WHY? (Part 1) – Q&A
Questions answered in this video:
00:00 – Intro
00:22 – How long did it take to write the album?
01:22 – What song did you think would be most popular?
02:41 – Did you try to find a balance of both, serious and light hearted songs?
03:39 – What inspired ‘If You Raise Your Head’?
04:28 – What songs does Papa Rudi play bass on?
05:07 – What inspired ‘Jump Ship’?
06:19 – Resonator Guitar on ‘Jump Ship’?
06:51 – What different instruments were used on the album?
07:46 – Who came up with these songs …?
09:26 – How to tell apart your handwriting (Studio Scribbles)?
10:01 – How did you promote the album?
10:48 – Any Other Day’ Creation process?
11:49 – Were the ‘woo woos’ inspired by the Rolling Stones?
13:00 – Were there any songs left on the table?
13:30 – Castanet like percussion on Questionable?
14:22 – What inspired ‘Why?’?
15:46 – Can you share some thoughts on the album cover?
All Things WHY? …
We loved being able to go into more detail about our recent album and we thank you all for your interesting and insightful questions. As this video was getting a bit long, we decided to split it into two parts and will upload the rest of the questions next Friday!
As much as we love covering music, writing our own songs will always be the most important thing to us and we are so happy to have “WHY?” out there in the universe.
We hope you find today’s Q&A interesting and will see you with Part 2 next week!
Stay groovy,
Mona & Lisa
I hope Mona didn’t get hurt at 13:43. She often uses her feet to play percussion instruments. If she injures a foot or leg we lose a musical element. I hope she is o.k.
Loved it! The album and this video! Bravo! My favourite track is Any Other Day. Don’t take this as a criticism but I can’t help but hear some of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s ‘Clair’ in it. But it’s still a great song in it’s own right.
How I love these videos. The inside stories are great as well, like all the coincidences that happened with the song about coincidences!
Can’t watch these videos without smiling! They raise your smile and morale!
Thank you!!
I love that all 4 of you contribute to every project! That is so cool! What a family!
Great Minds think alike.
I think there are 4 Great Minds in the ,Wagner family.
It obvious your Musical Talent is Outstanding .
I’ve said many times your video production is also Outstanding !
I really loved your explanation around the song WHY?, currently my favourite on the album, but Jump Ship and Any Other Day always nips at it’s heels. It is really intriguing to hear about how you sat around the dining table asking these questions as the madness over the last few years unfolded. You said it was about the madness that was in plain site to see happening globally in the world over the last few years, but could have been released even without all the events in recent years, as it sums up the feelings you had recently and even before that. That really resonates with me, as I can listen to it looking up at the stars at night and it expresses all the longing wonder and questions that swell up and I ask WHY? When I listen to the song WHY?, it’s musical magnificence always blows me away. The vocals and arrangement of instrumentation is brilliant. It’s such a rich moving experience, leaves me breathless and in great peace afterwards, like a movement from a Beethoven symphony. It’s a brilliant masterpiece.
Thanks as always for answering my other question!
Boy, I could write a whole personal slant/essay on what I see in the overall take of the album as well as each individual song. That there is a deep rooted political influence, there is little doubt. But there is also nostalgia and historical depth that is very prevalent. The way you answered the questions was perfect IMO. I see so much artistic influence from other big name groups and solo artists in the writing it is mind boggling (to me anyway).
When fans write in and ask questions on specifics, and their own perspectives on certain aspects it makes me look deeper into their asks and look at it from my own viewpoint and how I think it might be. I see some strong similarities in the album jacket artwork to a couple older famous(?) Pink Floyd albums (Animals, Wish You Were Here…) with a certain futuristic darkness and foreboding or even an apocalyptic prophesy. Not a definite thing, just a hint and mysterious “what if” kind of thing. Which also in turn, lends a sense of hope for a turnaround in the way of the world. Which is what lots of older album jackets sort of said to me in my younger more impressionable youthful days.
