Seattle’s chamber rock newcomers Actress are making noise the only way they know how, on their own terms. Combining the lyrical urgency of Mexican folk and the emotional arc of post-rock with a strong DIY ethos, the four-piece have carved out a bold, expansive sound that mirrors the tension and tenderness of real life.
Their latest single 'Chances' is a cathartic standout from their debut EP 'Summer’s Daughter', recorded entirely by the band in a self-built barn studio. Fusing jagged guitars with vivid storytelling and chamber-driven textures, the song is both a personal reckoning and a group triumph.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with the band to talk about their origins and what have been their biggest inspirations over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Caleb: I was seven when I discovered the magic of FL Studio. It was illegally installed on the family computer, probably by my brothers, and little me became enamored by the possibilities. I’ve been at it ever since.
Kevin: Definitely the organ, when I was younger my mother would take us to church and the presence the organ would have in the space was mystifying to me. I remember feeling the weight of the sound in my chest during the entrance procession. I would look forward to each week's set of hymns and choral accompaniment and not really remembering anything that was said in church outside of that, haha.
May: Probably the drums. I went to a Montessori preschool where we listened to lots of world music, and the drum music, like Japanese war drums, were always super exciting to listen to compared to some of the more tame piano music that I would typically hear.
Zach: I would have to say Drums. The piano was so close, until I heard John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. That was a kind of magic and power I could not fathom.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Caleb: Middle school me was really into post-grunge and nu-metal and pretty much anyone who made a song about Five Nights at Freddy’s. And Lil Jon, for some reason.
Kevin: I honestly loved all music. I still process the world of music like this, I’ve kind of always been that way. Especially as a child I just appreciated all music as it felt special to me. But I didn’t really take any special interest in it at all outside of just enjoying listening to it and feeling it. I didn’t even really think about or understand music in terms of “genres.” It was just something I noticed was everywhere to my ears and I noticed it moved me or excited me or scared me and struck me. I didn’t really care to understand it any more than that until later on.
May: Rock and metal. My first real love started at like 5 or 6. As a little kid the only music I could listen to was Mormon church hymns music my mom would play, or Mexican ranchera music my dad would play. I didn’t have a great appreciation for them at the time. Discovering Ozzy after hearing nothing but that rocked my world as a little kid, and clearly the influence has stuck.
Zach: From late 6th to 8th grade I exclusively listened to Queen. I was obsessed with them. They encompassed such a wide body of work that kept me hooked for almost 2 years. After that Led Zeppelin became my next addiction followed by Tool. From there it branched out to so much more.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Caleb: The first record I ever bought was In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, at Royal Records in Seattle. Yeah, yeah. I was having a real bad time in high school then, and I felt like I needed to own this thing, despite me not owning a record player. I had first procured it from Soulseek a few months prior. It remains my favorite album of all time.
Kevin: Revolver by The Beatles. I bought it at this antique store near my hometown. It was an original pressing, but the US version, so through Capitol Records instead of Parlophone. I remember because it didn’t have “I’m Only Sleeping” on it because they removed it in that release for whatever reason. I got home and I thought I got Mandela Effect. I looked it up and found out the heart breaking news. Alas, 50 years too late. It was the first physical record I bought with my own cold hard cash. I didn’t even have a record player, I just really liked The Beatles. They were a huge influence on me creatively and I always loved how they were able to convey so much fun among feelings in their work.
May: I remember finding some old Ozzy tapes and CDs as a kid. Probably Diary of a Madman was the first I can remember having. This was brain melting to a five year old Mormon boy.
Zach: The first physical album I ever bought was In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson. I had heard about it being a great album and I had heard 1 or 2 songs off of it but the album cover persuaded me to drop the $20 on it.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Caleb: Locals (Girls like us) [with gabby start] by underscores. It’s tufftacular. I’ve long admired underscores for her DIY approach and vocal style.. and this song is such an electrifying combination of stellar production and an insane vocal performance. You make me MAD!!!
Kevin: Can I say the “Happy Birthday” song? I’m just kidding. Sort of. Definitely “Ivy” by Frank Ocean, only because I really wish to feel how Ocean must have been felt when in that heart space putting music to those divinely harrowing lyrics. Those cursed lyrics!! How could you do this to me, Ocean!! I used to listen to that on a criminal amount of repeat in high school after my first ever breakup. Like literally in class with my hoodie up strings drawn, genuinely disturbing. Only real ones know.. don’t hit me up. But on a real note, I still come back to listen to that song all the time (under different emotional circumstances now) and have a deep appreciation for Ocean’s ability to write so honestly and directly in an almost conversational way while still being poetic and visual. The storytelling ability in Ocean’s writing is something I’ve always loved. So yeah, either that or the “Happy Birthday” song.
May: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police. It’s sweet, a bit melancholic, but the outro is one of my favorite things ever. The drums, synth, and piano, and Ee-oh-oh build in a way that I feel only some metal songs do, but in a beautiful love song format.
Zach: Rock N Roll McDonald's by Wesley Willis. I don't think there's a more culturally significant work of our time than that. So I think I'd have to go with that one.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Caleb: I like to think of particularly evocative concepts or memories that conjure up a specific emotion out of me that I’m aiming for, and then I attempt to replicate how that makes me feel, but with music. I know what it means to feel like that, and so all I have to do is follow that map. It’s almost like being trapped in a cave where no light has ever been and you’re flicking a lighter, it provides just enough direction, sort of, but I have no idea where I’ll end up. Maybe it’s somewhere good. If nothing else, it’s somewhere different.
