There There

Phoenix-based There There satisfies that ’90s-trip-hop-rock itch that few others can scratch. With a healthy helping of reverb—in both vocals and the four-piece’s multiple, expansive guitars—it’s no surprise that There There’s sound is often compared to that of the Cocteau Twins and Blonde Redhead. The mix on their debut EP Like Love also reminds us of Bat For Lashes, especially in regards to singer Alisha Ways’s dreamy, semi-operatic tone—she’s taking you places, man, and you’re going to want to go to there (there). She only returns from the heavens in the last track, “All Things Come To Pass,” when you start to hear some soul in those melodies, tensely playing against Portishead-esque basslines… Comparisons aside, Like Love’s five tracks are solid, moody, and make us want to get high and re-lace our Doc Martens in your mom’s basement. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. - The Owl Mag

In this netherworld we vacation in, this dark sweet void, there are gardens of delight and wondrous sounds, where the moon makes her way across the cold dark sky, chasing away the shadow for a moment’s time, where one may find two lovers reposing, or dancing near the glistening waters of Styx, whispering sweet nothings to one another. Listening to ‘Like Love’, the EP by Phoenix based Shoegaze/Dream Pop band, There There, is the perfect soundtrack for such a dark, yet idyllic, setting. Their sound has been compared to bands like Blonde Redhead, Cocteau Twins, and Portishead. I personally hear a bit of Catherine Wheel, and, dare I say, Morrissey. I heard the band for the first time playing a live show at Pub Rock Live, a venue in Scottsdale, AZ, a few months ago. I was very taken in by the sheer beauty of their sound, from the hypnotic strumming of their guitars and driving rhythm of the drums, to the ethereal, yet soulful, vocals of Alisha Ways (Vocals/Guitars) and JD Clayton (Guitar/Vocals). The two opening tracks, “Prelude” and “Fireflies”, set up the tone of the EP brilliantly, the latter track creating an intimate dreamlike vignette, especially with Alisha’s shimmering vocal quality and lyrics: “Dreams, fireflies, Hide inside, Don’t think twice, Close your eyes…” The sound simply washes over you like a gentle evening breeze. The next few tracks, “Under Sand” and “Gravity”, I liken to miniature dialogues. Starting with “Under Sand”, we hear JD’s voice for the first time in a more lyrical capacity, which is in such harmonious rapport with Alisha’s. There are times that I hear a slight resemblance to Morrissey’s timbre in JD’s voice, especially in “Gravity”. The next and final track off of ‘Like Love’ is aptly titled, “All Things Come to Pass”. It’s the longest track off the EP and has some great musical elements and ideas that come into play, building up to a dramatic crescendo, all whilst one of the voices chants incessantly, “all things come to pass”. Then, there’s nothing, but a few licks of the guitar. It leaves one breathless and wanting more, yet thankful to have experienced some time in There There’s magical world, where the garden is showered by the moon’s beams, and where all is full of love, or at least the illusion of it, though it be short. - I Vacation In Your Hell

Like Love is the debut EP from Phoenix, Arizona band There There. The five tracks are a deep, ethereal take on a musical journey started by the likes of Cocteau Twins and Radiohead. Now that is pretty heavy company to be in, but There There pick up the challenge and deliver a wonderful EP with tracks that completely engage one in the listening experience. Featuring the haunting vocals of Alisha Ways, the EP is masterfully executed musically, with crisp production. Stream and buy Like Love at the link below. - Floorshime Zipper Boots

Garage rock is a strange thing. Leave it out in the sun for too long – and you get a lot of sun in Arizona – and it dries out, even matures if you like, into something with less attitude and altogether more atmosphere. There There are unlikely to deny their lo-fi DIY heritage either going by the five songs on their “Like Love.”

