About Caffeinated Corner:

Caffeinated Corner was created to replicate the feeling of chatting at coffee shops with new friends. From the warm taste of coffee, the slightly chaotic energy of the espresso machines, to the life stories shared, caffeinated corner aims to replicate this environment online. Join me as we talk with different artists about their favorite things, stories from their childhood, and new projects on the horizon.

Listen to the interview here or read below:

Laura

Here we go. Awesome.

Okay, so besides music, is there things that you guys really enjoy doing such as like habits or hobbies that you kind of pick up? Whether it’s like drinking coffee or reading books.

Stacy

I love TV shows, so that’s one thing. And then in the past little while, I just decided to take up woodworking just because my partner was looking at this side table that was like $150. I was like, oh, I bet I could just make that. I bet it’d be easy. And it wasn’t. But now I have all the tools and I’m doing it. So that’s something, I guess. Other than that..

Kaelan

We’re both big coffee dudes.

Stacy

Yeah, big coffee.

Laura

I could feel that because I’m also a big coffee person. Ahh, these are my people.

Kaelan

It’s an energy. We’re both ChemX little guys in the morning, love our Chemexs. We’re joking about making little like ChemX keychain because it’s like just so built into who we are as people at this point. You said coffee. I was like, well, I’m going to start with that.

Laura

Sweet. Also kind of off of that, I always do a thing where it’s kind of related to the last question, but I break down before we even talk about anything else, what are your favorite things in the world?

And I always use that question just because it’s easy to get wrapped up in music and certain things, certain labels, whether it’s like numbers, et cetera. And so I’ve always reset myself and been like, okay.

What are some things that truly make me happy? And I always ask that question to everyone else. So it’s like these are, like, a few of my favorite things. Do you know that song?

Kaelan

I can start if you want, Stacy. I really like coffee. I really like the color blue. I really like plants. I really like the Toronto Maple Leafs. I really like Pokemon. I really like lists. Big fan of lists. And I really like tulips the flower. And I really like cats. And those are the things that I love. Those are my favorite things in the whole world.

Laura

Yes, those are perfect. I always ask this question, and sometimes people are like, oh, I’m not sure, but you’ve got it. Yeah. I also have a list of things that make me happy, because there’s always, like, those moments in your day where you’re like, oh, I feel, like, really down. I feel like nothing makes me happy anymore, and I’ll go back through my list and be like, okay, these make me happy. It’s like a reset thing. Awesome.

Kaelan

Gratitude.

Stacy

Okay, it’s my turn. I love Google Maps. I think it’s one of the greatest inventions ever created. You guys are laughing.

Laura

I love that. No, I love that.

Stacy

Where would you be without it?

Kaelan

No, you’re right. I wouldn’t be anywhere. I would be right here in my room.

Stacy

Yeah, no, I couldn’t live without it. I really like. Oh, God. Big fan of Oscar Isaac. I’m trying my best here, guys. I’m really I like TV. I really like TV. I like movies, TV shows, stuff like that. Big, big fan. Like, I’m very not normal about it.

I really like flowers as well. We always have, like, a fresh bouquet of flowers in the apartment, which is really cute. I also really like plants. Have, like, a lot of plants in this apartment.

Laura

There’s my little plant right here.

Stacy

Oh, hello.

Laura

I’ve seen everyone’s little plants.

Stacy

Little pothos.

I also love a good nap. Yes. I’m sorry, that’s all I got. Hopefully, I’ll have more.

Laura

Those are perfect. Those are great. No, obviously.

Stacy

Thank you.

Laura

When you start, you’re like, oh, what do I like? And then I had to answer a question today, like, what my favorite hobbies were, and I’m like, I don’t know. I like being outside.

And then I wrote down later a whole list of hobbies, but when you get put on the spot, you’re like, I have no clue. I’ve never done anything in my entire life.

Stacy

Sorry. Yeah.

Laura

Awesome. So I’m going to kind of talk about you all and kind of how you’re formed and all of that, but what made you all first start?

