Some Ember showcase new songs at The Complex July 18
Some Ember is the synth-pop California duo out of Oakland made up of Dylan Travis and Nina Chase. The duo will be performing songs off their latest recording at The Complex in LA on July 18.
Their self-produced, self-titled EP was recorded over a period of last two years and is set for a summer 2014 release. The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to Some Ember about their origin, upcoming summer tour and latest LP.
OCCG: How did you come up with “Some Ember?” What’s the story behind your name and how did you two meet?
SE: The name Some Ember is from one of the first demos Dylan wrote for this project–it was a lyric. This was before we had met or had even started playing live shows. We were introduced through our friend Josh, who was our drummer before we were a 2-piece.
OCCG: How would you explain your genre in your own words and what is your purpose as musicians?
SE: We’ve always referred to ourselves as pop. Emotional, industrial, dark, experimental, whatever other adjectives you want to append to that. But we’re essentially a pop project. In recent times we’ve done stuff that has broken from pop structures and intent–we generally use this as a way to explore new sounds and ranges of emotion. But the essence of Some Ember is in the communicative, linear format of pop music, and in the ways we subvert that form.
OCCG: Could you see yourselves performing at a festival like Coachella in the near future?
SE: We’ll play wherever. Coachella would be a pretty bizarre experience.
OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain of your self-titled LP?
SE: Our music has always been about confronting life’s little horrors head-on, transforming them into beauty. They already are beauty. That’s the most important message on the record. The songs are all examining different aspects of that transformation.
OCCG: How’s your summer tour going so far? Where would you like to head to that have not yet that you would eventually like to travel to?
SE: We haven’t started yet, but we’re super excited to travel. We’d love to play in Europe and Japan eventually! Or in that massive cave in Thailand.
OCCG: NPR has named “Thrashing Whip” as one of the best dance tracks in June. How do you feel about that?
SE: It was the Avalon Emerson remix and we’re ecstatic! Nina is old friends with Avalon and she is one of the best dance producers we know. We’re hoping to move to Berlin at the end of this year, and we’ll get to hang out more.
OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Complex (Maldoror) in LA on July 18?
SE: Playing with Body of Light. They are amazing. And just being in L.A. in general- lots to see and do, we have a lot of friends that live down there, so hanging with them will be refreshing.
OCCG: What’s next for you guys?
SE: We’re always making music. So our next goal is to get out of the middle of nowhere.