The Ordinary Things is an indie rock trio featuring creamy vocals that layer over edgy guitar riffs and unique bass lines. The band’s name was inspired by the concept of wabi-sabi, the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Our music aims to capture this concept and all of the ordinary, but beautiful things experienced in day-to-day life.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with The Ordinary Things about the music, the challenges, the technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We are a trio from Albuquerque, New Mexico and we play Indie Rock! It’s hard to fully pin down our style/genre so I always say that the listener can be the judge. We all have vastly different taste in music and different musical backgrounds which contributes to our unique sound. We just write what comes out. Some might say alt rock, garage rock, a little singer-songwriter thrown in, maybe some metal?
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
We had all been in other musical projects but had never been in a mutually creative situation. Andrew (guitar) and I are married and we started to jam. We thought we had something going and decided to find a bass player. After our original bass player left to pursue another project, Justin came along and didn’t look back. We are motivated by the fact that we believe in our music and are passionate. We pour our hearts and souls into it and everyone has a place at the table. It truly is collaborative and I think it’s reflected well. We have a sound that’s very “us” but we can push the envelope and explore new sounds. No idea is a bad idea. It keeps the creativity flowing and I think that we all feel equally invested. We all share the hope that we can take this somewhere because we really do believe in it. It’s genuine and it feels good!
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
We currently have two new singles out but our first full length album was released in December of 2019. We started recording album #2 and were about half way done when COVID hit and we had to take a breather. We got lucky as we had also tracked a few things right before quarantine that we were able to release. Those are “Walking with Giants” and “Crimson” which will likely appear on a third album down the road. The first album entitled ‘Stories” was the capturing of a VERY newly formed band. I love it and am incredibly happy we decided to do it when we did. Justin had only been with the band for a few months when we began recording and made the album come alive. ‘Stories’ was early music that Andrew and I had written together mostly, me writing lyrics and him the music. I think since then, with the new singles we have really come into our own. We have a much better sense of who we are as a band and we have been much more collaborative. I would say that the music has matured if I had to pick a word. We really only aim to make good music. We aren’t trying to emulate or be something specific. We just write and see what happens. It’s such a beautiful way to do things. We will have a second full length album out (hopefully) soon, and will release a few more singles until that time comes. We really can’t wait to share!
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Exposure. That is an absolute struggle for an up and coming band. No one knows our name outside the local scene and it feels like a grind sometimes. There is so much music at our fingertips in this digital age but it makes a lot of things hard. Exposure, making a decent profit for our art, I know I’m preaching to the choir. How the heck do you get your name out there? We’d like to think we have something special going and we are incredibly excited to share it with a larger audience but it’s really an uphill battle sometimes.
Technology is also amazing, especially during this pandemic. We have been able to release new material into the world safely, how awesome is that? We can connect with each other on some level this way and it’s amazing how we can do everything digitally. Record, mix, master, and release.
What was the last song you listened to?
Jackie: ‘Wonder’ by Wand. Justin: ‘I Want Out’ by Helloween. Andrew ‘‘The Sound Of Muzak’ by Porcupine Tree.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I think I speak for all of us when I say vinyl all the way! We released our first album on vinyl and we plan to do the same next time. You can’t beat that sound.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Well I (Jackie) definitely say Bandcamp. The others are good but I think Bandcamp recognizes the artists struggle. You get more of a cut and there are few strings attached. I also respect that Bandcamp has been giving up their profit on a monthly basis during this pandemic, and has been vocal about the BLM movement. Bandcamp is also such a great platform for up and coming artists and I spend hours discovering great new bands there.
Justin: Bandcamp for artists sharing work, Apple Music for listening/streaming.
Andrew: I’m a fan of buying good old fashioned merch and downloading onto my 12+ year old iPod!
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Our EPK and website has a link to all of our social media platforms as well:
https://www.audiosciencemastering.com/theordinarythingsepk
Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks so much for chatting. We really are excited about releasing new tunes soon. We hope you enjoy and we can’t wait to play live again when it’s safe! Maybe we’ll head out your way!
