GRASS WIDOW at the Garrison (1197 Dundas West), tonight (Thursday, June 14), 11 pm. $15 or NXNE wristband/pass. nxne.com. See listing.
Grass Widow’s brisk and charming DIY pop elicits frequent comparisons to the legendary Raincoats, who are indeed one of the San Francisco trio’s major influences. A dream came true last year, then, when the two bands toured together.
“It would be impossible to describe the experience and do it justice,” says guitarist/singer Raven Mahon. “It was amazing to spend time with women whose music was so influential to us. They’re kind and humble and real and a huge inspiration.”
Their melodically adventurous new album, Internal Logic, smooths out some of their earlier herky-jerky tendencies and also trades a punkier aesthetic for something closer to pop. The vocals are a highlight: all three members sing (Lillian Maring’s on drums, Hannah Lew’s on bass), often in dreamy layers and harmony.
“Songwriting has always been personal and therapeutic for us,” Mahon explains. “We talk about the subject matter from every angle for hours before synthesizing the ideas into lyrics. This time we wanted to loosen that grip and also give ourselves space to settle into sonic moments.”
As well, they decided to release the album themselves on their newly formed label, HLR, rather than on Kill Rock Stars or Captured Tracks, which released their previous ones.
“We had great experiences [on those labels] but came away feeling like we had the resources and knowledge to do it well ourselves. It’s difficult financially – we’re in debt now – but in the end it’s easier to know exactly where it’s all going and have a hand in putting together a team of people to work with.”
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