The songs and their lyrics and melody lines always makes me try and look deeper into the creative aspect and “how on Earth did you do that?” with the process. I can’t write worth diddly poop, although I’ve tried numerous times to put into music what is in my head and heart. epic fail haha. I can compose words and stories on paper into some semblance of literary art, but trying to transpose that into lyrics and song always seems to end in a big face plant! Which, I suppose tells me my own skills as a musician are far from completion or even reasonable competence.
So before I get too totally long winded with this, the ever present question of what my favorite song on the album is, these discussions and your answers to us always makes me realize there really is no one song that I love over the others. It makes me delve deeper into each one over and over and see that each has their own individual and special attraction.
I see a very strong progression in your writing and composition and a real swell in the future tide of your music. I look forward to Part II of the Q&A, but more than that I look forward to more videos and new songs and albums. You don’t have to work to “stay groovy”, you are the essence of it!
It appears the original tunes stem from a combination of talent/inspiration/craft. I’m content with the ladies taking their time to produce these marvelous records, in the meantime providing us with splendid cover cds like the “Duo Sessions”.
I’m still kind of in shock that you answered all my questions. Thank you, you two are the best. I loved the explanation about Jump Ship and Raise Your Head (Sometimes you got to look up and sometimes you got to look down), exactly. Sometimes you have to see what’s going on under the table. I love Papa Rudi’s bass playing but have noticed Lisa’s bass playing is very similar. I enjoyed the story of how Any Other Day was written. It’s funny how fate plays a part in writing a song about fate. For the record my favorite song on the album changes often. Jump Ship and Destination Sunrise were my early favorites but right now it is Songbird.
Tim, I was blown away by Songbird when I first heard it. Their acoustic version they performed live at the 2021 Christmas Advent live stream is goose bump inducing, so sublime.
Jung, Songbird is kind of like Sweet Lorraine for me. I really don’t know why I love it so much, I just do.
Tim, I think we are on the same musical wavelength, Sweet Lorraine is my favourite song on Orange.
It’s really impressive the creative ideas you came up with for the different sounds and effects on the album, like that odd device Mona held up to make the castanet kind of sound on Questionable, or the blowing of air through a straw into a cup of water to get that underwater sound effect on Jump Ship mentioned on a previous Q and A. The different unique instruments used, like that Kalimba, or learning and perfecting the use of the recorder by Mona for Any Other Day, and that mouth/air piece Lisa used to get that amazing guitar effect in If You Raise Your Head really shows amazing ingenuity and creativity making your music.
Hearing you both talk about these creative ways of getting the sounds and effects on the album really attests to the supremely high level of artistry you put into your music. It’s like listening to Paul, John and George talk about the ways they got different effects or sounds in the studio for Rubber Soul or Sargent Peppers, or hearing Brian Wilson talk about the different ideas he came up with on Pet Sounds. You are in that amazing realm of master music craftsmanship of the geniuses.
Good questions as usual, and some great detailed answers, and as usual, I learned some stuff.
I thought Mona’s castanet trick was pretty neat.
I was very interested in the question about how “Any Other Day” came about. My guesses were way off. The song is so real sounding and such a wonderful love story. I had wondered if that was how Papa Rudi and Michaela met, or if one or both of you Twins had fallen madly in love. What a great job of song writing!
It was interesting to me that the last three years have been a big influence on your view of the world leadership and it’s steadfast followers. I have noticed that my attitude toward leadership in the world has fallen to new lows during the same time period. The number of people with their head in the sand seems to be at an all time high (see pic: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/18/article-2525602-1A2B2A3600000578-553_634x408.jpg ). If I spent too much time thinking about it I would go nuts, but I can still go for hikes and wind down the day listening to Twins music.
I suspected “I Bought Myself a Politician” would do well – it registers so well with too many of us.
Can’t wait for next week.
It’s always great seeing and hearing about your thought and recording processes.
Thanks for answering all the many questions!
