Last Galax Z Fair, Ouch, My Ego! hosted the Boston based power-pop group Pretty and Nice in an energetic after party at Roosevelt’s. I was given the opportunity to have a phone interview with the band.
This is how it went down.
In essence, the band believes that their music is all inclusive. When I approached them about their underlying philosophy, Jeremy gave a pretty humanistic retort. “We want to create something positive, something happy and fun,” said Jeremy. “We aim for relativity. I guess you would call us inclusive.” No protest here. Every part of the conversation was jovial, light, and complimentary. The name of the band itself sums up the approach. When I asked about it they said, “After testing and debating and trials, it proved to be the most neurologically pleasing” and congenially, “It is also a very recognizable name.” Jeremy continued, “We are naturally accessible. We intentionally make pop music. That’s not to say we don’t push boundaries and value innovation, but we like making music relatable.”
Recently, I have been revisiting my obese folder of “guilty pleasure music.” It was on my mind, so I asked, “What are you listening to right now? What on your mp3 might shock someone?”
I was quickly put to shame. “William,” Holdem stated, “we live in a post-ironic culture. We exist in a time saturated with heavy irony. We like what we like, so what? Who’s to what’s good and what isn’t?” And with objectivity in music de-bunked (despite the bands “Pop” status), all I understood was that their taste was eclectic.
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KT1XMlFRkc’]
The sound and flavor of the band has grown organically. It has been a “lovely and happy” coincidence that the longer they play the more their individuality fleshes out in wholesome composition. Jeremy and Holdem write separately and bring the music to the band. From there the songs are fitted to the band’s nature like an organic leather glove (from free-range cows).
Eclectic people usually gather to eclectic people. According to Roger, the common people he sees at shows are very similar to the guys in the band, “They love aggressive music and energetic shows. Most are in their late ’20s, early ’30s. I guess because they recognize the ’80s influence.” Holdem interjected here and said, “But we also appeal to teenagers. People who want to move around.”
Their experience in McAllen was straight-up badass. “By the time we got there, people were excited to see us. They are the shows like that that make the long drive feel like a breeze. We really liked it and plan to go back.”
Roger, Jeremy, Holdem, and I had a fun time exchanging stories and bantering ideas for quite a while. I hadn’t noticed that my lunch break had ended. Let’s hope we see them sooner than later.
Catch Pretty & Nice this Monday at The Thirsty Monkey, they go on at 6:15! You won’t want to miss it!
