http://dontpaniconline.com/magazine/music/washed-out
Washed Out has the perfect name. Throughout our chat, Ernest Greene uses the word only as an adjective, employing it with surgical precision, so when he describes his sound like that, again and again, I know exactly what he means.
Washed out, beach-blanched, OMD in Vaseline – the major music press have been stretching their lexicon to accommodate this brand of slowed down nu-synth, which has charmed critics, bloggers, scenesters and Ricky Martin.
Whether it’s the Halcion-glazed halcyon day sense to Feel it All Around, or Belong and Olivia which just feel like early Madonna played through a walkman left out in the sun all day, Greene’s best output has a finesse that is immediately palpable.
He’s been compared to other bands in the ‘chillwave’ bracket like Neon Indian and Memory Tapes, but has created a buzz that has outpaced these competitors and ramped up anticipation of his Life of Leisure EP, out on June 14.
So why does his music sound like a Holga photo of the Blitz club circa 1983, and what does he think of Ricky’s fandom? We got a date with Ernest Greene for his take.
So, Ricky…
Yeah. I have quite a big gay following but I don’t know what it was he liked. Maybe it’s the four four time signature. He’s a handsome man.
Your sound is quite spare and empty – is that calculated economy or just the way you naturally are?
I think a little of both. When I first started I was inspired by someone like Caribou with very complex production, with a lot of things happening, but I’m naturally better at working with limitations. I use Reason which has a virtual mixer with only a few channels. The way I work is that I make sure never to go beyond those twelve channels – so there’s not too much happening and it’s very much under control.
Some people see it as stoner music. I’ve been asked a lot whether I’m a pothead, and I don’t even smoke. I get offered weed the whole time. I had a cassette tape called High Times, which I meant as ‘good times’ etc but its little things like that people interpret and think I’m some pothead!
Do you ever feel that doing throwback synth is unoriginal?
With Washed Out I definitely have a strong tie to 80s pop music. But I think there’s enough going on to make it good. When I think of Human League I find it’s so poppy – whereas with Washed Out it’s taking that influence from Human League and New Order and add that shoegazy feel
…But what really separates you?
I don’t even think about that too much. It’s more of a means to an end with the synth stuff – especially with the way I worked with it in the EP. A lot of the synths I was using were just a practical approach ‘cause I couldn’t afford to buy expensive recording gear. If you think about a synthesizer is the easiest instrument to record, it’s very practical
Speaking of 80s pop, on Belong and Olivia I heard a touch of Madonna there…
Yeah! I guess that’s little indirect – I have been blasting a few Madonna records recently. I tour with a guy named Pictureplane he is really big into Madonna, and is always playing Madonna records, I’m totally into her.
Your music is very fragile – are you like that or is that just your music?
[Laughs] That’s tough! It depends on what day. I think the live shows are all very fun – there’s no holding back. On the recordings there’s more of a sensitive side. I wrote the music to be headphone music, stuff that you listen to on your own. There’s a singer from Portland Oregon called Grouper she’s a makes her own records – super sensitive, guitar – that’s been a huge influence on my sound. Some of my fans might think her music is way too sentimental. It’s been funny writing songs with that in mind and performing them and them being this joyous sloppy happy vibe on stage [by Small Black, with whom Washed Out is performing its music with on tour] – it’s completely different.
Does your wife help you with composition?
We live in a loft – it’s a big open room. I was mentioning how I write with loops so I have this music constantly looping with the same four measures while I’m adding and subtracting elements. So it’s a pretty good indication if it’s good if she’s actually into it after hearing it for 45 minutes. She’ll tell me straight out if she thinks its trash. I’ll play shows and my friends will always tell me ‘that was great!’, and she’ll tell me ‘that was the worst performance you’ve ever done’. It’s a little bit heart breaking, but at the same time I kinda like that.
Did you like this article? Share it:
Great interview sir, keep up the top work. Washed Out and Small black were ace at Cargo the other night. Read my review here if you please: http://musicmule.co.uk/2010/06/03/review-washed-out-small-black-cargo-june-1st/