5 Q&A with Mahto & The Loose Balloons
How does 'Knock Knock It’s The Loose Balloons' reflect your musical journey and growth as an artist?
I think this selection of songs is a great example of the kind of songs I like. All these start out with an acoustic guitar and can stand on there own but when they get put through the brain filters of my fellow band mates they change and there are these little moments that become crucial to the song’s identity. For example, in Promised Land the little guitar pick up into the second verse is everything. Without it the song doesn’t move with the fluid motion it does and the imagery of the lake is weaker.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this album?
We had a lot of fun with this one. Probably the most fun was when we recorded the video for “Virginia Side.” The whole first verse is about avoiding police on the Bristol Highway and we decided we needed to follow the same path that the song takes. So loading up all the instruments and actually having Niko set his drum kit and stuff play it in the van felt a little like tempting fate. That will give you a little nervous buzz. Ultimately no run ins with the law occurred but we turned some heads that afternoon.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on 'Knock Knock It’s The Loose Balloons' and what makes them special to you?
One track that I’m really happy with is “Loki.” I recorded it by myself as a secret Santa gift for my friend Loki. He is staunchly anti car and so I used his trek around downtown Johnson City as the blueprint for a theme song of sorts. I did it in about a week in my free time. I feel that the trombone duet is a really fun thing that doesn’t happen very often.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
I have been writing songs since I was a teenager although it’s not till I had played in a few bands in my early 20s that I started to really figure things out. I think my music has been confusing to people because I know it’s punk rock but they get stuck on the softer nature of it. Of course punk goes against the grain and is antiestablishment but if your band in 2025 sounds just like rancid did twenty years ago I’d argue that your upholding tradition. I think there are two types of musicians: those that preserve tradition and those that move music forward. Nothing wrong with either approach and they both have their pit falls but I’m hoping to move music forward.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
Each song is different. Most of the time the words happen to me first. I’m probably at work making milkshakes or whatever and a little idea will happen. Maybe it’s something I misheard on the radio or maybe I’ll write my own words to an existing song. The words to Virginia Side were written to the melody of “Bowl of Oranges” by Bright Eyes driving down the road. Then I give myself a week or so to forget the association. I’ll find new chords and then come up with a new melody. Sometimes it’s completely opposite and I’ll record myself playing drums to another song. I won’t even bother to play what they are playing but I like the groove or the song structure. Then I have a foundation without any notes so I can come up with new keys and bass lines, etc. Once I have the basic structure and lyrics down I bring it to the band. Everyone is in charge of their part. I find that you get the best results when you don’t try to dictate what everyone is doing. The best thing is when one of the guys has an idea for me to shift a note or play a different rhythm. That’s where the spice is found.
