Year in Pop: 2016

Post Author:

Pleather

Pleather's Claire Nelson & Andrew McKibben; photographed by Sofia Lee.

Pleather’s Claire Nelson & Andrew McKibben; photographed by Sofia Lee.

Late last year we introduced you to the phenomenon of Pleather, made up of members of Claire Nelson from FF, and Andrew McKibben of M.Women, Couple Skate Records operator, who just shared their singles “Cherries” & “Love in Lust’s Cup”. The project finds the DIY pop purveyors channeling into songs that signal the signs of the times through unusual & enlightened channels of intrigue & excitement. Pleather is the fashionable formation of talents that make their own epiphanies for the nu-technocratic tomorrows and influx of external influences & interests that look to transform Seattle into their own work/live/eat/pray/love-lofts. Pleather provides new pop testimonials for all the nebulous non-local squares that arrive scratching their heads and wondering where the great grunge scene went.

“Cherries” picks extravagances that are cherry-picked out of the chaos for an addictive & electric brew of found daydreams discovered. Claire’s vocals lead us through an electronic array of intrigue & sensational essences where every beat & every bar brings a new surprise and some of the best pop music ever recorded. “Love in Lust’s Cup” mixes up the infatuation that many mistake for true love & other fool’s gold feelings that folks mistake for earnest as Claire & Andrew shatter petty delusions for a new mind, spirit & body sort of deliverance. The duo shared the following introductory insights on the new singles with the following:

Alt-pop freaks Pleather have built two new songs—“Cherries” and “Love in Lust’s Cup”—for cutting edge startups to invest in. Their music is part of a tear-down project, ripping, breaking and distorting from within yet keeping some of the walls intact for decoration. Using midi guitars, samples and loud unapologetic vocals, Pleather hopes to tap into the vivid dreams and/or nightmares of this modern musical economy.

Hanging out in the sun with Pleather; photographed by Sofia Lee.

Hanging out in the sun with Pleather; photographed by Sofia Lee.

“Love In Lust’s Cup” is a big bouncy pile of sound fx, a goofy galloping drum machine, and a commanding, sassy vocal which brags loudly about virtual realities. “Cherries” is an intense, steamy pop ballad that thumps and bumps its way into any proposed land use action sign’s heart. The two songs are part of a collection of new material, recorded and mixed by youryoungbody’s Killian Brom. Sip, enjoy and stay tuned for more!

Read last year’s big interview / premiere feature with Pleather here.