No strangers to reverb, There There swirl their musical message around you like a maelstrom of emotions but neatly sanded down for presentational effectiveness. They are La Sera without the cuteness, they are Buffy St Marie reincarnated and reinvented with the message distilled from the skies and concentrated into a guitar full of deeper meaning with “Fireflies” bringing not light to the darkness but a candle to the fog. “Under Sand” then goes all trippy and military march at the same time as cascading riffs worthy of Martin Metcalfe take the song onwards and upwards to the night sky. Though downbeat, “All Things Come To Pass” is the closest thing to a radio friendly song - they used to be called "singles" back in the day - that this band have with Alisha’s emotive vocals leading your heart to the cliff of doom as the drums shuffle hypnotically beneath jagged guitars repurposed as musical punctuation.

There There are a band lost in reverb and the ethereal. Give them a chance and you could lose yourself to them as well. - Bluesbunny

There There: Like Love EP — If you have (or will even admit to having) a favorite time signature, and that time signature happens to be 6/8, this is an album you can get behind. Like Love, the debut EP from Phoenix, Arizona, band There There is about half 6/8. Yes, you heard me – not one song, or the chorus of one song, but a full two to three tracks. Am I the only one geeking out?

Admittedly, I am a tremendous sucker for 6/8 – from the triplet-heavy ‘Under Sand’ to the dreamily incessant percussion in ‘Gravity’ – so it’s nearly impossible for me to dislike the EP, but that’s not even my main reason for having it on repeat all week. There’s a soft, almost reassuring quality present in the music not unlike falling asleep at night in the passenger seat when someone you trust implicitly is driving.

The imagery of each song is different for everyone, of course, but each track is a standout in its own right. The instrumental ‘Prelude’ is slightly repetitive without being boring, serving as an excellent introduction to the EP. There There’s vocals border on the ethereal without being irritatingly breathy; this is probably most evident on ‘Fireflies’, though it holds true with virtually every track. The lyrics themselves are intimate, slightly surreal, and often romantic: “Why waste time/telling lies/when I’ve known you/in every life?”

‘All Things Come To Pass’ is probably the most lyrically interesting song on the EP. It’s a beautiful, lilting track that hits a slow, soft 6/8 after the intro with a bass line that is simple but compelling. Also featured are slightly sinister lyrics “don’t run too far/you’ll never make it back,” that simultaneously invoke a feeling of danger and a promise of peace (“some things come too fast/all things come to pass”). It’s that paradox of feelings and evocative imagery that drives Like Love, making it a standout among debut albums… 8.3/10 - Violent Success

Arizona indie-rock band, There There, have recently released their inaugural EP entitled "Like Love." The five song compilation features trip-hop-esque beats, shimmering guitar riffs, catchy rhythms and even a 50s-inspired ballad. Fans of bands like Deerhoof, The XX, Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, Beach House, My Bloody Valentine and similar acts will appreciate the astral soundscapes found on There There's first official release.

There There formed in early 2011 when singer songwriter Alisha Ways met lead guitarist and vocalist JD Clayton in a former project. When the previous project dissolved, the duo headed in a new direction. JD coaxed Alisha into working on her own songs and together the pair set out to create a sound that blended pretty vocals with noisy guitars, swaying rhythms with melodic leads and cinematic soundscapes with psychedelia.

While the sunny state of Arizona has been home to a few well-known acts (most notably Jimmy Eat World, Gin Blossoms and Meat Puppets), music is not what comes to mind when most folks think of The Grand Canyon State. However, far south of a famous steep-sided canyon is a large metropolis with a surprisingly tight-knit music scene, and within that scene is a group of musicians who have been creating a sound like no other in the area.

"Like Love" is a DIY music release recorded and mixed in Mesa, Arizona at Audioconfusion and mastered in Chicago by Carl Saff. Performances include: vocals/rhythm guitar-Alisha Ways, lead guitar/vocals-JD Clayton and drums-David Drew.

Interview with Alisha
Question: How would you describe your music?

