Four years passed over her experience on a famous TV show Isabela Nóbrega has finally released her debut full-length “Young” (2018). The album is the unsurprising outcome of a talented, independent, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentist musician who is struggling to build a career of her own by the rules she settles for herself. Not an easy task for a musician living in a southern European country with a lame indie music scene.
“Young” is an interesting album that roves around the idea of time passing by with a certain sense of nostalgia attached to it although in some ways the album concept is pointing out not only to the passing of time and to the growing process but above all unleashes the idea that it is the closing of an artistic evolutionary stage and the opening of another one that might be different considering that this debut full length apart from other features seems to be more of a workbook and not a path for the future or a definitive musical statement.
Listening throughout the album one easily reckons that Isabela Nóbrega is a soulful, talented musician that seems to be at ease within the Indie Pop genre and that’s probably why the track list of the album all seem to match this aesthetic soundscape though Indie Pop can range from Lorde to Metronomy, from Eleanor Friedberger to Billie Eilish, from Perfume Genius to Phantogram and all in between. And there is in fact a lot in between actually! Isabela Nóbrega’s sort of indie pop venture sounds more like bedroom pop trying to mature into indie rock and this might explain why the stand out songs of the album are in fact nice examples of what Isabela Nóbrega could be doing in the future.
Stand out songs: Young; K-a-t-h-e-r-i-n-e; We Expected Every Dream
6.5/10
Today, INDIEVOTION is honored not to present a great interview with Citrus Clouds but also to be premiering the music video for the infectiously anthemic track "YOU LOVED ME FIRST" from the Phoenix based band Citrus Clouds from their last year's widely acclaimed release "Ultra Sound". Citrus Clouds are since the very beginning one of the bands most cherished by INDIEVOTION.
They literally write songs that can easily work out as beautifully crafted little soundtracks for ups and downs of the existential adventure, ranging from pure joy and happiness to moderate sadness and melancholia but never depressing quite the contrary because even the less happy songs the band has written offer a comforting hope of better times, of sunny days after the thunder and storm.
Although Citrus Clouds are most commonly known as representatives of a certain second wave of shoegaze more than dream pop, only the less attentive can still define their music as mere shoegaze. Citrus Clouds managed to coin a sound of their own due to a fascinatingly woven tapestry of sounds resulting from the mix of common and not so common music influences. There's way much more underlying in their musical aesthetic than the usual suspects and that rises the bar incredibly positioning Citrus Clouds as one of the most consistent, creative, thrilling bands on the contemporary indie scene worldwide.
1. The Band officially formed back in August 2014. Four years ago we can say that Citrus Clouds were a boyfriend, girlfriend duo plus a close friend. It seems that back then you had no plan to play much and just have fun as a side project. Four years later Citrus Clouds is more and more a top name on the shoegaze, dream pop indie world scene. How do you explain it and most of all how do you feel about it?
I feel the songs resonate with people because they are melodic and have a timelessness to them. We've worked hard to make sure the songs we write feel good. It's an awesome feeling to have people care about the music you make and connect with it.
2. Shoegaze and Desertgaze. How would you explain the way that both the weather and urban environment actually influence Citrus Clouds sound since this is not a mere question of genres definition is it?
It's very hard for the weather not to influence you here in Phoenix. Half of the year, it is super hot and it factors into everything that you do. We feel Desertgaze in an appropriate way to describe the dreamy sounds here and the environment in which they were created, like Desert Rock.
3. As Phoenix based musicians how would you describe the indie/alternative music scene there when in comparison to other nearby States?
Since Phoenix is a sprawling metropolis that built outwards instead of up, it's hard to be able to visit multiple venues on any given night so there doesn't seem to be one cohesive scene. It's all micro scenes, but there are some really cool bands making some great music right now here. Other cities have more history and a bigger collection of National bands. There, people tend to appreciate Shoegaze and dreampop a whole lot more. Phoenix has a ton of amazing venues and passionate people behind them so good things are happening.
4. When we listen to Citrus Clouds' discography it consistently emerges the idea that the addictive sound produced has roots in a varied range of artists but what impresses most is the way the blends some sort of Bossa Nova with Syd Barret psychedelia, The Pixies and MBV more than anything else. What can you tell us about the seminal influences of the band that helped to create Citrus Clouds state of mind?