Like, how did you become best friend? The duo?

Stacy

It’s really funny because I wish that I had this, like, big story of how, you know, some kind of circumstance happened and we decided that we were. But, like, honestly, what happened was we just were like, yeah, let’s start a band.

Cool. Okay. And then we just started a band. And that’s kind of like what it is. You’re on mute.

Kaelan

Sorry, I forgot I did that.

That’s technically true. Yeah. Basically, we literally just had been mutual for like, half a decade. A decade this year, actually. We’re approaching our ten year knowing of each other’s time. Know something I realized, doing some math on it, and I figured out the exact week, and it’s just like, crap. We’re like, first week in September. Let’s go. We’re celebrating.

We want to say we’re just mutual for a long time because we had a mutual friend, but overall, over the Internet, we were very far apart. And then I think we had the same little Midi keyboard, and that sparked a conversation between us. And I think we were both just sort of itching to make something at the time, so it wasn’t like a far jump from there.

Laura

Yeah, I always thought it was interesting because you’re both one from Canada, so from someone who lives in Texas, I always thought Canada was close, but when looking at it, it’s so far. So making music, it’s hard. It’s not like you live in San Diego and LA. It’s a far distance.

Kind of talk to me about that process of creating music when you live far apart. From coming up with an idea of like, oh, I kind of have this idea or this beat or this lyric that I want to start a song how do you start when you’re living so far away?

Stacy

So, yeah, definitely. It was definitely extremely difficult in the beginning. I mean, this was like, we had such a slow start, just the nature of living so far apart from each other. Something that really helped us was sending music that we liked back and forth. Like, songs that we liked, and elements of those songs that we liked. Kind of getting to know each other in that way.

And then eventually what ended up happening was one of us would have an idea, we get it down, I’d record a little voice note or something and then I would send it to Kaelan or vice versa. And he would work on it and add kind of what he envisioned would work with whatever it is that I’ve written and then send it back to me.

And then, basically, just a lot of file sharing back and forth and back and forth. It’s interesting because we don’t get that real-time reaction. Almost like the studio moments where you hear something and immediately you’re like, oh, yeah, that one for us. More just plays a sound, and then a day later, I wake up and I’m like, yeah, great. That sounds good. Yeah.

Kaelan

It was funny in the beginning. We opened a slack workspace like the workspace app. We opened one of those because we were already both in tech or, like, in tech business jobs. We had to have Slack open on our computers all the time. So we just signed into our separate one, and that’s how we talked all day about our jobs without anyone knowing.

And so we had this, like, big space we could just throw all of our garbage files into constantly. Like, just like, oh, here’s a lyric, here’s a sound clip. Here’s something like this. And it let there be, like, this constant thing that just, like, no matter what, we’re at work every day, but we always have this slack channel that we can go check out stuff which is so silly, but it worked.

Laura

I was about to say that from prior, like what Stacey was saying, it sounds like you’re basically a remote company, is how I saw it. I always thought I feel like this is a question of mine, but it kind of contributed to your uniqueness.

<break>

Stacy, what we were kind of talking about is how I still feel like your concept is unique, even past COVID. But I even feel like after COVID, people went back to being like, okay, we’re back to living in the same area of doing the same things or still doing that, while you all have kind of stayed with that concept and kind of defied, I guess, like, normal expectations of bands and duos.

Stacy

Yeah, I was definitely kind of jealous after COVID when I started seeing people getting back together in person, but honestly, I think that at this point, really would not have it any other way. I can’t even imagine right now what that would even be like.

I think that challenged us in ways that I think is quite like it doesn’t happen very often, I don’t think, as a band to do stuff like this. I can’t think of any other musicians who do the cross-country thing but yeah. I think it’s really a great opportunity for people to learn how to work around difficult things.

I was just going to say that I think that what I like so much about it is that ultimately it’s not something that we really could have made. We weren’t previously part of each other’s lives. We kind of really only became a part of each other’s lives in any significant capacity to come together and start making myths and to build this world.

