Forestlike is a new indie-folk duo from Indiana made up of lifelong friends Jared Myers (Daytime Volume) and Joshua Wayne Hensley (The Rutabega).

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest album, and what themes or stories you aimed to convey through your music?

JM: I would say that most of the inspiration came from reconnecting musically as it had been a number of years since Josh and I had worked on music together — at least in any serious capacity. I tend to shy away from lyrical themes, but I did lean more into positivity and tried to avoid some of the self-loathing that would often come up in my lyrics in the past.

Music often has the power to transport people to different places and times. Can you describe a moment in your life when a particular song or album had a profound impact on you?

JWH: The first time I heard Nirvana was a pivotal moment for me. I had lived a culturally sheltered life and had never really heard music that felt so visceral and reckless. It rewired my brain and made me want to start a band immediately.
JM: The first time I heard The Beatles’ “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” I was blown away. I remember thinking, “Wow, that is a perfect song.” It was so simple and brief but had so many elements that I loved.

Many artists have rituals or routines they follow before performing or recording. Do you have any unique or quirky pre-show or pre-recording rituals that you find help you get in the zone?

JM: I don’t have any particular rituals; recording is kind of unique each time. I do often have to remind myself to slow down once I get rolling with a song.
JWH: With recording, I use the time setting up gear and mics to get centered and present. Forestlike has mainly been a recording project, but for my other band I will often walk a few laps around the building or block where we are playing.

Your lyrics often tell a story or convey a message. Can you share the story behind one of your songs and the inspiration that led to its creation?

JM: The last song on the album — ‘fighting (peace be with you)’ — came out of two separate hangouts. The first was a small gathering at my house from before we had officially started working on the album. Josh and I ended up sequestering ourselves in my studio while everyone else was hanging out in another part of our house. We were playing around with the chord changes when the main melody came out. Then a few months later we were at a friend’s cabin with the same crew and ended up working on the song some more.
JWH: I actually had a voice memo from that night at the cabin and we ended up using a little of it at the beginning of the song on the album. The lyrics didn’t get finished till much later and we approached that a little differently than we did with the rest of the songs. Jared had the first verse done, and I ended up writing the second verse. Then for the third verse we both wrote half of it and ended up singing that verse as a duet. When we were sequencing the songs for the album, we both agreed that this one was the closer.

If you could curate a music festival with a lineup of your dream artists, who would be the headliners, and what would the theme of the festival be?

JM: I mean, if we’re dreaming here let’s book The Breeders, The Innocence Mission, Courtney Barnett, ANOHNI, Big Thief, and Waxahatchee.
JWH: We might as well ask Lauryn Hill, Joanna Sternberg, Petrillo, Rapsody, Melanie, Vacancy Chain, and Big Blood. Oh, we must add Joni Mitchell and Grouper to Dream Fest 2024. And maybe we could have some poetry readings from Christy Prahl, Ross Gay, Alok, and Elizabeth Majerus. We haven’t even talked about food, but I’m assuming there will be tacos. The theme could be Squash the Patriarchy.

Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change. Are there any social or political causes that you’re passionate about, and how does your music play a role in promoting these issues?

JWH: While we both have social and political causes we care deeply about as individuals, we are not experts and don’t necessarily view our music as a political sounding board. I think one of our biggest responsibilities right now — not just as artists, but as humans with some innate privileges — is to listen to and amplify marginalized voices.

The music industry has evolved significantly with technology. How do you see artificial intelligence and emerging technologies impacting the creation and distribution of music in the future?

JM: It’s hard to say how this will all play out. AI tools have definitely changed how some people approach and create music, but my creative process still looks very much like it did 30 years ago. I can see how it could be useful and save time with some tedious editing tasks, but whenever I’ve tried to use AI tools it feels a bit like I’m cheating.
JWH: Agreed, mostly! As for distribution, it’s hard to imagine streaming changing at this point. People have gotten used to renting music or just having access to everything everywhere immediately. The good news is that a lot of listeners truly want to support the bands they care about, so even if they can’t see them live, they might buy merch or downloads through sites like Bandcamp or directly from artists. Some folks like the algorithms to tell them what to listen to. I would much rather have Jared send me a link to something cool that he heard on the radio.

Many recording artists evolve over time. How do you see your musical journey changing and growing in the next decade?

JM: We have songs and drive and really just want to just keep putting out records and staying engaged with the music we are making.
JWH: I really just want more microphones.

Forestlike’s self-titled debut album is out now on Patsy Presents. It is live on streaming platforms with downloads and limited-edition vinyl available on Bandcamp.
forestlike.bandcamp.com