Livvy Bennett and Noor Khan of Mamalarky discuss upcoming ‘Hex Key’ album before Pittsburgh show

he world. So I feel like a song like that and songs like “Won’t Give Up,” just saying it as plainly as that, can be really positive. It’s like, don’t (expletive) give up. Just keep doing that stuff.
On the flipside, a song like “Anhedonia,” which is the term for the inability to feel pleasure — you can see the brighter side of that a little bit, too. You’re taking something dark and making it into a poppier tune.
Bennett: Yeah, definitely. I think that song was a reaction to avoiding feeling like that. It’s like an instantaneous song. It’s not a processed sentiment necessarily, but just like running through a feeling and also being very aware of the strange trick of your mind, tricking you into thinking that black cloud is going to be there forever. So yeah, tackling those things one at a time almost. It’s like facing the big bad boss at the end of the video game, and then you win and then he’s like, come back to the next boss.
What steps did you take to try to hit the broadest audience with this album, especially because it’s your first with Epitaph?
Bennett: We were very aware that more people would hear the record this time. We toured on it a little and we had a song premiere on Kexp and Fader, and just the general modes of promotion with a new label. But other than that, I don’t feel like our approach has changed very much. It’s also hard because it’s like your child is growing up; you can’t really tell them what to do anymore. We just have to give it some liberty.
The recording process has been described as “democratic” between you all. Even to the point of getting choked up a little. How did that evolve?
Bennett: It’s always been the case. And so we all have to trust that each other knows a good arrangement when we hear one. We all trust each other in our abilities. It’s hard to accept that it’s done, but also so satisfying when it is. But other than that, I don’t think that there’s an understanding. It’s just like we go off reactions, which I feel like is maybe not as common as it should be. But we really stick by that.
Khan: We’re so lucky that we have communication that’s mostly trust in each other because it could be the exact opposite of that and that could make things so much harder. But it’s always been the case, and I feel like there’s no other way in a band, you know? You have to trust each other.
What else can you tell us about this new era for Mamalarky?
Bennett: I think this album was an exercise in pushing us to have a bigger sound. But it’s also a result of doing more. That’s how it feels to me. Doing more means that you’re doing better. And so that’s the goal, just to keep doing more, getting more music out there, taking as many shows as we can, making as many records as we can.
In the future, I see it being on the road most of the time until we physically can’t do it anymore. But the touring part is so fun; that’s all there is. Being away from home is kind of management (expletive) for me and for other people in the band, but it’s basically all we do. And then we come back and make music. And then we go on tour and then we come back and make music. So we’re always trying to one-up ourselves, always trying to make more music and just do as much as we can in the time we have. Just to make music until it feels right. And then the next one, that’s the exciting part that hopefully is just around the corner.