late night drive home: A Peek into the Rising Indie Band w/ Pleasure Pill and Lady Denim
late night drive home
I came out to the show at the Aggie with my eyes set on the headliners, late night drive home, and they performed with such frivolity and ease that it left me in a good mood for days after. My main thought heading in was to see if the lead singer’s voice was just as velvety smooth live as it is recorded, and I am happy to report it is. They sat down with me before the show to talk about their next steps sonically as a band, hints at their influences, and their recent experience at Coachella.
Read the full interview here.
“I feel like that was a lot of their first times listening to us too, which gave me a good feeling. Just letting people experience our sound.”
They promised a taste of some of their newer project, more bright guitar sounds, and a lean into the introspective, and served it up on an upbeat platter full of The 1975 influence. Despite some technical difficulties, they were energetic and genuine, their energy leaning into contagious charisma that had the crowd bouncing and eager in a palpable sense of electric youth. This energy of enjoyment is so constant throughout their music, it runs through the songs like a silent instrument. They, unfortunately, pinned me when they announced “Awkward Conversations” with an introduction of ‘this is probably your favorite song’, but it is near impossible not to love the energetic and bright song. It sits high in the throat like clammy hands and having a crush on a girl too cool to notice you, as free as hands thrown out of the sunroof of cars, and as catchy as any summer indie anthem.
As a treat “Worms Eat My Brain for Breakfast” was played on electric guitar, a soft and vulnerable moment between their lead singer and the crowd with a song showing palpable sorrow. The songs from their latest EP i’ll remember you for the same feeling you gave me as i slept are indulgent and elastic, leaning into an emo background and fuzzier sound. They show a range of indie rock exploration between the EP and album Am I sinking or Am I swimming? with a brighter sound and exploring themes of teenage love and angst.
If you like Pine Grove and the smell of rain you’ll like… “Worms Eat My Brain for Breakfast”.
If you like bright indie rock, youthful exuberance, and Wallows you’ll like… “Stress Relief”.
If you like Modest Mouse, sage green, and fuzzy indie you’ll like… “Kill Me Sweet”.
Lady Denim
Lady Denim was the first opener of the night, swinging between a softer indie sound and a taste of pop rock. Their softer moments ring melancholy like someone breaking up with you after a deeply romantic night, whiplash of emotion. The faster moments have muscle-bunching energy that drives the songs very well, promising a hint of rock that leans beyond catchy and into melodic.
They covered a blurb of Johnny Cash and proudly revealed their calves as special occasions for the night. They are indie rock in jean shorts, carabiners and all. Their bass sound is wide and gummy, their bassist even picking up the guitar to show off some solid solo work. Lady Denim’s take on indie rock is reverb-drenched, sunny as ice tea on a spring afternoon. They have hints of Beach Boys like the aftertaste of sweets but certainly don’t limit themselves, playing cymbal-crashing pop rock as well. The vocalist has a fresh pack of cigarettes rasp that peaks when they slow down into the more indie.
Pleasure Pill
Pleasure Pill seems to be alt-rock ego in a Beatles haircut. The gummy bass sounds tied the two openers together, both creating a wide buzzy feeling in your chest when listened to live. The lead singer’s voice is uniquely perfunctory, a laissez-faire rasp that compliments the brighter moments in their songs. They feel like an early 1975 and Arctic Monkey’s love child, floating above the heads of the crowd like a fog. They sway on stage, tambourine sharp against the lead singer’s hands and the guitarist blowing bubbles with his bubble-gum, fringe in his eyes.
Their newest single, “I’d Rather Be” has a beautiful syrupy bass that melts right into the lead vocals. They seemed well rehearsed if leaning towards bored apathy, perhaps it is that Cali boy indifference that creates the fuzzy energy in their music that makes it addictive to hear.
A Peek into the Band: late night drive home
What has it been like with the growth of the band, moving from just the two of you in 2019 to the four of you now?
Andre: It’s been a learning experience. From the start of the band, it was just me and Ockz. We just had an anniversary on our first song, five years ago on Saturday. It’s funny though because when we started the band, I was a senior in high school. So now growing up and expanding my music taste, it’s been quite a journey to hear the evolution of our music from 2019 until now.
Ockz: We performed two DIY shows, and then after that, we kind of just made music at home and uploaded it to SoundCloud. Andre and I realized we needed more help, especially because we wanted to perform and wanted to get drums and bass in.
You guys are from El Paso, Texas. I am also from Texas, and I think it can be crazy different from other places at times. Do you feel like that has impacted you or the music in some ways?
Ockz: Yeah, as we travel, I notice a lot of differences in towns and cities we go past. Even now with this tour, I have become more self-aware about how empty El Paso is in the sense of doing stuff. That inspires me to make more music, to go write about the awareness of the situations that come with living there.
Andre: Texas is very different from other states, and West Texas is different from the rest of the state. There are some angsty kids there making some good music, and I think that’s quite the vibe there. It has added to our music, you can definitely hear it in the lyrics. The old music’s lyrics are about hanging out with your friends and finding shit to do because there’s nothing else to do. Especially traveling, and coming from a small city and then experiencing something like Vegas, it’s crazy. Not that I haven’t traveled but the more we tour, the more I realize certain things.
