Phoebe Rings’ debut album, Aseurai, floats somewhere between retro pop nostalgia and a shimmering, synth-washed future. We chatted to Crystal Choi (vocals/keys) and Ben Locke (bass) to find out how they do it and what's next.
HOW DID YOU COME TOGETHER AS A BAND, WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL
CRYSTAL:I always wanted to play in an indie-pop band, and had an idea of what kind of sound but it was hard to find people that were on the same wavelength so it took a while! There was a mix of asking, being asked, and some matchmaking from another musician friend :) When we had our first rehearsal I loved it so much that I knew it was going to be special.
WHEN YOU’RE PUTTING A SONG TOGETHER, HOW DO YOU BALANCE INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION WITHIN THE BAND?
C: I’m not sure if balance is the right word because individual creativity is the ingredient to collaboration! As an unspoken rule I think the songwriter is the main producer of the song, and the other members fill in the details. I think the initial idea is something that requires some sit-down/channeling. I try to make it as unforced as possible so it does tend to take time. We each try and complete the song as much as we can then develop the arrangement as a band.
TELL US A BOUT YOUR ‘SUNDAY SESSIONS’, HOW DID THEY SHAPE THE ALBUM?
C:For about four months, we met up every Sunday at Simeon’s studio in town and added a layer to the recording, whether it was more sock-bass takes (Ben took off his socks to make his bass more muted), synth layers, or glockenspiel twinkles.
YOUR SOUND IS LUSH AND LAYERED WITH TOUCHSTONES RANGING FROM 90s K-POP TO STUDIO GHIBLI SCORES. HOW DO YOU WEAVE THESE INFLUENCES THROUGH YOUR MUSIC?
C:Everyone in the band has slightly different musical backgrounds, so that mix naturally shapes our sound. We love using our little vintage instruments too—like threading beads, we’ve added things like autoharp, omnichord, live strings, vibraphone, flexatone, and drum machines to give each song its own texture.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY ARTIST JUMP ON A PHOEBE RINGS TRACK, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
C:Isao Tomita! I just want to see the way he interacts with synthesisers in real life.
WHATS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TOURING MOMENT SO FAR?
BEN:Getting to play in Taiwan probably takes the tiramisu. I say that because the band did eat a very excellent tiramisu, along with many more hits—the beef noodle soup, stinky tofu (Chou Doufu) and onigiri. We fell in love with Family Mart and managed to stave off what could have been a financially ruinous affair with Gashapon. Taipei is a super cool city and it was a real treat to play there.
YOUR DEBUT ALBUM DROPS IN JUNE—WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM IT?
B:I hope people have cute/awkward dance parties in their bedrooms.
HOW MUCH DOES FASHION/PERSONAL STYLE FACTOR INTO THE BAND’S WORLD-BUILDING?
B: I think style is pretty important for everyone. We often try to coordinate outfits and definitely make an effort to have that as a part of the band's identity. For a lot of the music we reference, particularly the city-pop, the artists had very particular looks which maybe plays into it a bit? When I was making the animation for Get Up, I “dressed” all our characters in a particular designer brand (a favourite of ours that won’t be named for copyright reasons). So yes, some very direct world-building there!
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON AFTER THE ALBUM RELEASE?
B: Touring! We’re going to play at a festival in Korea in June which is super exciting. We’ve also just announced a US tour at the end of the year, supporting fellow Aotearoa band The Beths. We’ll definitely be getting some writing in soon too, it’s been awhile, the juices are fermenting.
Stream Phoebe Rings' debut album Aseurai here.
