When thinking of Olympia, WA in terms of music your mind likely points towards something along the lines of the twee pop of Beat Happening, the riot grrrl movement with Bikini Kill, anti-folk artists such as Kimya Dawson, or the experimental indie of the Microphones. Bands that are either sensitive and slightly weird or brash and bombastic. K Records and Kill Rock Stars.
But those references, while important, are clearly outdated because the music scene in Olympia has far more to offer than what thrived in its ‘90s heyday. Including...dream pop? Yes folks, somehow the fuzzy, swirling sounds of the UK and East Coast US have found their way to the grey, rainy capital of Washington! They said it couldn’t be done!
For the past four years, Jupiter Sprites have been constructing starry-eyed dreamscapes in the form of two EPs, 2017’s gummyblossom and 2019’s self-titled. KEXP premiered Jupiter Sprites track “Save the Mystery” in late 2018 and this October, the quartet made up of Max Keena, Alicia Capp, Mike Elliott, and Portia Capp will finally unveil their debut full-length Holographic.
The album is a collection of songs that follow an intense period in the foursome’s lives surrounding two hospitalizations and a car accident. Luckily, these incidents brought the band members closer together while healing, which can be felt in the debut single off Holographic, “Feeeel.” Bright and buoyant, the song has a sparkling air of optimism and is decidedly more pop than the fuzzed-out shoegaze of their prior work.
“This one is an experimental pop track that was actually based on something I wrote as a teenager,” explains Keena. “Coming back to it was like dusting off an old book that you had forgotten about. So there was an element of nostalgia involved. My favorite moments are the weird samples that we did of Alicia’s vocals - they really drive the track forward”.
In the midst of recording “Feeeel,” Alicia and Portia were both admitted to the hospital for unknown reasons. Keena continued to work on this song while the band was in limbo. Pouring all his energy into it, the song practically became an obsession, recording layers upon layers of sounds.
When Alicia got out of the hospital, she listened to the rough mix and recalled saying “This is incredibly overwhelming.” Both of them laughed, because it was true. “There were way too many laser noises and guitar tracks.”
“She was right though,” says Keena. “And it was therapeutic on many levels for the two of us to sit down and peel away the unnecessary layers in the song. We ended up with something just wild enough, and couldn’t be more proud of the result.”
Holographic is out October 16th on their own label. Pre-orders are available here. Listen to “Feeeel” below.
Long-running locals LAKE unveil a bizarre new video for the title track off their ninth studio album Roundelay
Singer Olivia Rose Huebner stops by KEXP to talk about their new album, 'While My Father Sleeps,' out August 23rd via Park The Van Records.
Olympia-based dream-pop outfit shares the first single from their upcoming self-titled EP.
