Across the Fur: A Dialog with Bathe Curtain

Indie Music

Across the Fur: A Dialog with Bathe Curtain

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November 29, 2023

Across the Fur: A Dialog with Bathe Curtain

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Bathe Curtain’s Victoria Winter talks about coming to America, assembly her bandmates by Brooklyn’s bustling DIY scene, their heat and fuzzy new single, and grieving over her cat.

by visitor author Will Yarbrough

Stream: “edgar” – Bathe Curtain

Shower Curtain has come an awfully good distance.

Victoria Winter recorded her first EP within the bustling metropolis of Curitiba someday round 2018. Following an abrupt stint in Southern California, Winter returned to Brazil’s southern coast proper in time for the pandemic. Fortunately, an acceptance letter from one of many world’s top-ranked faculties for artwork and design despatched her off to New York Metropolis. However it wasn’t till the start of this yr, throughout a brief go to again dwelling, that she discovered the inspiration for her fuzzy new single.

“My household’s canine was smelling beneath this bench that I used to be sitting at within the park,” Winter says. “Then these little youngsters ran up shouting, ‘There’s a cat!”

Winter knew straight away that her snow-white companion was an on the spot keeper, although she solely deliberate on mending the poor little man’s injured paw earlier than monitoring down his rightful proprietor. After all, her thoughts modified as soon as she discovered he was a stray and that it solely value $200 to deliver him stateside.

“I had been desirous to undertake a cat in New York, however I didn’t really feel in my intestine like several I’d checked out had been the fitting one,” she says. “I’ve had so many pets my complete life, however this one is totally different. I already beloved him a lot.”

Scratching Edgar’s wrinkly stomach isn’t the one means that Winter stays in contact together with her roots. When she’s not mixing baile funk into her personal sweaty DJ mixes, she’s been slipping her native tongue between pillowy dream pop. “Me Engole” was launched by Brazilian label Balaclava and options fellow countrymen Banda Beto.

However rather a lot has modified since we final heard from Bathe Curtain.

Regardless of two years of radio silence, Winter has been making loads of noise at DIY venues alongside Cyrogeyser, Computerwife and different up-and-coming Brooklynites. Within the course of, what began out as a neat bed room recording challenge has grown right into a well-oiled band. She’s now joined by drummer Sean Terrell, plus the duo of Jillian Olesen (bass) and Ethan Williams (guitar), who make candy, fleeting tunes collectively as Punchlove.

Any band that performs footsie with an results pedal counts as shoegaze these days. I may say one thing even snarkier about slowcore, the opposite ’90s subgenre that’s re-emerged because of TikTok. You may shove Bathe Curtain underneath both of these fashionable streams, however the brand new and improved model of this band doesn’t remind me a lot of Duster or My Bloody Valentine. “edgar” does begin off at a stomach crawl, however the purring reverb is lower off by a riff that crushes with the identical grungy, melodic power of Smashing Pumpkins. Bathe Curtain aren’t shy on the subject of laying on the distortion, both. However like Constructed to Spill, they know how you can channel all that hairbrained fuzz into a transparent hook. When the refrain hits, the track bursts right into a smear of technicolor that might outshine the Massive Dipper.

My fraternity was dumb sufficient to assume we may rescue a stray cat. I remorse letting Crackers wander exterior every time he needed, however I hope he had the time of his life like Edgar does on this video. Sadly, it’s pure coincidence that our titular feline shares a reputation with essentially the most fair-haired crooner in all of ’70s blues rock, however he certain does take pleasure in taking us on a free journey of New York Metropolis. Heck, he even manages to attain some weed.

However “edgar” can also be tailed by a pervasive paranoia. Whereas he’s out sticking his moist nostril into every kind of bother, Winter searches her condo late into the night time.

We watch her pull again couches, as she rechecks underneath the mattress. She’s not a wordy lyricist. Whether or not pining after a brand new crush or working away from long-held ambitions, she’s all the time let her singing do the speaking. Her voice remains to be comfortable and candy, solely now it’s additionally a bit sickly, stretched right into a stressed-out sigh.

“It’s time to say goodbye,” she resigns, pausing with every breath.

Edgar - Shower Curtain Whereas he survived his first journey to the hospital, Edgar now lives with terminal most cancers. “It’s like a ticking time bomb,” Winter says. The track buckles underneath this anxiousness, spiraling uncontrolled over a loss that’s inevitable however hasn’t occurred but. “Keep right here,” she pleads, straining towards a rising tide of noise, as if making an attempt to claw her means again right into a dream.