Alisha: It's sort of reflective of our band name; music that's meant to comfort or console. I know it's not happy, sunshine-y music, but it's not about that. It's more about giving people something that triggers a release of emotions with sounds they can get lost in.


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Alisha: Yes, I've always been a singer songwriter, but only recently took on putting my songs into a band environment with this project. My inspiration comes from a lot of places, mostly personal experiences, but also movies and books that have moved me in some way. For example, seeing La Jetée got me thinking about memory. The movie is about time travel, but the way it's represented with pictures instead of a steady stream of film was, for me, emblematic of the way memory works and the way time can distort and fragment past experiences. It was part of the inspiration for Fireflies, and my personal connection to the song title is actual fireflies, something I have memories of from my childhood growing up Pennsylvania.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Alisha: The last two CDs I've had in my car were Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes' "The Witches Dagger" and Empire of the Sun's "Walking on a Dream." What I listen to constantly fluctuates and I tend to be a bit late when it comes to listening to new music and new releases, even from artists I like. I need to hear the new Twin Shadow and Beach House albums, but haven't gotten around to it yet. You can also still catch me listening to old Portishead, Bjork, Radiohead and so on.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Alisha: Following the release of our EP, we're just focused on getting it out there as far and wide as we can. Radio promo is the next big step. We're also gearing up to learn new material for shows and future recordings.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Alisha: There are aspects about both that I appreciate. But ultimately recording is the more satisfying part for me because you have a finished, tangible product, and something that you can send to people all over the world who may not have a chance to see you live. And with recording, you can try to get things as "perfect" as possible. Live it's not always in your hands. We recorded at a local studio called Audioconfusion, and it was great because the engineers were incredibly helpful and had similar tastes as us, so they knew what we wanted to go for sound wise. That was definitely a plus.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Alisha: Hearing the Smashing Pumpkins when I was in high school is what made me want to pick up an instrument. I loved it: the sad poetry, the razor-sharp drumming, the emotive vocals. Plus, I kind of thought, wow if it feels this good just to listen to a song, it must feel amazing to play it. So I ended up learning guitar when I was about 17. But even before this I was already writing music. The farthest back I can remember is when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old and I'd write songs (just the lyrics and melodies at the time) and give my cousins parts to sing, then we'd perform for the adults in our family. I'd never taken it very seriously, though I continued to write in this manner all the way up through high school. When I learned to play guitar it clicked to me that songwriting was something I'd had a knack for pretty much my whole life and that it was something I loved to do.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Alisha: My biggest challenge was getting over a fear of starting my own project. For a long time I made myself a part of other people's projects or would initiative collaborative, but branching out and really delving into my own material has been a positive thing for me and it's yielded a much better result. In the past, there was a hump that I'd never gotten over, and with There There I've finally tread over it.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Alisha: That's a hard question. I don't know if I could pick just one. I'd love to sing on a Massive Attack song and work with 3D. I'd also love to work with Jarvis Cocker.


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Alisha: www.Facebook.com/ThereThereMusic


Question: Can you tell us 5 things required for a happy healthy & enjoyable life?

Alisha: I'm no expert in these areas, but I'll start with:
(1) doing something you're passionate about. At times it may not always bring you happiness, but the end result is so satisfying.
(2) Surrounding yourself with the right people.
(3) Keeping your promises, especially to yourself. I've learned that it's incredibly important to follow through and actually strive for the things you want, instead of just saying you want something but doing nothing about it.
(4) Don't let fear get in your way. I can't say not to be afraid, because you will be at points, but that shouldn't keep you from doing things, no matter how small.
(5) This one may be a cop out, but the last thing that I think is required for a happy life is to be in good general health. Meditate, exercise, eat right, etc. I haven't tackled this part yet, lol, but I look forward to being able to consistently do these things down the line.


Question: What message would you like to say to your fans?

