Advaeta’s first full-length, titled Death and the Internet, out later this spring on Fire Talk, is a concentrated work in fuzz, shaping the most pleasing note progressions and poignant vocalism out of only the haziest sonic horizons. Just about every song is soaked in heavy distortion, among other effects, and the melodies infectiously brilliant, with the vocals cutting through everything, strong smoothing out the granular tone of both guitar and bass, but only so much, instituting a powerful dichotomy in the songs.
The first single, “Angelfish”, which is also the album’s first song, is a slow-chug-turned-rapid-rate heart attack of captivating electric infusions and gorgeous vocal harmonies that resurrects even the most deadened heart’s desire for good feelings. It breathes its life through simplistic, but intoxicating low-end chord changes backing the power-highs of the vocals.
Through Advaeta, the trio, made up of native New Yorkers Lani Combier-Kapel, Sara Fantry, and Amanda Salane, has deepened their relationship to music, the city, and each other. The three are committed to pursuing independent paths in music—Lani is a member of the Silent Barn collective and also plays in Warcries and Amanda has recently started a solo noise project as 999Reversus—but when they come together, the combination of their energies is explosive.
Death and the Internet comes out April 28 on Fire Talk.
How did you meet? How did you start playing music together?
Lani: Sara and I know each other from high school and growing up in NYC. Amanda and I swear to have met each other before the band but can’t remember where – maybe in a dream?
Amanda: Sara and I met at a party and became good friends soon after. We started playing together after my failed attempt at starting a band with her ex. She kind of stole me away actually hahah. We wrote a couple of songs and ran into Lani the night we decided we were ready for a drummer. It was pretty serendipitous.
Sara: For a while we’d practice in hourly rooms with giant metal band amps and stank microphones. Even after we started renting our own monthly spaces it took us several months to collect decent equipment. It’s been a long journey.
How do you go about writing your songs? Is it collaborative or is someone the primary songwriter? Are effects pedals a part of the process from the get-go, or do they come in later?
Amanda: It is completely collaborative. We jam out until it turns into something and then we craft it into a song together.
Lani: it’s very important for us to remain egalitarian in all senses. We even make [visual] art together as a/s/l – all of the album art was made by us.
Amanda: The pedals are always a part of the process. We are definitely melody based but there is always a texture and quality we’re trying to cultivate.
Sara: Effects are a huge part of our writing because landscape sets mood. It’s like the lifeblood of emotion.
Where do you feel Advaeta fits into the Brooklyn music scene? How do you feel about the Brooklyn music scene, in general? How are the shows you play now similar or different to the shows you used to play?
Amanda: We’ve been in Bushwick since we started so [we fit into] anywhere there really. We’ve been around too long to be a part of one scene. I can’t even really think that way because there are so many scenes within scenes here. I’d like to say we set our own scene somewhere within it if that makes sense? We’re pretty insular and just focus on expressing ourselves and making the music.
Lani: We try hard to only play shows at places we care about and with bands that we like. We love booking our own bills and regularly go to see live shows. We jump at chances to play at any venue with DIY ethics or art spaces. We love basements, weirdos, noise & electronic music, so Brooklyn is the place to be for us right now.
Sara: The Brooklyn music scene is like none other – it’s so massive that it caps off. Whereas in other towns and cities alternative music scenes provide a place for outcasts to join a counter-culture community, Brooklyn can end up accidentally estranging many who don’t fit a particular aesthetic. But this is a really friendly city. You can find anything you’re looking for. We are surrounded by so many incredible individuals.
Being in a band is not just writing music. This shit takes time, money, energy. This record is years of our lives. It feels like years of our lives. It’s totally naked.
You’ve been playing music for a long time but this is the first full-length you’ve recorded. Why do you think it took so long to get a record down? How does it feel to have it done?
Amanda: We’ve gone through a few incarnations and started off as nearly novices. We’ve learned and developed as musicians together—also as people. It’s been slow but there’s been a lot of root setting during that time. Our process is very intuitive and deeply emotional so it’s maybe taken us some time to get down what we’ve needed to get down.
Lani: We have all dealt with so much since forming the band and thus a lot of emotion is poured into this album. We need to get this album baby out so that we can mentally continue to work on new material!
Sara: Being in a band is not just writing music. This shit takes time, money, energy. This record is years of our lives. It feels like years of our lives. It’s totally naked. Feels good to be exposing ourselves finally though. Can’t wait to put out the next one.
How did you come to release the album on Fire Talk?
Amanda: Trevor (the boss man of Fire Talk) was at Silent Barn the night we finished mixing. We played him one of the tracks and he asked to listen to the whole thing. From there he offered to put it out.
Lani: Fire Talk has put out some great releases for bands like Turnip King, Heaven’s Gate, Woodsman, Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk, and a bunch of others.
Sara: They are a solid label that we are fully behind, and it’s super awesome they’re behind us too. That kind of support/collaboration is what we’re all about.
What do you expect and/or hope for Advaeta after the release of Death and the Internet?
Lani: We have a lot of new material and it probably won’t be too long before we’re ready to record another album. It’s likely that we’ll tour again in the summer. Seeing where life takes us is all I can expect.
Sara: I’m just hoping to keep on growing toward a full loss of inhibitions, to be as sincerely ourselves as we can possibly be and produce more art as a response/reflection.
Amanda: We’ve been working at this a long time so naturally I hope the record reaches as many ears as it can. I hope we can tour, meet some good people and make another record.
Tour dates:
3/12 – Brooklyn, NY – Silent Barn w/ Beach Creeps & Dan Friel
3/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – TBA
3/14 – Chicago, IL – The Observatory
3/15 – Detroit, MI – New Dodge Lounge
3/17 – Nashville, TN – The Pussy Palace
3/19 – Austin, TX – SXSW
3/20 – Austin, TX – SXSW
3/21 – Austin, TX – SXSW
3/23 – Houston, TX – Notsuoh
3/24 – New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar
3/27 – Raleigh, NC – Slims
3/28 – Baltimore, MD – The Crown
