INTERVIEW: shallow pools promote inclusivity with their music
Photo: shallow pools consist of Glynnis Brennan (vocals), Jess Gromada (guitar) and Ali Ajemian (drums). Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by Atom Splitter PR with permission.
The Boston-based band shallow pools have recently released their new song, “bloom,” and they are ready to keep sharing their inclusive musical power. The members of the band — Glynnis Brennan (vocals), Jess Gromada (guitar) and Ali Ajemian (drums) — wanted to create a group that would promote opportunities for women, in particular queer women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, according to press notes.
They released their debut EP last year. That recording, dubbed spring, introduced fans to their unique take on alternative rock. They have been met with success, including a nomination for Best New Artist at the Boston Music Awards.
Their official Facebook page promises a sound that combines expressive lyrics, catchy melodies and rhythmic guitar. To understand their group’s dynamic even more, Hollywood Soapbox recently exchanged emails with the band. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did the band first form?
We all met in high school and started playing acoustic covers together for fun, but we didn’t start writing our own songs until a few years later. We had so much fun writing and playing together, and the band just kind of formed naturally after that!
Your promotion of inclusivity is awesome. Why is this an important quality of the band?
We want people to feel comfortable and safe at our shows and when they listen to our music. A lot of the bands we’ve looked up to have created an inclusive environment that made us feel welcomed, so we wanted to make sure to do the same.
Were you happy with how spring turned out?
Definitely! Spring was the first EP released as shallow pools, and it’s a great representation of us during the writing process. Our sound is definitely different now, but we’re still all super proud of spring!
Where did the band’s name come from?
It comes from lyrics of a song that we all really love! We were throwing around band names, and shallow pools felt like it fit us the best.
How did the song ‘haunted’ come to be? What inspired the tune?
We had been listening to some different bands and genres than usual, and we really started to pull influence from them. We also wanted to experiment with synth sounds and vocal effects. Once we finished the instrumental, we wrote the lyrics pretty quickly because we were all going through some of the same things, so it was really easy to collaborate.
What’s the future look like for the band?
We’re putting out a few more songs and videos over the next few months! We also plan on playing more shows, and hopefully we’ll hit some cities that we haven’t been to before!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
shallow pools’ debut EP is called spring, and their new song is called “bloom.” Click here for more information.
