Playlist by Hailey Zaragoza
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Tag: rock music
Inner Wave Interview + Photos
Interview and words by Corynne Fernandez
On the day they released their third album, Underwater Pipe Dreams, we sat down and chatted with the guys of Inner Wave, who have been quickly making a name for themselves and gaining a dedicated group of fans all over. Read below as we talk about their sold-out album release show, the process of making their long-awaited album, and favorite records at the moment.
Pictured above left to right: Luis Portillo (drummer), Elijah Trujillo (lead guitarist), Chris Runners (keyboardist), Jean-Pierre Narvaez (bassist), Pablo Sotelo (vocals and rhythm guitar)
You guys have been together since you were teenagers, how was the band formed and what’s the meaning behind the name ‘Inner Wave?’
Elijah: In 6th grade, Pablo and I both played guitar and we met Jean-Pierre and Alex (old drummer). Jean got a bass and Alex got a drum set which resulted to jamming.
Pablo: As for the name, I made a list of like two hundred names and I showed all my friends the list of potential band names. Inner Wave was the one everyone liked the most.
This album was three years in the making, how did you guys come to the decision it was complete?
Pablo: We ran out of money. Haha no— we finished it once before about a year ago, it was completely done and mastered in the studio ready to go, but something was off. We had this really strong idea on how the process should be, we wanted it to become very collaborative — it was, but we also wanted that in the recording process, so we worked with somebody new, but we became too focused on the process instead of the music. By the end of it we did what we wanted to do but it wasn’t the vibe we were hoping for so we redid it again in the garage.
Why the name Underwater Pipe Dreams?
Pablo:It was initially a joke, for the playlist of songs that we had. Then I felt like it made sense with the themes that were happening with the album. The expression of ‘pipe dreams’ is something that will probably be a long shot and not work out. That’s how the process for the album started to feel like after a long time. On a personal level, we all went through a lot of different things within the three years, so it’s like we slowly morphed into the name that started off as a joke. With ‘underwater’ it was kinda like an ode to Lil Ugly Mane, (rapper from Virginia) his work is really low-fi but also interesting. His whole persona and how he does things musically is very intriguing.
Your new record is reminiscent of the alt rock sound that defined the early 2000’s, like that of The Strokes, making it a shift from your other material. Lyrically and musically what inspired you this time around?
Pablo: Initially we listened to a lot of Marvin Gaye—I don’t think a lot of people would think that because inspirations don’t always translate through our songs. The lyrics come from personal experiences, this summer I tried a bit – not that I didn’t try harder before I wanted to improve that aspect of it more. It was the first time where I wrote the lyrics before the music; they would end up as poems.
What song are you most proud of off the album, and what are you all most excited to play live?
Chris: There is this song called ‘Conversations’ that Jean mostly wrote. It has a Bohemian Rhapsody vibe to it; it’s a really long song with many moving parts. It’s one of those songs where you have to listen to and understand all the elements in the song.
Luis:I would go with ‘Discipline’;that’s a track with a heavier Tom Groove in it and that part specifically, is one of the most challenging for me to play.
Elijah:I also agree with ‘Discipline’—that one for me is a banger. It gets so intense and it makes me extremely excited to play live.
Pablo: For me, it would either be ‘Discipline’ or ‘Conversations’ because I think those are the two songs that have a lot of moving parts and have the potential to be amazing live.
A lot has been leading up to today, have you guys done anything special to prep for it tonight?
Everyone: We like to do some ritual sacrifices.
Pablo: We tried to do something special with the stage production for the show, so hopefully it all works out the way we planned. *
*Update: It did!
Can you give us a day in the life of Inner Wave?
Chris: We meet up every day at 8:30pm and practice, no matter what we do in that day we always meet up at that time.
What venue would you love to play in the near future?
Chris: The El Rey, because I’ve been going to that venue ever since I was a kid.
Everyone: Red Rocks would be tight, the atmosphere is absolutely crazy.
What are your guy’s all-time favorite albums?
Elijah: Marvin Gaye’s “In Our Lifetime”
Luis: “InnerSpeaker” by Tame Impala
Pablo: That one record from Madvillain.
Chris: “Blonde” by Frank Ocean and “Mista Thug Isolation” by Lil Ugly Mane
Out of all the places you’ve toured, what would be your most memorable gig to date and why?
