Secret Mountains has a name that alone speaks for their music. It is mysterious, ephemeral, and sounds like it comes from deep within some hidden, stormy mountain range. The psych-rock sextet, whose members met and live in Baltimore, consists of frontman Jeffrey Silverstein, Kelly Laughlin on vocals, Alex Jones on bass, Corey Lawrence on guitar, Chris Muccioli on drums and Jake Winstanley on keys. We sat down with the group to discuss their songwriting process, their influences, and their future plans.
The number of members – as well as their differing backgrounds (Jeffrey is from northern New Jersey, Kelly is from Michigan, and the others are from Maryland) – certainly makes Secret Mountains’ music more complex. Their music exudes an atmosphere or emotion rather than an idea. The songs are heavily driven by Kelly’s vocals and sound a bit like a more folksy Karen O (of the YeahYeahYeahs) with hints of Cat Power’s Chan Marshall.
When asked about their musical process, Silverstein said, “We definitely try to collaborate where possible or necessary. I think [Kelly and I] really enjoy each other’s writing styles and they always seem to compliment each other.” The band focuses a lot on surrealism and dreams, apparent in long songs like “Remainder,” which takes the listener to a psychedelic world of haunting vocals and droning guitar.
