Dad Bod dropped a full-length record that embodies a massive collection of indie-pop atmospheres and brings them to fruition with a tasteful and memorable rock undertone and melodic influence that feels kind of like a warm hug.
The Pastels album is properly titled as it sonically sounds like pastels indeed. It's bright but soft, vibrant but calming, and it all comes through with a wonderfully youthful feeling that sticks with you for days.
The record boasts some great synth and guitar work and vocal that follow suit with classic rock infused indie-pop that takes you on a bit of a musical journey through 10 tracks that flow together like a concept album would.
There are a metric ton of surprises around every corner and so much psychedelic jamming its engulfing and endlessly fun.
These guys had a damn good time making this record and you can hear it in the music itself.
It's got soul, heart, passion, love, and a pure obsession with their craft.
The album if listened to in full, feels like something of a dream you have to snap yourself out of when it's over. You have to get yourself back to reality.
It's best listened to with a pair of headphones and a glass of whiskey alone in your apartment.
Layers of textures swim around you and wash you away and you just sort of fall into it all.
It's quite beautiful really. And with such a great release, we wanted to have a chat with Dad Bod about where this all really came from and what may be next for them.
Here's what went down.
RAG: Okay so let's start things off with the Pastels album. This record had a killer classic rock and indie-pop cross-over with some psychedelia blended in at the right times. Where did this album come from?
It kind of just came together organically. I (Michael) was making a lot of little demos here and there at my home studio and then would bring the ones that we got excited about to the guys. We would just jam and adapt them and finish them. That's been our writing process for most of the songs.
RAG: I'm certainly hearing some different styles mixed in on this one. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
The Beatles definitely (how can they not be right?). We all have crossover in our tastes as well as our own individual styles. I personally would say George Harrison, Father John Misty, Sam Evian to name a few.
RAG: How did this all start for you guys? Marcus and Matthew and I are brothers and grew up listening to music together. Looking back, I can see how important music was to each of us. We each asked for mp3 players when they were starting to come out and my dad would help us get them all loaded up. In 2018, we finally decided to start trying out jamming together. We each played guitar, so Matthew decided to mess around on bass and Marcus on drums. We got a cheap kit on Facebook marketplace and an even cheaper bass and that was the beginning!
RAG: Do you do any live performances? All the time. We just played a sold-out show at a venue in downtown Salt Lake City called The Depot.
RAG: What kind of things inspires you to write? Really anything. I just love writing music. That is the magical part of music that makes it so fun. We each love writing together.
RAG: Who's in all your headphones right now? A lot of Father John Misty, John Lennon. I just watched Imagine, the John and Yoko film so I have been listening to a lot of that record.
RAG: What's next for you as a band? Is there anything new in the works even now? We currently are almost done with a music video for Pastels. Right now we are working on our next record and have a good amount of stuff we are working with recording-wise. We are also booking a tour for summer 2022.
RAG: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music? Hanging out together, playing with my dog. A few of us have gotten really into golf lately. I grew up skateboarding, so I try to do that here there. Keep myself active.
RAG: This album feels like a big undertaking. What kind of advice would you have for other up and coming bands out there?
I would say just take your time and enjoy it. If you aren't having fun, take a break and mix it up. Try to remember why you love making music and don't worry so much about what everyone else thinks or what other bands are doing. RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you so much for your support and I feel so lucky that there are people out there that enjoy our music. Spotify