Like Sara a fascinating reveal of Why? Thank you so much for answering my question. Now I know the cover doesn’t represent a single vision but various themes and ideas connected to the album makes it even more interesting. A superb work on many levels
fascinating reveal of how Why came about which has given me a new appreciation of the work the twins has put into it
I’m really intrigued by your hand writing comparison, now that some of it is identified in the studio scribbles. Great question Tim! Lisa’s is more round and Mona’s more upright and compact. They both look quite similar and yet distinct too. I will have to go through all the other Studio Scribbles and try to figure out which is Mona’s and which is Lisa’s. This is so fun, love it!
The Any Other Day studio scribbles though will be a challenge as it’s done in cursive to keep us on our toes. On a previous Q and A, I remember you mentioned you did learn cursive in school too. So was it Lisa or Mona? 😜
You both have such elegant hand writing!
Jung I always thought if there was one person who could differentiate the girl’s handwriting, it would be you! As our resident writer, I thought you had the inside track. Mona and Lisa have commented several times of how beautiful your penmanship ship is, I am envious. My handwriting was always poor to begin with (nuns with rulers, the stories are true). When I worked, I typed on a computer for 30 years and the two things I ever wrote were checks, and I signed my name a lot since my job required a lot of documentation. I worked in the nuclear industry on the quality assurance side, both commercial and defense. In nuclear quality assurance, if it wasn’t documented and signed off, it didn’t happen, and the DOD and the NRC have strict laws about that. So everything got typed and I had to sign off on it, so I have one of those “Hollywood “ signatures because I would sign my name 200 times on a slow day.
I needed one of your pens.😀
Hi Tim
Wow 200 signatures a day, your sign off has a lot of authority, and I agree no better way to do it than with a special pen that is unique, personal and about you. Using a BIC just doesn’t do the act justice, in my opinion. In school I always found re-writing notes I took in class, and transcribing info I needed to learn from a text book to my notebook in my own handwriting always helped me to learn and memorize and helped my grades, so when I started working, I had a nice gold Cross pen my sister gifted me and took a lot of notes, illustrations, organizing it all in a notebook in my own hand. I carried that little pen with me for a couple of decades, before I got into fountain pens.
As far as Mona and Lisa’s hand writing I’ve only seen it in the studio scribbles, and my prized The Wide, Wide Land handwritten lyrics I always have hung in my room. Now that they have identified their handwriting thanks to you, I think I can discern which is Mona’s and which is Lisa’, but not that it matters as I treasure both their handwriting equally in my Studio Scribbles and WWL handwritten lyrics. But it would be fun to know.
“Mona and Lisa have commented several times of how beautiful your penmanship ship is..” I am not aware of this, but if it is true, would make me very happy indeed.
Best and groovy wishes! 🙂
Jung
I was Director of Quality Assurance and reported directly to the CEO. I enjoyed my job except for the last 3 years of it. We were bought out by another company. Typically, they manage to eliminate all the upper management to place their own employees in those positions. Eventually, I was the last original manager left, oldest employee at 62, and earning more salary than my newly appointed boss who was half my age with 2 years experience versus my 30. This wasn’t going to last long so I retired and have never been happier. I was offered other employment as the nuclear field is sort of a small fraternity like industry where everyone seems to know everyone else for the most part but after a health scare and the death of our son I decided to enjoy the rest of my life.
That is why I am here in the MLT Club.
Sorry for taking the long way around with a story you didn’t ask for but we are all family here.
Hi Tim
Your career journey is not unlike mine. I worked for the same company for 30 years in telecom, straight out of school. Witnessed almost half a dozen mergers and take overs, and at 50 saw myself as one of the oldest, most senior experienced employees in the new merged company where the CEO was 40, and the majority of other employees were in their 20s and early 30s. Covid happened and they finally let me go 3 years ago with a pension, but with housing prices in Vancouver and starting late in the game getting into owning a home, I think I need to work to 70! HAHAHA. Was lucky and got on with another telecom company last year as a Sales Engineer that was a customer of mine, and the manager who hired me happened to be my high school graduating class, class mate. So often the water cooler talk is about the trouble we got into in high school stories.
