the album?
C: Recording the drums was really difficult. The guy that recorded did it for free, so that was nice, but he wasn't expecting us to have drums so we had to record the drums in the kitchen. It all worked out in the end.
Every live show has a unique sound that isn't captured by technology. How would you describe your live shows?
C: There are a lot of sing-a-longs in the audience, so if you like to sing along, you should come to one of our shows.
M: We have a lot of fun on stage and joke around a lot. We crack jokes at each other, or introduce ourselves in funny way. We play off of each other really well.
Describe Tidal in five words.
M: We're an indie, upbeat, dorky, personal connection.
