alarmpress.comFresh from the release of their first LP, Native Speaker, Braids is just finishing up the final leg of a North American tour. With a handful of shows scheduled over the next week in Canada and the U.S., Braids is set to play the tour’s final gig on Friday at La Salla Rosa in Montreal. They will be opening for experimental songwriter Toro Y Moi, with Maryland-based electro-pop outfit Adventure.
“We’re going to be touring a lot this year,” says Katie Lee, the band’s keyboardist, vocalist, and McGill student. (Three of the band’s four members attended McGill.) “We’re going to Europe two times, once in May and once in June and July, and then we’re doing a headlining North American tour from September onwards.”
Despite plans to tour in Australia and Japan in the near future, the possibility of a second album is also on the band’s mind. Braids’s first album garnered positive reviews across the board. Compared favourably to Feels-era Animal Collective and early Broken Social Scene records, Braids has recently gained a following in indie circles. The anticipation for a second LP is high, and when it comes to plans for the future, Braids has a lot on their plate.
“Hopefully during the breaks when we’re back in Montreal, [we’ll start] writing some new material, and then hopefully early next year start writing a new album.”
In the meantime, she says that they might release a 7-inch with their Canadian label later this year. Although the second album is still far away, the band is excited about a few new tracks they’ve been working on.
“There’s a new song we wrote called ‘In Kind,'” Lee says. “It’s not on the album. It’s a very fun song to play. It’s fresh, it’s different, and there’s a section where I can bob my head up and down for three minutes. We usually play that song last, so if you come to the show you’ll probably recognize it.”
On Native Speaker, Braids channels a dreamy post-rock vibe. With most tracks running over five minutes in length, the mood evoked by the album reflects the band’s long and patient songwriting process. Their method seems to be more organic then planned.
“Someone comes up with an idea, either that’s a riff or a lyrical idea, and it ends up sounding like a big ball of sound,” Lee says. “Then we rip it apart and refine it some more.”
While the group started off as a live band, they’ve since taken a different direction. For the second album, Braids will aim to challenge themselves in a variety of ways.
“[Our influences] are much different than they were on Native Speaker,” Lee says. “Right now we’re getting really into the whole minimal techno scene. A lot of our newer stuff is more reflective of that.” She cites British producer Gold Panda as an example of one of the influences the band is currently exploring.
With all of their recent action, it’s easy to see why Braids has been labelled an “up-and-coming” band. The group’s musical evolution is obviously driven by a deep-seated desire to be challenged and engaged. This orientation is reflected in their music and in the intensity they bring to live shows that will make them a memorable part of the Canadian independent scene.
Braids play La Sala Rossa with Toro y Moi on April 8 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $13.50.
