PerlinSing On the Making Of ‘E=MP^2’
Can you tell us more about 'E=MP^2?'
Mark Perlin(songwriter/instrumentals): “E” as in Energy – and in Eitan. “EMP” as in Eitan Michael Perlin. “MP” as in my initials. As Einstein showed, there’s energy in that MP squared. Or MC squared. Whatever. It’s massive. An elemental duo just waiting to happen. And it did!
Eitan Perlin(songwriter/instrumentals): My dad and I are huge nerds. He won’t brag, but he’s my dad so I’m allowed to. He has 3 Doctorate degrees in math, medicine, and computer science. It’s hard to grow up around him and NOT love puns. So, what better to name our debut album than a triple math pun! Thank goodness he had the foresight to have our initials match up so perfectly.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this EP?
Mark Perlin: Absolutely! I had recorded these songs before, playing instruments and doing vocals. But Eitan’s got a standout voice. So when he sang “Noreen” (our first studio collaboration) you could feel your hair stand out on end and the energy levitates the room. We felt the synergy.
Eitan Perlin: I’d heard many of the songs on the EP before, but never sang them. It was a surreal experience to be recording them with my dad. Growing up, I heard them interspersed with classics like Puff the Magic Dragon, so it almost felt like I was recording with Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was also just fun to make music with my dad! We bickered a bit about some lyric changes, but 99% of the time it was collaborative fun.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on 'E=MP^2' and what makes them special to you?
Mark Perlin: “Child.” For sure. It has the richest instrumentation (guitars, drums, bass, keyboards, etc.) and screams for a voice to match. Eitan has heard this song for most of his life since it was written for him, in and about his life, and he just nailed it! And, of course, “Bethlehem,” a bittersweet holiday song of longing, hope, regret and return.
Eitan Perlin: The one song I wrote on the EP is “Wander,” meant to be a Siren song. It was one of the earliest songs I wrote when I was just starting in lockdown. I was still learning guitar and songwriting, so it was one of the songs that kept me sane and busy. It was a time of turmoil for everyone financially, emotionally, and existentially. The song captures how lost I felt in my last year of college graduating into a brand-new world.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
Mark Perlin: I wrote my first song when I was five. Not great, but at least it was a song. Then I heard the Beatles, and wow, that really raised the bar! It brings together words, music, poetry in sound, and the power of song. Not a bad way to connect with people; strangers and friends.
Eitan Perlin: I’ve always been a singer. I was a theater kid in middle school, and a choir kid since high school. I’ve had the opportunity to sing in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera House, and more with some amazing friends and choral groups – currently with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. There was a brief time I wasn’t in a music group, and I’ve never been more depressed in my life. I need music like I need oxygen.
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
Mark Perlin: It used to be the music first, on piano or guitar, then the words. Now it’s usually the other way around. Something sets it off – a thought, a phrase or beat, some random juxtaposition – and then the song takes off like an unguided Saturn V rocket veering on to its own unseen destination. I’m just the midwife at that point.
Eitan Perlin: I struggle when I have to write either the music OR words first. An idea will pop into my head, a line/rhyme with a melody. After that I just have to sit down and keep on going. It’s almost not an option. It doesn’t matter if I’m about to go to sleep, working my office job, or on a date with my boyfriend, it just HAS to come out.
