Babes In Canyon Photo credit: Brittne Lunniss
Washington duo Babes In Canyon have been making waves in the pacific northwest – and beyond – with their beguiling blend of folk and synth pop. Following a string of well-received singles and EPs, their debut LP The New Loud is out September 23rd.
You don’t have to wait quite that long though, as today The Big Takeover is premiering the video for “One Day, One Night.” Shot by cinematographer Greg Mares, the video provides a lightly surrealist backdrop to the bands wonderfully engaging pop melodicism. If you’re into Vance Joy, Lucius, or The Lumineers, you are going to fall head over heels for Babes In Canyon.
Born of a spontaneous writing session during a winter storm, veteran singer-songwriter Nathan Hamer (founding member of indie-pop band Kuinka) and wife Sophia found themselves stranded in a remote cabin. “We started playing music by firelight to calm our nerves,” says Hamer. “By the end of the night, we had our first song for Babes In Canyon.”
Hitting the road with their debut EPs Second Cities and Year To Live for a spate of tours, festivals, and live performances, the duo refined their layered soundscapes. That time spent on the road allowed the band to further refine their sound, leaning into the elements that made their live shows electric: heavy beats, airy harmonies, and buzzy synth lines floating on an atmospheric bed of strings. Lush and astutely layered, what began as an exploration of the outer edges of Americana has evolved into a cohesive, enchanting artistic statement.
Regarding the video, Nathan tells us:
“We shot ‘One Day, One Night’ in a single take over the course of an afternoon. It was a bit like rehearsing a dance, paying careful attention to timing and hitting marks just right. It was also a bit like running an obstacle course, so by the time the third attempt rolled around, we were all pretty winded and sweating. The song is a love letter; a musing on the heaviness we often instill into relationships, but there’s a real freedom in letting go and falling in love; there’s a lightness that comes with it.”
Tracked at the small recording studio they’d built at their rural Washington farmhouse, Jerry Streeter (Brandi Carlile) joined them to help engineer and mix the record. “The farm and the natural environment where we live became characters on the album, and we spent multiple sessions grabbing field recordings to mold and distort into the new songs” explains Nathan. “Tractor engine revs, pond splashes, metal gates clanging, and a chorus of tree frogs are all there to be discovered.” Michelle Nuño provided additional bass, and Matt Bishop (Two Door Cinema Club, The Beaches) mastered the tracks.
New music on the way? Pitch Big Takeover Exclusives.
