Did the fact that Matadors Gerard Cosloy lives in Austin factor into the decision?
JB: I think we would’ve been bummed to not go with a guy we were friends with, but it felt dumb. They were encouraging us to play the field and make sure we did the right thing. AVC: Curtis, can you describe the Harlem songwriting process? Curtis O’Mara: You get a lot of ideas when you’re in a band doing stuff all the time, like traveling around. And you get a lot of ideas from dating crazy women—me at least. I don’t sit down and say I’m going to write a song about butterflies or anything like that. I just think things pop out at you as you’re living life. AVC: So where do the phrases at the center of songs like “Psychedelic Tits” and “Gay Human Bones” factor into that? CO: Well, with “Psychedelic Tits,” me and Coomers were living in L.A. at the time—and he has a different perspective, because he takes full credit for it—but we were just walking around kind of drunk late at night, and we went by this boutique, and the mannequin was wearing this dress, and her tits were all psychedelic.