Everyone: The Rickshaw.
Chris: The crowd was packed; the venue had air conditioning and let us smoke in the greenroom. Also, when we were waiting to play, there was a line going around the block.
First concert?
Pablo:The first concert I was brought to was this contemporary Christian Latin American guy named Marcos Witt, but the first concert I bought tickets for was Queens of the Stone Age. It was actually a benefit concert, and so they had other acts like the Last Shadow Puppets and some other surprise guest.
Luis:I grew up around punk music, so my brother would play shows at The Knitting Factory in LA and I would always hang around him.
Chris: The first concert I got brought to was Maroon 5; it was when Songs About Jane came out and the first time I ever smelled weed before. The first one I bought tickets to was Erykah Badu.
Elijah: The first one, my dad took me to see a Led Zeppelin cover band. The first one that I paid for was FYF Fest a few years ago, the year that The Strokes played.
Now that the album’s out, what are you guys looking forward to come this year and into next year?
Pablo: Long naps and a lot of sleep—maybe take my dog for a walk.
Everyone: SXSW!
A message to all your fans?
Pablo: Keep on rockin
Chris: Y’all thanks!
Elijah: Huge thank you to everyone!
Pablo: Felt a lot of love this year—it’s intense, so thank you!
Gallery of the Inner Wave Album Release Show below:
(All photographs by Kayla Fernandez)
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Night Moves Interview
By Corynne and Kayla Fernandez
Cover photo by Graham Images and Photography
Contrary to their name, Night Moves is far from a Bob Seger tribute band, and are producing cosmic folk-rock, reminiscent of influences like Neil Young and The Flaming Lips with their own added distinct style. Read below as John Pelant, lead singer and guitarist, chatted with us about their high school beginnings, dream festival line-ups, and the progress on album #3.
First off, how are you?
Doing well! Just got back from playing a festival in Appleton, WI. We had a blast, in what is apparently, “The Drunkest City In America” ???!?? Yeah, I didn’t believe it either…
The relationship between the band appears to be pretty close-knit. How did you all meet and form what is now, Night Moves?
Micky and I met in high school and kinda bonded over skateboarding. We eventually played in bands that would perform together from time to time and whatnot, so we grew closer that way. We also had a similar taste in music- Flaming Lips, The Band, George Harrison, Elliott Smith, Neil Young, which kind of turned us into even better friends. Our current live show band members are all dudes we met years later here in Minneapolis from playing out and about. I think growing up in such a formidable time as high school will inevitably bring you together as Micky and I.
You guys have been together since 2009, and put out your debut album in 2012. How would you say you’ve evolved from Colored Emotions to Pennied Days?
I think the writing has gotten stronger. I’m better at self recording these days, which is important because a lot of self recorded/demo stuff makes it into the albums. We’ve matured a bit in terms of the bands sound and presentation, although I still have a tough time taking the social media thing seriously. The multitude of tours we’ve gone on has given a fair amount of knowledge about how the live thing works for us as well as against us. There are business aspects to this band thing I would have never imagined when I started out that I think we are much more adept at these days, but who am I kidding, I’m still learning and figuring it all out.
You’ve been characterized by your 70’s-esque guitar riffs and melodic folky vocal pairing. Musically and lyrically, where do you find inspiration?
I think the band name falsely informs people of this idea that we’re a homage to Seger/70’s rock band music. That was never the intention, and it still isn’t. We just take stuff from anything we like and that moves us. The name kinda just fit the vibe at the time when we put out the 1st record. Inspiration is constantly changing. Lyrics always seem to come from a strange place. They’re inspired from a variety of experiences and they are usually the last thing to come in the song writing process. All in all, inspiration is always coming to me in ways I’d never expect. I’m still trying to figure that all out as well.
Fans interpret music in a rainbow of ways, is there anything you’d like your listeners to take away from your material?
No, I let them continue to interpret it in a myriad of ways. It’s best if you can get lost and find some element of yourself in the music.
What is a day in the life of Night Moves?
Make coffee/tea. Breakfast, which is usually these days a bagel with egg and turkey and greens. Go through the damn internet stops, shower, go to work, come home listen to music and work on new songs, crack some wine and continue to tinker with the tunes. Still trying to finish album #3!