“edgar” could be the primary track Winter wrote together with her new bandmates, however it’s positively not the final. Whereas a title and tracklist are nonetheless very a lot within the works, Bathe Curtain are virtually carried out recording their debut album, which they’re hoping a label will put out someday subsequent yr.

Within the meantime, Winter sat down with me to speak concerning the evolution of Bathe Curtain, life in The Massive Apple, and the fateful story behind “edgar.”

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:: stream/buy edgar right here ::

:: join with bathe curtain right here ::

Shower Curtain © Juliette Boulay — Bathe Curtain © Juliette Boulay

A CONVERSATION WITH SHOWER CURTAIN

Atwood Journal: Bathe Curtain has grown from a solo endeavor right into a full-on band. Was that all the time your intention or did this simply form of occur?

Victoria Winter: I used to be by no means actually making an attempt to make Bathe Curtain right into a band. Actually, it was extra simply circumstances.

I had already launched two EPs, however I performed with a band for the primary time at a present in Los Angeles in 2019. I used to be actually shy, and I wasn’t assured that it might be good, however I had quite a lot of enjoyable doing that.

Once I moved to New York, I didn’t know anybody. So I began this band actually as a technique to get to know individuals. That’s my favourite a part of making music. I’ve all the time preferred having associates within the scene and collaborating. It’s actually cool now to see everybody’s affect on Bathe Curtain. I’m actually joyful the place it’s at proper now.

This marks a brand new period for Bathe Curtain. However you’ve got been releasing music for some time now. When did you begin?

Victoria Winter: It hasn’t been that lengthy — like, 2015, possibly? However my mother and father all the time inspired me to take music classes. I performed piano and a few violin after I was actually younger, however it by no means actually caught. I used to be a hyperactive child. I didn’t actually need to discover ways to learn sheet music at age 10.

I do not blame you!

Victoria Winter: However across the age of 15 was after I actually took a real curiosity in making music. I began with drums. I additionally wrote music on keyboard. It was simpler for me to see the chords.

That is a reasonably superior age to be writing your individual songs.

Victoria Winter: I might simply analysis one thing like “how you can play C on piano.” I’d sing right into a telephone tuner after which transcribe the notes into what I needed the track to be.

How did you determine on the identify Bathe Curtain?

Victoria Winter: Oh my god, it was so silly. [laughs] Initially, I needed to make use of a fictional identify, like Frankie Cosmos or Jerry Paper. However my identify is already form of like that. So I googled “commonest nouns” and curtain was one among them. I’m very a lot not a perfectionist. In quite a lot of methods, I’m similar to, “Okay. Cool. That’s gonna be it.”

Your older sister Samira additionally makes music. Did the 2 of you begin writing collectively?

Victoria Winter: It’s been some time since we lived in the identical place the place we will actually write music collectively. However we all the time ship one another demos and reside recordings or songs we’ve found.

She informed me to be taught Zentropy by Frankie Cosmos, as a result of the songs had been simple to be taught on guitar. I might randomly decide up my devices and put my fingers locations I assumed sounded good.

My sister additionally inspired me to place the songs I had onto an EP, which I used to be scared to do. I didn’t need to put up something or market it. However she’s all the time tremendous encouraging.

Have you ever despatched her the brand new album but?

Victoria Winter: Oh, positively. Like all of it. As quickly as a track is completed, I’m like, “Ship!”

“edgar” is rather a lot noisier than your EPs. Did your new bandmates have one thing to do with that?

Victoria Winter: I’d been making an attempt to make noisier music. “edgar” was written earlier than my guitarist, Ethan, joined, however it sounded totally different. Ethan is an enormous shoegaze particular person, and he’s additionally my largest collaborator. His influences helped make the track extra dynamic.

Sean, my drummer, is actually into jazzy, experimental music. He comes up with extra advanced elements than I might. Simply being open to his concepts provides the music extra edge.

I additionally performed bass on quite a lot of the tracks that I put out earlier than, however the elements had been all the time quite simple and stripped down as a result of that’s what I hearken to usually. However my bassist Jillian is tremendous classically skilled and likewise a complete shredder.

How did y’all meet?

