Before they came together as Twin Bloom, the four musicians in the band—vocalist and guitarist Gvir Aviv, lead guitar player Mickle Nguyen, bass player and multi-instrumentalist Josh Cano, and drummer Sandra Alva—were all veterans of other projects.
This week they’ll release Twin Bloom, a self-titled EP that slowly took shape over the past few years. “Josh, Mickle and I have been playing music together for over a decade, mostly for fun,” Aviv said. “Until recently, we never went through the trouble of coming up with a band name. We’d just get together and write songs or play some covers. The only real output of that was phone recordings, sitting in our Dropbox. This EP is the first evidence of us actually playing music together.”
As the band got serious about songwriting and performing, Nguyen said it was important to set a goal: getting into the studio to make a record within six months. “We all genuinely like each other and have a lot of history together,” he said. “That makes communication easier and makes everyone open to different viewpoints. There’s a lot of trust and not much ego. Because of that, we’re able to be honest with each other, push ideas further and ultimately make better songs.”
The band’s process of songwriting and arranging is organic and collaborative. “Sometimes I come in with a core idea, a vocal hook, maybe even a full verse and chorus,” Aviv said. “The band shapes it from there. Or Mickle will bring in an arrangement on guitar, and we build on it. Sometimes it’s fully collaborative from scratch, but it usually starts with someone bringing in a spark.”
When the songs were ready, the quartet went into Oakland’s Tiny Telephone studios with producer Maryam Qudus. “We spent two days at Tiny Telephone, playing the songs together live,” Aviv said. “We mainly focused on getting good takes for drums, bass and some guitars. Then we had three days at Maryam’s home studio, Best House, to track vocals, guitars and synths. She’s an incredible songwriter and musician, so having her in the producer’s chair, shepherding us through this, was especially rewarding.”
While the editing progressed, Nguyen brought some rough mixes to Bobby Martinez, the head of Oakland’s Dandy Boy Records. “He was incredibly generous with his time and ideas,” Nguyen said. “He was the first person outside the band who was genuinely excited about what we were doing. I was surprised when he offered to put out the EP, but it was a total no-brainer for us.”
The songs on the EP are soaked in the kind of images that drift through one’s mind as one looks around, considering their life and their place in the world. “We spent a lot of time talking about, and thinking through, the vibe of each song,” Nguyen said. “We really wanted to evoke a specific feeling or emotion that comes from nostalgia.”
“Summer’s Gone” is a good example of the band’s approach. Aviv’s vocal is full of longing as he describes the thoughts one has at sundown, while considering the end of a relationship. It’s a mid-tempo rocker that slows down as Aviv sings, “I lie awake and think of you,” with Cano’s harmonies adding to the poignant feel.
There’s a country accent on the twanging guitars of “Signals,” a song that finds Aviv slipping into the depths of loneliness. As he acknowledges the fact that his lover will never return, interlocking atmospheric solos from the band intensify the power of the tag line: “I don’t care if you ever loved me.”
The band will feature the songs on the EP at their record release party at the Little Hill Lounge. Aviv said he’s looking forward to the gig, albeit with a bit of apprehension.
“Many years ago I played in a band that played basements and house parties around San Francisco, so proper venues are still relatively new to me,” he said. “Mickle and Josh have played in several bands and have a lot of shows under their belts, and Sandra’s a pro. She’s done multiple tours with bands like Black Veil Brides, so I know I’m in very good hands.”
Twin Bloom will play an EP-release party at 8pm on Friday, July 10, at Little Hill Lounge, 10753 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. littlehillelcerrito.com. Listen to the band’s music at: twinbloom.bandcamp.com.
