(photo credit, Bronson Snelling)
Atmospheric. Awe-inspiring. Beautiful. These are the words that have been used to describe the music of Washington based duo ODESZA. Members Harrison Mills of Catacombkid and Clayton Knight of beachesbeaches have been using their dreamy, groove filled songs to win over audiences since 2012 with Summer’s Gone and My Friends Never Die. The two have also toured frequently since that time and have landed tours with the ranks of popular electronic artists such as Pretty Lights, and most recently, Emancipator.
And so far, things are good.
“One of our very first tours was with Emancipator,” says Harrison. “It’s kind of like a reunion for us now. We’re all good friends and touring with him for Emancipator Ensemble is like touring with family, which is awesome.”
Situations like these, however, weren’t all too common when the band first came together. Harrison and Clayton were both in college during the time that they first heard of each other’s solo projects.
“We had mutual friends at University so that’s how we first met,” Harrison recalls. “We listened to each other’s work and made a couple tracks together, and it all fell into place from there. Then we started playing some of our music and people enjoyed it, so we figured we might as well try touring from then on, and it worked out.”
Collaborating together as opposed to working solo also had other perks, especially with the duo’s creative process. “We’ll usually just start with a sound loop, like chords or notes from a piano or drums. Then we’d slowly add on to it and build the heart of the song. We’ll keep adding and editing until we finish a song that we’re satisfied with. Because we’re both doing it, it’s easier because you have someone to bounce ideas off of and it helps you grow as a musician.”
Their careful songwriting process has been a main contributor to ODESZA’s mellower, smoother vibe as compared to most of today’s electronic music. In the wake of artists such as Skrillex and Flux Pavillon over-saturating the definition of EDM, Harrison is firmer than ever about keeping ODESZA’S current sound.
“We’ve both been attracted to the more mellower, clean sounds of EDM. While I love the feel and the energy build that comes with heavier sounding electronic artists, personally I’d rather stick with what we have. It makes it easier for me to worry about finding new sounds and loops and actually listening to what I’m creating. Once you listen to a loop over and over again you find so many ways to use it within a track and it’s great.”
As for what the future looks like for ODESZA, it looks as though these two guys will be busy for a while.
“We’re working on a full length album right now and trying to incorporate new artists and songwriters in the mix. Our fans can definitely look forward to that.”
ODESZA will be performing live with Emancipator at the TLA on February 13th. Check our their most recent music video for “My Friends Never Die” below!
