Tim Showalter (Strand of Oaks)//Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver)

“Putting out a record like Jessica did during the pandemic is like creating a new job. We need to acknowledge how much hard work and ingenuity this took.”—Tim Showalter, Strand of Oaks

The experiences of Tim Showalter (Strand of Oaks) and Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver) during the pandemic have been very different. Showalter’s tour cycle for his last album Eraserland ended in February; this meant the quarantine had little impact on his songwriting cycle since he had already planned on spending 2020 writing. Dobson fared differently: Deep Sea Diver released Impossible Weight in October, so of course they were unable to tour behind the album, which threw all their plans out the window.

Like all other bands who released an album in 2020, Deep Sea Diver had to pivot from touring mode to marketing mode to maintain their visibility. Many songwriters have told me something similar; the time they had originally set aside making and playing music must now be used for the part they like the least:: the business part.

This is the “new job” to which Showalter refers. “Many people think that being a songwriter involves pulling ideas from the ether, like it’s some impromptu career. It’s not. Being a full-time artist is as involved as a highway project,” he told me. Both Showalter and Dobson say that it’s hard to be creative when your brain is in “music business” mode.

But when it comes time to write, Showalter and Dobson say that songs come easiest when they pretend that they’re writing for someone else, or what’s called the impostor syndrome. “I tell myself that the song I’m working on will never be a Strand of Oaks song ever. When you’re not tethered, it becomes fun,” Showalter said. Showalter promised me that one of the songs on the just-finished album sounds like 80s era Tina Turner. Dobson concurs, telling me that “some of [her] favorite lyrics end up being when I’m not trying to be poetic.”

I paired these two for an interview after reading a Showalter tweet a few months ago professing his affinity for the new Deep Sea Diver album—and indeed it is fantastic. Apparently this was their first meeting, and we had a lot of fun.

Watch our interview below!