Unlike many other genres and music communities, the indie/alt culture appreciates new and rising artists that create diversity and new insights within the genre.
Every week we feature a notable rising artist on the verge of success. Meet this week’s artist, the indie rockers by the name of The Good Wives: |
We had the chance to chat with the guys of The Good Wives and talk with them about their influences, interests, and of course all things alternative culture.
Growing up outside of cities, with dial-up internet, I think we were all kind of limited to radio rock as kids. I know that the first Third Eye Blind record was a big one for Shane, and Relationship of Command was an early one for myself. Nic was really into Heathen by Bowie. He says it was the first time he realized you could put wit and humor into music while still retaining emotion. But college was where my tastes started to develop. I got really into stuff by Elliott Smith, The Walkmen, Spoon, and so on.
What are your fondest musical memories?
As a band, I think it’s being able to hear development. I really get a kick out of listening back and seeing how much the approach and execution has evolved. We’ve been doing projects together in some fashion for quite a while now, so there is a lot archived. As a listener, I think it’s just having gone to a lot of shows, meeting other musicians, and just seeing how other people express themselves.
Lately what musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a listener?
Heavy rotation lately has been Darkside, Flying Lotus, and Angel Olsen, but I’m really looking forward to the new Spoon album. Nic has been listening to new releases by older artists. Specifically Out Among The Stars by Cash and Band of Brothers by Willie Nelson. And Shane tends to split his listening between a lot of contemporary Alt-Rock and classic rock. He’s been name dropping Bob Seger, lately. But we’re all fairly eclectic listeners.
How would you describe your band’s sound and aesthetic? What has influenced you into creating this type of performance vibe?
We’re definitely a guitar band. That said, we’re always trying to push ourselves to do more and incorporate new sounds. My hope is that we’re writing songs that are catchy and fun to listen to, and hopefully smart enough to keep you around. We’re having fun and just want as many people to get in on our good time as we can.
Your music has a unique quality to it: your ironic juxtaposition between the deep lyrics and instrumentals is often described as misanthropic and full of “urban cynicism,” your most recent EP, “Everything I Know” is a genius collection of love and heartbreak songs, and your twitter is full of funny ideas for band names album titles. With so many creative ideas, how do you approach music writing? What is your writing process like? How do you create your music? What subjects/experiences do you draw inspiration from to form such thoughtful creations. Do you feel like the Seattle music scene and community has inspired your writing process and music development?
I take a lot of notes. I jot down whatever pops into my head throughout the day that I think may be even the least bit interesting. Once something sticks, I’ll write out the melody and lyrics, then take it to the guys. From that point, we’ll start demoing different ideas everyone has, talk about what we’re trying to accomplish with the track, and just develop our ideas.
As for experiences I draw from, I think I probably take little tidbits of my own life, and then exaggerate them to try and make the ideas or feelings relatable and interesting.
I’d say the local community has helped push our development, for sure. It’s an encouraging group that seems to really care about one another. I think that pushes everyone to do a little better.
What are you currently working on? Any new projects?
Currently, we’ve been working on demoing some new songs for a full length. We’re playing shows here and there, but mostly working on studio stuff right now. We’re trying some new stuff, and I’m really excited about the ideas we’ve all been bringing to the table.
As an indie artist in the digital age, social media and streaming are essential tools for marketing and promotion. What do you think about online music sharing, both as a music fan and as a musician? How do you think social media/music streaming services impacts the rising musician?
There are pros and cons to all of it, of course. It’s incredible to have that much access to music, as a fan, and it’s a huge opportunity as a musician. Because of that access, it also becomes difficult to sort through the masses and to give everything the consideration it deserves. I’m not really sure of the impact, though. It feels more like we’re in a transitional phase, rather than settling in. There is still a lot to be figured out.
What is your dream collaboration and why?
I don’t know if there is a dream collaboration. We already work with a lot of our friends, and I’d like to keep doing that. That said, we’re always interested in seeing where someone else is, creatively. Then just see what happens from there.
Finally, a question we have been asking all of artists lately: which songs are you currently obsessed with? What new acts do you recommend to our listeners? What bands do you believe are your best kept secret in the indie community?
Currently, I only want to listen to Spoon’s They Want My Soul. Inside Out is probably my favorite track off the record, so far. It just feels like a world I want to live in.
As for lesser known acts I’d recommend, I’m going to play it safe so that I don’t leave anyone out and just mention someone we’re working with currently. But you should check out our friends in Seagoat. They’re currently working on their first full length, and only have two singles out at this time, but it’s pretty great stuff. Neal Harris (Producer) is doing a remix of our song Cause of Cavities from our first EP. We’re all real excited to hear what he comes up with.