YACHT – Shangri-La

YACHT’s Shangri-La is the band’s best album to date, one that sees relative newcomer and science fiction guru, Claire L Evans take the fore with deft command of each danceable, addictive track. YACHT may also be a cult. Natalie assures me otherwise, but Claire did say she wants to be my God, so…

Brandon: Shangri-La is the second full length album from the current incarnation of YACHT, which consists of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans. YACHT had been Jona’s Portland, Oregon solo project from 2002 until 2008 when he joined forces with Claire and the duo wrote and recorded See Mystery Lights in Marfa, Texas, an album inspired, no doubt, by the paranormal and nebulously explained Marfa Lights. Why else would anyone go to Marfa, Texas?

Before, we jump into the album, have you seen their website? At first I thought most of it was tongue-in-cheek, their FAQ with questions like “Is YACHT compatible with my religion?” and “If I believe in God, can I still be a part of YACHT?” but after reading this review of a lecture they gave at the Hedreen Gallery at Seattle University, I think they’re actually more or less sincere, at least 70/30.

YACHT is an acronym for “Young Americans Challenging High Technology” and is described by the group as “a Band, Belief System, and Business.” In their mission statement, they state that “YACHT believes art and spirituality are inseparable,” that they “[seek] to explore frontiers and to expand awareness of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI),” and that they “[aim] to provide an alternative to religion, by creating a community which provides long-lasting meaning and value without dogma or submission.”

Initially, I was inclined to gag. I can only take so much new-agey hooey. But then I discovered that Claire is a huge science fiction nerd who writes a science blog called Universe. Maybe YACHT is a science fiction band along the lines of Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard. Given their modest popularity, that could either be incredibly awesome or incredibly terrifying.

Natalie, I think the album is actually kind of great. I like it more than See Mystery Lights. And up to now, I found odd their focus on the afterlife and utopia and the bevy of religious motifs that have populated their two albums. Now, I don’t even know where to begin. Is this marketing? Are Jona and Claire aiming to be more than a band? Their talk at Seattle University was about the similarities and intersections of bands and cults. My question for you is, how do we approach YACHT and this album? Can we separate it from their overall mission? And what is that mission? Is this all just irony? Have the hipsters tricked me again?

Natalie: Take a deep breath, my friend. YACHT is not out to swindle you! Nor are they out to convert you. Having met both Jona and Claire, I can tell you that they are extremely nice and smart – the two personality traits required of every cult leader, right? I’m kidding, of course, but the fact that they sell themselves as a cult-like group has certainly managed to get them some attention. I think the evolution of YACHT is pretty fascinating. Like any successful business, YACHT has expanded in the last few years into the “Band, Belief System, and Business” that they are today. They’re sponsored by New Balance, for crying out loud! While some may be wary of their approach, I admire it. Mostly because Jona and Claire have a very DIY approach to it all. Indeed, they’ve managed to become a successful band but, more importantly, they’ve done it on their own terms.

I remember seeing Jona perform solo as YACHT about five years ago and was blown away by his energy. I’m not one for making “best-of” lists but if I were, that performance would be pretty high up there. I’ve seen YACHT twice since then, with Claire joining him on-stage each time. While the feeling of these shows has definitely had more of a “produced” feel, they’ve been tons of fun. Jona and Claire put a lot of effort into their live shows and maintaining the image of their band. While I don’t think they’re really trying to create a religion here, I respect the amount of effort they’ve put in to making us think they are. Like his former bandmate Khaela Maricich of the Blow, I think Jona approaches YACHT as one part band, one part performance art. When you think about it, though, the two really are one and the same. And, as with any performance art, YACHT’s “mission” should be questioned and discussed.

So, with that being said, let’s talk about the music. Aside from being insanely catchy and chock-full of hooks, I immediately noticed that Shangri-La really puts Claire at the forefront. “Dystopia,” the first
song the band shared with fans in March, is YACHT’s “…post-apocalyptic fight song, a cautionary tale, a science-fiction story for our particular eco-socio-political landscape.” I have to say, this sure is one dance-y fight song. Which, I think, can be said about every song on this album. The themes that YACHT explore on Shangri-La are serious in nature but it’s so easy to have fun with them.

Brandon: They’re sponsored by New Balance!? Shoe companies sponsor bands, now!? You just blew my mind.

Also, who haven’t you met? Last time we talked you were like, “Oh, I know Katy Davidson. She’s super cool.” And now you say you know Jona and Claire? You’re officially this site’s “Person in the Know.”

I really like, actually, that Claire has been brought to the fore. I think, as with Khaela Maricich’s The Blow, Jona prefers and excels as the producer in the background. Claire proves herself more than capable of carrying the vocal load on Shangri-La, and while I loved See Mystery Lights, it was a much noisier album, especially with the two of them often singing together. Giving Claire a little more space really helps open up the songs. I think that’s why it feels like there are so many more catchy tunes this time around.