Alisha: We'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who supports what we're doing. Making music is something that I have an innate drive to do, but sharing it with other people is not so instinctive; it can be rather scary actually because you never know what people will think. That noted, we truly appreciate the kind comments we've received so far and hope to continue making music that people enjoy.


Question: What is the story behind the band's name?

Alisha: The name actually came from the tail end of a dream I had a couple years ago or so. During the dream, I suddenly became aware of the fact that I was asleep and that I would wake up soon. At that moment someone came up to me urgently to tell me something before I woke up, and the thing they had to tell me was that I should name my band There There. Soon after that, I suggested it to the group I was in at the time and it was a no go. It came back to me a year later, after I'd completely forgotten about it, and I decided it would be an ideal name for my current project. - Girl.com.au

JD Clayton and Alisha Ways met in December 2010 after Clayton answered a Craigslist ad for a lead guitar position. Although things with that band fell through, Ways and Clayton hit it off and began working together on new music. Eventually, the two fell in love and There There was formed.

“Sounds kind of gushy, but that’s what happened and we’re grateful that we met the way we did,” says Ways.

The band’s debut EP Like Love was released in June and is available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp. The 90s rock influences of Ways are evident throughout the album. Most notably, the opening chords in “Fireflies” instantly brought me back to The Cranberries song “Zombie” and closing track “All Things Come to Pass” took me back to my love of Portishead.

There There will be performing this Friday, Aug. 1 in Scottsdale at The Rogue Bar with Terra Firma, Prague, Ursus Colossus and The Regretting Man.
Read below to learn more about the band and catch them in action tomorrow at Rogue…

How long have you been making music?
Alisha: I remember when I was young in Pennsylvania, like around six through nine years old, I would actually write songs and give my cousins parts to sing, and we’d perform for the adults. So I’ve been singing and writing melodies since I was a child, but when I learned to play guitar at the age of 17, that’s when I started to look at my writing more seriously. JD began singing jazz at a young age. Throughout his life he has grown his passion for many different genres by collecting music. Has been playing guitar for about seven years.

Who or what are your influences?
We have similar tastes, but they diverge when it comes to what specifically influences each of us in this project; and we think that divergence of sound ends up meshing together in an interesting way. JD is influenced by artists/bands like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Marr, Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd.

JD: I grew up dancing around the house with Dark Side of the Moon and the Bonzo Dog Band playing on Saturday mornings.

Many of Alisha’s favorite bands took off in the ‘90s: Blonde Redhead, Bjork, Radiohead, Tori Amos, Smashing Pumpkins and so on.

Alisha: When I caught on to the Pumpkins in high school, I immediately wanted to learn the drums, but instead somehow ended up on guitar. Either way, they were what made me want to pick up an instrument and feel music in a different way; not just through listening but through physically playing.

How did you come up with your name?
A dream Alisha had a few years ago. It’s not a reference to the Radiohead song like a lot of people might think, although we are huge fans of the band.

Alisha: About a year or so before I met JD, I was in another project, and we were going through the band-naming phase. During that time I had a dream where someone came up to me urgently and told me to name my band There There. I suggested it to the musicians I was working with at the time and it didn’t click. Over a year later, when I started working on my songs with JD, it came back to mind, and really grew on me. To this day, I think it’s the perfect name for this project. It references place, and it references solace, two things that have been significant in my life, especially over the past few years.

Upcoming projects, where do you want to go from here?
We’ve been getting some positive responses to the EP thus far, and really want to get it out there and promote it as well as we can. It would be awesome to find like-minded individuals all over the world who dig what we’re doing and be able to grow our music into a day job. In the meantime, we’re continuing to try and build a local fan base and network of musicians to play out with. We’re also focusing on learning new material for our live performances and future recording.

