Introducing: Shades

Introducing: Shades

7 February, 2012 | 12.01PM

• Written by: Matt Ferry
• Filed under: Music News: introducing, shades, synthemesc

Of the many exports of the gem state, one I would have least expected is quality live electronica. Idaho’s Shades, a four-man outfit, is at the forefront of the burgeoning (really) Boise scene, and their debut release, Clear Motions (Synthemesc Recordings) caught the ears of everyone that heard it coming down the content pipeline a few weeks back. It’s heated haze-wave to the core and is the perfect soundtrack to the upcoming summer season. Lucky for us, the guys had a few minutes to talk about their live act, their take on the modern electronic scene, and their plans for 2012. Read on for more!

Hey there guys, how’s the weather in the gem state in the dead of winter?

It’s actually about 50 degrees and sunny right now.

Lucky you! Tell us a little about your musical upbringing. Were you entirely self-taught? What kind of music did you listen to when you were growing up?

We’ve all had very different upbringings. Some of us were self-taught and some of us had some music lessons and whatnot. We’re all over the board on what we listened to. Anywhere from classical to heavy metal to gangster rap to folk. Deftones, old Three 6 Mafia, Joy Division, Beach Boys.

Personally, when I think Boise, Idaho, the first thing that I think of isn’t silky smooth electro-pop. What’s the music scene like there?

The music scene around here is awesome. In the last year or two the music scene has blossomed, and there’s a huge support for the local scene. Case in point, Tree Fort Music Festival. There’s an eclectic mix of great bands such as Teens, Finn Riggins, Atomic Mama, Art Fad, Owlright, Mozam, and a ton more. We all have different sounds and we all support each other regardless of style or genre.

Lots of the tracks on Clear Motions have a heavily processed shoegaze feel in both the instrumentation and vocals. Do you feel you draw more inspiration from earlier artists or from your contemporaries? Or from anyone at all?

We honestly just like music as a whole. We all get inspiration, but then again, we’re not trying to re-create what’s already been done. Just trying to make music and have a good time.

There’s obviously lots of digital wizardry going on in the mixing process on the album. What kind of software/hardware were you using when it was being produced?

We use anything from FL studio to Ableton and Reason. We have a bunch of old analog synths that we like to use, and we normally record vocals in David’s car or living room.

Where do you practice/record/produce?

Our buddies Junior Rocket Scientist have an awesome studio (Rocket Science Sound) that we practice and record at.

What’s the live instrumentation for the band?

Yamaha CS 15, Nord Wave, Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, Dave Smith Mopho, Boss VE 20, Telecaster, Fender Jazz Bass, APC 40, amongst other things.

What big plans do you guys have for 2012 as far as releases and touring are concerned?

We’re going on a three-day tour with our buddies Finn Riggins in February, and we’re also playing Tree Fort Music festival here in the great state of Idaho. We’re going to try and work out a tour this summer. We’re also going to continue writing for upcoming releases in the future.

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