Sorry to hear about your son, my condolences, and the health scare. I dealt with some health scare too, and loss of loved ones and found it’s not worth taking life too seriously, especially with things out of your control. Better to let yourself feel the awe and wonder of the universe and short life we all have. Life is fleeting. I posted a beautiful music video about that at the forum a week ago in the Power of music post. When I discovered MLT, they opened my eyes again to the beauty and wonder of life through their amazing music and the wonderful people they are.
Back to the topic of handwriting, with handwriting and fountain pens being one of my passions, it was really special for me to see MLT do hand wirtten lyrics, and studio art scribble, and mention their journaling.
My wife was 19 and I was 22 when we had our first child. Had all four of them before I was 30, so they are grown and out of the nest. I almost sold our house 10 years ago and then it hit me, it’s already paid for, why do I want to pick up another mortgage? That turned out to be a smart move and enabled me to retire early.
I take great solace in music. The Girls cover of Wishing You Were Here is my song for our son who passed. He lived Pink Floyd too.
Mona and Lisa don’t realize how much they mean to fans like you and I. They fill up a big spot in my heart and they can make me smile with a song, a video, or anything else they post. My appreciation of them cannot be measured.
Tim, that is so beautifully expressed about what MLT means to us! My sentiments exactly too. I am glad MLTs Wishing You Were Here has a special meaning and connection to your son. That song sends shivers every time I hear it.
My handwriting has always been one of personal co-ordination hand/eye issues from day one….even in texting/etc…I still struggle… But Thankful either it was in one of my 2 years of Grade or in Grade 8 when I took a special cursive writing class before school started or it was on lunch hour….it did improve my handwriting issues somewhat…. Thankfully my Creative Poetical Brain, still functions …lol…my hands may be a tad arthritic now but the brain somewhat functions alright, most days….
Jung and I.. MLT Club Resident Writers here …lol
Hi Jacki
It’s great to hear the cursive class helped. I see here at the Club your creative drawings and your magic with words poetry, it’s almost like that would be the last thing someone with hand/eye issues would do, but it seems you flourished in defiance to it. Kudos! I hope you do some more handwriting with your purple Lamy fountain pen. All the great calligraphers have one common message, “practice, practice, practice”. 🙂
Seriously, there could easily be a two hour documentary on MLT and the creation of this album. It is a serious masterpiece in all respects. Where is Martin Scorsese when you need him?
Wow so much information on this great album Why? Thank you so much and it is such a joy to sit and just talk about your journey on this great album. So looking forward to part 2. But as we all know, your ability for song writing is superb and top notch. So glad your not on a major record label. I know there is not way you could of put this album thru a major record company because of pressure of doing one in a short period of time and to me that interups good and solid song writing. Kuto’s to you both and Pa Rudi and Michalea love you all
Bill and Maddie Isenberg Huge Fans from Pittsburgh PA USA
Thankyou for answering these Q & A’s , whether it’s Themed Specific or the General Ask Anything one…. I love hearing what was asked / how you reply to them
These Q&As are almost like sitting across the coffee table with you both and chatting! I really appreciate your willingness to share the inspiration for the songs on “Why?” so freely and in such meaningful depth. Thanks, Ladies, and great Qs, clubbers!
Thoroughly enjoyed this, fab Qs submitted and loved hearing the replies…I (belatedly) submitted a Q for Part 2 …if I’ve missed the deadline, Darn it … have some personal stuff/eye issues Goin On…couldn’t submit until now …. hoping Part2 , I was in time for.
I submitted a WHY Q similar to Steve K’s Q about the Album Art…lol…we’re on the same thinking wavelength there Steve ….lol
Always enjoy getting insights into your work.
Thank for sharing your creative energies with this q&a. Your insights, thoughtfulness, and abilities to communicate important themes musically are highly evolved.
« No one left to call out what is wrong
If everyone is made to play along
The grip is getting tight/the walls are closing in… »
« You say you didn’t see that coming
You say you don’t understand
You wonder why
You couldn’t see
With your head in the sand »
Intelligent, observant, direct and to the point. The musicianship and vocals excellent.
