{"id":2041,"date":"2021-02-17T07:21:47","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T15:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/602c481e874cf4bfd7794e00"},"modified":"2021-02-17T07:21:47","modified_gmt":"2021-02-17T15:21:47","slug":"the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dream-Pop Transcendence of IAN SWEET"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the methods Medford learned in therapy\u2014and continues to practice\u2014is the emotional freedom technique. \u201cBasically, you tap the pressure points on your body and repeat mantras,\u201d she explains, lightly patting her fingers around her eyes, under her nose, on her collarbone, and under her arms. \u201cInitially, my therapist would have me say things like, \u2018I forgive myself for staying in that relationship.\u2019 It just lightens your load. It\u2019s a meditation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each day of the program began with a journaling session, and Medford used the time to write lyrics. On one of those songs, \u201cDirt,\u201d she outlines her metamorphosis into a more self-aware being: \u201cI\u2019m breathing for the first time\/I was underwater.\u201d After treatment, she would head to the studio to record with these thoughts fresh in her head. At the end of February, right before the pandemic shut down Los Angeles, she graduated from the program.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"responsive-asset asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-asset--invisible\"><picture class=\"asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The DreamPop Transcendence of IAN SWEET\" class=\"responsive-image__image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_1280%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_1024%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_768%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b4ec6cca95f48c55b9f\/master\/w_640%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline3.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Throughout last year, while working her day job at a company that creates music for film and TV trailers, Medford continued to toil on what would become <em>Show Me How You Disappear<\/em>. Instead of pairing up with a single producer, she tapped several different ones, including Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief) and Chris Coady (Beach House), matching them to the mood or emotional weight of a track. \u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to make everything all at once because I didn\u2019t have the capacity to do that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The result sounds lighter and more spacious than her previous work, as if she\u2019s floating. Considering her last few years of personal turbulence, I ask Medford how she feels about her other albums at this point. \u201cI don\u2019t feel like I was being as truthful as I could have been on those records, because there wasn\u2019t a lot of honesty within myself at that time. I didn\u2019t get the opportunity to actually say what I wanted or really feel connected to the songs because I was constantly lying to myself,\u201d she says, as the California sunshine beams down onto her floppy knitted hat. \u201cBut with this record, I was processing my emotions in a healthy way for the first time. I feel so proud because for once I was not trying to fake it. It gave me an opportunity to really feel like myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"responsive-asset asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-asset--invisible\"><picture class=\"asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The DreamPop Transcendence of IAN SWEET\" class=\"responsive-image__image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_1280%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_1024%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_768%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4b839e0bca6de3fa34b8\/master\/w_640%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline4.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Pitchfork: On the new album\u2019s opening track, \u201cMy Favorite Cloud,\u201d you sing, \u201cMy psychic told me I\u2019d die\/\u2019Cause I\u2019d forget to breathe.\u201d Is that based on a real story?<\/p>\n<p>Jilian Medford: Yeah. Right after my grandpa passed away in February 2019, I went to see Harmony [Tividad, of Girlpool]\u2019s mom, who is a medium. I was really struggling between so many things. She went into her trances and then she held my hands and she\u2019s like, \u201cYou don\u2019t know how to breathe. When was the last time you actually took a breath and remembered it and felt yourself breathe?\u201d I just started bawling. But she was like, \u201cIf you don\u2019t learn how to breathe properly, like, you will die.\u201d I knew what she meant. I had often felt myself holding my breath and not knowing it.<\/p>\n<p>Did you try to incorporate that feeling of anxiety into the sound of the record?<\/p>\n<p>My thoughts were so obsessive at the time, and I was also doing a lot of the tapping therapy, which was basically repeating myself over and over again as much as I needed to, to feel released of it. All the songs are a form of healing for me. But they\u2019re also anxious. When I was unwell, the only way I could get through the anxiety was by thinking about it over and over again. A lot of these songs lack resolve\u2014like I\u2019m trying to figure it out, but it doesn\u2019t need to be figured out right now. It can\u2019t. It\u2019s just finding ways to accept it and accept yourself and feel stronger than before.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"iframe-embed iframe-embed--center\">\n<div class=\"iframe-embed__container\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" height=\"113\" width=\"200\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-popups allow-same-origin\" class=\"iframe-embed__content\" title=\"Embedded Frame\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4u0ls7bfrhI\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><em>Show Me How You Disappear<\/em> is definitely more eclectic than your typical indie rock record. What were your musical reference points for the album?