If we’re on tour: Just trying to not die, drink water, hit various gas stations and grocery stores, sound check, show, after party, sleep.
What records have shaped you most as artists?
“All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison is a big one, Micky borrowed me a copy in Driver’s Ed in high school and it has been a beacon ever since. “Highway 61 Revisited” and “The Freewheelin Bob Dylan” are both very important records that I listened to a lot growing up while learning to play guitar.
Ideal environment for a gig?
Somewhere by a body of water, but also indoors because we’ve had a lot of live sound issues outdoors. Let’s say with lots of lights and strobes/lasers/fog, that whole thing, I’m talkin a NASA level production of fog and lasers, the big stuff that will make you blackout. So maybe a mansion that has an indoor pool, but that is also oceanside with a giant veranda full of snacks and tequila? That’s got to exist somewhere, right? Honestly, as long as there’s good atmosphere you could be in some jack den in the sticks and it’d be fine.
You guys have had played to a variety of audiences, what would be your most memorable gig and why?
It so hard to choose, so I will just mention one. We played in Ohio back in 2013, right after our first album came out, and only 1 girl showed up along with her dad and brother. She was wasted and kept calling out for the song “Colored Emotions,” even after we played it 2nd in the set. It was as if she didn’t know we even played it. The promoter revealed to us later in the night he lost a lot of money on the show and seemed pretty unhappy about it. He let us stay at his house, but insisted several times we “make beds” before we hit the night life, which felt very odd. Every place he took us to he seemed to be in poor standing with the folks there and that further gave us a weird feeling about everything, as in this guy is not well regarded around these parts, fuck, what do we do? I guess it didn’t matter because no one showed up to the gig. We ended up staying out all night and morning in this Ohio town and left at 9am. As we headed out the promoter gave us 5 big pussy willows he stole from his neighbor’s porch, stuffed them in the van. Must have been quite the assemblage to be witnessing rolling down the interstate at 9am looking like a busted, bloated, and broken Pottery Barn prop.
At the moment you’ve been touring the mid-west. Are there any plans to venture out to the West coast or the East coast in the near future?
Unfortunately, not at the moment. Hopefully, soon though!
If you were given the chance to re-score a soundtrack what film would it be?
Plains, Trains, and Automobiles- it already has some cool tracks, but I love the vibe of what they got going on and I’d love to embellish it a little.
With festival season in full swing, who would make up your dream festival line-up?
ACDC, D’Angelo, Flaming Lips, The James Gang, Mick Taylor era Stones, Mamas and Papas Hologram set
There have been many great albums released this year. What would be your favorite record of 2017?
Maybe 1 of these 4: Thundercat-Drunk, MacDemarco- This Old Dog, or Father John Misty-Pure Comedy, War On Drugs-A Deeper Understanding
Lastly, what can fans and those new to your music, expect from Night Moves this year and perhaps into next year?
Album #3, we’re hoping to start recording it in the fall so we can to put it out next summer~
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King Shelter at The Metro Gallery
By Sara Valenzuela
King Shelter and friends rocked the Metro Gallery, bringing Baltimore some fun on a hot friday night. King Shelter is an independent indie/alternative rock band based out of Southern California. They’re currently touring with The Frights and On Drugs on their Wet Hot Summer Tour, up to September 9th (get your tickets here). The band has been pretty busy this year with the release of their new singles ‘Gimmie Knowledge’ and ‘Gholy Host’, also touring the west coast with their friends The Frights and Hunny. Hope to see more of King Shelter in the DMV in the near future, they’ll keep us waiting till then.
Follow King Shelter on Twitter!
Listen to King Shelter on Spotify!
Buy King Shelter’s Merch!
Review + Photos: Current Joys
Review and Photos by Corynne Fernandez
As the crowd poured into The Echo last night for Reno natives, Current Joys sold out show, there was an all-encompassing sense of excitement and eagerness. Prior to Current Joys taking stage, Gap Girls and Bane’s World opened up the night, both giving dreamy performances that made the audience swoon for every note.
