Interview with Twin Bloom
After informally playing together from time to time, Gvir Aviv, Mickle Nguyen, Joshua Cano, and more recently Sandra Alva, formed the band Twin Bloom, and released their self-titled debut EP. I recently had the chance to ask Mickle some questions about the EP, working with producer Maryam Qudus and more.
The three of us, Josh, Gvir and I, have played together off and on over the years, nothing serious. We shared a practice space and played with some other friends here and there, but nothing formal. Twin Bloom has only been a project for about a year and a half. We hadn't played together regularly in years before that, so when we started back up this time, we made a goal to get in the studio within six months. Sandra was also the missing piece that helped us actually move forward.
With so much time together I'm assuming there were a lot of songs to choose from. How hard was it to pick these four?
Honestly, "Summer's Gone" was the only mostly finished song we pulled from the past. If I'm remembering correctly, "Magazine Dreams" and "Under the Current" came from small ideas from back then but were pretty much written together in this new project. "Signals" was new to the rest of the guys. It was music I had written on my own and tracked a demo of, but it was different, more keys and drum machine. It really opened up and improved with the band and Gvir's melody. So, to actually answer the question, it wasn't hard because we were just pulling on the threads that were interesting to us. We had a few more ideas we worked on that either got tossed or are now in our set.
The songwriting is credited to the band as a whole. Is there a certain way the songwriting tends to happen, or does it vary?
It definitely varies. It tends to begin with a riff or a melody and then grows with the band. Sandra speeds it up, or Josh comes up with a lead melody or harmony, and it builds from there. Gvir and I have also come in with more solid ideas, but none of us are too precious about what we bring to the table. We're okay with dismantling something and putting it back together so we all have our fingerprints on it.
I read that you set a goal of making the record within six months. Did you end up sticking to that and do you think that goal had any impact on the end result?
I think we did, or came very close. We had some songs that were completely finished going into it, "Magazine Dreams" for instance. The goal made us accountable to being close to ready when we went into the studio with Maryam. It also timeboxed us so we couldn't just let the process go on forever like we've done in the past. But I have to say, some of the things that came together in the studio were so good too.
I saw something that said you wanted the songs to evoke a specific feeling or emotion that comes from nostalgia. I think that you really succeeded with that and also feel like the music and the lyrics do a great job of creating really strong visuals. I was wondering if you also feel like you were successful in doing that?
I think we did. When I listen to the EP, each song kind of puts me in a part of a day in the past. Gvir's lyrics fill in the details around the music. I think there's a sadness and longing to all the songs.
Throughout the EP there are elements of new wave, shoegaze, power pop, jangle rock and even a little country in the twang of the guitars in "Signals." Who would you consider some of the band's biggest influences?
Everyone in the band has such different musical taste, but there's a good amount of overlap, and I think we just pull from everything in our pasts. The obvious ones are Alvvays, Weezer, Teenage Fanclub. If I remember correctly, Gvir grew up on his parents' records, Pink Floyd, Queen, then found punk and eventually indie rock like Death Cab and Elliott Smith. Josh grew up on Motown, he's really into electronic music but also pop. He probably has the most eclectic taste of all of us. Sandra played in metal and screamo-type bands and I know she still loves pop-punk. I grew up listening to R&B and pop music, and was a big product of early MTV, then found the Southern California punk scene, then hardcore, screamo, emo, but honestly, I listen to everything. Pop music is really what excites me and I always come back to it, whether it's a band like Alvvays or Robyn or the catchy hooks of our labelmates Motorcycle (I constantly have "Relive It" stuck in my head). I'm a sucker for a good melody.
Not a comment, but I wanted to say I really love the video for "Summer's Gone." It really seems to capture the vibe of that song perfectly.
Thank you so much. Working with Kyle Garrett was so great. He really listened and helped bring the vision we had to life. We'd love to work with him again, especially after seeing his insane video for Tod Lippy's "The Ache." It's seriously so insane, go check it out.
With so much time together I'm assuming there were a lot of songs to choose from. How hard was it to pick these four?
Honestly, "Summer's Gone" was the only mostly finished song we pulled from the past. If I'm remembering correctly, "Magazine Dreams" and "Under the Current" came from small ideas from back then but were pretty much written together in this new project. "Signals" was new to the rest of the guys. It was music I had written on my own and tracked a demo of, but it was different, more keys and drum machine. It really opened up and improved with the band and Gvir's melody. So, to actually answer the question, it wasn't hard because we were just pulling on the threads that were interesting to us. We had a few more ideas we worked on that either got tossed or are now in our set.
