In this interview, Levy pulls back the curtain on the making of\u00a0Household<\/em>: how a borrowed Telecaster and a vintage amp shaped its sound, why a last-minute duet became the perfect closer, and how years of playing with icons like\u00a0Norah Jones\u00a0and\u00a0Tracy Chapman\u00a0inform his approach to melody as conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of all, Household<\/em> is about presence\u2014the kind of music that only happens when you\u2019re really listening. So come inside. The door\u2019s open.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What was the initial spark for Household<\/em>? Where does the title Household<\/em> come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve known producer\/guitarist Chris Bruce for about 10 years. I\u2019ve always marveled at his inventive approach to making music. We collaborated remotely on a few pieces during the pandemic. He asked me to send him any little melodic ideas I was working on. Each time I did, he sent me back something incredible! I was sending him spare sketches, and he added so much atmosphere and movement. Our Household<\/em> collaboration began there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The album title came from the fact that we recorded this music in a house \u2014 about two hours north of Los Angeles. Tibet Hill Studios was the home of engineer Lynne Earls. The <\/i><\/span>Household<\/em> was the last record she made there. She has since moved back to L.A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your previous album Spry was a trio record, but Household<\/em> has a totally different sound and vibe. Did a particular moment, place, or piece of music inspire the album\u2019s direction?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am very proud of Spry<\/em>, but I didn\u2019t want to record a sequel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You worked with producer Chris Bruce on this album. How did his influence shape the sound of Household<\/em> compared to your past self-produced work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n His spirit is in the fabric of all of this music. Some of the tunes were co-written by the two of us. Chris wrote a few on his own, and I did too. He also helped me choose the recording engineer, and suggested that we bring multi-instrumentalist Josh Johnson on to the session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The band (Josh Johnson, Alan Hampton, Griffin Goldsmith, Chris Bruce) brings a distinct chemistry and sound to the album.\u00a0How did you choose these musicians, and what did they add that surprised you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Josh Johnson was suggested by Chris Bruce. I had heard Josh play several times before, with Jeff Parker\u2019s group. What can I say? He\u2019s a musical marvel. His short solo on \u201cLula Mae\u201d is one of my favorite moments on the whole album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Griffin and I met several years ago at an informal jam session in L.A. I\u2019ve been looking for an opportunity for us to play together again. He has a great feel, and really gets to the blood and bones of each song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alan and I played a trio gig with Griffin two years ago. I\u2019d heard him before then, but it was the first time we had really played together. I love the buoyancy of his playing, and the woodiness of his sound \u2014 even when he plays electric bass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris Bruce is one of my favorite guitarists! His rhythm playing adds depth and dimension to every tune, and I love the way he uses effects pedals. I don\u2019t think he considers himself a jazz-oriented player, but he really transcends style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You recorded at Tibet Hill Studios in Tehachapi, California. Did the location influence the album\u2019s mood or recording process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t think being in Tehachapi influenced the album in any particular way. But being a bit removed from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles probably affected our mood. It was important to me to get us all out of town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The album has such a cohesive, live-band energy\u2014did you track most of these tunes together in the room, or build them up with overdubs? How did that choice shape the feel of the record?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m glad it feels that way! Mostly live, with just a few overdubs. We weren\u2019t all in one room together. We set up in different rooms throughout the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the tracks are instrumental yet feel deeply emotional, almost vocal in their phrasing. How do you approach melody to make the guitar “sing” without words?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think about the mood I\u2019m trying to convey. I also listen to what the other musicians are playing, and I listen to myself, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been an instrumentalist for most of my life. I started singing and writing lyrics about 20 years ago, after I\u2019d already been playing guitar for a long time. Becoming a singer and a lyricist has helped me appreciate those aspects of music \u2014 even when they\u2019re not explicitly there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your phrasing on this album feels especially lyrical. Do you think of guitar lines as \u201cconversations\u201d or \u201cstories\u201d when you play?<\/strong> How did you approach the recording of the album guitar-wise? Did you choose any special guitar, what was your main amp choice?<\/strong> You\u2019ve played with so many incredible artists (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Lizz Wright). Did any collaborations outside this project indirectly influence Household<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I worked with Chris Bruce on Lizz Wright\u2019s Shadow<\/em> album a few years ago, which Chris produced. I loved working with him in the studio then, because he has such a warm energy and is a fantastic guitarist. I knew that having Chris onboard would take my music into some fresh spaces, while still letting me play to my strengths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo\u201d closes the album as a raw, intimate duet.\u00a0Why did you choose to end\u00a0Household<\/em>\u00a0this way?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The duet was Chris Bruce\u2019s idea. Josh and I didn\u2019t have any preconceived plan. We just played \u2014 in one live take. Josh and I were in different rooms, listening to each other through headphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t think it was originally intended to be the album\u2019s closer, but when Chris and I were sequencing the tunes, \u201cTwo\u201d felt like the right mood to end on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/aaa-1-768x1024.jpg\")
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Yes! That\u2019s my intention, exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_8501-768x1024.jpg\")
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I\u2019ve been borrowing an old Fender Telecaster from my friend Leni Stern. It\u2019s so fantastic. It sings! For this album, I played her Tele through a Gibson Discoverer amp from the early 1960s. I used that combination throughout the album, along with a few effects pedals. For the acoustic songs (\u201cPlants\u201d, \u201cMagdalena\u201d, and \u201cTwo\u201d) I played my Collings DS2H.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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