Could you explain a little bit what you mean that the themes are “serious” but “easy to have fun with?” The songs are no doubt really fun and catchy, but the themes, well…how are we or they having fun with them?

In fact, what are the themes as you see them?

Also, if you want to talk motifs, have you noticed that everything on this album is “burning?”

A brief and haphazardly compiled list:

• “Dystopia” – “The Earth is on fire. We don’t have no daughter.* Let the motherfucker burn.”
• “Beam Me Up” – ” In six million years we’ll stand together and watch it burn. Burn! Burn! Burn!”
• “Holy Roller” – “Get my ass up to the pulpit, gonna get those benches burning, burning.”

I’m sure I missed some.

*[Can you explain this? What’s the daughter business? If they had a daughter, would they then try to extinguish the burning Earth?]

Natalie: The New Balance thing… one of their friends told me that when I met them at Coachella. I’m not 100% sure it’s true.

I, too, like the fact that Claire is so prominently featured on this album. She’s a great performer and I think the band is stronger with her in it. She has an amazing amount of confidence and when she sings, “And if you want me to be your God then I will be your God!” on “Paradise Engineering,” I believe her. Even if I don’t believe in God.

Let me clarify. I think the album explores some serious themes, namely religion and the sad state of the environment. However, the songs are incredibly fun. I can’t name any other songs about the end of the world that also make me want to dance (I’m talking to you, R.E.M.). So, while the themes YACHT explore on this album are serious, Jona and Claire make it easy to have fun with them.

I think the tracks on Shangri-La could be enjoyed by people dancing in a club who don’t give a damn about content just as easily as they can be enjoyed by you and me – that is, two music lovers who are attempting to analyze the band, the album, etc. YACHT’s music has always been accessible, but both See Mystery Lights and Shangri-La explore deeper topics while retaining the enjoyability of Jona’s earlier albums.

As for the daughter business, I’m at a loss! To be honest, I thought they were singing “We don’t have no water.” Oops.

Brandon: Thematically, what strikes me about Shangri-La is the argument they seem to be making that even though the world is “burning” and going to shit, there’s no where else to go, so we might as well make the best of it. As danceable as these songs are, we might as well dance. I hear Lykke Li’s down to gyrate on the flaming pyre of the world. (Thought I was going to link to “Dance, Dance, Dance,” didn’t you? That’s so 2008.) On opener “Utopia,” as a mission statement for the album, Jona and Claire sing “We all know when we wake up / That this is all we get.” And the rest of the album never wavers from that sentiment.

They say on their website, “YACHT believes in reforming an adequate language by coining new words and examining the meaning of existing words. For example, Utopia means ‘No Place.'” This is one way to look at it, I suppose. But if you simplify its definition to “No Place,” it’s not that far of a stretch to say that Utopia is “All Places.” Really, it’s just a matter of perspective.

“Holy Roller” right now is vying for favorite song status on the album. And lyrically, I think it acts as the thematic crux. “Everyone loves someone,” Claire sings, “But the universe loves no one.” And later, “Don’t worry about God up above / We’re gonna live life in love.”

I can’t tell you how annoyed I get when someone does something great for another human being, only to have the recipient say, “God is great. God works in mysterious ways.” No, fuck God! God didn’t give you new clothes. God didn’t build your house. Bob did. Bob is great. You’re confusing Bob with God. Maybe it was a Freudian slip, but the person you meant to thank was Bob. Bob. Not God. This is especially annoying in the wake of any natural disaster. When a hurricane or tornado rips through a town, and people try to pick each other up, and then they all give thanks to God. God rained hellfire from the sky! God killed your dog! It was Brian and Mary and Janice that pulled your picture album from the rubble and carried your four year old with the broken arm five miles to the hospital!

So, yeah. Not a big fan of God, this guy. Or, I should say, not a big fan of the misappropriation of gratitude.

And of course, the album wraps its argument up perfectly with “Shangri-La,” coming in a close second to “Holy Roller,” with Claire singing, ” I don’t want to die and go on off to paradise. / There are more fun places here that I can patronize.” And also, “When the Rapture comes, if you don’t mind, I’ll be waiting down here.”

Me too! This is my kind of cult. The new date for the Rapture, by the way, is October 21st. My birthday! I’m really hoping the guy’s right this time. I think I’d be perfectly happy if everyone who wants to get Raptured does. I’ll hang out with Jona and Claire down here.

Natalie: I hope we didn’t upset any religious folks.

Brandon: Eh. Nobody reads this site anyway.

Natalie: Oh. OK.