Victoria Winter: I’m a reasonably extroverted particular person, so fortunately, it’s form of simple for me to speak to individuals and get to know them. Once I first moved to New York, I lived within the metropolis. It was earlier than the vaccine, so I obtained these loopy COVID costs. Then I moved to Brooklyn and began going to extra exhibits, like New Colossus. I inform individuals at that competition that I actually owe them my life. As a result of that’s the place I met people who find themselves actually vital to me.

Once I first obtained right here, lots of people had been in the identical boat of getting simply moved right here and probably not understanding what’s occurring. I see the scene that I’m part of now as quite a lot of post-pandemic bands. In 2022, I used to be simply taking part in exhibits and assembly individuals, however I’m actually glad that this yr I used to be ready to determine my scene and what’s truly productive for us to do as a band.

I went dwelling at the start of this yr. However after I got here again, I went to a present and it jogged my memory of after I would write in my journal about how I needed that I may simply go to a venue and know individuals already. As a result of it was precisely like that. I used to be like, “Rattling, I used to be actually ready to do that.” I used to be in a position to really feel like I actually belonged someplace.

Have you ever collaborated with different artists exterior of Bathe Curtain?

Victoria Winter: I’m featured on the brand new single by terraplana, who’re a Brazillian shoegaze band that I’m associates with again dwelling. They confirmed me the unique thought and I helped a little bit bit with the track construction, which isn’t one thing I usually do. It feels extra like a collaborative effort, which is tremendous cool.

<a href="https://terraplana.bandcamp.com/track/meus-passos-feat-shower-curtain">meus passos feat Bathe Curtain by terraplana</a>

You are additionally a DJ. Did that make it easier to get in with the DIY scene, too?

Victoria Winter: I really feel just like the scenes are virtually fully separate. The individuals who go to the DJ stuff don’t go to the opposite exhibits. However I like that. Generally, once you’re a part of a DIY scene, it feels such as you see the identical individuals on a regular basis. So it’s an escape for me, to have the DJ stuff.

It’s form of like my alter ego. I like dancing and I actually do like digital music. DJing is so enjoyable. It’s additionally rather a lot much less work. [laughs] You simply carry round a USB. And truthfully? You earn more money.

Has DJing influenced the best way you are constructing Bathe Curtain?

Victoria Winter: I preserve them separate, although I do actually need to merge the 2 collectively by some means. These days, I’ve been stepping into remixing extra songs and utilizing samples. I need Bathe Curtain to have the identical aesthetic influences that I like from DJing. I don’t need to be in a field of “shoegaze/slowcore band.”

I’m not classically skilled in any respect. I couldn’t inform you what the chords are to my music. I’m simply type of intuitively writing stuff. So I do fear about my songs being too easy. As a musician, you need to be mental, particularly when your different associates are musicians, too. Generally, I’m like, “Ugh, I’m not sophisticated sufficient.” I’m being too easy, too pop.

However that’s the form of music I like listening to. I like pop melodies. I additionally simply love indie rock. So though there are hazy distortions [in Shower Curtain], what I actually love is simply indie.

You do bounce round rather a lot – actually. What made you progress to the US?

Victoria Winter: I moved to Los Angeles for faculty. I went to Occidental however didn’t prefer it. I used to be actually confused. I felt like I wasn’t adapting to LA as a result of I used to be raised in Brazil, that possibly issues had been simply too totally different culturally and I might by no means adapt to residing within the US.

At the moment, the one factor taking place in my life that I felt pleased with was a relationship I had in Brazil. So I stated “fuck it” and dropped out of faculty and moved again dwelling to pursue this romantic curiosity. However then the pandemic hit and I ended up staying in Brazil for a complete yr.

Like lots of people, I had this sense of “Okay, what am I going to do now?” I figured I needed to get my Bachelor’s in graphic design. I ended up stepping into Parsons and was like, “Oh shit.” It wasn’t like I couldn’t go. It’s such a very good college for design. In order that introduced me to New York.

I had by no means actually considered residing in New York. However after I obtained right here, I felt like that is completely the place I belong. It’s an awesome match. I like residing right here. Clearly, it’s a extremely irritating metropolis and it’s costly. However I like the chaos! [laughs] I’m an enormous extrovert, so [New York] is like my playground. I can do one thing actually thrilling every single day. It’s form of addictive, all of the stimulation that I continuously get. Should you’re someplace else, you form of have loopy withdraw vibes.

