LE BAIN: Pitchfork said you ‘like to do things literally’ … but if your new album Heat actually was an allegory, what would it be about?
POOLSIDE: Well if our first album Pacific Standard Time was open blue, then this one is more burnt orange or even red. We tried to aim for a slightly more exotic vibe, a bit more diverse but still smooth. The first album was daytime in the sun, while Heat has a tendency to move into the evening, sometimes even past the sunset and into the night. The scenery is less California by the pool and more a river in a jungle in South America.
"There was no booze involved in the process" –Poolside
About your way of working, you said "We just get drunk in the studio and see what comes out.” Did you follow that same process with the new album?
When we started making the second album we ran in to the classic issue of overthinking everything, which can be really bad for creativity. It sucks to have to do a follow up to an album that you are super happy with. That meant that there was no booze involved in the process, because we had to keep our minds clear and focused. Eventually it got to a point where we had to take a long break, and after the break the mindset luckily changed a lot. All of a sudden we weren’t as terrified about what other people would think, and we could get back to following our instincts and to having fun in the studio. When the state of mind changed, the wine returned.
You’ve been touring a lot these last years, playing live or DJing at pool parties, clubs and festivals, which is not the most laid-back, easy going way of life … is it?
Actually it has been very easy for the most of the time. We've slowed down the concentrated touring the last few years and now just do a lot of weekend trips. And the destinations have been very nice, Mexico and South America and Asia and Australia have been good to us.
How do you keep the fun and pleasure when you have to stick to the discipline of touring ... and now, promoting a new album?
It’s pretty easy. We just stick to fun gigs and exciting destinations and try to stay away from the more exhausting tours. We try to keep the traditional promotion to a minimum and kinda just let it happen organically. Things happen a bit slower that way but it’s better for us. We didn't even announce our new album until it was available on all of the streaming services, as we wanted it to be made available immediately to our fans, and to not make them have to wait for some long campaign. We're lucky as we still have people writing us saying they just discovered us and our first album, and that came out five years ago, so it's really cool for us. We hope with this new album people continue to discover us and our music when it's right for them.
What kind of life is there after the pool?
Hopefully a very peaceful existence with great company and delicious wine…
On Monday, July 3rd, Le Bain presents Poolside (DJ set)
Opening and late night with DJ Bruce
doors 2pm | The Standard, High Line
