New Zealand’s Phoebe Rings share “Get Up,” the catchy new single from their recently announced debut album, Aseurai, out June 6th on Carpark Records. Of the track, bassist Benjamin Locke, who takes lead vocals for the first time on a Phoebe Rings song says “This was written in a period where I was listening to a lot of disco, particularly Nile Rodgers productions (Chic, Sister Sledge). Around a similar time I rewatched The Matrix. In the opening scene, Trinity is being chased by agents and says to herself ‘Get up Trinity, just get up.’ I thought the notion of willing yourself to get up could be interesting to play around with and that scene stuck with me for a bit. In older disco tracks there is often this imperative language (‘Everybody Dance!,’ ‘Leave your cares behind’) – ‘Get up, just get up’ just kind of fell into place. We gave it a pretty comprehensive disco treatment with lots of strings, bvs and a searing Arp solo.”
Paste, who premiered the track and video today, is saying “‘Get Up’ winks with restraint. The song’s climax, a buzzing guitar solo three minutes in, is baked into this swirling menagerie of sun-spotted, jazz-tinged percussion but never fully erupts. There are no distracting bells and whistles. Here more than ever, Choi, Locke, drummer Alex Freer, and guitarist/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent are sharply in the pocket that makes them terrific.”
On Aseurai, Phoebe Rings continue to explore their disco and city-pop influences while staying true to the dream-pop sound of their self-titled EP. “Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,” Choi says. “It’s a poetic expression. You wouldn’t say it in normal conversation, but I like that.”
While Phoebe Rings was originally a solo project of Choi’s, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band, which includes Guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent, bassist Benjamin Locke and drummer/producer Alex Freer. The four musicians cut their teeth working on other notable NZ projects such as Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze, Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy, Sea Views and Lucky Boy. With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: “I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone’s gems.” The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ‘Phoebe Rings’ sound.
If the EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. “Without getting too gloomy, it’s a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,” says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. Across ten songs, Phoebe Ring’s storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification to tender autobiographical memories.
