Of Montreal frontman (andPaste's November 2008 cover subject) Kevin Barnes and his wife Nina have been through a lot together since they met at a music festival in Oslo, Norway in 2001: A few amazing nights in Europe, months of long-distance email correspondence, flights across the Atlantic, a tour, plenty of musical and artistic collaboration, a wedding, a child, struggling to pay the bills, a painful breakup and a joyful reunion. In this exclusive Paste interview, Nina Barnes sheds some light on her husband and his work, and tells her side of the Of Montreal story.
Paste:
Tell me about your creative role in Of Montreal.
Nina: Oh, dear. (Laughs) Back in Norway I used to play music and I
played in the band. I played bass with Kevin for one tour, and it was
so much fun. But then I found out while we were on tour that I was
pregnant, so that kind of ended my musical career in Of Montreal,
’cause having a kid, and tour buses and that sort of thing, it’s not
very simple, it’s not very ideal for anyone. So, I had always been
drawing and got suddenly a lot of time on my hands just walking around
being pregnant and finding an outlet for my very scattered brain.
(Laughs) So I started making posters, doing T-shirt designs and all
kinds of stuff like that [for the band]. [Kevin’s brother] David always
did all the album art and everything, and his role in the band was very
strong. I think a lot of the early fans saw [David] as the heart of Of
Montreal—you know, the aesthetic of Of Montreal. So I never wanted
to—what do you say?—like, take his role. We are such good friends and
we have this like—when we get together, we just overflow of ideas…
Paste: You and David?
Nina: Yeah, me, David and Kevin. Like, if we sit down, things are bound
to happen. And we just started collaborating on small things and one
thing led to the other and, suddenly, you know, we came up with this
idea for Skeletal Lamping. We wanted to do something totally different,
and we decided we wanted to do it together. So it’s just one big
collaboration. You know, like Kevin, of course, making the music and
then me and David listening to the music and having ideas.
Paste: So all these great new ideas for packaging the new album, was that something that you and David came up with?
Nina: Initially, David had the idea that we should make a lantern. And
we were all like, “Yeah!” And then we started talking about packaging,
we started talking about—for me, I’m so old, you know, when I started
buying music it was all vinyl. And I just remember the feeling of, you
know, buying Clash, for example, like Sandinista! And the vinyl with
this pamphlet inside, like comic books and all this crazy madness, and
that sort of excitement of having art with the music. We just realized
we should actually make people excited about that part of an album or a
record—[to remind them] that it doesn’t have to be that boring, mundane
little square. That doesn’t really matter anymore because everyone is
downloading things. So we were like, “Can we give them something else?
Something they can actually appreciate and have in their homes and be a
part of their life?” And then one thing took the other and we started
out with the lantern, but it became hard for the CD to be the lantern
for the packaging. And from then on, we knew we had to be very
inventive in how we did things. But the construction, the sculpture
that me and David made for the CD —you fold it up and you put it
together. It’s very easy and becomes this pretty big sculpture. Just
trying to find that shape, and making it work with the packaging, was
such a huge challenge and I think David did an amazing job. He was so
amazing. From the engineering of it, he stared filling it up with art,
and he made something and sent it over to me, and I would make
something and I would send it over to him, and then we had one of those
huge disagreements about something, but it turned out to be a good
thing and we all agreed upon, you know, changes and everything. So we
really have a very good flow between us when it comes to the working
process.
Paste: Kevin also told me that when he’s making an album or writing
songs, he’ll frequently bounce ideas off of you and David. Can you tell
me a little bit about that?
Nina: Yeah. Kevin will be very open—I think he trusts David and me and
our opinions, and he takes them into regards. In our old house, he had
a studio in the attic and he would make music like for 12, 14 hours and
then he would some down time and he’s like, “Listen to this,” and I’ll
listen to it and then comment on it and say, “What if I did this for
the bass, adding something here, [or] what if you layered there.” And
he doesn’t necessarily agree with me, [but sometimes] he’ll say, “OK,
no, that’s a great idea.” He has a lot of respect for both David’s and
my opinion, and I think it’s because we’re so close, and I think both
me and David are kind of connected to [Kevin], so we understand
immediately what he’s trying to do, and it’s just an amazing thing—to
encourage each other and be a part of each other’s creative outlets.
Paste: How and when did you and Kevin meet?