So it’s almost like the whole thing is a product of us really only ever doing bestfriend stuff when we’re setting out to do bestfriend stuff because it’s not like we’re accidentally doing it while we’re hanging out. Yeah, we get together every so often and we really put in the time and it’s cool. Makes us feel easily intentional on that when it comes to going future plans and I like to say tour looking to do opening or touring for people.

Laura

Do you think being together will be different? Because obviously I know you’ve done like shoots and other things and probably met up all the time but I feel like that’s such a commitment long time thing rather than now you don’t spend as much time together?

Stacy

We don’t but I would like to think that we know each other quite well at this point. Just because it just comes naturally better than anyone. I don’t think I’ve ever been worried about that, to be honest.

I mean probably if you’d asked me when we first started this I would be nervous as all hell but now I’m just kind of like yeah, I mean it’s something that we obviously want to do and we are going to do at some point and I kind of know already like you know. I know what to expect, and, you know, I think that Kaelan knows what to expect, so yeah, not really any kind of ambiguity as to how I feel about that, to be honest with you.

Kaelan

We’re pretty tight, and we were pretty well versed in each other’s relative shortcomings and relative strengths, and we were very past the point where we really butt heads as much and just know each other at this point, so interaction shouldn’t be a problem. Yeah, we are very much looking forward to doing tours.

Laura

Yeah, that’s what I was saying. It’s so interesting because that’s the next thing people are doing. It’s like you’ve gone through COVID that there is a weird zone where you’re like, oh, is it like, are we almost done with COVID, and then now we’re at the point where I’m like, okay, time to put out music and look to start performing.

Is there any specific places that you all would like to go? Like cities or specific venues that you’ve dreamed of playing?

Kaelan

Not to pander, but I’ve always wanted to play the Ryman.

Laura

That’s pandering? Yeah.

Kaelan

It’s in Nashville, I think. I’ve always wanted to play there, genuinely. It’s like the only because Band of Horse did this big, beautiful set that I loved, like, ten years ago there, and I listened to it more than anything. Other than that, what do you think?

Stacy

Yeah, I do have an answer for this, but it’s not really related to any of my other experiences. It’s related to Adele. Um, so so, yeah, I mean, way, way back I don’t know when I found this, but Adele performed at Royal Albert Hall and this was when I think right after 21 had come out or something like that.

And I watched the whole thing back to front. Like, did not take any breaks, just was completely enraptured with it. And like, the venue looked beautiful. It was one of those places that just kind of seemed almost timeless. So it’s a big dream. It’s a very big dream. And it’s a dream that came kind of out of nowhere. But I would say that that is my venue that I would like to play at just because I think that my younger self would really appreciate that because I was really into that video.

Laura

Yeah, you were like

Kaelan

5000 capacity. We could do it.

Laura

Wow. I’ve seen a bunch of live albums based on that venue. So honestly, even just like, attending a concert there would be insane. Yeah, I mean, the Ryman, I go there a lot now, less now probably.

Kaelan

Not special for you. It is kind of special.

The only other one that comes to mind is Massey in Toronto. Massey hall, which is basically just deragment, but in Toronto. Yeah. Same vibe. Same vibe. Yeah. That’s so cool.

Laura

Okay, so we’re going to break down a couple of lyrics, which you obviously know, but I kind of wanted to talk about. Surprise. Yeah. I mean, I’ve done a few interviews where people are like, yeah, I’ve never heard of that song in my life. And I’m like, you know, it’s on Spotify under your name, but oh, gotcha.

But it’s kind of just, like, talking about a bit of what you what you believe it means. Kind of like how you thought when you first came up with it, and how it’s kind of changed over time, whether it’s just the past couple of weeks of how other people have interpreted it, et cetera. This one’s pretty easy. I started easy.

“I wanna die, but only for a year, at least until the smoke clears.” – LEMON LIME

Stacy

So that one is like the. Have you ever had those moments in, I don’t know, college or high school where you have something due and you’re kind of like, I kind of wish that I could get hit by a car, but in a way that wouldn’t damage me permanently, but enough to get me out of handing in this quiz or this assignment.

