Following the release of their last single, 2016’s Atomic Blonde, Edinburgh five-piece Rebel Westerns are back with another uplifting indie-pop track Envy, out now via Get Strange.
Propelled by driving beats and the band’s trademark synth-filled melodies, Envy is another slice of twinkling indie-pop from the Rebel Westerns. Reminiscent of the likes of MGMT, the track reflects on feelings of anxiety and self doubt which are juxtaposed with its euphoric, uptempo musical layers. As Dominic Thomson’s impassioned vocals flow alongside energy-fuelled catchy hooks, Rebel Westerns prove yet again their knack for creating truly infectious, and utterly danceable, anthems.
In this interview spotlight, we chat with Rebel Westerns about the new project, their influences, navigating the digital age and more.
Full Q&A along with links and a stream of Envy below.
[Tweet “Can you handle this interview with @RebelWesterns ? Find out now… #np #nowplaying”]
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Our band has some pretty strong pop sensibilities and we’ve always tried our best to stay true to that! The best pop songs are the ones that have a subversive element. The early Jesus & Mary Chain output inspired by 60’s girl groups are a good example of that so we try to wrap subversion up in glitter and bows.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
Dominic (vocals): The moment someone hums or sings a melody you wrote is the moment you know you might be onto something and I haven’t ever really let go of when it comes to writing. Especially when that person tells you what the song means to them. Even the most hermetic artists who sit in dusty rooms are someday hoping to connect with the outside world. That’s what drives the need to externalise my ideas – it’s reaching out and saying ‘does anybody feel the same?’
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Dominic: Our roots are people like Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Bowie, My Bloody Valentine and the early Creation Records artists – the original pop songwriters, those are the foundations – most people start out with whatever their parents listen to which can be a hit or a miss, then you take it from there. Your tastes get broader and you listen to R’n’B, Hip Hop, Psych or whatever – form a band and what comes out is that weird creation you’ve built since the first song you ever heard. A lot of bands filter their Pop ideas through their weirdness – I think we do the opposite.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
With ‘Envy’ which is about anxiety, self-doubt, fear and everything that comes with that, we tried to put all of those kind of weighty ideas into something that was euphoric. It’s a real test trying to juxtapose that and still make it a catchy pop song but when you’re trying to tap into a genre that’s predominantly vapid and doesn’t say much, it’s quite easy to kick against that – it goes back to what we were talking about earlier and that’s what makes the best pop songs. If you’re going to make music like that, you should say something worth hearing.
What was the last song you listened to?
‘Redbone’ by Childish Gambino. Fire emoji.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Dominic: All three! There isn’t a lesser format – they all have strengths. I have the ‘Purple Rain’ album on vinyl and have all the sentimentality when it comes to the physical element of having the artwork and the grooves there in your hands. You feel closer to what went into creating that music. I also have the CD because it was the first format I owned and CD is our generation’s media so I’ll always be attached to that too. But sometimes I just need to relate to music like Prince and sometimes that happens to be when your on a train or wherever where you can’t take a record player – a lot of people say MP3 has a detaching element but really all that’s there is the song to speak for itself which is about as close as you can get.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Probably Spotify? It’s the one everyone or most of us have – there’s more of a social element to it which is better for communicating and connecting with your fans. Apple Music is pretty good though, the way they curate playlists and what’s available is their greatest strength. Bandcamp is brilliant for new bands starting out, it’s really true to its values but just doesn’t have the same reach which is a shame.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
Mostly the sheer volume and scope that’s available to people which at the exact same time is incredible – people’s tastes are almost all encompassing now and nobody is solely into one genre like before. For every one established successful artist, there are thousands of bands trying to rise above the noise and be heard – which is entirely up to the band
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
Facebook mostly but you can search ‘Rebel Westerns’ into Twitter, Instagram or any of the usual suspects and find us – for music, SoundCloud has remixes and variations from what’s on Spotify etc. Which says a little more of what we’re about if people want to go further down the rabbit hole. www.rebelwesterns.co.uk has all of that.
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
If anyone wants to take us to The States, we’ll love you forever!
