Conversations with Kyle Schneider

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Schneider.

Hi Kyle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I don’t know where to begin, honestly. My first exposure to music was through my parents who both shared with me their favorite artists from their era. I appreciate a lot of it to this day; a lot of it I kind of hate to be honest. Like the term “Dad rock” is synonymous with the 60’s and 70’s era of rock music with bands like Pink Floyd and Deep Purple being my favorites. But I could honestly go without hearing another AC&DC or Guns N Roses song in my life, and I would be perfectly happy. Eventually, my dad found a cheap and busted drum set from a garage sale that we patched up over the years, and it still is the primary kit that I play with. I think those humble beginnings allowed me to hone my craft and essentially not be “spoiled” with expensive gear. I was playing on a piece of shit drum set, but it was my piece of shit drum set, and no one could take that away from me. Over the years, I developed my Musical interests into Metal, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Etc. I’m grateful to have had a healthy exposure to those artists when I was younger, but I’m even more glad that I’ve evolved my creative voice past those influences. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, and it never will be. A pretty universal experience amongst those in a creative field is simply navigating through individuals that don’t respect you or your craft. I remember in 2020 when I was motivated to growing on my own until opportunities started to blossom again after the pandemic. But I was unable to complete any of my aspired projects due to the lack of communication and respect from the individuals I chose to collaborate with. I was putting in 110% into everything, but no one else was. I had to remind myself that that wasn’t a flaw. I was just surrounding myself with others that didn’t value my passion and I suffered because of it. I wanted to quit. And then I did. 

I want to say that there was an inciting incident that inspired me to keep going, but there wasn’t really. I took a huge break from creating. I didn’t practice for months, and my gigs suffered because of it. I was sure I wouldn’t get a callback, and I didn’t. Fast forward to the present day, I’m performing with the same musicians that stuck around and then some. That’s when I realized that Musicians are community made and driven, and I’ll need to strengthen those if I want my art to make an impact. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I would consider myself a shy and anxious person most of the time, but my Music reflects the opposite. I pride myself for my unapologetic approach to my art, and you can hear it in my work. The Music I compose under my moniker “Pamlico” is energetic, ethereal, and borderline manic at times. Combining my Drum set experience with my passion for sound design, I try to create something new with Pamlico every time I’m at the drawing board. My influences are varied, yet I feel I do have a recognizable sound. Artists with the 90’s Warp Records era like Autechre, Aphex Twin, or Squarepusher, come to mind. As well as more contemporary artists like Arca, SOPHIE, and Moderat for examples. Arca especially, for her mesmerizing display of self-expression. All these equal the “Pamlico Sound” that my close friends have categorized. I hope the rest of the world will start categorizing me this way as well. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I mentioned earlier how Musicians are built by their communities, and I wanted to elaborate on that here because it is one of the most important lessons I think any artist needs to hear as well. You need people coming back to your art. My biggest fear are those that tune into my music and never come back again. It’s like they checked it out as a favor to me and then never listened again. That’s the thing that I don’t want. I want to make art that people didn’t know they wanted until they hear it. 

I’ve learned that stories of people experiencing art is almost more important than the art itself. I can think of a vague memory of a youtube comment left under Aphex Twin’s “Alberto Balsalm.” The user detailed a train ride they had in which they heard the song for the first time. I have many memories like that, and I want others to as well. Stories like that are like another layer to art itself. The experience of it all. Where were you when you heard your favorite band for the first time? Do you remember the night you saw your favorite movie? 

As much as I want to revert back to my introverted self and make beats alone in my room, I have to get out there and share with the world. What keeps me motivated is thinking of crowd reactions and how artists interact with their fans is what keeps me motivated. An obscure video of Bjork DJ’ing a Death Grips song comes to mind. Check it out; she riles up the crowd with a gut-wrenching screech. The Music Video to the Yeah yeah yeah’s “Maps” is also something that keeps me going. It’s beautiful. 

Pricing:

• Drum Recording and Mixing (50$ per song)
• Session Drummer (75$ per hour)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itspamlico_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamlicoOfficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-schneider-477b66142/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theultimategamer213/videos
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2TXFu1g5SiiOSISGLImiMI?si=72U0byJVQjGwZR9MJ0aItw

Image Credits
Jakob Bower
Hannah DeLange
Gerard Millman
Kimberly Meers
Sage Battle