Bay Area shoegaze up-and-comers PURE HEX have recently shared their new single, Pedestal, along with the announcement of their explosive debut full length record, Still Dark. Still Dark was produced and recorded by Corey Coffman in Colorado over the course of 2021, and is due out in June 2021. Pure Hex will be appearing on the California dates of the Just Friends Spring 2022 tour as well. Today, we’re giving them some space to introduce their work and share their top, mostly Bay Are based, influential bands and artists that you should check out if you haven’t (see the full list below).
Still Dark was written before and during the pandemic. The progression of the songs mimics the course of a dark day. It has themes of solitude, loss, and hard learned lessons.
Pedestal is about ignoring your instincts, being haunted by bad decisions, and idolozing something beautiful even though it’s toxic. “We wrote this song in 2019, so it’s a little older than some of the others on the album. It contrasts dark and heavy verses with light, catchy choruses.” – comments the band.
Produced, recorded and mixed by Corey Coffman and mastered by Stereophonic Mastering.
Top influential Bay Area (and more) band, by PURE HEX:
Just Friends (Bay Area)
This band has given us a lot of support–they let us take their trailer on our first tour, they brought us along for some big shows, they have given us a ton of guidance and support as we try to figure out how to navigate the music world. Our music is hella different but we probably wouldn’t be where we are without their support and guidance.
Sour Widows (Bay Area)
The drummer, Max Edelman, was the first drummer of Pure Hex back when it was called Stranger. We can thank him and Sour Widows for their dedication and support. Max’s insane drumming has had a great influence on our sound and we’re lucky to work alongside this band in the Bay Area music scene.
Urbanation (Bay Area)
Bianca is an incredible songwriter, a very genuine person and big supporter of local music. Her songs reflect a certain tenderness and evoke a lot of emotion while maintaining a dream pop aesthetic. We use some of that same energy when writing our own songs, although we have heavier arrangements. We’ve played with her Bay Area project Urbanation, and her NYC based project Brunette Champion just released their first EP—hoping we’ll get to play with them soon as well.
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Lavender Blush (Bay Area)
The singer of Lavender Blush’s old band, Moonbeam, was the first Bay Area band our old bassist followed when he moved up here, and his first foray into Bay Area shoegaze. He was really taken with his work and wanted to play music that invoked or captured a similar feeling. Ian’s writing and style had a huge impact on the sound of Pure Hex, especially on the upcoming record.
Fake Fruit (Bay Area)
Fake Fruit’s most recent record has songs for any mood, particularly if you like to get down to a catchy riff as the singer screams the truth in your ear. Their sound is This band is coming up right now in a big way and it’s a major inspiration to see their progress as a band growing straight up out of the local scene.
Gumby’s Junk (Bay Area)
Gumby’s Junk is blazing their own trail. They have their own crazy ass sound, and are doing most things themselves–including tracking and mixing their most recent album. It’s fun and inspiring to play alongside a group like this.
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Buzzed Lightbeer (Bay Area)
FEMMES TAKE THE STAGE!!! This band rocks. They have catchy songs and mostly importantly, great stage presence. Seeing bands like Buzzed Lightbeer playing shows in the Bay Area reminds us of what we love to do most. Plus they have a great band name.
Pardoner (Bay Area)
Although we are very different bands sonically, Pardoner has great energy that we’ve always wanted to capture. There is such power behind their sound, especially live, and it has always been really impressive to watch. Our bassist remembers seeing them play a show where the drummer was playing so hard that the bass drum was moving across the stage even with a parking brick and tube amp weighing it down.
Ridgeway (OC)
Although not from the Bay Area, Ridgeway has potentially had the most impact on us as a band. They took us on tour for the first time and we learned a lot being on the road with them. Watching them perform every night and summon energy into any room, with any amount of people, gave us something to strive for. This is something we carried into the recording process, keeping in mind what type of energy we want this record to have when we perform it live.
Gleemer (CO)
We love the way they mix emo songwriting with heavier Shoegaze tones. Their guitar centric writing is influential to the songwriting of multiple of our band members. We were lucky enough to go to Colorado and record this first LP with Corey, who plays guitar and sings for Gleemer. He’s an amazing songwriter and producer and has had a huge impact on the creation and sound of our record.