I do know what you imply. I grew up exterior Philadelphia. Once I moved down into the town, the noise was overwhelming. There’s much more individuals they usually’re all the time heading off to go do one thing. I obtained used to it. Ultimately, you discover a means into the slipstream. However now that I am out within the suburbs, I discover how quiet the whole lot is. It is virtually unsettling.

Victoria Winter: There are such a lot of bands that I like in Philly. We’ve performed there twice thus far. I simply need to preserve going again there and get to know extra individuals.

Philly is effervescent with bands which might be additionally a part of this shoegaze/slowcore revival. Knifeplay, full physique 2, TAGABOW — none of these bands sound precisely like one another, however all of them appear to place extra emphasis on vocals. I’ve listened to “Generally” 100 instances, however I nonetheless could not inform you what Kevin Shields is singing. However with this new wave of shoegaze, I really feel like extra of the feelings come by within the lyrics. The vocals aren’t simply one other texture, particularly with bands like Hotline TNT and feeble little horse.

Victoria Winter: I like feeble little horse.

Me too. I used to be so bummed after they canceled their tour.

Victoria Winter: I do know! I had tickets to see them in New York.

What else have you ever been listening to?

Victoria Winter: I like bar italia and Double Virgo, additionally Wednesday. The brand new Reality Membership album is actually superior. I discovered this new artist, Eterna, who I feel is associates with the bar italia individuals. He’s actually cool. I’ve additionally been re-listening to Otto’s Clam Day. He’s somebody I’m making an attempt to dissect. He’s by some means in a position to sound actually cohesive whereas doing that digital, genreless-type of music.

Your vocals are extra distinguished on “edgar.” I can really feel the ache in your voice, this type of comfortable however lingering ache. The best way it bleeds into the music sends the entire track spiraling uncontrolled proper there on the finish. I like that. It is actually cool. However was this a tough track so that you can write?

Victoria Winter: When it comes to the manufacturing, Ethan is completely the mastermind behind that. I can’t even say that’s what I needed. He put [“edgar”] like that, and I used to be like, “Yep. That’s superior.” However this track is actually tough. It’s very emotional for me.

It was laborious sufficient after I wrote it [Note: Edgar was initially diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder]. My cat didn’t find yourself dying, however now that he has most cancers, there’s a brand new layer to it. It’s the second time I’m going by this course of.

This track is a second for me to be very cathartic, however it takes rather a lot for me to try this. You actually must be weak to point out these genuinely unhappy elements of your self. It takes maturing. I feel the tougher, heavier songs are coming from my very own private development.

Once I began Bathe Curtain, I used to be 18 years previous. Now, I’m 23, and I really feel like I’ve developed rather a lot as an artist. It’s much less cutesy, which I felt like I needed to be after I was youthful. I’m exploring the edgier sides of myself. The tougher sound comes with adulting.

I’ve obtained two cats. They’re each wholesome (knock on wooden), however I do take into consideration how laborious it should be for me and my girlfriend after they die.

Victoria Winter: My boyfriend informed me which you can’t observe somebody not being right here.

That is true.

Victoria Winter You may’t put together. That’s the factor about life. Everyone knows it’s finite. Our pets are most likely gonna die earlier than us. However you’ll be able to’t observe what that’s going to be like.

Anytime Edgar’s conduct adjustments, I’m like, “Oh, shit. Is that this the most cancers?” As a result of he’s probably not exhibiting signs but. It was form of a fluke that we even discovered. I reside on a lot hope. I used to be informed he was going to die in a few months again in March 2022. So there’s all the time the hope that since he’s been a miracle as soon as, possibly he is usually a miracle once more.

In any case, luck is what introduced the 2 of you collectively within the first place.

Victoria Winter: The entire thing was tremendous weirdly religious.

Once I was again visiting in Curitiba, in the future, I wakened and journaled about how I hoped that I might get a cat that I’ve a reference to. Then I closed my journal and took my household’s canine on a stroll. And I discovered [Edgar] there, the day I journaled about it.

I assumed he had an proprietor. However then the man who sells popcorn within the park informed me that he was dumped there as a kitten. I cried a lot. I already beloved him. I really feel like we’ve had a previous life collectively. It’s this loopy transcendental soul connection. As soon as he dies, this track goes to tackle a brand new which means.

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Shower Curtain celebrated the discharge of “edgar” with a present at Trans Pecos, Brooklyn’s go-to DIY venue. They simply headed again to Brazil for the vacations to affix Unknown Mortal Orchestra and American Soccer at Balaclava Competition!

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