Ash Lamothe and Else Gebremichael have been making music together for years, but they haven’t molded their project into what each of them really wanted until recently. After a number of member changes, the two decided that they were tired of trying to make a full band work and moved forward as a two-piece. In this incarnation, We Were Lovers have been able to flourish and take form as a more electronic-based dance outfit—exactly what the duo envisioned.

WWL are gearing up to release their debut album, Pyramids, in June via Division 87 Records, and Lamothe and Gebremichael were nice enough to chat with me about how the band has gotten to where it is today.

Katrina Nattress: Tell me about how you two got together.

Ash Lamothe: Almost five years ago I was fresh out of a messy band breakup and decided to start a new project with my brother and best friend. Writing music and jamming for a few months without a singer, we needed to find a front person to join the band. Elsa, whose band was also kind of falling a part, was open to starting a new musical project. The subject that Elsa would be interested in singing for the band came up over a poker game and drinks one night with mutual friends. The following week a jam ensued and We Were Lovers was formed. Since then, the band has gone through many member changes and eventually resulted in a decision to not try and replace band members but to turn WWL into a duo with myself and Elsa as the core members and songwriters.

KN: Your sound is a nice blend of new-wave and indie pop. What would you say are your largest musical influences?

Elsa Gebremichael: We’ve always been big fans of bands like The Cure, Blondie, Tears For Fears, Fleetwood Mac, Hall and Oates, and feel they, along with many other bands from that time, have influenced aspects of our songwriting and playing. We grew up in the ‘80s, so we tend to feel a nostalgia and are drawn to so much from that decade, musical or not. We’re definitely inspired by a lot of modern bands as well and make an effort to keep current with what’s new and exciting in music – Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Twin Shadow, Wild Nothing, Caribou, Little Dragon, Toro Y Moi, Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Santigold, Goldfrapp, Gorillaz, M83, Ratatat, Tame Impala, Grimes, Austra, Janelle Monae, Robyn, are a few of our solid, go-to, ‘modern’ favorites.

KN: You’re from Canada. How do you feel this has molded your sound?

EG: Hmmm…that’s an interesting question. Not too sure if being from Canada has necessarily molded our sound, per se. I mean, we do realize that Canada has prominent musical styles people associate as being maybe Canadian specific, but I don’t think WWL music would be considered as fitting into that category. Over the years, WWL has definitely evolved musically, starting out as more alternative pop or ‘indie pop / rock’ band, if you want to call it that, and has since shifted into more of an electro-pop or dance rock-based sound. We attribute this evolution and molding of our sound a lot to going from a six-piece band to a duo and having to incorporate samples and drum machines to write with and fill things out live. It was an adjustment and not a conscious decision to make the music we currently make, but we are happy with how it’s turned out and where we are right now. Don’t get me wrong, we’re super proud to be Canadian and love tons of the music that comes out of here, but feel that WWL, and a lot of other Canadian bands making electro/dance/pop kind of stuff, don’t really fit into the typical sound that might come to mind when thinking about the Canadian music scene or ‘Canadian sound’.

KN: Your music is quite intricate for being a two-piece. Take me through your writing/recording process.

AL: Typically, I will compose most of the music and Elsa will write the lyrics and vocal melodies. Our writing process usually starts with me coming up with a music idea and Elsa singing to it. Sometimes Elsa will come up with a vocal idea and I will put music to it, but either way, we always collaborate to arrange, add synth lines or textures as well as mix the song.

EG: We are truly very fortunate to have such an awesome musical connection. Songwriting together has consistently been a very smooth and easy process for us. We’re almost always on the exact same page and have a lot of the same influences and visions for our music. We work incredibly well together and feel blessed for that. We’re really excited to continue down this musical journey together.

KN: You are releasing your debut album, Pyramids, in April. What can we expect from this release?

AL: We actually pushed the release forward a bit and are now releasing the album in June. You can expect an eclectic mix of songs ranging from upbeat electro-pop dance to more gritty raw sounds and everything in between. As we mentioned, our music has a ‘80s influence/vibe, but we also incorporate dreamy, disco, rock and pop elements throughout.

EG: We like to write music that invokes fun, high energy, party times and good vibes, with the intent of making you want to dance combined with mellower and groovier feels that are still melodic and catchy. That’s basically what Pyramids is.  Not to say all of our songs are strictly about awesome, happy times, as some of them do have darker tones, both lyrically and musically.

KN: You signed with Division 87 Records for this release. What made you decide to go with this label?

EG: We were approached by Division 87’s A&R last year and just signed with them in January. We decided to sign with them because not only are they very enthusiastic about our band and the music we make, they also are driven and want to help develop us without taking away our creative control or freedom to do the things we want to do. It’s a very unique deal and positive for everyone involved. They’re a super well-rounded and creative team, and we’re excited for what they have planned for WWL and the opportunities and exposure that will come along with this new relationship.

KN: Do you have any tours planned this year?

EG: We’re actually really itching to get back on the road as normally we try to tour frequently and last year consisted of the least amount of touring we’ve ever done in one year, which was due to the fact that needed to really focus on getting the album recorded and done.  But yes!  We will be touring in support of the album release across North America this year and plan to extend that further in 2014 with plans to cross the pond for the first time. All of our dates will be online once we make the tour announcements.

 

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