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White Hinterland turns R&B?
How singer Casey Dienel found a revelation through her record collection

If contemporary music is composed of various genres and aesthetics that are now available with the click of a finger, then White Hinterland's latest LP, Kairos (Dead Oceans), is a reflection of that sentiment. It is the most contemporary thing that you will hear all year—a combination of genres ranging from folk-rock to R&B, and yet the execution is nothing short of flawless.

The creation of Kairos began during a particularly defeating round of touring for White Hinterland's last album, Phylactery Factory (Dead Oceans). "It wasn't conscious. I definitely didn't mastermind a reinvention," says songwriter and vocalist Casey Dienel. "There were a lot of things I was unhappy with." Those 'things' included the types of songs she wrote and her ability to play all of the arrangements live. "I felt really unsatisfied—like I wasn't pushing myself," she continues. "I figured [maybe] if I went back to the drawing board, [then] a lot of things I ...
... would let other people do, I could do myself if I was disciplined."

The process eventually turned into something of a revelation. "I don't know if my ears are broken, but I hear music I like in the same way. I'm more musical—I don't see how what I'm listening to would not have an indelible impression on what I'm working on," says Dienel. Lately, her listening preferences range from Mariah Carey and TLC to tUnE-YarDs, and it was Dienel's ability to discern different genres of music equally that allowed her interests and influences to shine through on record. "Why can't I feel the way that these women sound?" she asked of the superstars she references. "It sounds like they are totally present. I wanted to do that. I wanted to cut the shit out and stop being afraid and find my voice."

This article is originally published in Venus Zine Music Magazine

The Music Magazine Venus Zine and venuszine.com feature interviews with legendary artists in addition to edgy and up-and-coming musicians, designers, writers, actresses, and DIY entrepreneurs.

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