Think that, but on a way grander scale, things were definitely feeling kind of bleak when that was being written. I’m pretty sure it was peak pandemic, but I’m not totally sure.

Kaelan

But it was actually self referential. Not sure if you wanted to mention that.

Stacy

Yeah, it was self-referential. But in terms of the smoke clears part, there was literal smoke everywhere in Vancouver for the summer. It’s wildfire season, and so it was particularly bad that year. And there was just, like, smoke everywhere, even with your windows shut, you could feel it. And we all had headaches. It was Bad. It was bleak.

We have to cancel things because it’s COVID. So you can only do things outside, but you can’t be outside right now because there’s smoke everywhere, and yeah. So I think that was really based on the idea of, like, I would like to just not be a part of being a human until things are better again. And who knows? Who knows if that will ever happen? But all I know is, right now, I want all off the ride, and I would say that’s what the lyrics are about.

Laura

Yeah, I loved it. When I first heard that line, I was like, I’m one of those relatable lyric people. And so I’m like, oh, I can relate to feeling like that. And that’s why I like the song.

Stacy

Glad you could relate. Other people can, too. Yeah, for sure.

Laura

That’s the whole purpose in songwriting.

Stacy

Exactly.

Laura

Okay, this one, when I first heard it, I was like, huh, I really wonder what this means.

“Hold me back with kids’ gloves. Tell it like it once was” – LEMON LIME

Kaelan

Yeah. So that one is kind of how the song is largely about how it feels. Like a lot of this is going to sound really depressing, but a lot of the way that people got themselves out of bed in the mornings for years, especially in North America, it was all under some sort of general guise of like, this is all in the service of something good, and we’re building something good as a country.

And the American dream is beautiful, and you’re going to work in trickle-down economics, and it’s just like everything was just good and you were just sort of working in the face of it all, and things sucked, but you were part of a good system that worked, and that’s just flat out not the case anymore.

Any remote illusion of us being sort of united in the name of achieving anything in 2023 is just completely gone. And that is an awful way to live. It is awful and disheartening, and it is just really tough to process, and I didn’t want to process it.

So it’s like, let’s just not just treat us like kids. Hold us back, put the kid gloves. Just not let us get to this next point. Tell me about how it used to be. Tell me about how beautiful this was when you were growing up and how we should just buy a home. Just tell me about it, and let’s just pretend it’s not happening because it’s just not anymore. You know, so sad, but like, such a, like, fun song. Yeah. Yeah. That’s kind of a yeah, that’s the fun juxtaposition of it.

Laura

Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. That’s I’m a sucker for sad songs and sad lyrics. So, like, yes, I typically

Stacy

you’re in. For a treat with some of these other songs.

Laura

I know I’m kind of going ask a bit, but like, very surface level questions for you all.

Stacy

Totally fine.

Laura

Yes.

Kind of when creating your EP, was it difficult to choose songs? Because I know you’ve probably written a bunch.

Stacy

Yeah. For me, personally, I think Kaelan feels the same. But we really wanted to do an EP that follows the previous one. Right. And we’re both all about storytelling and so we wanted to make sure that whatever songs we did put on this coming EP still told the story that we wanted to. Whether tangentially or actually just directly on the nose references, it didn’t really matter.

We wrote a lot of songs and we tried a lot of different songs and we said that a lot of songs would be on this EP that just never ended up on the EP. But, yeah, that’s kind of how we decided. We just kind of said, does this fit with what we’re trying to say? Does this make sense in the big collage that is this EP doesn’t have a place? And then we would kind of go from there.

And if there is a song that was not better, but more of a fit, It was a better fit. We would then decide from there, what can we kind of boot and then put this in here instead? Yeah, we wrote a lot of songs.

I love the phrase boot. What can we boot? Yeah. We had the first CP to sort of balance ourselves on because they were always supposed to be intrinsically connected, just sort of like looking in opposite directions of perspective in time. So we sort of knew that even in the writing process. So it let us sort of write to assert it’s almost writing to phrase a brief, except the brief is our lives.