I was pleased to hear your timeline of several years then an 18 month more concentrated effort to finish. Creativity has its unique rhythm, not to be hurried.
Many thanks to Mona, Lisa and Papa Rudi.
ps: too late for « Jump Ship »lyrics and scribbles ?
Wonderful Q&A! Thanks, Ladies, for being so down to earth. You two are a delight!
This was a great q&a, thank you so much. Its really interesting to see/ hear about your creative toughts.
Unlike most of your fans, I like summer rain the most, and from the first time i heard that song i wondered, what was your feeling when you wrote this great song?
I hope you make much more songs the next few years. I am sure you “l make all the mlt fans happy
I also like “Summer Rain” a lot – may something on it next Friday.
I ‘m hoping I can still submit for Part 2 …I wasn’t able to until …or have I missed the WHY Q& A Tea Party for it, in which case, I’m bummed out now 😒
Thank you, looking forward to part 2.
Thx once more for bringing smiles to all our faces on Fridays!! Love your Q&As. What a ray of sunshine. I am sure that I have played Why? from beginning to end at least 20 times and I never tire of your creative sound. I can’t say for sure my favorites on Why? but as I have stated previously “Questionable” is what drew me to the MLTs. Still one of my favorites but all the songs are terrific and suit different thoughts and moods. As time goes on Jump Ship continues to amaze and impress me. As mentioned in the Q&A what has been happening in the last few years (throughout most of the World) inspired many of the songs and those feelings and insights aren’t just for the current state of mankind but continue to reoccur throughout history. When I was in my late teens (1967-1970) the US was in a fairly crazy place but historically I wasn’t as aware of it at the time as I am of our time now. Fortunately the Music of the 60’s didn’t miss a beat. I agree that we need to Raise Our Heads, ask Why, don’t drink the kool-aid and not be afraid to take a plunge !
This was wonderful. So many great questions and answers and info that I hadn’t thought of, but found so interesting. And you are SO amazing at this Q&A stuff, wow. You even made my question sound reasonable. I still have a smile painted on my face.
Thanks!
What an informative Q&A. It gives us in the Club a real inside view into the workings of the MLT machine and the making of this great album. Thanks for answering all my questions. Looking forward to part 2. Happy Friday and have a great weekend everybody.
Wow!! So much about the LP to really like. I believe it is your best work yet and in the old days would chart high on Billboard. It sounds like ‘If You Raise Your Head’ and ‘Make Show’ are different cuts from the same cloth. But, both are very good. ‘Songbird’, ‘Questionable’. ‘Why?’ are all great. To be redundant, the whole LP is a winner. I kinda wonder what is next.
Hello Ladies,
Love diving deeper into the backwoods of how an album comes together. I Bought Myself A Politician, I believe was the first video from Why?, is so catchy and has so many elements. It also describes politics in a unique but true way. Especially here in the US.
I love the song. Especially the “concert” in the 360° round view. Mona jumping around in the Pope outfit, the many views of Mona, Michaela making a cameo, Lisa’s Socks 😍 so many things. An all around brilliant Song.
Thanks for the delve into the inner workings of Why?
Best Always
Rick Ross
I agree with the US reference to the song.
Pope Mona might be my favorite person in any MLT video.
Thank you for sharing an inside look at the creation of your album, “Why?”. You make it sound so effortless and yet, from the cover artwork to the diverse musical selections, the resulting album is a masterpiece of hard work, attention to detail, immense creativity, and the heart and soul of true artists. It may have taken you a few years to finish, but what a gift to the world! I never tire of listening to it!
Really interesting as always. It’s only natural that we like try to dissect the tracks to know who sings each song and who wrote it. One reason I think is that we are so used to the Beatles where it it is normally obvious who wrote/sang each song. However Mona and Lisa sound a little bit similar to my ears sometimes so I can’t always tell (until the video comes out!) and they sing each others songs with Rudi adding a third viewpoint. Of course it does not really matter at all as we just enjoy the music and lyrics but it adds a bit of intrigue. In a similar way to asking the Beatles what each song is about. That’s why we love the Q&As on Why? as knowing the background to songs helps us understand them better and appreciate the craft of songwriting and the musicianship from all three MLT’s!