Kevin: Sort of, not really. None that I’m explicitly aware of. Whenever I have an idea for a song I just write wherever I am however I’m able. That’s been the biggest habit for me as a writer is to not wait for any specific circumstance to write, especially not the circumstance of inspiration. I read that Matisse said not to wait for inspiration to create, he said “it comes while one is working.” That stuck with me for a long time. So I’ve kept that to heart when approaching the discipline and habit of intentionally writing even when I don’t “feel like it.”It felt really freeing to open up my perception and definition of writing in that way. It can and will happen anytime if you let it and are willing to capture it by sitting down and doing it.
May: I try to think cinematically. I imagine a world, a city, a dream, and then I score the music for it. It helps me drench my music in atmosphere. I watch a lot of films and shows when writing songs.
Zach: Usually spontaneity is the ticket for me, especially when coming up with drum parts. The first thing you feel when writing is almost always the most authentic and 'pure' form of your creative self.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Caleb: Lately it’s been a lot of Dilla and also Kawai Sprite’s new album, STAR. College has been kickin’ my ahh lately and not letting me do music stuff as much, so these boys have been keeping me sane.
Kevin: I’d start with Anna Justen, she’s a phenomenal writer and a local artist to us out of Seattle and Montreal, playing in LA as well. She came out with an album earlier this Spring and it’s honestly one of my favorite records to come out this year. The album is called “MiCHOU’s DREAM” and it’s just so haunting and beautiful. It reminds me personally of a forest at night, stars above you dazzling, and yet daunting. There’s a lot of creative elements happening sonically and it carves its own space as a genre.“HollowHead” is one of my favorite songs from the album, give it a listen!! Next is Earl Sweatshirt. I grew up listening to a lot of Hip Hop and Earl was an artist that stood out to me immediately, especially seeing his verse in the “Oldie” video from the Odd Future era. That put me on to “Doris”, his debut album. His approach to phrasing and schema in his rhymes really stuck with me and how he communicated his messages. He just released “Live Laugh Love”, go for a walk and listen to it. Finally I will say Amparo Ochoa. She was a Mexican activist artist from the Nueva Canción movement in the 60’s. Her work is extremely powerful and also delivered with weight, grace and sometimes great humor. Listen to “Mujer” and find an honest translation to read the lyrics if the need be.
May: Because of the spooky season I’ve been listening to lots of Siouxsie, real goth stuff like her album Tinderbox. Next to that I’ve been getting into vocaloid artists like Jamie Paige, there’s some really incredible songwriting and queer themes to be found.
Zach: Kevin actually turned me on to some of The Strokes stuff I hadn't heard before, so I've been really digging them the past few months! I actually also just discovered the group Wet Leg whose sound I'm really intrigued by.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Caleb: I would suplex my best friend’s grandma for a chance to open for Lightning Bolt.
Kevin: Weird Al. Next question.
May: I would love to open for a huge pop star like Madonna, or a heavy, nerdy band like Tool. They’re both huge influences of mine, but they’ve also pushed music forward in their own ways. I think both of their audiences could find appreciation for Actress’ music.
Zach: Any of Maynard James Keenan's bands would be such an honor to open for. His music and artistry has been such an influence to me over the years. Using art as a tool (pun intended) to understand, heal, and grow is something his work really impressed upon me.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Caleb: Figuring out how to make great art is my life’s purpose and it’ll keep me busy for however much time I'm allotted on this planet. I feel very lucky to have something like that. I’ll make it mean something!
Kevin: Seeing people come together. Seriously. It’s magic how people can come together for the sake of music this way. It connects people and that’s something I deeply cherish. The local scene communities in the area here have been so supportive of us and also even us as a band meeting together - I mean, these folks are my best friends and we met through mutual love of music, so that’s something I’m grateful for every day. I want to continue to build community through this and have those conversations that connect on a greater scale.
May: Hearing the final product. It can be painstaking refining songs to a final record, so hearing your own stuff in studio quality, in its own atmosphere, is a real treat unlike many other things I’ve experienced.
Zach: Using our art to connect with people so that they can connect with themselves and feel deeply. It's also pretty cool having the power to make people dance and feel safe to express themselves via your self expression.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Caleb: Time is a currency, and college has put me in a recession.
Kevin: Broken strings.
May: Everything that comes between the conception and the final product. That being said, there’s sometimes great pleasure to be found in great pain.
Zach: Seeing music itself be devalued via large corporations not paying artists for their work despite music consumption being the highest it's ever been.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Caleb: “The block of wood is carved into utensils by carving void into the wood. The Master uses the utensils, yet prefers to keep to the block because of its limitless possibilities. Great works do not involve discarding substance.” — Laozi, Tao Te Ching.
Kevin: “Nada que valga la pena sera fácil”, which translates to “Nothing worth doing is easy.”
May: I can’t think of the best, but the worst I’ve heard is “follow the rules”.
Zach: If you waste 50% of your time, it will take you twice as long to get to your goal.
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Actress' new single 'Chances' is available ton stream now. Check it out in the player below.