I think it’s genuinely brilliant that one may go into their bedroom, turn on their computer and record an album. I think it’s incredible that with the technology we have at our fingertips in this day and age, musicians can be in complete control of what they produce with a flick of a mouse, some good lyrics, and melodies inside their heads. BAM! Magic happens, and songs are made and digitalized for all to hear.
Bay Area musician and songwriter Colin Schlitt has done just that. Schlitt’s side project, Peppermint Moon, is a complete DIY one-man-band that has produced an airy and grungy album, A Million Suns. Schlitt is best known as the bassist for the Marin County band El Radio Fantastique, but his talents range far and wide when it comes to music. Schlitt is an accomplished musician on not only bass but also piano and guitar starting at a young age.
“I started writing songs in my early 20’s. That’s also when I started playing bass in bands where a lot of the songwriting was collaborative. I focused mainly on the bands I was in, but my own songs were more of a hobby at that point”, states Schlitt.
Bay Area musician and songwriter Colin Schlitt has done just that. Schlitt’s side project, Peppermint Moon, is a complete DIY one-man-band that has produced an airy and grungy album, A Million Suns. Schlitt is best known as the bassist for the Marin County band El Radio Fantastique, but his talents range far and wide when it comes to music. Schlitt is an accomplished musician on not only bass but also piano and guitar starting at a young age.
“I started writing songs in my early 20’s. That’s also when I started playing bass in bands where a lot of the songwriting was collaborative. I focused mainly on the bands I was in, but my own songs were more of a hobby at that point”, states Schlitt.
After joining El Radio Fantastique, bandleader Giovanni Di Morente asked if he had any songs that might fit in with the band’s sonic madness. “I played some for him, and he loved them. After that, I started singing some of my songs in the band. With Giovanni’s encouragement, I really started to get the songwriting bug. I use a method that he taught me where I start by focusing just on melody ideas. I then sing the melody with lots of oohs, ahs, and other vowel sounds. After doing that for a while, I subconsciously start filling in words here and there that fit the phrasing of the melody. As these subconscious words start getting filled in, I then start thinking about what potential meanings are developing and fill in the blanks.”
As Peppermint Moon, Schlitt had the opportunity to create music that was wholly his. “My favorite music has always been psychedelic pop,” states Schlitt, “I always try to find that sweet spot of sounding weird but also not so weird that it’s hard to listen to. That balance is what really gets my juices flowing.” On his own albums, both A Million Suns and his 2019 debut release Symphony Of Sympathy he does all the instrumentation, the vocals, the recording and the mixing for his albums. “My production style is much more punk rock – not so much in the sound, but in the attitude. I have no real production or engineering training and have learned as I go. I basically just say ‘screw it’ and try not to let my lack of technical knowledge get in the way.“
As Peppermint Moon, Schlitt had the opportunity to create music that was wholly his. “My favorite music has always been psychedelic pop,” states Schlitt, “I always try to find that sweet spot of sounding weird but also not so weird that it’s hard to listen to. That balance is what really gets my juices flowing.” On his own albums, both A Million Suns and his 2019 debut release Symphony Of Sympathy he does all the instrumentation, the vocals, the recording and the mixing for his albums. “My production style is much more punk rock – not so much in the sound, but in the attitude. I have no real production or engineering training and have learned as I go. I basically just say ‘screw it’ and try not to let my lack of technical knowledge get in the way.“
His choice to not use his own name for this project is a bit unusual. He explains, “I like the idea of a set of music having a poetic name as opposed to just being the name of a person. I am also pretty shy and introverted most of the time and felt more comfortable giving this project a name that wouldn’t draw as much attention to me personally and would focus more on the songs. I thought it would be cool if people were fooled and thought it was an actual band.”
“Doing everything by myself is a very different experience and offers a different type of satisfaction. All the choices I make are solely for what’s best to convey a song.”
“I have synesthesia where I visualize music when I hear it," he states of his musical visions. "I remember describing these colorful, rhythmic cartoons I was seeing while listening to music when I was really young and no one knowing what the hell I was talking about. The best representation I’ve seen of this is in the movie Ratatouille, where they visually animate some of the flavors Ratatoulle tastes. It is very similar to what I see when I listen to music.”
“Doing everything by myself is a very different experience and offers a different type of satisfaction. All the choices I make are solely for what’s best to convey a song.”
“I have synesthesia where I visualize music when I hear it," he states of his musical visions. "I remember describing these colorful, rhythmic cartoons I was seeing while listening to music when I was really young and no one knowing what the hell I was talking about. The best representation I’ve seen of this is in the movie Ratatouille, where they visually animate some of the flavors Ratatoulle tastes. It is very similar to what I see when I listen to music.”
A Million Suns was originally going to be a three-song EP. With lockdown orders in place, Schlitt had time to write more music, so the album grew to 5 songs total. The album is filled with ethereal moods and layered vocals wrapped up in a grungy, psychedelic vibe. “Venus Flytrap”, the opening track for the album, is all crunchy feedback with a psychedelic surf-vibe and sets the tone for the sonic roller coaster the listener will experience. “Like You Used To Feel” has a killer groove and a vortex of soundscapes. “What You Wanted” and “On A Dare” takes the listener to deep places inside their heads and ”This Way Monsters Be” ends the album with wispy visions.
Schlitt provides dreamy music with a kick. There is a buoyancy to the songs that are sidelined by an underlying edginess; it’s an interesting mix that creates wordless emotions and feelings. Schlitt will continue to keep himself busy with El Radio as well as Peppermint Moon, “I do love collaborating with other musicians,” he states, “and I would never want to exclusively make music by myself.” When one has music pulsing through their veins, it’s almost impossible to stop creating. With Schlitt’s talented repertoire of sonic tricks, it will always be fun to see what he comes up with next.
Schlitt provides dreamy music with a kick. There is a buoyancy to the songs that are sidelined by an underlying edginess; it’s an interesting mix that creates wordless emotions and feelings. Schlitt will continue to keep himself busy with El Radio as well as Peppermint Moon, “I do love collaborating with other musicians,” he states, “and I would never want to exclusively make music by myself.” When one has music pulsing through their veins, it’s almost impossible to stop creating. With Schlitt’s talented repertoire of sonic tricks, it will always be fun to see what he comes up with next.
Check out the music and more info on Peppermint Moon
Bandcamp:
http://peppermintmoon.bandcamp.com/
Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/2vV0M13iYva7vJkKJB1htA?si=pSQ8CAGaQGWC8-n5KdwK4A
Bandcamp:
http://peppermintmoon.bandcamp.com/
Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/2vV0M13iYva7vJkKJB1htA?si=pSQ8CAGaQGWC8-n5KdwK4A
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