By the time Current Joys made their way on, everyone was teeming with bottled up energy, and as soon as Nick Rattigan—lead singer and guitarist— started with one of the many songs on their diverse set list, the room transformed into a jumping frenzy. Songs like ‘New Flesh’ and ‘My Motorcycle’ ignited a mass sing-along only adding to the night’s vitality. What was really distinct about the whole evening was the understanding between the audience and the band—each one fed off what they gave the other. That notion proved to be more true as the set drew to a close, with Nick performing the last few songs solo. While the venue was already pretty intimate, everything fell into place perfectly for those final moments leaving everyone on a high.
Review + Gallery: Frank Iero and the Patience
Review by Lilli Banks
Photos by Sara Valenzuela
A Friday night in Washington, D.C. is never a dull one. Frank Iero and the Patience (consisting of Frank Iero: Lead Singer + Guitar, Evan Nestor Guitar+ Backup Vocals, Alex Grippo: Bass, Matt Olson: Drummer + Backup Vocals) brought their sound to U Street! On their US run, they promoted sophomore album, “Parachutes” released last October. In the fall, the New Jersey based band will be heading to Europe and the UK to promote their music overseas.
Frank, the lead singer and guitarist, started various projects after the breakup of the world known band, My Chemical Romance (MCR). Frank Iero and the Patience released their debut album, “Stomachaches” in 2014, still keeping the alternative rock scene that he brought to his past work.
Loyal fans that reign from MCR continue to show support to his new music! The dedicated fans from DC mentioned how they saw him back in MCR and they were thrilled that he was back. The band put all their energy into their electric performance and interacting with the audience! Frank was overjoyed at the crowd and the enormous support he has received since.
After the show, a few preview photos were released to get our readers excited for what’s to come. Frank’s fans quickly saw and the internet was ecstatic! They made sure to comment on his recent ‘hair makeover’. The first photos to debut it were the buzz on Tumblr and other social media!
Needless to say, the band put up an impressive performance and won DC over. Their fan base is strong and continuing to grow. We hope to hear great things from Frank Iero and the Patience soon. DC will definitely be waiting for their return to the local stages.
Keep up with the band on Frank’s Twitter
You can find their upcoming UK and European tour dates here.
Gallery + Review: Broods
By Lilli Banks
New Zealand’s own BROODS stopped at Rams Head Live in Baltimore last month while on their 12 date North American Tour! BROODS are known for Georgia and Caleb Nott, brother and sister, as they started the band together.
Georgia, lead singer, mentioned how they have heard stories about Rams Head Live being a venue that many people love and are eager to play. They were more than happy to be in Baltimore.
Georgia moved along the stage with her exquisite dance moves and connecting with each side of the audience. All their fans were in awe and singing along happy as ever!
A trend with Rams Head Live is that it holds the same types of people that you see: the jocks, couples, loners, fanatics. Each person is different with how they react to seeing a concert.
Lots of people let their hair loose and danced more than other shows I have seen, especially in Baltimore. BROODS music makes you want to dance with your friend and enjoy the night!
They took a chance to slow down the night. They wanted to connect and talk to the audience since the venue allowed that intimacy. They mentioned a little bit of how they came together. They sang “Mad World” which was a song that helped initiate the band. The crowd helped them sing and it brought such a wondrous smile to the bands faces!
They were more than thankful for the crowd that came out and put on a show that makes you want more.
If BROODS comes to a city near you, bring a group of friends, prepare to let go and enjoy yourself!
Listen to their second album titled, “Conscious” which was just released last year here.
A Night At The DC9 with Arlie!
by Sara Valenzuela
The Nashville-based indie pop band, Arlie, went on their first tour in May of this year and they made sure not to forget DC. These happy boys made the crowd dance with their recently released debut single “Big Fat Mouth”; Only released this past February, they seem to offer a promising future in the music industry.
Follow Arlie!
Sounds of Summer Playlist
By Hailey Zaragoza
It’s finally Summer!! We’ve all been though a lot since last summer and after what feels like forever,it’s time to relax(or at least try). I’ve curated a playlist filled with the songs I always come back to during this season along with some great new releases. I hope that this playlist is the perfect soundtrack to all of your summer from the late night car rides and adventures to your dog days.
https://open.spotify.com/user/1295333775/playlist/4EcDPFyKIfuXOVwM4oasnn
afterlifemagazine.com 