<\/p>\n<p>I was listening to Madonna\u2019s <em>Music<\/em> a lot, which I was forced to listen to as a kid because my mom is obsessed with Madonna. Coldplay, always\u2014I\u2019m a super fan, I\u2019ve seen them like five times. Young Thug. And I\u2019m always listening to Bj\u00f6rk. But these are very subconscious inspirations. I never want to sound like anybody, and I find it kind of impossible to sound like anyone else because I don\u2019t know how to do it. I just want to try to make music that sounds like whatever I\u2019m feeling in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Has your relationship with being a musician changed during the pandemic?<\/p>\n<p>I have a complicated relationship with being a musician because I\u2019ve struggled in the past with insecurity and comparing myself to other people, not feeling confident in my own music, and not really trusting it. At the beginning of the pandemic, coming right out of really intensive therapy, I let go of a lot of that insecurity. So I\u2019ve been able to enjoy myself outside of music more. For so many years, that was my whole identity, but now I\u2019m able to see myself in a new light. Of course, I want touring to come back because I love it more than anything, but it has caused me a lot of anxiety in the past, too. I\u2019m hoping that once these things do come around again, I can reflect and be like, \u201cRemember that time when you weren\u2019t so hard on yourself about everything?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"responsive-asset asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-asset--invisible\"><picture class=\"asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The DreamPop Transcendence of IAN SWEET\" class=\"responsive-image__image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_1280%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_1024%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_768%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.pitchfork.com\/photos\/602c4c4c6e3f2b5055f2864e\/master\/w_640%2Cc_limit\/iansweetinline5.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the methods Medford learned in therapy\u2014and continues to practice\u2014is the emotional freedom technique. \u201cBasically, you tap the pressure points on your body and repeat mantras,\u201d she explains, lightly patting her fingers around her eyes, under her nose, on her collarbone, and under her arms. \u201cInitially, my therapist would have me say things like,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet.jpg",1600,1212,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-768x582.jpg",768,582,true],"large":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-1024x776.jpg",1024,776,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-1536x1164.jpg",1536,1164,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet.jpg",1600,1212,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-80x75.jpg",80,75,true],"goodlife-thumbnail":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-80x75.jpg",80,75,true],"goodlife-grid":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x270.jpg",320,270,true],"goodlife-latest":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x225.jpg",320,225,true],"goodlife-latestshort":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x170.jpg",320,170,true],"goodlife-vertical":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x420.jpg",320,420,true],"goodlife-gallery":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x150.jpg",320,150,true],"goodlife-galleryvertical":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-320x350.jpg",320,350,true],"goodlife-poststyle1":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-770x583.jpg",770,583,true],"goodlife-thumbnail-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-40x150.jpg",40,150,true],"goodlife-thumbnail-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x150.jpg",160,150,true],"goodlife-thumbnail-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x18.jpg",20,18,true],"goodlife-grid-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x540.jpg",160,540,true],"goodlife-grid-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x540.jpg",640,540,true],"goodlife-grid-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x16.jpg",20,16,true],"goodlife-latest-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x450.jpg",160,450,true],"goodlife-latest-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x450.jpg",640,450,true],"goodlife-latest-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x14.jpg",20,14,true],"goodlife-latestshort-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x340.jpg",160,340,true],"goodlife-latestshort-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x340.jpg",640,340,true],"goodlife-latestshort-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x10.jpg",20,10,true],"goodlife-vertical-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x840.jpg",160,840,true],"goodlife-vertical-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x840.jpg",640,840,true],"goodlife-vertical-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x26.jpg",20,26,true],"goodlife-gallery-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x300.jpg",160,300,true],"goodlife-gallery-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x300.jpg",640,300,true],"goodlife-gallery-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x9.jpg",20,9,true],"goodlife-galleryvertical-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-160x700.jpg",160,700,true],"goodlife-galleryvertical-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-640x700.jpg",640,700,true],"goodlife-galleryvertical-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x21.jpg",20,21,true],"goodlife-poststyle1-small":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-385x292.jpg",385,292,true],"goodlife-poststyle1-2x":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-1540x1167.jpg",1540,1167,true],"goodlife-poststyle1-mini":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-20x15.jpg",20,15,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/the-dream-pop-transcendence-of-ian-sweet-300x300.jpg",300,300,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Laura O'Connel","author_link":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/author\/laura\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"One of the methods Medford learned in therapy\u2014and continues to practice\u2014is the emotional freedom technique. \u201cBasically, you tap the pressure points on your body and repeat mantras,\u201d she explains, lightly patting her fingers around her eyes, under her nose, on her collarbone, and under her arms. \u201cInitially, my therapist would have me say things like,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authoritydaily.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}