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Learn More About The Debut Music From The Duo, THE ROYAL FOUNDRY!
Posted On 20 May 2016
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Tag: Alberta, Andrew Bird, Beatles, Beth Salte, Betty Who, Bleachers, Bob Dylan, Brandon Flowers, Bruce Springsteen, Canadian Music Week, ColdPlay, Foundry Cider, Jared Salte, Junip, JUNOfest, KATY PERRY, Laura Marling, MuteMath, Paul McCartney, Peak Performance Project, Salt Shaker Studios, Start This Fire, Supertramp, SXSW, Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars, The Royal Foundry
Jared and Beth Salte make up The Royal Foundry (they’re also married!). Their music is a combination of Mutemath meets Coldplay and The Civil Wars. They have infectious melodies and uplifting lyrics. The Royal Foundry recently played SXSW, JUNOfest, and are slated to play Canadian Music Week.
They won $75k from Peak Performance Project in Alberta and they used that to fund all their recent recording.
Learn more about The Royal Foundry in the following All Access interview:
Thanks so much for your time today! How’s 2015 been treating you two so far? What were some of the highlights of 2016 for you and your music?
[Jared] Hey! Thanks so much for having us! 2015 went by way too quickly. I think we are still digesting some of the amazing opportunities we had, but looking back it really felt like a whirlwind of a year. With playing some amazing festivals for the first time and touring to playing in Europe and winning $75,000 – to highlight a few – we think it was a great 2nd year as a band! All of these amazing experiences have lead us to some much needed writing time in early 2016 year, playing some more shows and breaking into the US market with a big commercial placement and Top 20 in College radio!
Can you remember first deciding to start this band? How did you come up with your band name? What other names were you thinking of?
[Beth] With Jared being so musical – with his upbringing, having a few high school bands and with the Salt Shaker Studios business producing music from the age of 12 – it just continued to naturally fuse into our newly married lives. We started writing right after the wedding in the fall, and by late December, we had 10 songs and went forth to get them pressed. I don’t ever remember having a conversation about starting a band, we just took things as they came, not ever thinking about what it meant; so this has really been a crazy ride for me.
We decided on the band name The Royal Foundry with Royal as a zeitgeist and Foundry being the act of purifying metals through intense heat and fire – an analogy I like to remind myself through hard times in life making me stronger. I do remember thinking of just having the name Foundry, but that also is the name of our favourite Cider (we aren’t really beer drinkers) and we didn’t want to be that lame.
What’s it like being in a band with your spouse? What are some of the silly or strange things you fight about when it comes to your music and/or recording it?
[Jared] Like everything, it has its ups and downs. It’s amazing to song write with someone you completely trust and who you can be honest with, even with the brutal critiques. But that also makes you very vulnerable at the same time, which can cause a bit of unrest. We laugh about this line of work being great counselling for couples because it forces you to be open but also to practice putting your spouse before you. We also happen to work really well together. From the very beginning our process has been very accommodating and organic. The biggest thing we fight about are: breaks and snack foods – Beth likes a lot of breaks and I like to push through, and I like the dirty snack foods where Beth would not be in the same room with me if I had them. So we have learned to find a balance.
What was it like playing at SXSW and JUNOFest? What does it mean to you to be able to play at the upcoming Canadian Music Week? What have been some of your favourite shows in the past? What makes a truly excellent gig?
[Jared] Getting to play at the big festivals are really an honour because you know that the other artists there have been chosen because they stand out in some way. Although these shows are quick and dirty, they also come with amazing opportunities to network and meet some amazing people. Any chances to get your music to places you’ve never been, or places to get your name popping up again and again is always a good thing – and a lot of opportunities that we have are because of showcases like these. Also, just the general vibe is so electric, you can feel it in the air – it’s inspiring!
What was it like winning the Peak Performance Project in Alberta? I understand that you have used that money to fund all your recording? That’s pretty awesome!
[Jared] Winning $75,000 towards our career in the Peak Performance Project was so amazing, and the push it gave the band turned out more than what money could buy! The project holds a lot of credentials and that alone, has acted as a catapult in our careers!
So, what was the inspiration for your newest single, “Start This Fire”?
[Beth] I think all the excitement and our consistent climb upwards with our music was the main inspiration. The song is about the importance of working hard until you have accomplished your goals, even when you might feel out of place or different. Its so easy to see failure as a dead end, when really it’s a stepping stone to get you closer to accomplishing your goals.
Who are some of your favourite artists? Who would you love to collaborate with in the future?
[Jared] Oh man, this is always one of the harder questions because I love listening to music – especially newer indie artists, so my ‘favourites’ list is always growing. The Beatles played a huge part in my creative writing growing up, along with Bruce Springsteen, and Dylan, Supertramp. But I am a sucker for good pop like Betty Who, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry. But even still, I love listening to Brandon Flowers, Bleachers, Laura Marling, Andrew Bird, Junip….too many to name. I would collaborate with any one of the artists listed above – but Paul McCartney would top the list as I just finished his latest biography (so good)!
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?
[Beth] A lot of our songs centre in love, love for yourself, love for others, love for your dreams, love for working hard, love for justice, and so on. Whatever love is for you at the moment. So we hope that our songs resonate with you as they did us, wherever you are in life, because in the end we are all the same and we all need love.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves or your music?
[Beth] Well, we obviously LOVE YOU GUYS. We are so thankful to be a part of this! And we are just so excited for life! We love what we do and even though we have no clue where life is going to take us, we are just so excited for what we have and for whatever is next – and we wish the same for you! We buy you all a cyber glass of delicious drink of your choice (or our favourite Foundry Cider cause its amazing) and cheers you on life and happiness! Cheers!
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