Just a little critique about the track order.
Pretty Little Thing is ok – but nothing should have to follow Why?
Why? could have been the greatest album close since Eclipse
on Dark Side of The Moon.
Oh *!&@& – i just noticed that The End on Abbey Road is followed by Her Majesty.
Oh well.
Let me mention something else.
There is just last week a BROAD consensus of opinion in the club that
it’s high time for Gord’s Gold to get a spin on WOTT.
There is somewhat less agreement about which nugget of Gord’s Gold to cover.
The top two dozen choices seem to be….
Oh hell why don’t you just pick one out and try it when time permits.
Gordon Lightfoot will be greatly missed by all of us..
I felt the same way at first – that the album should end with Why, but I gradually came to appreciate the Pretty Little Thing ending. Why is such an sombre, introspective, soul-searching song that it takes us deep within our thoughts. Pretty Little Thing brings us out of those somewhat depressing depths to become once more aware of the simple, beautiful things that surround us if we take the time to notice them. It is, for me at least, at kind of mindful antidote to life’s problems.
Yes, to Gord’s Gold!!!
*
You two are awesome! I love this album. Especially If You Raise Your Head.
Looking forward to hearing more from Rudi and the Hammond!
Love to all!
That was very informative and entertaining. Thank you! 🙂
I too struggle with trying to figure out what is a Mona song, what is a Lisa song, what is a Rudi song. Your writings are so diverse in styles.
Thank you for answering my questions. I think it is marvelous on how much you care about your fans to take the time to answer their questions. You have built a wonderful community here that would not be the same if you were not so personally involved.
You were right in thinking Questionable and Any Other Day as being favorites. Along with If You Raise Your Head, they are my favorites that get cranked up in volume when they come on. Questionable is rooted in the 60’s sound, Any Other Day has the early 70’s sound of Bread or Don McLean, If You Raise Your Head is mid 70’s sounding to me like Loggins & Messina or Jackson Browne.
It is a wonderful community indeed!
It’s so great to be able to dive a little deeper into the inspiration and creativity behind one of of the greatest albums ever written. Hearing about all the different instruments that were used, how you came up with the melody to Any Other Day and the lyrics, it just let’s me appreciate this album even more, and I am more impressed by the artistry that goes into it. This is Lennon/McCartney, Wilson/Love kind of inspiration and genius. The way you incorporated the social issues, even in an upbeat sweet catchy song like Questionable is amazing. I see social issues being addressed in the positive fun upbeat songs like Summer Rain and Destination sunrise as well. Loved hearing about the inspiration and process that went into Jump Ship and WHY?, I think two of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard. The instrumentation and arrangement that went into these two songs, is on par with something from Beethoven. One of the most beautiful flute/recorder moments I know in any piece of music I ever heard appears in Any Other Day, and kudos to Mona for some incredible sounds with the recorder, and the most amazing guitar work and bass from Lisa and Papa Rudi. Yeah, I always felt like Papa Rudi was a kind of George Martin. The orchestral sounds in WHY? is mind blowing, from those amazing harmonies to the bass sound, then the organ comes in, followed by goose bump raising cello/violins. The three of you are an amazing creative powerhouse. You created the level of magic when the FAB4 with George Martin went into the studio to create masterpieces. Thanks for this, really, really enjoyed it. This Q and A reveals the amazing creativity and genius that went into WHY? album. ✨🎈🎶💛❤
Thank you for letting us know about the different unique instruments and such that were used in the making of “WHY?” The theme is relevant to what we have all gone through over the past few years. Deep songs, light songs, and some right in the middle…the whole album is spot on. Make Show is still my favorite…”Show the people…SHOW!…show the people what they want!”
Well done with some great stories…thanks!