Firsties and Faves: Botany

Botany's productions coil and expand like clouds in his native Texan sky. Check out "Laughtrack", a gorgeous collaboration with Father John Misty, for a taste of what to expect from his upcoming album Lava Diviner. We hit him up for the latest edition of Firsties and Favs, our new weekly series where we prod artists for a glimpse into formative moments and interests—you might not be surprised to learn that dude had a 'shrooms-inspired AIM screenname growing up.

First important break-up song:

Oh man, probably something douche-y by Dashboard Confessional or Incubus when I was twelve. I didn't really like break-up music music beyond a certain age, I don't think. That's kind of an over-played sentiment in music. The closest thing to a break-up song I've liked in the last several years is probably "Tears in the Typing Pool" by Broadcast or "The Autumnal Crush" by Clark. Both of those tracks cover that break-up emotion in a kind of understated, more true-to-life way. Or at least they feel more like actual depression rather than the nice, self-pitying kind.

First videogame:

Well like a lot of people, the original Mario Brothers on NES was probably the first thing I played but the first game that made me give a shit about games has to be either The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the old, grey Game Boy, or Kirby's Adventure on the NES. I play both of those games once every couple of years to this day. The soundtracks to both are amazing. The full experience they created with just a few pixels and midi tones back then is so inspiring.

First AIM screenname:

ShinobiPsilocybin

First time scared by a movie:

It's not a movie, but the first time I saw the video for "Thriller"… when Michael Jackson's eyes turn yellow. I used to have to cover my eyes for that.

First prom outfit:

A best buy uniform. Blue shirt and Khakis. I had graduated from an alternative high-school six months early and I was already out of touch with classmates, working most of the time. I didn't care about prom, honestly all I wanted to participate in was getting fucked up afterwards. I don't even think I did that, though. I probably just went home after my shift and made music.

Favorite fictional crush:

Hmm, this is a tough one. I had a lot when I was a kid but I can't think of any now. Rachael from Blade Runner? She kind of has a Jennifer Connelly thing going on.

Favorite song you would play if you were about to fight someone:

"Big Church" by Sunn 0))). Go in with the grim reaper on my side.

Favorite bird:

Probably the Road Runner. There's a ton of them in Texas and they aren't anything like the one on Looney Tunes. They're actually these sleek, gray and black speckled snake-killers that have a really brutal crest on their heads. They don't really fly but they run and jump in a way that makes you think, "Ah okay, that's what happened to the dinosaurs. They just got smaller."

Favorite piece of technology"

Out of everything? Probably the Hubble Telescope. That thing really, really is the optical organ of humanity. Anybody who thinks its just floating up there so that we can have pretty pictures of galaxies is only half right. Its a giant metal optical organ put there by us, these little pieces of the universe that woke up. Its the thing that the universe uses to look at itself.

Favorite place in nature anywhere:

Northern California. If you want to be in touch with the idea that the earth is ancient, take a look at a giant fucking tree that a truck can disappear behind.