Los Angeles synth-pop outfit DWNTWN have fast become one of my favourite bands. Ever since hearing their catchy as hell tune “See My Eyes” on the excellent Kitsune America compilation album (if, like me you love synth-pop then the Kitsune compilations are your best friends) I became infatuated with DWNTWN. Theirs is the kind of music that can be played while driving with the roof down on a summers day or while sat at home missing a loved one. DWNTWN’s recent self titled EP expands their ever growing back catalogue, one which is improving all the time. The music is becoming more technically well rounded and they’re constantly proving their worth as song writers. DWNTWN have championed an intertwined formula of male/female vocals which compensates the breezy, feel-good music perfectly. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of interviewing Jamie Leffler (vocals) and Robert Cepeda (guitar, vocals) from the band.
B.G.M. – Firstly I’d like to congratulate you on the release of your excellent EP, tell us a little bit about the song writing process behind it.
Jamie Leffler – Thanks! It took us about a year to record all the songs. This time around we thought more about how we wanted to be seen as a band and not a duo, so the songs reflect that. A lot more live instruments, and more guitars. We actually used some instruments we never have before like banjo and slide guitar. I wanted to avoid writing so much about relationships, so I focused more on writing about my family. “Heroine” is about my dad who died of a heroine overdose when I was 14, and “Missing You” is a song for my grandpa.
Where was the DWNTWN recorded?
The Red Room Studios in Los Angeles, which is just a fancy way of saying our bedroom.
How did the recording process go? Did you encounter any problems?
The songs all went through many changes and variations. I wouldn’t call them problems, but it definitely gets tedious sometimes. I applaud Robert for being able to sit at the computer listening to the same 3 seconds of music over and over trying to make it sound just right.
What is your favourite song from the EP?
My favorite is “Missing You” because it’s a song written for my grandpa who I loved more than anything. It was a really tough one for me to record, I couldn’t work on it for more than an hour or so because I would start to get really sad. I put so much pressure on it being perfect and I had so much trouble getting through the recording process that it really stands out as the most special song for me on the EP.
Robert Cepeda: I like “Blankets” because it only took me an hour to make.
You guys recently played a couple of live shows to support DWNTWN, how did it feel to finally play the new songs live?
Great! We are really happy with our set now, and we genuinely have fun playing all of the songs. The songs from this EP are centered more around guitars, so it was definitely easier to make them translate live than our previous material.
Describe an average DWNTWN show in three words –
loud, drunk, fun
How does the band prepare for a live performance?
The boys like to have a whiskey or two, and I hide in a bathroom, car, or hallway depending where we are playing, to do vocal warm ups. They are super loud and obnoxious, but I’ve gotten into doing my full warm up and running the set before we play. It makes me feel more confident with my vocals before going out on stage, and then off course I have a whiskey too.
What are your favourite bands/musicians at the moment?
We all can’t stop listening to The War On Drugs. The song “Red Eyes” is amazing. As soon as we are all in the car together that’s the first song we put on. Other than that we really like The 1975, Schoolboy Q, and Grimes.
What do you get up to on days away from writing or performing music?
SLEEP! and watch Game of Thrones, and cook. Robert and I love to cook. Last night we made a traditional Greek dish with his mom. It’s called pasticho and it’s almost like a lasagna, but instead of cheese its a béchamel sauce.
Where can we find DWNTWN in the world of social media?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dwntwnmusic
Soundcloud:soundcloud.com/dwntwnmusic
Tumblr:http://dwntwnmusic.tumblr.com/
Lastly, what does the rest of 2014 have in store for DWNTWN?
The video for “Missing You” should be coming out soon, which I’m excited to share with everyone. We are hoping to tour as much as possible this summer.