What happens when you visit Kokomo 30 years after The Beach Boys, after most of the tourists have left and nature has started to reclaim the beach?
You get Spang Sisters- a soft culmination of Steely Dan, Pulp and 2014 Childish Gambino’s synthy sentimentality. With delicately funky and nostalgic sounds, Spang Sisters may not actually be sisters, or even women, but their songs provide a gentleness that is soulful and comforting.
We caught up with the Brighton duo in an attempt to pick their minds surrounding their upcoming self-titled debut album, released via their own Bathtime Sounds label last week.
At what point did you decide to form Spang Sisters and write your own songs, rather than playing others at DJ nights and on your radio show, and what inspired you to do so?
We have been writing songs for many years now even before the genesis of Spang. The DJ parties kind of happened alongside the music making. I’ve been a collector of vinyl for most of my life and was glad to get to the age where i could share all my finds.
It seems to be reflected a lot within your music that you guys enjoy finding joy in often small and overlooked mundane experiences. What is the importance of this pursuit?
It is simply an easy conduit for reflecting a part of ourselves. Through the medium of an ode to something seemingly banal, you can reveal alot of yourself and why this silly thing is so important to you. Maybe it is a defence mechanism – it is less revealing then singing directly about oneself.
Your music feels extremely nostalgic and includes a lot of joyful ambience like in ‘Mumu Nashu’s Libations’. What was your goal with including the interludes on the album?
Those initially came about as a form of procrastination to be honest, we’d been at it for a week straight and so took a day on them as a break. Thank god we did though because without them it might have just felt like a collection of songs. I guess we were also going for a bit of a hip hop thing like on Dr. Dre’s 2001 album, though not quite as misogynist or salacious.
It feels like your music was created for Vinyl! What are your opinions on the resurgence of older and previously replaced music formats like records, tapes, and even CDs?
I think it is largely down to the gratification of holding a piece of history. it is an infatuation that will most likely die out in the next generation as the nostalgia amongst those who grew up with these objects will fade away.
Similarly, the album feels like a slightly otherworldly journey. What kind of world or environment do you imagine the album soundtracking?
For some reason the album makes me think purple so maybe a lavender field.
