Text and Interview: Alec Coiro
Photos Courtesy of Terrorbird
NAVVI is the emerging electro duet from Seattle. Omni is the name of the album they just released on Hush Hush Records. Their sound is classic, groove-heavy, vocal-driven electronic music, which also feels modern in a way that touches on a variety of genres. This is the dialectical background to what will wash over the the listener as an easy-on-the-ears modern musical experience. We reached out transcontinentally to find more about Omni from NAVVIthemselves.
What the music scene like in Seattle right now? Are there a lot of like-thinking bands there?
A lot of punk bands right now, but it’s starting to happen that you see more like-minded electronic music coming around. It’s been cool to see the scene developing.
What’s been different about releasing this album with a label after doing everything on your own for so long?
It doesn’t feel all that different. We still have a great deal of autonomy and decision making left to us. If anything, it feels like the workload is dispersed a little more evenly. Alex has been a huge supporter of the band from the get-go, so it feels right to be releasing Omni through Hush Hush.
What is your studio practice like? What goes into the creation of these songs?
Our studio set up is lean and minimal. We prefer to do everything with as little gear as possible, so a laptop, a two input interface, a couple of mics and a controller for the software. We like to keep it where we can be mobile with recording and typically hop between my place and Brad’s place to work/practice. There is a lot of back and forth for every song. A lot of versions and iterations, as we take a song from a sketch to a fully formed idea with all the pieces having been considered and vetted.
I’ve seen NAVVI described as everything from electropop to R&B to experimental and more. Is there a genre you feel most aligned with? And what genres do you find your influences come from the most?
In a broader sense, we would say that we are electronic. We just never want to be limited to it. Ideally we want our music to be an intersection of different ideas and approaches musically. As individuals, our influences have areas of overlap but I do tend to be more pop-leaning than Brad.
How do the two of you become collaborators? Have you always worked as a duo, or do you pursue side-projects and solo work?
We were both in bands before NAVVI, but right now this is the only project we’re both involved in. We met through a mutual friend and haven’t really stopped working together since.
Will there be a forthcoming tour or video to support Omni?
We’re working on a video for ‘Close’ right now. We would love to play other cities and are looking to book a mini-tour late summer/early fall.