The songwriting is credited to the band as a whole. Is there a certain way the songwriting tends to happen, or does it vary?
It definitely varies. It tends to begin with a riff or a melody and then grows with the band. Sandra speeds it up, or Josh comes up with a lead melody or harmony, and it builds from there. Gvir and I have also come in with more solid ideas, but none of us are too precious about what we bring to the table. We're okay with dismantling something and putting it back together so we all have our fingerprints on it.
I read that you set a goal of making the record within six months. Did you end up sticking to that and do you think that goal had any impact on the end result?
I think we did, or came very close. We had some songs that were completely finished going into it, "Magazine Dreams" for instance. The goal made us accountable to being close to ready when we went into the studio with Maryam. It also timeboxed us so we couldn't just let the process go on forever like we've done in the past. But I have to say, some of the things that came together in the studio were so good too.
I saw something that said you wanted the songs to evoke a specific feeling or emotion that comes from nostalgia. I think that you really succeeded with that and also feel like the music and the lyrics do a great job of creating really strong visuals. I was wondering if you also feel like you were successful in doing that?
I think we did. When I listen to the EP, each song kind of puts me in a part of a day in the past. Gvir's lyrics fill in the details around the music. I think there's a sadness and longing to all the songs.
Throughout the EP there are elements of new wave, shoegaze, power pop, jangle rock and even a little country in the twang of the guitars in "Signals." Who would you consider some of the band's biggest influences?
Everyone in the band has such different musical taste, but there's a good amount of overlap, and I think we just pull from everything in our pasts. The obvious ones are Alvvays, Weezer, Teenage Fanclub. If I remember correctly, Gvir grew up on his parents' records, Pink Floyd, Queen, then found punk and eventually indie rock like Death Cab and Elliott Smith. Josh grew up on Motown, he's really into electronic music but also pop. He probably has the most eclectic taste of all of us. Sandra played in metal and screamo-type bands and I know she still loves pop-punk. I grew up listening to R&B and pop music, and was a big product of early MTV, then found the Southern California punk scene, then hardcore, screamo, emo, but honestly, I listen to everything. Pop music is really what excites me and I always come back to it, whether it's a band like Alvvays or Robyn or the catchy hooks of our labelmates Motorcycle (I constantly have "Relive It" stuck in my head). I'm a sucker for a good melody.
Not a comment, but I wanted to say I really love the video for "Summer's Gone." It really seems to capture the vibe of that song perfectly.
Thank you so much. Working with Kyle Garrett was so great. He really listened and helped bring the vision we had to life. We'd love to work with him again, especially after seeing his insane video for Tod Lippy's "The Ache." It's seriously so insane, go check it out.
Maryam was so fun to work with. I think we were a bit nervous going in, or maybe it was just me. Not nervous about working with her, more that some of the songs weren't completely done and were finished in the studio, so I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. I had nothing to worry about with Maryam at the helm. She really listened to what we wanted but also pushed us in directions we probably never would have thought of, and we're very proud of the finished product. We're in talks to get back in the studio with her at the end of the year or early next year. I'm really looking forward to it.
For Twin Bloom you came back to guitar after some time playing bass in other bands. How was that shift?
It's been so great. Don't get me wrong, I love playing bass too, but guitar is my main instrument, and before the last two bands I'd played guitar primarily except for filling in here and there. So going back was easy, and that plus writing with the band has made it extremely fun. Also, getting lost in pedalboard world is always fun for me.
How is the music scene in Oakland and San Francisco, and how has it been for a "new" band?
We're an Oakland band, but the scene in the Bay Area, which includes both Oakland and San Francisco, is thriving, and we've been extremely lucky to have labelmates, friends, and bands we've just met be super supportive. I can't undersell how much releasing our EP on Dandy Boy has helped. Otherwise, I think we'd be a little lost. I do feel like were the new kid on his first day, and some cool kids took us under their wing.
Now that the EP is under your belt, do you think we will be seeing more music soon?
We have some new songs written and are working on more. You can catch two of them in our current live set. We'll get them tracked soon with Maryam.
Do you have any plans to expand your touring to other parts of the country?
We would love to. If the right opportunity presents itself, I think we'd try our hardest to make it work.
Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
Thank you Geoff, for your time and for reaching out. Please take a listen to our s/t EP, out now on all streaming services on Dandy Boy Records. We just started shipping vinyl orders, so if you'd like one, grab it at our Bandcamp. And check out our music video for "Summer's Gone" if you have a minute.
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