A Word With Beauty’s Confusion

Beauty’s Confusion is an early 2000s triphop group with an impeccably unique sound for the genre. Their 2004 album Breathe In gives a melancholic take, incorporating intriguing guitar work blended with solid electronic production alongside soft vocals. 

I had the opportunity to ask members Chris and Jenna a few questions about the making of Breathe In and gained some insights on my new favorite band.

How did Beauty’s Confusion come to be? 

Jenna: The band was already an established trio before I joined. I met Chris through a mutual friend and we were talking about forming a side project. Not too long after, their singer quit and I was asked to join BC. 

Chris: My good friend at the time (Joel) and I were obsessed with Moby's 1999 album "Play" as well as Portishead and other awesome trip-hop groups. We threw together some demos and voila!

Take me through your songwriting process, how did you guys work together? Do you still write songs together 20 years later?

Jenna: Typically, I'll hear a melody in my head, sometimes with lyrics, and from there the song begins to take shape. Other songs, like Falling, musically was already established. I'd listened to it on repeat until the melodies and lyrics formed. Chris and I leaned on each other to help finish ideas in the studio, whether lyrically or musically.  While we have not actively written together for some time, we've always kept that door open for future collaboration.

Chris: I would come up with a lot of instrumentals for Jenna to write to, or I'd come up with lyrics and melodies and just show her what to sing. I had no idea what I was doing back then as I didn't understand music theory and was pretty new to producing music with a computer, but I feel like we put together a decent collection of songs despite my shortcomings.

Which is your favorite song on Breathe In? Why?

Jenna: It's difficult to choose a favorite song because there are so many reasons why a song could be. Maybe "Whirlwind" because it represented a time in my life where major changes were occurring. That song came about during a time when I made the decision to uproot my life and start a new journey. It represents cutting cords with people who don't support your personal evolution and will do anything to keep you tethered. It's a song of liberation and choosing your own path.

Chris: I agree with Jenna. There are a handful of important songs to me that reflect my life at the time. I was in my first real relationship in 2003 and was extremely happy (I actually met her at a BC show in summer 2002). I felt on top of the world. I wrote songs for BC about that girl I loved deeply who I knew would eventually leave me (and she did, right around the time the album was released). Those three songs are "Stain", "Walls", and "City." I'm still very proud of those songs and I will forever relive that time when I hear them. They're some of the most depressing songs I've ever made, but they're 100% truthful, emotionally.

What were some inspirations for Beauty’s Confusion? What made you drawn to write music like that?

Jenna: Some of my biggest inspirations musically are Cocteau Twins, Portishead, The Sundays, Tori Amos. I remember when I first heard "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan I knew the kind of music I wanted to create some day. A blend of guitars, synths and trip-hop beats with ethereal vocals was it. 

Chris: As mentioned, Moby's "Play" was the thing that started it all. Portishead's "Dummy" when I first heard "Mysterons" and "Wandering Star" in late 1994. And 100%, Sarah McLachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" changed everything for me, in 1994. After BC formed, I discovered the 1996 album "Londinium" by Archive which blew me away, and still does. Massive inspiration. And, while it's not trip-hop at all, my biggest musical influences are Juliana Hatfield/Blake Babies and The Sundays, and Jets To Brazil. Basically, I love the 90s and have tremendous nostalgia for that time.