Band Of The Week #300 - No Windows
This week's Band of the Week is Edinburgh duo No Windows - who have just released their new EP 'The Great Traitor'.
With every release to date, No Windows have continued to refine their atmospheric indie pop blend, combining warm Duster-style soundscapes with lo-fi experimentalism and nods to borderless indie-folk. The Great Traitor EP expands the duo’s sonic territory even further, leaving the more familiar indie traits behind in favour of lush, psychedelic arrangements that take their cues from 70s chamber pop (George Harrison, Leonard Cohen) and film score composer Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Produced with Ali Chant (Dry Cleaning, Sorry, Yard Act), the recording process took them out of Morgan’s DIY bedroom set-up and into a studio, where they had access to a breadth of instruments that allowed for more exploration across the EPs six tracks.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there No Windows, how are you? So your EP is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?
Hello, doing pretty well thanks. We’re overjoyed to have this EP out. It’s been a long, long time in the making and we’re super proud of how it’s turned out. We love our music and put our all into making it the best it can possibly be so seeing it out in the world is super fulfilling. It also gives us the fire to get on with the next one.
It is called ‘The Great Traitor’ – what is the meaning behind that?
The tile is taken from a line in my favourite film, Aguirre, Wrath of God by Werner Herzog. That film was a massive inspiration to me while writing the EP. We tried to take influence from a whole range of non-band music while recording the songs, particularly the work of film scores so paying homage to the art form felt necessary.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
We recorded the EP in Bristol with producer Ali Chant. It was our first experience recording in a studio instead of my bedroom so the whole experience was massively inspiring. We became obsessed with this strange instrument called the waterphone, which looks like something you’d find in a scrap yard and sounds like something out of a horror movie soundtrack. I think the use of that instrument pushed us in a certain direction across the whole EP when it came to building atmosphere and mood.
What are the key influences behind the EP?
The works of producer and film composer John Brion are always of massive inspiration to us. The way he arranges and records instruments is pure genius as far as I’m concerned. When it comes to more contemporary influences, we are huge fans of Big Thief, amongst other folk-rock outfits.
If the EP could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
I’d say Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but John Brion did a pretty perfect job of that one already. When making it we imagined we were scoring a film that hadn’t been made yet, but if I were to assign it to one, I’d go with Juno. I feel like that film explores the experience of being young and figuring stuff out in a way that reflect the themes of the EP.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
I love the closing line of the song Old Chain Pier; “open both arms, embrace it”. It feels like the emotional climax of the EP to me. I think it puts a lot of the turmoil and contradiction of the EP at ease and serves as a comforting conclusion or a glimmer of hope. It’s super harmonically rich too, when we play it live all members of the band are belting in 4-part harmony. it’s super cathartic.
Now the EP is out there – what next for you?
Inevitably, it’s about time we get on with the album, so we’ve been in the writing stage of that for a while. Generally speaking, it’s all about pushing ourselves. There’s no point being stagnant or doing the same thing. We’ve got big ambitions for whatever we do next, I’m hearing all sorts of orchestral arrangements and ways that we can further ourselves sonically. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.
