Bleached are L.A-based sister duo Jennifer and Jessica Clavin, who formed the band after their former project Mika Miko ended. They released their highly anticipated debut album Ride Your Heart in April and UTR caught up with Jessica Clavin to discuss both the release and what it's like working with a sibling.
Before Bleached you guys were in Mika Miko. Tell me a little bit about your musical history: starting out, forming Mika Miko and moving onto Bleached.
Mika Miko started when we were still in high school and we were just having fun not taking it so serious so eventually as we got older some of us wanted to do different things.... Jen and I knew we wanted to start a new band, not sure what but wanted to keep playing music and touring, then that was how Bleached was born!
It seems like there's a pretty strong community around the sound that you guys are creating in L.A. Tell me about about the scene that you guys exist in: who are your favourite bands and venues? Is it supportive?
There is for sure a pretty big music scene in LA right now with bands like Fidlar, Pangea, etc. and we are all friends and supportive of each other. There's probably other scenes I haven't even heard of. The smell is an all ages venue were we started playing our first shows and The Echo is another cool venue in Echo Park. There are also so many cool bands outside of L.A that we have met through tours like Bass Drum of Death and Veronica Falls, and it all just seems like family in a way...
Do you ever have any nasty sibling fights in the band, or, on the other hand, have a totally instinctual creative relationship? Tell me a little bit about working on music with your sister.
Of course when we were younger we had our fights and sometimes there are disagreements but for the most part we work really well together. We have a very similar music background so we communicate really well with our music taste. Also we're not competitive and that's a big reason why we can handle eachother. Plus, out of everyone we know eachother the best.
You guys are influenced by girl groups from the sixties right? What draws you into that genre and that sound? What other artists have influenced you guys over the years?
I feel like when you're not from a certain era there's something about it that can be very intriguing and mystifying. Everyone looks so cool and the whole image that girl bands from the 60's - their fashion, singing about love is so entrancing. There's also bands from the 70's we love like johnny Thunders, Ramones, Blondie, the Velvet Underground - the whole New York scene basically...
What are you guys listening to right now? Favourite bands? Favourite songs?
We were listening to Big Star on this tour we're on right now maybe hoping to cover a song! My personal record right now I am listening to is Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs.
You just released debut album Ride Your Heart. Tell me a little about the writing and recording process for that album.
We started with some rough demos and worked with our producer Rob Barbato for two weeks on pre-production running through all the songs. Then we started recording the month of October tracking guitar, bass, and drums. Then over dubs, vocals, backing vocals etc.
Going into writing Ride Your Heart, were there any particular influences or inspirations that affected the record? Any themes - sonically or otherwise - that stand out across the record?
A couple of times Jen would pull up some Blondie and Rolling Stones songs. I was really inspired by a lap steel part in a Gun Club song, 'Mother of Earth'.
Now that you can reflect on Ride your Heart as a finished product what would you say? Are you happy with it? What is your favourite track? Anything present across the album that you didn't realise until after it was finished?
I am really happy and super proud of Ride Your Heart, it made me really excited to go back in the studio and record. I feel like this is just the beginning! My favorite song ended up being 'Ride Your Heart'.
What are you guys up to for the rest of 2013?
More tours and shows! Were going to Europe mid May and maybe some festivals in the summer! Super stoked!
