Making shiny dreampop that also manages a powerful effect without the glare isn't always easy, but in the case of Gloss, whose “Whose Name” is vibrant and full of excess chorus pedal, emits both color and shine to good end. The track comes from a forthcoming Forged Artifacts release and it utilizes some of the best sides of melancholy dreamwave while also being a direct enough pop song to get your toe tapping. We recently had a chance to catch up with Jeff from Gloss over the new release and his intentions for his sound. You can read that below, then head to Forged Artifacts for the November 26 release of Gloss's Between Themselves.
How do you think your sound has progressed since Front Porch/Ian's Dream?
Gloss: The EP shows us working more collaboratively than we did on the first two songs. You can hear everyone's ideas throughout, whereas the single was weighted towards my ideas. It also shows us exploring the sounds of our influences more deeply. We bonded over our shared love of postpunk and shoegaze, and the EP shows us expanding on this.
How do you guys feel about being purveyors of the “dreamy-ass jangle pop” label?
Gloss: I'm fine with being called anything—genre names are thrown around so much nowadays that they don't really mean anything. That being said, I have never felt like “dream pop” carries a negative connotation.
You've been playing together since high school. How is the songwriting process different now that you're not 17? What else can we expect from your forthcoming EP?
Gloss: I think one of the biggest learning experiences was how arrangements can affect songs. Starting out, every song was written on a single guitar. Not every song needs big guitar chords—it's more about how individual parts interplay with each other to achieve a fuller sound. We are still working on that. The EP is all over the place. You really get all of our personalities in the songs.
“Whose Name” are you singing about, anyway?
Gloss: You never know “whose name” it is. The song is about mustering the courage to make a new connection, only to realize that by faltering in doing so, the chance has already passed.
