Interview
1. Cru cru Arson Wales, what first got you into music?
Three of the four members grew up in the punk and indie world with the forth more into hair bands (not that we hold that against them, haha!) We've found plenty of common ground in music, and the fact that, at different times in our lives, it's been the thing that gets us through.
2. What is a Zephyr? And a Scyophant?
Linda, our lyricist, doesn't often explain her lyrics as she doesn't want to interfere with what the listener might get from them.
She describes her lyrics downloads, and believes they just come through her (from wherever this stuff comes) so she really never sets out to write about something specific, it often just gets revealed in the process. The absurdity of the sycophant is that no one wants to face up to and acknowledge that in themselves when it rears its ugly head.
3. Which psychedelic records would you recommend me?
Anything from Crumb or King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, both those bands are phenomenal and consistently put out great albums! Death Valley Girls are really cool, early Tame Impala, Real Estate honestly, there are just so many! it's really a pretty broad spectrum, as we see it, anyway :) Older groups might be someone like Meat Puppets, King Tuff, All Them Witches, The Dream Syndicate...etc.
4. Do you see yourself as a groovy person?
We hope this could apply to us? We certainly dig a good groove! And try to lay down some of our own!
5. Are you still diving into alternative music?
Always!! We love to connect with other bands we play with, and go out to shows to support the other bands in our area, and see our favs when they come to town. As far as listening, that seems to be a real up-side to streaming, platforms like Bandcamp and Spotify, just the endless exposure to new music, it's really amazing. But honestly, we still get a lot of the new stuff that we get turned on to from local college radio, and try our best to support it, it's been, and continues to be such a vital voice to independent music!
6. On a scale from 0/10, how much do you love animals?
Eleven!! (all animals, not just whales, haha!)
7. Would you recommend me any album from 2023 that is heavy on your rotation?
We recently discovered this amazing band, Everyone Is Dirty, from Oakland, so not too far from us. Been listening to their new one "Caramels for Grandpa" a lot, which came out in July, it's great!
Cherry Glazerr just came out with a new one, have just heard the singles, but sure it's gonna be a banger, love their other stuff!
8. Can you name 3 indie classics for the ages?
"Keep it Like A Secret" - Built To Spill, "Green Mind" - Dinosaur Jr., "Brighten The Corners" - Pavement (how's that? :)
9. How did you manage to make this single so fun and quirky?
Our bass player, Brad sent the bass line and we all just filled in blanks...we believe we are connected cosmically and we just download what the universe sends us, it's super fun!
10. Do you agree with the Pigeon?
Pigeons are one of our spirit animals!! We feel sad for people who don't realize how amazing they are. I recommend next time you see one walking around on the ground at the park or outside a restaurant, take a moment to stop, say hello and appreciate the beauty and what we can learn from them. And just give 'em the goddamn corner of your sandwich !!!
Review
After an introduction, "Zephyr And Sycophant" takes us up to a floor where a party is taking place! This party stands out for its playful textures, which remind me of Hot Chip's antics, especially in the vocal attack, but unlike Hot Chip, Arson Whales favors organic melodies, especially in the strings. The bass is really booming and the synergy it establishes with the lines and grooves coming from the psychedelic guitar turns this indie gem into a simply infectious nocturnal dance!
The Pigeon added the new single Indie Gems playlist on Spotify.
You can check out the released music below. If you like what you hear, make sure to follow along so you can stay on top of future releases!
Words by The Pigeon
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
This coverage was created via Musosoup