After being introduced by a mutual friend
via email, Tim Nordwind and Drea Smith, became the modern day equivalent of
pen-pals, sharing their thoughts and feelings about music, books, and
film. It was only a matter of time
before they bonded over their shared love of British post-punk music and
started a long-distance musical collaboration that must certainly have been
predestined. While Nordwind and
Smith had each been working on other musical projects (Nordwind is one quarter
of the indie power pop group, OK Go, and Smith formerly of He Say, She Say) the
duo that took on the name, Pyyramids, found themselves working on a style of
music that took them in an entirely new direction. Their fresh brand of electro pop has been described as a
contradiction, simultaneously bright and dark, retro and modern, gritty and
beautiful. Despite being busy
prepping for their show tonight at Los Angeles venue, The Satellite, Tim
Nordwind was kind enough to answer some of my questions about their recently-
released, debut full-length album, Brightest
Darkest Day, and what he would want to take with him to the afterlife.
Welcome
home! What things are on your list of "must-dos" when you are
in Los Angeles?
Hang out at the
upstairs bar at L&E Oysters. Watch a show at Bob Baker's Marionette
Theater. Eat chocolate cake at Greenblats Deli. Go see a Dodgers
game. Frozen yogurt at Froyo Life!
Are
there any songs off the new album (released April 9th, 2013), Brightest
Darkest Day, that you would consider especially close to your heart?
Our song Paper Doll
is one that is near and dear. We just released a video directed by our
friend Ericka Clevenger that is incredibly psychedelic and trippy. (You can check it out here:
The song reminds me of things I use to listen to in high school like The
Breeders and Sonic Youth. It has a very loud, quiet, loud 90's nostalgia
to it.
You
have been touring all over lately, including Austin for SXSW, the East Coast,
France, the UK, and now back to the West Coast. Are there any moments
from touring that stand out as especially memorable?
We got to play at
Club Silencio in Paris a few weeks ago. It's a club that is below street
level and designed by director David Lynch. There are all sorts of
surreal dreamy secret little dark rooms, disorientating mirrors, and art books
to read. The sound is amazing in there, and it was a very special way to
play in Paris.
If
you weren't making music professionally, what would you be doing?
If I wasn't playing
music professionally, I'd be a playwright. I studied playwrighting
in college and grew up doing a lot of theater.
You
both share an obsession with British post-punk bands--any songs you would like
to cover?
We already cover “Jumping
Someone Else's Train” by The Cure. Pretty much anything by The Cure is well worth covering. I'd
love to do a cover of “Not Great Men” by Gang of Four, and though I realize
it's not post punk, we do a pretty mean cover of “Rid of Me” by our hero PJ
Harvey.
Other
than past and present musical influences, what are some unusual sources of
inspiration for your creative process?
Mood is an important
thing for us. So anything that inspires mood is considered an
inspiration. I'd site The Magic Castle, beautiful gardens, the Silverlake
Reservoir, the movie “Control”, “Fantasia”, an amazing meal at home, red wine, and
nighttime in Joshua Tree as just a few inspirations.
In
ancient Egypt when the pyramids (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) were being
built, nobility and royalty were buried with their most valued possessions so
that they could have them in the afterlife. In that tradition, is there anything that you can think of
that you would like to take with you?
My friends and
family. The movie “Flash Gordon”. “Surfer Rosa” by The Pixies. My
stereo. An after-life-long supply of pizza. My bed (it's really
comfortable).
I
read that Drea was making mix CDs for people who show Pyyramids some love on
social media sites! How did that start and does that mean I should
be expecting one?
Yes, you should expect one. Drea makes amazing mixes and
playlists. I find curating
playlists, if done well, is such an amazing talent and always makes such a
great gift. Sharing music, in my
opinion, is one of the most romantic things you can do. Music means so much to us, so we like
to share it with people who are good to us.
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share
your thoughts, have an amazing time at The Satellite tonight, and I’ll keep my
eye out for that mix!
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