The enigmatic indie duo, AFTYN, released their brand-new LP Minutia on August 22nd.  Guinnevere Phillipp and Chris Maher, the face of AFTYN, brand themselves as a simplistic folk duo that’s “hellbent on keeping it personal,” while maintaining an updated 70’s folk blending alternative and classic. 

Second Society Report had the pleasure to pick the brain of AFTYN to discuss inspiration behind Minutia, their unique style, and what the future holds for them. 

And be sure to check them out on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date on their covers that span decades of folk music- linked at the bottom.

Second Society Report: Can you tell me what AFTYN stands for and how it represents the duo?

AFTYN: Aftyn is Guinnevere’s middle name! We drew inspiration from the band Dawes when picking our name. Dawes is the middle name of lead vocalist and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith so we went with that.

SSR: What was the inspiration behind Minutia?

AFTYN: Minutia is a collection of songs that took inspiration from the last year that we’ve known each other. We didn’t originally plan to record a full length album, but ideas and inspiration came from events that took place since we met.

SSR: You two harness the 70’s folk sound very well. Why this genre? Do you think this genre has been represented well in today’s music industry?

AFTYN: Thank you! The music of the 70’s is a huge inspiration for Guinnevere musically and especially lyrically. When we first met, we thought of ways we could blend that sound and the sound of some of the alternative music Chris drew inspiration from. There are definitely artists out there now that also draw inspiration from 70’s music and we hope to find even more.

SSR: Also, you identify with ‘modern hippies.’ Can you tell us a little about what drew you into this subculture?

AFTYN: We identify with this term in a couple different ways. The first, is in terms of aesthetic. We love the image and atmosphere of hippie culture! The next reason we identify with this term is that during the 70’s, there was an era where many artists recorded albums at their homes. We are a self-produced band as well so we connected with that. 

SSR: What did you find the most challenging about bringing music from past decades and filtering them through folk-driven sound?

AFTYN: The most difficult part about bringing our sound from past decades was trying to capture the raw energy older recordings had. In the modern world, digital recording gear is so affordable and available that everyone has the chance to create from their homes. The only problem with this gea is that it’s so clear and pristine, that it does not capture the raw energy we love so much. Emulating the sounds of the past was definitely the hardest part of our recording, but we are so proud of the final result.

SSR: Any artists past or present you two draw inspiration from?

AFTYN: Guinnevere is a huge fan of Joni Mitchell and Carole King, who she draws inspiration from primarily in her lyrics. Chris takes inspiration from artists such as Ace Enders and Butch Walker. Collectively, we both love Dawes and Taylor Swift.

SSR: What does the songwriting process look like for you?

AFTYN: Generally, we start songs with a general chord structure. From there, Chris will either produce the rest of the song instrumentally and vocals will come at the end or sometimes Guinnevere will come with a finished song with lyrics and a melody and we figure out how we want the song to sound from there. A lot of the writing happens when we are not together.

SSR: Have you found social media to be a useful platform in releasing your music?

AFTYN: Social media has been a huge part of our band. We do not have any kind of label support so all of the streams that come to us are from close friends and family sharing our music with other people that they know. Fortunately, we’ve been able to build a solid fan base this way and love the personal connection we feel with listeners.

SSR: What is next for AFTYN?

AFTYN: We’re going to keep pushing our album Minutia! We are talking to some friends who will help us create some video content which is a new world for us, but we cannot wait to start working and bringing visual stories to our music. After that, we are working on an acoustic EP which we hope to release early 2021. And of course, we’ll start working on new music soon!

SSR: Anything you would like to say to your fans?

AFTYN: We would love to thank each and every person who has supported us and listened to our music! Our inboxes are open, and we would love to talk to anyone who wants to chat with us about songs, life, or anything else you might want to. We have even more content in the works for the world and we cannot wait to release it!

You can stream Minutia, out now and be sure to connect with AFTYN via social media, linked below.

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