Pastel
Introducing SF’s Pastel; photographed by Kelly.
Within the eye of the storm that has observed the transformation (some might say hostile takeover) of the Bay Area by the suburbanite-techie-hordes; new artists & bands continue to break through the static & deluge of apocalyptic hype. Introducing the new San Francisco band Pastel (not to be confused with LA x OC’s Pastel) who present the world premiere of their Eyelids cassette available now. Band leader Nicholas Lomboy & the gang of Henry, Matt & Michael recorded their EP with Max Senna at Oakland’s The Secret Bathroom where they continue to raise the bar & mantle of the Bay’s time tested noise & dream pop continuum where amplified guitar-grinding emissions dovetail in the atmosphere alongside the billowy cushions of fog. Like the powdery-crayon pigments of their namesake, Pastel makes music from an analog pallet that reminds the digitally obsessed SF and it’s surroundings that there are greater arts that can convey and relay feelings & meanings that exceed far beyond all binary frames of focus & interests.
The Pastel quartet begin Eyelids with waking sounds to inspire eye-opening & an awakening endeavor that teeters on that see-saw that tilts between the dichotomy of life & death. “You hide like new cancer,” Nick sings out in a maudlin mode as he, Henry, Matt & Michael bring about rippling doses of melancholia that that sway like amber waves in the autumn breeze. And right as your heart begins to sink into the bowels of the basement, Pastel strikes with full force on “Nervous” that turns over the poker tables & beats up those inner-quivering nerves that keep all confidence, courage & self-esteem at bay—idling like a pier-docked sailboat wallflower in the wind. The thin line margin between love & hate is further explored & exploited with “Halfhate” that entertains real feelings of extreme dislike that attempts to convey these emotions in constructive manner that requests a little empathy & understanding with the refrain of, “see how it feels…” As the guitars burn & blaze with a furious—but mellow—glow like a sundown/sunrise that arches from east and west like a rainbow palette of markers connecting communities like the Bay Bridge on “Hensong”. The finale on the tape finds the band firing on all cylinders, along with firing off every proverbial firework in the arsenal that was leftover from Fourth of July, New Years, etc. Check out our following roundtable interview session with Nick, Henry, Matt & Michael.
Take us to the beginning when Pastel first became a thing, and how the band became a codified entity.
Nick: I met Henry at a party. He was pretty gone and demanded that I bought him in a few games of dice. Initially I thought he was a crazy sociopath, little did I know he’s actually a sweetheart. We kept seeing each other at parties, and I still thought he was an asshole until we ran into each other at The Knockout. Saves the Day came on and we embraced each other… never let go ever since.
Henry: I don’t know what sociopath actually means, but I like it. Nick and I met at an emo night here in San Francisco where they played old high school music. We talked about jamming together because we liked a lot of the same bands. I later asked Michael to hop on bass, knowing him from our other band. After weeks of playing together, Matt Curtis finalized the band on second guitar… and he blew our ears off with his shitty feedback during practices.
Matt Curtis: I’ve known Henry and Michael through their other band Commissure for a bit. I tried out for Pastel once which is when I met Nick. When I played with them, I was feeding back the whole time (intentionally). They never called me back. I hit them up and no one responded.
With the visual aesthetic notion of pastel having been entertained as the moniker for many other independent artists from now and over the years; what does the name Pastel represent for you all?
Henry: Honestly it was just a cool sounding name I came across. Didn’t think there were other bands that had that name. I was originally going to use it for some solo project but that never happened, so it was brought up during band practice and it just kinda worked out. I guess you can think we’re very artistic, dreamy, etc. Like pastel colors if that answers your question better [laughs].
Nick: I won’t print on a pink shirt.
Matt Curtis: It’s a Nai Harvest song (RIP). That’s it.
Tell us about the experience of recording the Eyelids EP with Max Senna at The Secret Bathroom in Oakland, California.
Henry: We’ve known Max through the music scene out here, seeing him at shows and in bands over the years. (Shout out to John Cota!) Michael and I worked with him before and he just seemed like the obvious choice. We recorded in the span of two days in his studio that he built from scratch. It was a smooth process due to Max’s style of recording, very easy and pretty much gave us all the freedom to make it sound the way we want.
Michael: We were all (except for Nick) playing on borrowed instruments, so we were learning the different feel of the gear. My fake ric had a shitty output so I used max’s P bass with heavy ass strings. Matt Curtis’s squire was too twangy, so he used Max’s SG.
Matt Curtis: Max was super easy going and fun to work with the entire time. He made us feel really comfortable and took a lot of the pressure off.
Nick: Max is funny, I am friends with Max. We snapchat each other while we’re pooping. Hi Max!
What lessons did you all take away from this, and how do you feel this EP will shape a possible full album?
Michael: It was a great first experience for us, and we feel that you should always leave the studio looking forward to the next opportunity to get back into the studio. This tape is a great example of who we were when we recorded it, and now we’re very excited to be growing into who we’re becoming for the next release.
Matt Curtis: I think it made us realize where we’re at, and where we want to go with this project.
Nick: Expect another ep before a full length.
Henry: Ditto
Most amazing things about the Bay Area right now?
Henry: A lot of new bands popping up that are creating this new music community. It’s pretty awesome, but all the gentrification and fires in the city [are] not so awesome. Also, there’s so many music venues it makes it great for playing shows and hosting touring bands.
Michael: There’s a ton of creative people here so it’s easier to network than when I was growing up in a small town, but it can also be very cliquey. On a positive note, the more weird the music is, the more it seems to get noticed which is something I really appreciate.
Nick: It’s amazing that I have to pay 600 dollars to live in a closet, but also amazing that bands in San Francisco can still survive despite the gentrification and how un-affordable it is. It was kind of a shock when I moved here from Philadelphia two years ago. The music scenes are completely different. Regardless, we’re happy to contribute.
Matt Curtis: lol idk.
What should the world being listening to right now?
Nick: Blue Smiley from Philadelphia just released Return. I play it at least twice everyday—It’s really good. The Down House is sick. I’m excited to hear their new stuff. I also heard Balms is recording at The Atomic Garden this winter. I’m very anxious for that too.
Matt Curtis: I also really Blue Smiley’s new record.
Michael: Creative Adult and Ovvn (shout out to The Last Record Store, Santa Rosa)
Henry: Hazel’s Wart, and Marbled Eye, Diiv from New York…
Fall & winter hopes and closing thoughts?
Michael: Up in the air between recording and touring. Best case scenario we can afford to do both.
Matt Curtis: Play more shows and write more music.
Nick: Recording and maybe a pacific northwest tour. Hopefully Henry will get his own drum set. We have talked about doing a split with an awesome band from Philly.
Henry: Stay tuned.
