Grammy Contenders: Modest Mouse, Yuki Chiba, Brandon Flowers, Silvana Estrada
Music's Biggest Night meets Music's Lamest Trade Magazine, but don't hold that against these top Grammy contenders.
Modest Mouse
What inspired An Eraser and a Maze?
Isaac Brock: I’m at a stage in life where an almost equal number of people are entering my world as are departing. Births and deaths are happening around me. The relationship between these two things was constantly in my heart when we were writing this album.
Yuki Chiba
What’s your favorite moment on “Annyeonghaseyo?”
I got 10 people together to say “Annyeonghaseyo” together, so that chanting is probably the best part. I performed the song the day after we recorded it at a live concert, and getting everyone to actually perform a song I hadn’t even released yet was really sick.
Brandon Flowers
What did you learn about yourself when you were making THRASHER?
I’m 45 years old and I’m at a proverbial crossroads. As I step into the second half of my life, what have I learned? What experiences and values should I cling to as I navigate the uncertainty of the future? All of this comes to a head in an experience with Elvis in “An American Dream.” I ask the King if the juice is worth the squeeze. And I get the answer I’m looking for, and more.
Silvana Estrada
What inspired “Dime?”
“Dime” was born out of a very important moment in my life. I realized that I didn’t know how to be angry, and therefore I didn’t know how to set boundaries. This song came from allowing myself to experience my anger and realizing that, through it, I was also capable of celebrating life and moving forward. At the time, I was listening to Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois a lot, and I was also dreaming of recording with an orchestra someday.
(Jesús Soto Fuentes)
