Photo by Kimber VanSant, graphic representation by C.M.
Annie Sachs of Philadelphia's Tickley Feather comes across as humble and well-spoken, with a bit of a silly and shy-side while speaking candidly about her history; this in turn speaks volumes about the music she creates, and the heart behind it. Both live and recorded, Tickley Feather's mysterious sounds are upon first listen minimalist, but on closer inspection; show layer upon layer, quickly revealing emotional and ghostly experiments in sound that are also reminiscent of the appearance she affects while performing her art on stage. An accidental double exposure: each one separate but surrounding one another in a unique kind of harmony. Bringing to mind artists and bands who are known for their performance aesthetics such as Kate Bush, His Name Is Alive, Björk, and Goldfrapp; attention may wander from time to time but most songs have a delicate and definite depth, and usually bring you back around from wandering. The following interview took place at this year's Sunday portion of the Popped! Festival located at the World Café.
Girl About Town:Where do you get the inspiration for your music?
Annie: I probably draw inspiration from the music that I've heard over the years. I mean, I try not to directly rip anything off... I just really like bits of things that strike me and I [try to] let it flow into my consciousness.
Your sound brings to mind the feel of a film-strip--almost a double-exposure on itself with a few different things happening all at once. How did you start this project?
Well, I really enjoy singing a lot, so I started the recording process to have an outlet for me to sing more. I started by recording keyboards to sing along to, basically. I think the lyrical sound is just that. Previously, it wasn't important for me to sit down and really write out a song, it was more free-flowing. It's a mood, I think I just want to capture an emotion. And I think that the way that you put it is a really good way to describe it, almost like a 'double-exposure'.
Seeing you on stage is more like watching performance art, rather than a band. Do you feel as though the props you use and the way you act through each song makes each performance unique?
I think that if I knew more, and was more practiced, it would be less like that. I'm learning to make music in general. You know, I never really set out to be a musician. I just started doing it, and it wasn't very long ago that I began making music. I'm learning a lot as I go along, I'm also really ashamed and afraid, yet, pleased to share that with the audience. I'm really happy to wear my heart on my sleeve and let them see the experiment take place as I learn. Because, I don't think that music should be something that's for afficionados--I don't think it should be reserved only for that. I think everybody should be comfortable to find their (if they're interested) own song. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is B.S.
Your music has a bit of a sexual undertone. How do you feel people react to that aspect of your music?
That's the first time that I've heard the word "sexual" in relation to it. I don't know what people are thinking, when they're watching me perform, I still haven't figured out that formula in general. I think that sexuality is a part of emotion in general, so if I was doing an emotional study of a song, it might cross over into that range because that's part of it.
Your performance feels very girlish--it seems coquette at times; in the way you dress, even down to songs with titles like "Sexface".
I think maybe when I was younger, I was probably a lot more risqué, I kind of (maybe) created my own tone of sexuality. I don't think that's something to be ashamed of. I feel like there's a lot of ... dealing with feminism and stuff like that. I went through a phase where I pushed my boobs flat with stuff and had really short hair and no femininity, at this point I feel like I've found my own brand of femininity. I mean, it is 'campy'. Sometimes when I get dressed to go do a show, I can't stop thinking of Dolly Parton. I think she's the most hilarious person. I think that I'm being honest when I say that no ounce of that is to 'sell' myself. I mean, if you and I were on my couch right now talking, it's the same. This is who I am. It's part of me.
Tickley Feather photo by Amanda Vaden
Do you feel as though you're maturing as a musician with that being said?
Sure. Yes! For this record, that just came out, I was really experimenting. I was really learning how to make a song. That's what those [songs] are. They're sketches. And I'm excited, maybe, just in realizing that there's [maybe] more to come. And that's really thrilling to me.
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