Just Jaded
Great Time Break Down Their New Single and Musical Influences
A band that has no genre: Great Time is set to release another genre-defining single, ‘80z Slo Jam,’ on October 19. This single is gearing fans up for their next album full of live tracks, which is set to be released by the end of this year.
Great Time was born in college when Jill Ryan, Zack Hartmann, and Donnie Spackman met while studying Jazz at New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Then in 2015, they moved to a city west of Philadelphia and built Great Time Studios, where they now write and record. Just like their name, they just want to have a great time with music.
I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Great Time to get a better understanding of their sound, musical influences, and what to expect from ‘80z Slo Jam.’
How would you describe your unique sound to new listeners/fans?
“We take our wide-ranging musical influences and distill them into something new. Not quite an amalgam of genre, but definitely a wide range of influences that are filtered through our lens. We want to make music that is easily accessible while always leaving more to be discovered upon closer listen”.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
“We love all styles but I think some of our biggest collective influences are D'Angelo, Bilal, Little Dragon, Incubus, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Jeff Buckley, Cannonball Adderly, and Patrice Rushen. The list truly goes on and on!”
What made you decide to be based in Philadelphia, and is there anything in the soundscape there that influences you?
“We all met in New York City in college but would spend every weekend taking the Megabus to Philly and a train to a farm just west of the city where Donnie grew up. In an old office/garage space on the farm, we learned how to use recording gear and decided to move there together after graduating to build what is now Great Time Studios and write/record new music. Being a part of the Philly music scene has taught us so much. We are inspired by all the musicians that come out of this city and feel gratitude to be able to experience it. There's so much rich history here - the Philly Soul movement, jazz greats, and contemporary RnB icons from The O'Jays, John Coltrane to Bilal and Jazmine Sullivan! Not to mention the DIY/underground/punk scene here. Philly is f***ing awesome”.
Your new single '80z Slo Jam' has quite an ironic title, for the listener to expect something slow but then you deliver something quite opposite. What was the process behind this track and what do you want listeners to take from it?
“Like many of our tracks, '80z Slo Jam' started as a simple beat. At a certain point, the project needs to be saved and that was the name that was picked since originally it had a bit less going on. The general order went: drums, main bass line, key-stabs, then vocals. The writing/arranging process becomes more and more collaborative as we get further along and start committing to final sounds, leaving us with the most curated elements that best fit the track. Just about every song of ours has dozens of layers that don't make the final cut but are imperative to the exploration of the composition. I want listeners to blast this new live version of ‘80z Slo Jam’ as a form of cathartic release from everyday vexations like your shitty day job or an annoying roommate. Time to let it all out!”
Written By: Zaylee Bell
