Photos by Julia Khoroshilov. Find more of her work here.
It’s usually pretty apparent what a band’s off-stage life philosophies are and what their tolerance for nonsense is. You can tell when a band’s reaching somewhere into an alternate personality to put on the most amazing live experience possible, often straying far from the idea of perfection in favor of fun. Alternately, you can tell when the people on stage take their craft almost too seriously, creating a different kind of energy that often lacks the electricity and adrenaline you get from a more reckless bunch.
There are of course an infinite amount of spaces in which to fit between those two ends, and Twen nestles itself comfortably into one of those many divets. The dichotomy of it really rests in Jane’s vocals, which are playful in the way she tosses her voice around at the end of phrases but grounded in tone, drive, and intention. This is mirrored in the carefully-arranged and executed reverb-heavy guitar lines, which have fleeting moments of 00’s indie-rock nostalgia.
A couple of months back when they were in town to play Union Pool, Ian and Jane answered some questions over email that I had originally intended to be guideline questions for an in-person conversation. Not being able to read the vibe of a room and instead sending off these queries into cyberspace, I wasn’t sure what to expect back.
What was reinforced by their answers is that the music they make is fun, but the musicians are serious about what they’re doing. So serious, in fact, that a question about NYC pizza is highly offensive. Disclaimer from me to the band: I mean no disrespect!
You came into light after a recording of your first live show ever released as an EP. Was it weird to record in a more controlled setting?
I: No it wasn’t weird; we just recorded whenever we had free time in between touring over two years. So it was a slow process and the record had various revisions until it was “finished”.
J: Nothing is weird in music, every band and artist does things differently. ‘A controlled setting’ is not a term I would ever use for this album – it was slow, tenuous, in multiple locations and with multiple people. The quest for control over our music and the process itself was this album. I don’t know if we achieved that, but we learned a lot in the search.
Full-length album: what’s that mean to you?
I: It’s going to give us a break in a sense because until now we only had the buzz of our live shows to get our name around. Now, with some videos and some singles and an album out, those things can go live on their own, generate interest, and hopefully, that will bring some peeps out to our shows.
J: That’s a very loaded term that used to have much more weight to it. In the digital streaming age, at its worst, it seems like a digital business card and at its best, it can be the soundtrack to a moment in someone’s life that we’ve never met.
Would you consider yourself to be precious and particular about your songwriting, or more kind of like “fuck it this is what’s happening”?
I: We’ve been & done it both ways. Maybe the important thing is to not form habits. Always try a fresh approach; with new eyes every time you write. We’ve had success pouring over a song when it’s taken a long time to finish, but more often than not- the times we finished a song in one setting in one day; it comes out better than if you try to piece it together over days/months/years. If you start a song, just finish it right there and then. You can always make tweaks later.
J: Right now, inconsistency is what I delight in.
What’s it mean to be a band vs duo? Does it matter?
Ian: We’re still a 4 piece band, we just decided that the face of twen was us two; it was a more honest representation of the band; because we call the shots, we write the songs, and we do these interviews, so we hire out our friends to help us with the arrangements and the touring. It’s important in a band, for everyone to understand their roles. Too often, bands think their success depends on it being a democracy. But that doesn’t work in bands, because there is always a leader who it means more to, and who is the driving force behind the project; call a spade a spade. It’s been good for us to make the adjustment.
J: Amen to that.
How’d you meet?
J: It was through our friend, Alex Judd in Boston, he was in my band and asked if Ian could join. He was great, but we were a band that only cared about having fun and had a tight weird friend dynamic growing and kicked him out. Lucky I get another chance to make music with him, lol.
Favorite and least favorite thing about live shows?
I: Having different sound engineers every night makes our life difficult, cause it’s hard to have fun when the sound on stage is not even close to workable. We play music because it’s fun, but when it sounds like chaos/shit, then it’s not fun.
J: The favorite is the volatile chemistry between the energy of the crowd and our personal headspaces that repeats night after night. It’s like a cleansing ritual.
Any pre-show rituals?
J: I often have nightmares about getting ready for shows that usually involves me pooping in public, not being able to find band members when we’re supposed to play, and not recognizing our own songs when I start singing. So since I’m frequently running the worst scenarios in my head, if I can just do a breathing exercise beforehand, we’re cool.
I: Gin & Tonic
Are you superstitious? Do you believe in astrology?
J: Once you start trusting your gut responses to life in all the big and small ways, you feel the world of energy out there. I think most people feel ‘spirit’ in their lives outside of any traditional definition – it’s in pop culture, colloquial phrases, and holidays but for some reason, there is still a stigma to act upon it.
You live in Nashville. How does that affect who you are?
I: We moved to Nashville post-college for a clean-break & fresh start. We wanted to start anew in an affordable, warm place. Luckily, we worked it out, saved some money and made the move. It turned out to be a really good thing for us, in that it spurred a lot of growth and adventure.
What’s the deal with Boston and how do you feel about it? To many(/me), it’s a very odd place.
I: Because it’s a college town, it’s dominated by students and the turn-over rate is constant. Post-college, it was hard for us to see a future there. Though it shaped who we’ve become, we needed to move on; it does seem to limit an “artist.” i.e. high rent/ winters/lack of support for musicians, etc.
J: I owe everything I have now to Boston, but if I was still there, I wouldn’t have any of it. It’s odd, but a great place to foster some shit.
NYC – love it or hate it? NY or LA?
I: Love both / can’t choose. Luckily we visit both places often and have close friends in both. Would like to spend more time in both.
J: I love LA, but I don’t think I’ve spent enough time there to start hating it, which seems to be unavoidable.
Best pizza in nyc?
I: n/a
J: Offensive
Your super fun video for “Damsel” premiered not too long ago. Do either of you ride motocross/dirtbikes?
I: I had neighbors who did it growing up, so there was some exposure…, but no- we would like to make it a regular thing tho- vroom vroom!
J: It’s such a zen sport that forces you to live in the moment or you’ll probably get seriously injured. The video was an excuse to meet some motocross pros and feel out the world more, we’re def going to be riding again.
You were on tour with White Reaper – what else are you looking forward to?
I: Tour with White reaper was great- we love them and they love us. Next, we’re going to Europe supporting Tacocat and it feels like a crowning achievement and dream-come-true for us. We’re gung-ho!
J: In love with all the White Reaper boys, the whole tour was cute af. But my brain is melting a bit about the upcoming Tacocat tour. In college, they played at a house venue I ran with my friends called The Womb in Boston. So now 5 or so years later, I’m going on tour with them. In Europe of all places. Very melty.
How adventurous are you when discovering new music? Who is most likely to bring new bands to the convo and who is most likely to keep the same album on repeat for months?
J: I try to find something new every time I listen to music. There are too many perspectives from all over the world and spanning the time from the birth of audio recording that it’s hard for me to stay in one place for a while. Ian’s better at diving into an album for its nuances and layers.
Dream line up @ dream venue (to be a part of or see)?
Aretha Franklin @ Cumberland Caverns
Fav bands right now?
RIGHT NOW Bibio, Big Thief, Shame, Damien Jurado, Bridgette St John, Merciful Fate, Marvin Gaye, Lijadu Sisters, Lust for Youth
Who would be your dream person to be compared to?
J: Anyone that seems happy and fulfilled.
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