“The project can only maintain a sense of continuity, even though each album seems to belong to a different world, if we keep the process as contained as possible.”
— Rachel Brown
In recent years, you've transitioned to Matador and gained numerous new opportunities, such as supporting Interpol and Snail Mail. You've previously discussed mental health and the difficulties faced as a DIY musician. Now that you've released two albums with Matador, have those pressures evolved? How has the experience of signing with a label been for you? And how do you balance that with your DIY philosophy?
Nate: We’ve certainly had to accept more assistance and involve additional people. We’ve been careful to ensure that the music remains unaffected, but we’ve also allowed the business aspect to grow and become more formalized, which isn’t really DIY. There’s an increased pressure to ensure the music is of high quality, but I try not to dwell on that too much.
Rachel: Things have definitely become easier. I’m not too upset about no longer having to sleep on the floors of strangers' apartments. The pressures seem similar; we’re still figuring out how to create and perform music in a way that satisfies us and engages others. We’ve had to learn to decline opportunities we would have previously embraced. We weren’t a touring band before 2022, and we joined Matador after our first two tours. I didn’t have any frame of reference for this situation. Honestly, I’m still learning how to take care of myself. Sometimes it feels like everything has changed, but most of the time, it feels like just one continuous moment stretched over a lifetime.
You've also expanded the band for live performances - how has that experience been? Did it influence the album; were you considering this while writing, or do you keep live and recorded music separate?
Nate: Playing with a full live band is enjoyable. I arranged “Life Signs” to be more of a rock track for that reason, but overall, it didn’t significantly affect the album since most of it was written before we had the full live lineup anyway.
Rachel: Live performances and recording are quite distinct, but I enjoy touring with Al [Nardo, guitarist] and Bailey [Wollowitz, drummer]. They help keep us grounded. I believe the project can only continue to feel cohesive, regardless of each album's different sound, if Nate and I maintain an insular process. However, the only way we can handle touring for months at a time is to travel with our friends.
On the topic of live performances - your UK and European album tour is coming up soon. What have you thought of the performances so far? Is there anything in particular that excites you?
Nate: The shows have been fantastic; I enjoy playing guitar and am especially excited to perform more shows with Morgan Garrett in the UK.
Rachel: I got so anxious about low ticket sales that I was removed from the email thread, but it turns out that many shows have sold out, which is great, but also makes me feel silly. I’m really looking forward to London because we have many friends there, and I’m also excited to play in Glasgow since I really love Scotland - I had such a great time after our first show there doing karaoke in the bar upstairs.
“It’s A Beautiful Place” is now available through Matador. Water From Your Eyes’ UK/EU tour begins on November 13th; find out more here.
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