Though East Coast transplants Holychild are relatively new to the SoCal music scene, the experimental pop outfit has been making strides in its new home. Aside from gearing up to release its debut EP, Tribes, next month, the quartet is currently headlining Santa Ana's Detroit Bar every Monday night for its February residency, joined by the likes of fellow L.A.- and OC-based acts like Travelers (featuring members of Young the Giant), Steffaloo and Hotel Cinema. Amidst the chaos of the residency and album release, Holychild's founders, Louis Diller and Elizabeth Nistico chatted with us about the new EP and their to give a Miles Davis cover some indie rock flavor from out of left field.
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OC Weekly (Katrina Nattress): You're gearing up to release
your debut EP, Tribes, next month. Tell me about the recording process.
Elizabeth Nistico: We recorded Tribes in Washington, D.C. when Louie was still in college. Louie did all the pre-production at the George Washington University's recording studio. Most of the heavy lifting however, the drums, vocals, grand piano, etc., was done at Cue Studios with our homie, DJ, who hooked it up. We'd sneak into the studio with DJ at odd hours to avoid the boss man, which led to some interesting encounters and many late night sessions.
What can we expect from this release?
Louis Diller: This debut EP definitely showcases the range of our musical influences–everything from straightforward pop songs to string-driven funk beats to an indie rock original arrangement of Miles Davis' “All Blues” jazz standard tells you a little bit about what to expect from this collection of songs. We honestly just felt like we had something to say, so we pressed record and said it.
Are you planning anything special for the release?
EN: We are! We're actually releasing another single from the EP on
February 18th, called “Best Friends,” which will be accompanied by a music video we shot in a wasteland called Bombay Beach. Dancing girls, kids on bikes, and locals on ATV's characterize the gist of this action-packed perspective on a part of Southern California most folks probably haven't seen before. Otherwise, we'll be releasing Tribes on Louie's birthday, March 5, and have bi-coastal release shows in celebration of its release. We'll be playing at The Hotel Cafe in LA on March 21, The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on March 22, then we'll be playing in Washington, DC on April 19 @ Velvet Lounge, and finally in New York City @ Rockwood Stage 2 on April 20 (for all our East Coast friends and family).
How does it feel to be a band in Southern California?
LD: We're relatively new here and love it already. There is so much inspiring music and art happening all around us all the time, it has been a great motivation to continue creating and making art ourselves. The nicest thing is the art coming out of SoCal is of such a high caliber, and there are so many world class talented folks living here, that it pushes us to practice even more and think outside the box even more. We have found this all to be very humbling and inspiring at the same time. So far in our experiences booking the Detroit Bar residency, we have found the bands from L.A. and OC to be very friendly and supportive, in addition to being really amazing artists.
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