Get to know Local Weatherman
Photo Credit: Caroline Safran
Local Weatherman has a way of tapping into their inner core and transmitting it through their music. The project was started by singer-songwriter Fritz Ortman, whose interstate move (from New Jersey to New York) caused a shift in his writing style. Formerly influenced by punk and emo, Ortman moved into more of an indie rock-inspired sound. In 2021, Ortman added guitarist Ford Murphy to the lineup and in 2023 the band released their first album. Local Weatherman is now Ortman and Murphy, alongside David Murray on bass and Sam Shahghasemi on drums.
This week the power pop act released the third single off their upcoming EP Right One. On “Weighing” the band looks for ways to move forward. “‘Weighing’ is about feeling lost and recognizing that things need to change,” explains Murphy. The previous singles “Thread” and “The Hole” explore coming apart at the seams and falling into depression. But despite that darkness, it’s their hooks and melodies that make it clear they move with intention. And though Ortman might have added indie rock to the band’s sonic approach, the influence of emo and slacker rock is ever present in the band’s sound.
We spoke with Local Weatherman about truth in songwriting, latin percussion, recording techniques and more.
How do your songs usually begin—lyrics, melody, or a vibe?
Usually, I’ll get some melody stuck in my head, sometimes with some lyrics already tied to it, and then I’ll sit down and sing the melody while playing different chords on acoustic guitar and seeing what fits. There is definitely some sort of vibe or magic or something going on. I get a lot of ideas for melodies right as I’m about to fall asleep and record them in my voice memos. Those are normally the best songs.
What artists shaped your sound early on?
When I started writing songs for Local Weatherman, I was listening to a ton of Pavement and Guided by Voices, which definitely influenced the kind of songs we were writing. Blink-182 has been my favorite band since I was like 10 so that influence is always there for me too.
Any memorable moments from the Right One recording sessions?
The coolest part of those sessions was getting to use Ian and Zack’s leslie speaker. Leslies are rotating speakers designed for organs, and we ran a ton of guitar through it to get a warbly, almost underwater sound. Another fun part of recording was laying down all of the auxiliary percussion for the song “Right One.” There are a bunch of latin percussion instruments on that one. I think every one of us played something different, there’s cowbell, cabasa, and guiro for sure.
Do you write from personal experience, observation, or fiction?
Most of the lyrics I write come from a personal place, but there is definitely plenty of editorializing on my part. A song like “Right One” is basically about a past relationship, but when I was writing those lyrics, I wasn’t really writing from my own perspective. Having distance from the subject matter makes it easier to write from a place that feels true.
If your music were a color palette, what would it be?
A gradient that goes from red to light red.
What’s something you wish more people knew about Local Weatherman?
I wish more people knew that our record was coming out on January 16th via Karol Records available on CD, Cassette and online.
The last Bandcamp Friday of the year is here! Check out our list of recommendations.