Along with her debut LP, ExWife’s frontwoman, Ria, throws open the home windows on a decade’s price of songwriting formed by chaos, rebirth, and a starvation for the unvarnished reality. On this candid interview, Ria traces the arc from whispered telephone demos—recorded amidst the each day actuality of motherhood—to the uncooked, live-wire performances that outline ExWife’s sound. The dialog explores the band’s dedication to authenticity in an period the place perfection is polished and feeling usually fades. Ria opens up about how private upheaval, from spiritual restrictions to post-divorce liberation, set the stage for ExWife’s distinct voice, whereas additionally weighing in on the pitfalls of up to date songwriting and the heart beat of taking part in stay across the Pacific Northwest. For these able to step exterior the formulaic, it is a debut—and a narrative—price your full consideration.
Welcome to A&R Manufacturing facility, Ria – and congratulations on the discharge of Blow. It’s a pleasure to have you ever right here to speak about ExWife’s debut and the whole lot that introduced it to life.
It’s our pleasure to share the brand new report! Thanks for having us, Amelia.
Ten years is a very long time to carry onto songs earlier than releasing them into the world—how did your relationship with the fabric shift throughout that point, and what made now really feel like the correct second to let Blow out?
The songs had a wild metamorphosis over these ten years. They began out as telephone recordings whereas I used to be caring for my at-the-time 2 and 3-year-old toddlers. In a variety of these early recordings, you possibly can really hear them singing alongside or asking for extra crackers. Nevertheless it was throughout essentially the most chaotic time of my life that I felt compelled to put in writing nearly all of these songs. The band developed the sound above and past what I might have been capable of do on my own. I take pleasure in bed room recordings, however I used to be born to play rock and roll. The wait to launch this music has been so lengthy; a lot of the hangups have been round life simply taking place.
You’ve talked about that Blow was recorded virtually fully stay—what does capturing that form of immediacy within the studio imply to you, and the way does it have an effect on your relationship with the songs once you take them to the stage?
For our band, it was vital to have the ability to convey what we had made within the studio onto a stay stage. This album actually has very minimal overdubs, and even a number of the vocals are from the stay takes we did, which I really feel superb and proud about. An increasing number of we’re listening to recordings which are manipulated, comped, over-processed, and for my part, stray from the true factor. We’ve launched AI into the sector, and I feel we’re doing ourselves a disservice within the pursuit of a “excellent” album or single. I at all times wish to attempt to make our music sound like what it’s – the sonic reality. Taking part in stay is one in every of my favourite issues on the earth. Orchestrating an expertise with these songs we have now made is an unbelievable feeling.
There’s clearly an emotional arc operating by the 14 tracks on the report—are you able to discuss us by the themes that tie it collectively and what you hope listeners take from the total report expertise?
The arc I hear throughout the album is one in every of loneliness, frustration, and rebirth, however that’s my interpretation. Our music is out on the earth now, and I’ve no intention of attempting to regulate the narrative of it. What somebody feels whereas listening to our music is their expertise alone. My whole life was wrapped up in these songs, and for me they’ve been a facilitator for therapeutic and pleasure. I sincerely hope others could be affected in an identical means.
Beginning the band throughout a turning level in your relationship should have given the mission a really private core. How a lot of that unique emotional basis stays current in ExWife at the moment?
ExWife will at all times be deeply private for me. My bandmates are nonetheless a number of the individuals I spend essentially the most of my time with.
The comparisons to artists like The Breeders and PJ Harvey are undoubtedly flattering, however you’ve stated that you just weren’t actively attempting to sound like several period or artist. What had been you chasing sonically and emotionally when shaping ExWife’s sound?
I grew up spiritual and was not allowed to hearken to a variety of trendy or traditional rock, and nonetheless into my late 20s, had by no means listened to an AC/DC track or something remotely heavy and soiled. After my divorce, I used to be free to hearken to something I wished to, and I used to be at all times drawn to rock and roll. Any taste, any yr, I simply adore rock music. This was one thing tremendous new and thrilling. I had began to select up the electrical guitar, and it felt like a gorgeous marriage. Heavy beefy tone with the generally saccharine, generally attractive lyrics that I had been writing. The band by no means sat down collectively and stated, ‘we must always sound like this’, the magic simply occurred once we performed collectively. All of us come from totally different backgrounds with totally different musical tastes, and I feel our mixture sounds fairly scrumptious.
You’ve been open about how trendy music usually feels oversimplified to you. What do you assume has been misplaced in up to date songwriting, and what requirements do you personally maintain your lyrics and compositions to?
Fashionable music has grow to be increasingly simplified through the years. They’ve performed research on this, and we use fewer phrases, restricted vocabulary, sing much less about love and extra about ache, and even use extra generic chord construction in our songs at the moment. They are saying individuals need straightforward listening, however I’m not satisfied that is really what we would like as people, however extra as a society. Up to date songwriting has grow to be terribly blunt and repetitive. For me, a very good track has the flexibility to be imprecise however nonetheless evoke an emotional response from the lyrics. Once I write songs, I’m placing on totally different individuals after which viewing it from their perspective. It’s all about play and the way we are able to form a narrative throughout the track that’s vital to me.
Gigging across the Pacific Northwest, what has stood out to you most concerning the stay reception to your songs, and the way have these reveals formed your imaginative and prescient for what ExWife can grow to be?
Gigging will be very up and down. The venues are nonetheless recovering from the pandemic, and crowd attendance will be very unpredictable. I really like taking part in stay, and it’s my hope that we are going to be taking part in larger reveals down the street. Plans so as to add lighting and different little touches are within the works. A number of artists are chasing Spotify metrics, however to me, these don’t maintain a candle to having a packed venue and attending to expertise taking part in our music with a real-time response and response. My favourite present reminiscence might be taking part in Wild West, and the barback was standing towards the again wall, completely locking into the groove. It’s these little moments I might play again and again for.
With this highly effective debut now out there, what’s subsequent for ExWife creatively—and what do you’re feeling this report has set in movement for you going ahead?
We’re simply getting began. Extra music is within the works, and it’s my intention to launch one other album very quickly. Tits up, and let’s rock.
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Stream ExWife on Spotify now, and join with the artist by way of Instagram and TikTok.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
