This Thursday, Classixx will once again bring their funky, disco-inflected electronica to Madison. The L.A.-based duo played a killer set last November opening for Toro y Moi at the Barrymore, and will now headline the Majestic. Classixx released their debut LP, Hanging Gardens, last year to rave reviews and are now embarking on their first ever headlining tour.
Opening the show is GEMS, an up-and-coming dream-pop group from the D.C. area. They’ve garnered a steady buzz with their 2013 EP, Medusa, and will hopefully have more music out by the end of the year.
For fans of Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, and Disclosure, or just anyone who likes organized sound I guess, this show is FREAKIN NON-OPTIONAL.
In advance of Thursday night’s party, we were able to catch up with GEMS to get the lowdown on their future plans, goals for this tour, and their not so trusty van.
So how are you guys doing?
CLIFF USHER: “Pretty good. It’s been one of those weeks where the shit hits the fan.” (laughs) “Our minivan bit the dust right before we’re about to go on tour so we’re trying to figure that out! Besides that, we’re just trying to finish new music.”
Yikes, sounds hectic. I wanted to start by talking about the EP you released last year, Medusa. It seems like it’s been super well received by the Internet crowd. How have you guys felt about the release?
CLIFF: “We put the EP out on the Internet and the response has been great. But I suppose we haven’t thought about it too much since we’ve been working on new music. Since the EP, we’ve had good turnouts at recent shows in Chicago and New York and stuff.”
LINDSAY PITTS: “Yeah, the turnouts at shows have been really encouraging.”
So you mentioned new music. Do you guys have plans for a full-length release this year or next? Have you shopped around for possible label support?
LINDSAY: “We really wanted to do it this year but I feel like it might be next year. It depends on how quickly we can finish everything.” [laughs] “I think we’d like to release something on a label.”
CLIFF: “Yeah, that’s something we’re trying to sort out. It requires a lot of planning and lead time before releasing stuff. Which is understandable, but right now we’re enjoying being able to release things so quickly on our own. We’ve always done things ourselves and we’re continuing to do that for right now.”
Would you say that the DIY philosophy is something you’ve maintained since your last group, Birdlips?
CLIFF: “Hmmm… in a way. We view GEMS as a completely different thing and I’d say we take it more seriously than past projects. We’re trying to do things right and trying to make something that we really care about.”
In describing your sound, it seems like people have a bit of a hard time. Some have made comparisons to contemporary groups like Beach House or London Grammar. What sort of modern groups do you feel are your “peers”?
LINDSAY: “We don’t have issues with that. I think that when people write about music, they have to compare it to something. They can’t just be like, ‘Oh yeah they’re a band…” (laughs)
CLIFF: “Yeah, it’s a really good way for listeners to find music. That said, there’s a lot of bands out there in today’s age and it’s important for us to have our own voice among them.”
One thing that might stand out about GEMS is your visual aesthetic. Every press release, album art and band picture have had similar, striking imagery. How much does your live show follow suit? Do you guys try to incorporate visuals into the set?
CLIFF: “Well, we’ve been trying to add projections to the live set for a long time and it hasn’t happened yet. (laughs) “But, the last EP has helped us get in touch with a manager and a sort of ‘team,’ so maybe we can expand things to include a projectionist at some point.”
LINDSAY: “We do have a projector. That’s the first step.” (laughs)
Last thing I wanted to ask about is the upcoming Classixx tour. You are playing some cool venues and doing lots of SXSW shows. Are you nervous and/or super excited? What do you look forward to?
LINDSAY: “I do get nervous for the beginning! But overall I think we’re excited to just play every night for a while. I feel like you play stronger when you’re doing it night after night.”
CLIFF: “Yeah, we haven’t been on a tour this long. Ever! So we’re excited to play so many dates in a row. I think you start to get into a nice, sort of relaxed groove after show three or four. We’re also super excited to tour with Classixx. We saw them a little while ago when they came through D.C. with Toro y Moi and it was a really fun show. They were super nice dudes.”