Laura

Wow. So in response to that, since it’s based off of kind of like tying the first two EPS together in the first EP, you’re kind of looking back in time. This one’s more looking forward, correct? Yeah. Awesome.

Kaelan

Yeah, absolutely. That’s the story we’re trying to yeah.

Laura

In terms of that, is it like, the theme of still places and stories or is it something new?

Kaelan

The answer is yes. Basically sort of like the first ep with a lot of us kind of looking back and processing the emotions in retrospect. And this one is sort of like letters to let us sort the things in our lives a little bit and it’s the people that are here helping us move forward and the things that are here and the ways that we feel and, like, the things that are happening right now and what the heck do we do with them? That’s the sort of perspective for the second one.

Laura

Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. Did you guys have any musical influences or, like, songs that you kind of, like, base your EP on that you listen to and you’re like? oh, I could use this part, or like, this is really nice. I want to do something similar to it.

Kaelan

So many. We love to kind of use references because it’s just such an easy way to communicate, especially from so far away. It’s such an easy way to when you don’t really know when it’s hard to sort of speak the same language because you’re doing it over keyboards. It’s easy to point to little pieces and songs and build from that. So I don’t know a concrete example. Do you have any off the top of your head, Stacy?

Stacy

Lyric wise, for me and probably for Kaelan too, is The National.

Yeah, it’s The National. Oh, Julia Jacklin. Yeah. Lyric wise to me. Those are kind of always my go to’s in terms of, you know, whenever I’m feeling a bit, like, stuck. I like to listen to songs written by Matt Berninger and Julie Jacklin just because it’s encouraging in a way where they write very honestly and they write stories very honestly and very frankly in a way that feels very organic, almost.

And so I like to kind of listen to the songs and reminder to myself as well that, you know, honesty is the best policy. Like, I don’t have to shroud all of my lyrics and metaphors, and I don’t have to be the egg. Like, I can write what I want to write about and it’ll be fine. So that, for me, is my biggest influence personally.

Laura

Sweet. Yeah.

Kaelan

Love that.

Laura

Lastly, before we move on. What is your, if you can say what is, the favorite track that you made on the EP? Is it one that you have a personal connection to or did you have a story about it?

Stacy

I think we’re going to have different answers, right? Yeah,

Kaelan

I think we’re going to have different answers.

Stacy

Yeah. So there’s a song on it called Tuesday Waltz. Very, very special song to me. I was hospitalized last March as a result of a mental health-related incident, and I wrote that song the week that I came back home, and it’s not a sad song. I came back and I was like, I’m going to write a song about how I feel right now and it’s going to be devastating and I’m going to pour my heart out.

Really sad. And then I sat down and I don’t think I want to do that. I think that I should choose hope this time around. So, yeah, that is kind of what ends up happening with that song. So that is like a very special song to me, for sure. So I’m excited for people to hear it.

Kaelan

Me too. I was hoping you were going to say that. My personal favorite. Oh, I actually don’t know. It’s between two and you haven’t heard of either of them? I’m going to go with one my favorite is Matador. Yeah. Because it’s worth it. I have to talk about Matador.

Matador is an awesome song. It’s is. I don’t know. Would you say it’s? The Darkest is probably one of the darkest, best friend’s songs.

Yes, it’s probably one of the darkest, Bestfriend songs we’ve written, and it was one that we chipped away at for a long time and tried not to do too much to break it. It’s sort of a natural thing.

You never want to polish too much. And then I had a good friend kind of helped me out with the end of it, and it really just became something we never expected it to. So you’ll see, it’s beautiful.

Laura

Awesome. See, now I’m jealous. Now I’m like, okay, now I have to hear awesome.

Kaelan

We might send you Matador later.

Laura

Thank you for this! Hope to see ya’ll soon!

Kaelan & Stacy

See you soon!

Check out Bestfriend here and stay tuned to their upcoming ep: “places i’ve left” releasing later this year.