Toronto, Ontario based dreamy alt rock unit SAUCER EYES have recently released their debut EP, featuring 4 tracks of crafty, evocative and intoxicating atmospheric dream-pop infused fuzzy rock that can be enjoyed as soothing background music or a powerful, driving rock blasted at full volume. With songs dealing with themes of introspection, grasping at impermanence, seasonal affective disorder and the dynamics of navigating ever-shifting expectations within one’s self and within relationships with loved ones, the record comes as one of the most interesting debuts this Summer, and we’re stoked to give you its full stream with more insights and special comments from the band.
Saucer Eyes was born from a desire to marry delicate, dream-like melodies with heavy, sludgy guitars. Sonically drawing on influences like Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr, MBV, Sleep and Electric Wizard, the band blends layers of reverb and delay with fuzz to create a dystopian-like wall-of-sound. “Matt recorded a couple home demos and posted them online, seeking like-minded musicians with similar aesthetic tastes and influences.” – comments the band. “After jamming a few times with Rochelle, then separately with Dean (who brought Christina into the mix), we banded together to write and rehearse for a few months, playing live once before recording this EP.”
Speaking of technical details of the recording, they add: “It was recorded and mixed by Josh Korody, who has a great ear for shoegaze/dream-pop and an arsenal of effects pedals, at Candle Recording Studio in Toronto, ON. The EP was then mastered by Stuart McKillop, Canada’s go-to for all things heavy, at Rain City Recorders in Vancouver, BC.”
Trck by track commentary:
01. Haze: Lyrically, the song is about the futility of grasping for permanence in an impermanent reality, and the sense of helplessness and despair that can bring on.
02. Down/Around: The song deals with the changing of the seasons and the shifting mental states associated with that cycle. As the temperature drops and the green fades to grey, it’s easy to fall into unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms to pass the time.
03. Slipping: This one is about dwelling on the past as an act of self-sabotage. It’s difficult to untether yourself from events and people that have shaped you, and too easy to use them as an excuse to not enact meaningful change and grow.
04. Jagged: The song deals with navigating ever-shifting expectations within relationships. Insurmountable difficulties, tensions and heartbreak arise when one sets higher standards and stricter boundaries for others than they do for themselves, and vice-versa.
The Black Lives Matter protests
Asked about their take about this year’s protests and BLM movement, the band commented: “I unequivocally stand on the side of the protestors and Black Lives Matter. I hear people constantly defending police aggression by decrying that the protestors are destructive, unpeaceful, looters etc. Human rights over property rights, every time.
In Canada, a common misperception is that we don’t share many of the problems our neighbours to the south do. Most visiting tourists probably see souvenir shops selling cute little
figurines and t-shirts of our national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (or ‘Mounties’), perched on their horses wearing their funny red coats and felt hats. I don’t think many people realize the RCMP was founded to relocate Canada’s Indigenous population, often by force, to clear the way for the Canadian government’s westward expansion. To this day, Indigenous people disproportionately face danger and violence in their interactions with the police. I can’t imagine why anyone would want a souvenir of a racist institution like that.”
COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on music community
“The pandemic has been devastating on the live music industry and the friends employed in it, for sure. Given our climate, most touring acts would be rolling through Toronto in the spring, summer and fall, and that window is rapidly closing for 2020. The precautions are understandable given the threat to public safety and health, but I hope we see increased government support for the arts community so that there is a music scene to come back to when this is over.”
New Music Recommendations
“The unexpected return of Hum may be the highlight of 2020 so far. Their new album, Inlet, is the highwater mark in my opinion.
In the post-punk world, the new Protomartyr album is unsurprisingly great, as is the new IDLES EP.
If I’m allowed to make late-2019 recommendations, I’m still obsessed with the latest Greet Death album, New Hell.
Here’s a playlist of some classics and some recent stuff that inspire me, both sonically and lyrically, can be found on our Spotify profile. Lots of fuzz, distortion, delay and reverb.
