5 Q&A With The Upper Strata
What was the creative process like for this particular single?
Lyrically: Many of our projects start with a concept and the collection develops around it. “Juniper and Ivy” is the first single from “Celestial Vagabonds”, an anthology of sci-fi, fantasy, and future-noir songs with a companion graphic novel. The album features really varied tales all presented through the eyes of the Celestial Vagabonds – two players in a galactic circus. Most of the troupe was captured by a cruel ringmaster and forced to perform. The Celestial Vagabonds sing about “Juniper and Ivy” and other tales of rebellion. The lyrics came from a rough outline of the novel and even form the script for the comic’s text bubbles. The narrative depicts two freedom fighters in a covert war with an oppressive empire somewhere out in space that have become folk heroes - popular subjects for circus audiences.
Musically: Regula and I will jam, record ideas, and pigeonhole them for later. We had just come back from a US tour and Regula had a creative burst reconnecting with her first love – synthesizer – after years of focusing on bass. She explored spacey, sci-fi-inspired sounds. I took those snippets, arranged them, added lyrics, and layered parts. As we rehearsed, elements shifted – drums, sequences, and effects came and went until the song took shape. The energy was immediate; we knew we had something exciting.
Were there any specific recording techniques or equipment used to achieve the desired sound?
The Strymon NightSky pedal was a huge inspiration. It immediately created these vast, evolving, and harmonically rich textures. Regula toyed around with some new patches on her keyboard and got a fresh set of sounds, which led to a flood of new ideas – some almost fully formed tracks before I even touched them.
We love recording in different locations to absorb the atmosphere—Norway shaped our album “Fog”, Italy influenced “Luap Elk”, and for “Celestial Vagabonds”, we chose the fantastic music city of Manchester, England. By day, we recorded; by night, we soaked up the city’s music scene, thrift shops, and industrial landscapes. That energy infused itself into the album in subtle but meaningful ways.
How does “Juniper and Ivy” fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?
The project name The Upper Strata implies the top layer. For us it is a kind of a philosophy. We get new inspiration, have concepts we want to explore, and we try and see where they go. The final resulting album might combine varied ideas, but the creative journey is usually fun. “Juniper and Ivy” fits perfectly into that journey, blending our love for storytelling with a synth-pop sound that has a retro-futuristic feel. It’s part of our ongoing experiment with narrative-driven music, and we love how it pushes us in new directions.
Looking ahead, I’m still deep into exploring West African guitar styles and weaving in effects that mimic synths and organs. At the same time, we’re planning a second volume of Celestial Vagabonds, perhaps something even more cinematic, pushing further into the world of soundtracks and concept albums. We’ve also been drawn to spacey, ambient textures, and the idea of creating a purely instrumental collection – something that steps away from pop structures entirely – is becoming more and more appealing.
Can you tell us more about you as a duo?
We’re based in Basel, Switzerland, but spent years recording and touring the U.S. West. We return annually to keep that connection alive, playing from Arizona to Oregon and Texas to Montana.
Our live setup is: Regula plays bass, keyboard, and harmonizes, while I add guitar and lead vocals. We have ten releases under our belt and always look forward to the next creative challenge.
The new album will be a multimedia experience, featuring visuals programmed by Regula, artwork from the graphic novel, and audio-reactive computer graphics. We intend to integrate dialogue from the novel, blurring the lines between indie rock and theatre.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
“Juniper and Ivy” – though a sci-fi fantasy story put to music – is about bravery, resisting oppression, and fighting for what you believe in. A noble struggle to hopefully one day have peace and a better world. Those are messages that can be applied to anyone’s life around the world. Be strong, push on even when it seems hopeless and we’ll see a better day, or at least you fought on the right side of history.
