After spending the past six years as a creative force behind TV on the Radio, multi-instrumentalist Kyp Malone is stepping out on his own. Malone, performing under the name Rain Machine, released his self-titled debut album just last month.

But this isn’t the first time Malone has written and recorded alone. A lifelong musician, Malone has spent years writing and cultivating his songs and has spent ample time refining them in a studio setting. The result is an album that blends a rich tapestry of musical influences with Malone’s characteristic falsetto and undeniably personal lyrical content.

Malone answered a few questions about his latest musical project.

You’ve worked with some of these songs for several years. Do you feel like they have evolved since they were first written?

Yes and no. Some of the older stuff is changing. It’s changing right now because I’m playing it with a band.

What’s that been like?

It’s been great. We’re getting to know one another musically and it’s exciting.

After recording with bands for so long, what was it like to go into the studio by yourself?

It has its pros and cons. I definitely don’t think I have all the best ideas, you know. A lot of what is potentially magical about the [recording] situation is synergy and that takes a group of people. I like doing it alone, too.

Do you tend to write methodically or organically?

It depends on the song, it depends on the day. You could be in the mood and want to capture that mood, you could want to be in the mood and try to make that a reality.

Your songs incorporate a lot of different sounds and a lot of different instruments. When do you decide that a song is finished?

You could always keep going, you know, and the song can exist in a [variety of] different ways. I’ve been in [the studio] enough times [to know] that I only have a certain amount of time. Also wanting to do it myself, I wasn’t going to put cello parts on it because I’m not in any way accomplished on that instrument. I wasn’t going to put any bagpipes on it.

I read that you occasionally involve your nine-year-old daughter, Isabelle, in your creative process.

She’s my family and I care what she thinks and I think she’s got a good head on her shoulders. As much as she wants to be involved, she’s involved. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m using her as a test market. I feel fortunate that she likes what I’m doing, she doesn’t have to for sure, and there are plenty of people who aren’t into what their parents are doing. I feel blessed in a lot of ways with her.

Do you plan to continue with this project, particularly after TV on the Radio’s hiatus ends?

Yeah, why not? We’ve been on hiatus before and I’ve played shows before. It’s no different than before.