Like they were messing with you?

P—Yeah, almost.

Noah—We used to have this thing where we’d talk about it every night when we got back from the studio, and we’d laugh about it, the fact that we’re going to go there the next day and the whole studio is not gonna be there. It’s gonna be stripped down, it’s gonna be an empty room. There’s no trace of what has happened there the day before. There was that kind of feeling about it where it was like, “Is it real? Is it a dream? Is this some sort of stunt?”

L—We recorded it like a year before the song actually came out, so there was a whole year where we didn’t even know if it was gonna come out or if it was gonna get finished. So when it did come out, it still didn’t really feel like that session actually happened. It was just so long ago.

So they were in the session with you guys?

L—Yeah, we wrote and produced it together.

You guys seem very old school in a way. I mean, there’s obviously the 70s vibe, but you guys also navigate social media in a cool way. How do you balance the old with the new?

N—It’s a weird contrast, isn’t it? To be a retro-esque band or really be inspired by those older eras and then have to navigate social media and be modern in the way that you deal with the rest of the aspects of the music industry. And I’ve never really thought about that, that’s a weird contrast.

L—The retro bands didn’t have this sense of close personal connection with everyone, this type of immediate interaction with all the fans. In that way, it has really changed. But it’s cool, I think were generally very modern people just inspired by retro music and style.

So, you’re not actually from the 70s, is that what you’re saying?

N—Were all 21, you do the math.

What are the struggles of being a 5-piece band, or do the benefits outweigh the struggles?

J—It works really well..

N—Except in interviews.

A—And Ubers.

P—I hate this fucking band.

J—It’s strange because if there’s one of us missing and it’s four of us hanging out, its so different. Five is more of a party, but I reckon 6 would be too much.

A—I like the uneven number. We make decisions well. If you’re one of the 5 people and you’re surrounded by four it’s kind of a posse, but if you’ve just got 3 other people with you, it feels like were just a few people. So, it’s really perfect, except when you’re getting taxis.

Is it hard to maintain the 70s aesthetic in the digital age, or do you find that people are more attracted to that?

L—I don’t think were actively trying to maintain a 70s aesthetic. I think we just like the style and the music, but we’re not trying to portray that were from the 70s. We want to pull inspiration from all there is.

J—If anything, we’re trying to be as modern as possible, but it’s really hard for us. I think it takes like 40 years for people to throw out their clothes, so we’re just at a point where the only clothes we can afford are from the off shop, and they’re from the 70s.

All—That’s true.

J—So, in 10 years, they’ll be the same vibe. Then we’ll all throw them out in 40 years, and there will be another 70s.

N—So, our style’s fully just a matter of necessity and coincidence. It’s all based on chance. So, no, it’s not hard to maintain a 70s image at all, cause it just has to happen—you just gotta stay broke, otherwise you start buying new clothes..

For someone who has never heard of you guys, could you describe the sound of the Hideout EP?

A—Miami meets...I get a real bedroom feel from those recordings, even though we recorded them in the studio. Most of it came out of boredom, then we re-recorded it. I don’t know, it’s dance music with a funk disco-esque background, poppy vocals.

L—I mean, it’s pop music essentially with some other elements thrown in there. It’s our best effort for making pop music, which probably doesn’t turn out very pop. It’s not that happy or anything, maybe were just not that happy underneath.

P—Melancholic, if you will. The lyrics are really sad, it’s hard to write happy lyrics.