The identify “Raudiver” is each evocative and deeply rooted in gothic and paranormal lore. What drew you to Konstantins Raudive’s work, and the way does it affect the themes of your music?
Lauren: Raudive tried to contact the lifeless via recording know-how, form of like when Bruce Willis cranks up the tape in The Sixth Sense to listen to the ghost within the room. 😉 It felt like an excellent match to the haunting really feel of the music.
I additionally suppose that struggling to attach with different individuals isn’t not like being a ghost, so for instance, “No Solar Rising” is partly my very own fears of growing old, however it was additionally impressed by an article concerning the loneliness that older individuals can expertise, the place they’ve a tough time speaking a lot of their expertise to others.
Your debut album, Depart Earlier than Darkish, was recorded in a Victorian-era studio. How did the environment of the house contribute to the temper or sound of the album?
Lauren: Within the low season, Galveston has all of the desolate seaside, Victorian structure, and foggy white days I might want for. We’re fortunate to have an inexpensive artist stay/work studio right here, and a number of the moods of the house do appear to return into the music.
It sounds made up, however there actually is a darkish, slim Victorian staircase within the nook that goes nowhere! Isaac Cline used these steep picket steps to test climate devices on the roof main as much as the 1900 Storm. He tragically argued in opposition to constructing the Seawall that will have saved 1000’s of lives, together with his spouse and unborn youngster.
I virtually forgot concerning the creepy little picket closet below the steps! We blocked it off behind a wardrobe—as anybody would in a gothic story.
The Omnichord options prominently on “Mary Tombs,” giving the observe a definite character. What impressed you to make use of the instrument, and the way did it form the general vibe of the track?
Lauren: My sister Natalie discovered the omnichord at an property sale. I did some digging and located that it belonged to a music therapist. Charlie and I spent a while choosing chords collectively that had the proper temper, and it did find yourself feeling very therapeutic to jot down. The instrument positively impressed the track. Thanks, Mary.
You’ve described your lyrics as exploring themes of private ache and empowerment. How do you steadiness the darker components of your sound with messages of hope and self-care?
Lauren: For us personally, we don’t discover our music miserable or particularly darkish. However , how darkish do you want your chocolate earlier than it’s too bitter, or how candy earlier than it’s too cloying? So far as sending any sort of message, I hope that if I’m to be genuine and adventurous, it may be the nudge that somebody must be extra boldly themselves, or to take that subsequent step.
Tracks like “Depart” and “Mary Tombs” dive into the challenges of interpersonal relationships. How do these themes hook up with the broader message of the album’s title, Depart Earlier than Darkish?
Lauren: The title, Depart Earlier than Darkish, is our carpe diem. Do what you’re keen on, what in your coronary heart is true, as a result of we don’t have an eternity to mill round questioning. We actually agonized via transitions each private and musical in creating this document. For our personal well-being, reinventing ourselves was the danger we wanted to take. We don’t remorse it.
What function does your dynamic as a married duo play in your artistic course of? Are there any distinctive challenges or benefits to collaborating so carefully as companions?
Lauren: I’ve observed many bands have a central duo that would be the motor of the band, so I don’t know that it’s distinctive, however the profit is that we’ve got every day communication and extra availability than 4 or 5 bandmates sometimes have. The problem is that it may be extra stress to hold the challenge, each on stage, within the studio, and touring.
What’s your favourite venue to carry out at?
Lauren: I cherished Planet Marfa once we toured with Temptrix final summer season! Ash performed my favourite set of the whole tour, and by the top of the evening, we had been dancing in a circle to “Ship Me an Angel” below the celebs and moon! A tequila soda in a single hand, thrifted $8 purple cowboy boots to kick round in. Pure magic.
In Galveston, we love Joel and Angela Mora at Previous Quarter! They’re so real and giving. Fingers down essentially the most musician-friendly enterprise on the town. They run the door, sound, and the bar–and 100% of the door goes to the artists. It’s a Texas treasure. I might like to see extra assist and funding go their means. Townes Van Zandt could also be on nearly each wall, however these two reside legends.
Do you could have a selected course of or ritual when creating new music?
Charlie: Hello, I’m Charlie and I don’t often have an entire lot to say. For writing, we’ve got a couple of totally different kinds.
- Begin strumming and search for some chords. Both of us will do that to search out concepts and save voice memos to work on when the temper and time are proper.
- Begin a clean challenge in logic. Generally simply headphones, a laptop computer, and the pencil instrument in logic. I’ll simply begin drawing and listening to loops and nudging issues round, altering sounds and searching for one thing that might make me wish to dance.
- Went via a part the place we had some working tape machines and we might simply plug in a keyboard or guitar and attempt to get impressed by the mechanical nature. It’s a upkeep nightmare although and, virtually, I don’t suppose I’ve the persistence to attempt to hold it working. Possibly if I moved throughout the road from a restore store.
In the event you might collaborate with any artist, alive or lifeless, who wouldn’t it be?
Lauren: I joke round about dropping every part to play the triangle for Bjork! I do visitor vocals from residence once I can, and I actually take pleasure in collaborating in that means.
Charlie: One in every of my favourite interviews that I keep in mind of an artist is Adrian Utley of Portishead. He’s acquired a extremely infinite assortment of fascinating outdated synths, to not point out being a singular guitar participant. One other must be the bass participant from CAN, Holger Czukay, RIP. I get a kick out of their philosophy: jam for some time in a fortress, document a stereo combine the entire time, after which he would sit there and simply splice complete sections of the jam collectively till there was a stable track construction. There are such a lot of artists I might take pleasure in collaborating with although, and lots of usually are not well-known. All the time comes right down to time and who . I believe there are such a lot of artistic musicians that aren’t well-known that make wonderful music.
What’s the largest problem you discover in at this time’s music trade?
Charlie: One of many challenges is all the hats you want to have the ability to put on, and the comply with via it’s essential to make progress. It’s not sufficient to be a stable musician. It’s like every small enterprise the place you need to do all of it. There are additionally so many hurdles, like cash, and simply the calls for of life the place individuals don’t have time or vitality left. Hopefully we see extra assist for artists, as a result of a number of the finest music received’t come to gentle with out the assist construction being there.