Nina: Oh, a long time ago. We met in Oslo [in 2001]. He was on tour in
Europe with Great Lakes, and he was playing one show at a Swedish
festival with Of Montreal. They played two shows in Oslo, and they
stayed at my best friend’s house ’cause the whole show was arranged by
the record label my band [The Ethnobabes] was on, and the whole crew,
there were like eight or nine people, they stayed at my friend’s house,
and that’s how I met them. Actually, I knew of Of Montreal, I had the
old vinyl and everything, and really loved it and was excited to see
them. And after one of the shows we talked for a couple of hours and
hit it off. There was a connection there— just telling stories and
talking about music and art and life and my crazy family. If I get
started, I can talk and talk and talk. So it was really pleasant, and
then we just had some email correspondence for like six months. And
then I decided to come over here to visit. That was my first trip to
the U.S. That was in 2002. And then I came back like 3 or 4 times, and
we were a little bit back and forth about the whole deal, but the last
time I came over it was like, “How the hell are we going to be able to
stay together?” We were like, “Well, it’s the only thing, we have to
get married”—so that I could have a green card, you know? So, I flew
back home to my Norway, and I arranged everything in like one month,
and Kevin and his parents and David came over, and we got married in
Oslo. And I moved to the U.S. after that. And I love it here!
Paste: When I met with Kevin last time, we talked a lot about the
difficult time the two of you had between Sunlandic Twins and Hissing
Fauna. Kevin was going through a depression, you guys split up and he
left you to take care of [your daughter] Alabee on your own. I’ve heard
his side of the story, but I was wondering what this time in your life
was like? Because he said he got to tell his side in some of his songs,
like “Past is a Grotesque Animal,” but that you’ve never been able to
tell your side of the story.
Nina: It’s true, yeah, it’s true. But I have a double view of Hissing
Fauna. I see the artistic statement. And even though listening to it
can hurt, I totally respect it, and I’m totally like, “This is his
artistic freedom, his freedom to take something very hard and difficult
and make it into a personal statement, an artistic statement.” And I
think it’s beautiful and moving. I really, really love that record. But
it’s not something I’m going to hang out and listen to and rock out. I
couldn’t really do that. But it’s true. When the record was released,
it was interview upon interview about our breakup, and it was a story
about me and my child, and I had no say in it. I became this sort of
object. And at first, I was really like, “ But no one really knows me.”
I became like a character in a book. On a totally personal level, of
course, it was rough for both of us, but it’s one of those things—I
roll with the punches in life. When you have a kid you just have no
choice other than to shape up, take control of your life and make the
best of it. And also, it’s a source of humongous inspiration for both
of us, you know, artistically.
Paste: Having a child?
Nina: No, well, having a child and having the big break up, you know?
Like, being a single mom. I have to say for every single mom or single
dad out there, it’s a hell of a job. I have so much respect for all
those people who are alone in the world and bringing up a child. It’s
not easy. But you become aware of those aspects of life, and then you
really appreciate the little time you have. For me it’s like—Kevin is
very much like me: When he is in the process of making things—he does
it all the time and he doesn’t really stop—but he will work for like 14
hours. So, basically, I’m taking on the majority of the childcare.
Paste: Is it difficult to find time for your own art?
Nina: Well, since I’m from Norway and Kevin’s touring so much, we
travel so much, so it hasn’t been possible to have Alabee in any kind
of daycare. But she just started school now, so that frees up the day
for me, so I can do my stuff to a much greater extent. I have more time
on my hands, which is an amazing feeling. But I think, actually having
to work under pressure, it makes you extremely focused. Anyone who’s
had a kid knows you just have to organize your time well to do
everything. It actually has been a really positive force in my life
because my mind wanders off, and there’s so many distractions in life.
So it made me actually focus so much more. I love [Alabee] more than
anything, but being a stay-at-home Mom, I don’t think it really applies
to my personality. So I had to have my own thing, I had to have my
outlet. I think that also became a very strong force. When Kevin was on
tour, and I was home with Alabee, when she went to bed I would just
start making stuff. I lost an enormous amount of sleep. It’s probably
going to shorten my life a little bit, but I’m having fun, so it’s a
good thing. Now, I have Gemini Tactics—it’s my company name, or at
least some sort of name for what I’m doing. I make T-shirts and
underwear and bags and prints and all sorts of things that I sell
online. And I do illustration and designs for other people, so I can
earn some money for what I do, which is a great feeling.
Paste: With all that going on for you, creatively, and with Of Montreal
finally starting to have success, how do you feel these days?
Nina: It feels great. We were able to actually buy a house. That may
seem like a small thing for some people, but for us, it was like, “HOLY
SHIT!” And we can actually afford to pay our bills! When Kevin started
in 1997, the success didn’t come until Sunlandic Twins, a little bit,
and then with Hissing Fauna. Living, it was hard, and having a kid, and
the expenses of that. Now, being able to—it’s not a luxurious life, but
it’s comfortable. Ant that’s a good thing, even though we were
terrified buying a house, just getting a taste of, “We’re settling
down.” I think it’s probably a little bit of the Peter Pan syndrome; we
don’t really want to be adults, but our life situation—having a kid—has
forced us to be that, at least for parts of the day. But hopefully we
won’t get mundane and boring. We’re always out there looking for some
sort of enlightenment, through reading and philosophy and art and books
and film or whatever. It’s all about creating a lot of friction, and
keeping yourself mentally stimulated.