All those are pretty spot on. I absolutely love bossa nova music and I feel those types of chords and melodies really helped shape the songs we write. The way Kevin Shields used the trem was also a life changer. It becomes it's own separate instrument and can add so much emotion and texture to a song. All our influences and music we like influence what we each add to the songs.
5. Between “Imagination” and “Ultra Sound” you changed drummer, and we all know how replacing a drummer can sometimes literally break a band. To what extent such lineup renewal contributed to rethink, influence and redefine the band’s working process and inner dynamics from then on?
We were very lucky to have the perfect drummer to step in. We all went to the same high school and I played with Angelica in a band called Terra Firme for a few years. We all have hung out and partied for years so our dynamic and chemistry hasn't been better. The writing process changed in that Angelica is a different style of drummer and added more rhythm to the songs. It was a more collaborative experience writing Ultra Sound.
6. “In Time I Am” EP seemed to set the tone for the type of sound the band was most keen to make. And although melodic, ethereal and spacey it is way more than shoegaze which is precisely what makes it a kind of trademark sound though I strangely found some Chris Isaak ghost haunting your first EP release. Is it accurate to say so and how do the band feels about it?
In Time I am has such a timeless sound. It's the result of all our influences coming together, really. Forever Friends has a melody similar to Wicked Game by Chris Isaak and I was going to change it but was outvoted hahaha.
7. “Imagination” was a fantastic debut album, undoubtedly one of the best of 2016 that decidedly did put the band on the map of the most thrilling and talented acts around, demonstrating that Citrus Clouds wasn’t one more shogazey band after all. How decisive was the making of this album to the point the band is now?
Imagination was a critical album for us. We wanted to be able to write a full length that evolved our sound, I feel Imagination has some of the best songs we've written and it really helped get us notoriety outside of Phoenix and around the globe.
8. Citrus Clouds seem to have the ability to always offer stunning, addictive, kind of stuck in the head forevermore albums. That’s what happened with “Ultra Sound” once again one of the very best shots of 2017. What can you say about the creative process of this particular release and how did the band deal with happy and sad life circumstances of the album making and in which way did it help to shape the creative process and the final outcome?
We had initially planned to write another full length but since Stacie was pregnant we had a very definite deadline. This time around, the songs were more concise and we collaborated a lot more. Very cool seeing how some songs I had were reworked and turned out even better. It's the most emotional record we've made because of my dad Heriberto Pineda passing away and my son Solomon being born. Lyrically that is all in there.
9. You are not full time musicians. The job schedules are certainly demanding and there is also the joy of parenthood. How do you cope with all that and To what extent does it interfere with the aforementioned creative process, rehearsal logistics and ultimately studio time?
Not being a full time musician is hard because there are other things to worry about all the time as well. With all of us having full time jobs and Stacie and I being new parents, it's been very hard to find the time to practice. We have to sacrifice a lot to be able to do what we love.
10. Considering that Citrus Clouds have adopted an independent approach to music industry how do you see the actual state of the music business and how important it has been for the band to be working with Dave Allison from Custom Made Music?
The music industry has changed significantly, now there are more opportunities for someone to get their music heard. Dave Allison has been really great to work with because he has helped us spread the music all over and we've gotten confidence that we we make is good.
11. Citrus Clouds are actually preparing the release of a handful of new singles and working on a new LP for 2019. What can we expect the new releases, particularly the album to sound like and how important it is for the band to keep on recording with the same producer since the beginning?
The 2 new singles we have planned are called Golden Sun and A Place Like No Other. Very shimmery and very dreamy. The new album we are working on will be called Nothing Familiar. We are using a few new pedals now and we are incorporating it into what we do. Some of the newest songs we have are some of our best work yet. Working with Jalipaz is always a treat. His studio audiconfusion is built to help one be creative and comfortable. We cannot wait to be back. Jalipaz really understands what we are looking for and helps us find it.
12. The band has an ever growing, faithful crowd fan base from all over the world which is something quite amazing that deserves to be praised. Are there any touring plans to meet this demand for the band or is the logistics to out of reach to even consider a European Tour?
To us that is amazing that something we have written is being listened to somewhere across the world. It's crazy really and thank you . We recently went on a small tour up the west coast with Death Valley Rally and had a blast. We plan on doing another small tour this year. We would absolutely love to go on a European tour and as our baby gets older he will be able to travel. Our dream is to play all over the globe so if you want to book us over there let us know!