You said when you started the band you were a senior in high school and lyrically you were leaning into that teenage angst. Do you feel like lyrically you are moving in a different direction now as you grow up?
Andre: I think it’s caused by this fourth tour, since we’ve been touring since 2022. Being able to experience life differently, and with all my friends has definitely sprung up some questions about life and existential ideas. I feel like it would be a blend of being introspective but also, we’re getting to this weird niche part of the internet where AI and these hard-to-explain things are happening. Even though I’m grateful for it, it’s very odd having this persona online. It’s self-introspection on an online profile.
Ockz: I feel like we’re being very introspective. I know we were talking about it before the tour, but I can’t go on social media anymore too. All these advertisements and stuff, it makes me hate having anything on my phone anymore. I feel like a lot of people of age, from 18 to 24, are experiencing this fake social media. It’s existentialism in a digital age.
With this growth, you’ve hit some major milestones like playing at Coachella and Shakey Knees. What would you say are some of the major highlights or moments for the band?
Ockz: The first week of Coachella we were really confused on what to do, especially me. Even after we were done performing, I walked out and was like, ‘Well, do I just walk anywhere?’ It was so weird that anywhere I went I had live music. I’ve never been to a festival before, so it was insane to me. Seeing all those different celebrities and stuff added on more into that whole writing process of what we’re trying to do.
Andre: It was wild to think about how you posted a photo to TikTok or something, and it was us playing for maybe five people in a bar and then looking at Coachella and seeing that many people in the crowd, it really does something to you. I really liked Shakey Knees too, the people were down to earth. They were just ready to listen to music. The second week at Coachella was really fun, I feel like that was a lot of their first times listening to us too, which gave me a good feeling. Just letting people experience our sound.
Ockz: It is also fun to try different things on stage and see how the crowd reacts to you just messing around. We obviously have a setlist we follow, but it’s also having fun and seeing where the flow goes.
Andre: I think my favorite part about touring is getting to try something new on stage every night. As a performer, you’re on stage and like ‘how do I get these people to feel the music or relate?’ For me, I’ve been acting on stage and doing something like contemporary dancing.
I have this quote from you guys saying you approach your sound like “an ever-evolving snowball”, which I love the sentiment towards growing into other genres and sounds. If you had to start from the ground up and create a new sound entirely, what do you think it would be?
Ockz: Electronic, industrial electronic.
Andre: I like the thought of still having those indie garage rock elements, but electronic music would be cool. That quote is a good way to put it, our music has evolved in such an interesting way.
Your new EP is a little angstier, and more emo than some previous stuff. Was that on purpose to direct the sound or natural life bleeding through?
Ockz: A little bit of both. A lot of the guitar parts I wrote for that EP I wrote in 2021, when “Stress Relief” came out, and we just didn’t end up using them yet. I remember when I was showing these guys the instrumentals I told them I was inspired by Sonic Youth and the Pixies, especially the tuning. There was an intention to make them darker-sounding songs, more emotional and angsty.
Do you still have an image in mind of where you’re going next, leaning more into that emo sound?
Ockz: I think we’re straying away from the emo. Instrumentally, there’s going to be less distorted guitars and more bright guitar sounds, bright electronic sounds. So, putting together sounds that sound very industrial to me is something that I’m leaning into right now. I feel like that’s the best way to describe what the new image that we’re trying to come up with is.
Andre: I’m rooted in emo, I grew up listening to emo music. So, I feel like there’s always going to be a little bit spread through it. It’s going to be interesting to see how we grow, but that’s the scary and fun part about the way we evolve our music. It’s a ‘let’s try this’, and you never really know what is going to come from it.
You’re currently wrapping up the last few stops on your tour, do you have plans to continue, or go back home? What’s the future steps for you guys look like?
Andre: I think we’re writing, and we want to start writing when we get back home. We’re working on a new project, so at least for me, my focus is on that main project. I love touring, but I can’t wait to get home and start because I’m always writing on the road. So, to get to go home and throw it all together is going to be so fucking cool.
Anything you can hint at with this new project?
Ockz: We’re playing something new tonight, actually. Obviously, when the project is done it will sound different than what we play tonight but it’s at a good level for us to play live.
One focus of Slice of Lime is community, especially in smaller music scenes. What do you guys think makes up a good music scene?
Andre: A big part we’ve always stressed when we were doing our DIY local shows is that it is a safe space. You really want everyone to be safe and feel comfortable in the venue, which is how it should be everywhere. I feel like a big part of it is just enjoying the music in general. A good community also has people’s backs. El Paso has a really good community too. You can make friends and become like family with people at shows.
Ockz: When we started out, we were DIY-centric for a while and that was something that can never be described, it was amazing. The shows every seeking just packed, that’s what I want my community to feel like. When we throw shows we stress that we want to make it a safe space. Just make sure that one reason is to have fun, listen to music, and be comfortable expressing themselves in whatever way they can. Especially when enjoying music and our music in general.
I try to have one stereotypical interview question to keep things fun; if you were stuck on an island and could only have one album, what would it be?
Andre: Probably the Arctic Monkeys album, Favorite Worst Nightmare.
Freddy: For me right now, it would be Bombay Bicycle Club called I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose.
Ockz: The newest 1975 album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language.
Brian: Abbey Road by the Beatles.