Pageants (the Long Beach, CA-based duo of partners and bandmates Rebecca Coleman and Devin O’Brien) today shared their bright, buoyant new single “Where Did The Time Go” off their forthcoming LP Sun and Settled Days, out July 30th, alongside a self-directed video that showcases their lighthearted and resilient spirit, as well as their deep connection to Southern California. “Rebecca and I were born and raised in Long Beach so this video is kind of our ode to the city,” explains O’Brien. “It’s impossible to keep track of all of our shared moments but we felt like creating a sun soaked capsule–lost in lackadaisical bliss–to speak for lost time and days well spent.” Coleman says the track’s lyrics “recall fleeting memories of the sense of aimlessness I was feeling in the years after touring as a teenager in the early 00’s. I felt stuck in a lot of ways. Influenced by the promise of an up-and-coming band and an ailing industry, I felt pressure to catapult my music career to the next level but found myself struggling to cope. It’s about feeling so close to something you want so badly, but it’s just out of reach. It’s about breaking free from the grip of past trauma and coming out on the other side with a fresh perspective.”
In the spirit of celebrating their hometown, Pageants just announced a free album release show on July 30th at Long Beach’s Vine. Sun and Settled Days is the perfect summer soundtrack of glittering indie pop, finding Pageants personally liberated and sonically mature as they crystallize the golden formula to their sound. Previous singles “All Bets Aside,” “It Might Be Crazy,” and “Just Tell Me” have earned press attention from Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, Buzzbands.la, The Alternative and more. Sun and Settled Days is now available for pre-order.
As Pageants’ primary songwriter, Coleman (vocals, guitar, keyboards) dives deep into dreams and the challenges of growing up, as well as the harsh reality of staying put while her partner and bandmate goes on the road without her. O’Brien (bass, guitar, drum programming) joined Los Angeles band Cherry Glazerr as their bass player in 2016, and his initially short tour with them turned into three long years on the road. “I was feeling pretty uncertain of the state of things as they were,” she says. “Years of touring without an end in sight, a project on hold at home, and a recently turned long-distance relationship starting to show wear and tear. My frustration and anxiety hit a breaking point.” O’Brien chose to come home to her. “I realized if I wanted to continue this relationship and be in this band then I had to quit Cherry Glazerr. It was taking all of my time,” he says. “It was a full-on experience—it was fun—but my life with Rebecca is what I wanted. I think that what got us through it was the trust that we had built over the course of 10 years and the fact that we had toured together previously.”
While much of Sun and Settled Days sees Pageants processing the past, Coleman and O’Brien now have their sights firmly set on the future—however uncertain it may be. Sonically, Coleman has never sounded clearer, doing away with the reverb-drenched vocals of their debut LP Forever (2018)—which earned the band press from i-d/VICE, NYLON, TIDAL, and more—in favor of a more upfront approach. Recorded almost entirely at their home studio, the polished production of Sun and Settled Days (spearheaded by O’Brien and his ever-sharpening prowess, honed through work on numerous other bands, including engineering for Best Coast and Cherry Glazerr), presents a freshened complexity for the band, and takes on a glossy sheen that hints at the brighter days to come.