What inspires your music?
Alisha: I write in fragments and personal metaphor a lot of the time. I pull words and ideas from experiences I’ve had in my own life, as well as things from books and movies. When I write, I usually don’t know what story I’m going to tell. I just start forming melodies and vowels and see what randomness comes out of me, then I refine from there. It’s kind of like a Rorschach test with music instead of inkblots. I play a chord or a series of chords and see what it purges out of me. JD takes the songs and adds noisy, dreamy and even what we’d consider psychedelic elements to them. He tries to capture and elevate the emotions of the songs with his parts.

What musicians or bands do you look up to?
JD: I am intrigued by anyone who has the nerve to play live. Especially when someone good becomes great. As far as professional performers, I think of Jimi Hendrix and his amazing guitar stunts and stage tactics. I also idolized Pink Floyd and the route they chose to take with music. They weren’t afraid of being criticized. They played their instruments loud and gave people a great time.

Alisha: Many of the musicians who I love the most have one thing in common: they are great lyricists. When the music is beautiful and the poetry is brilliant, it’s so powerful, and I think it’s a huge talent. It’s why I love old Tori Amos and Smashing Pumpkins so much. Also artists like Jarvis Cocker; I think Pulp is an underappreciated band.

Why do you make music?
If you know what makes you happy in life, what you’re passionate about, you have to do it. It’s also incredibly therapeutic.

Alisha: I’ve dealt with ruminating thoughts for a long time. When I was young it was really, really bad. Learning to play guitar and writing songs helped me get thoughts out of my head and gave me catharsis. It still does to this day and I don’t think I could live without having that release. It’s also about sharing that feeling with others.

JD: The power of music can out live any person when it’s passed down through generations. Sharing music is an ancient tradition and there’s something very special about taking part in that as a performer. For me, it’s also a daily meditation and describes who I am as a person. - The Spec Blog

How many times have you come across the initial track of an artist’s EP or album which reaches heights that following tracks do not quite aspire to? It is track ordering which matters, as surprisingly mature Arizona melodious comforters THERE THERE demonstrate in their EP ‘Like Love’, doing exactly what it says on the tin.

Introductory track ‘Prelude’ gradually awakens, beginning with smooth electro-icity followed by David Drew’s precocious percussion awakened with Alisha Ways’ and JD Clayton’s soft harmonies of “du du doo daa”. The track sustains you throughout, as the song progresses and new instrumental layers are added. It is the anticipation for potential vocal extension within this track which leaves you wanting more. Tantalising.

As any decent EP should, the second track extends the initial teaser. This is all too crucial for smaller acts, such as the artist here in question, who must show their potential for progression in order for long-term survival. Eerily reminiscent of Radiohead’s ‘There There’, ‘Fireflies’ begins heavier on guitar yet subtler on choral clarity in comparison to ‘Prelude’. The guitar riffs, without dominating, allow listener to lose themselves in the softened yet careful harmonies.

Making their own mark in the sand of their state also home to the infamous Grand Canyon, the harmonious trio have evidently set out to be different from neighbours such as the likes of Jimmy Eat World. ‘Under Sand’ unearths their male vocal talent, unexpected considering the evidence of already stunning ability. Really, what more could there be? ‘Gravity’ alludes to the leisurely vocal tempo of ‘Sweet Disposition’ by soft rockers ‘The Temper Trap’. THERE THERE are certainly depicting the journey towards something beautiful, perhaps inner discovery - dreampop at its pinnacle.

To finalise, ‘All Things Come To Pass’ stirs a murkier yet exciting lead. As the title simply exhibits, as well as the juxtaposing wilder tempo to previous tracks, the ensemble here prove their sheer potential for growth thus easily evoking questions surrounding the depths of their musical ability. The trio are proud to proclaim their embodiment of various genres, including inspiration from trip hop, post rock and shoegaze. Not such a narrow niche as you would anticipate. Our own curiousity leaves us wondering if their darker undertones will be developed in future releases (oh, without a doubt there will be)…

For a first official release, it is unquestionably promising. Surprisingly accessible, surprisingly likeable for such a fresh group. Indie for the twilight hour, chilled and calm.

‘Like Love’ is available for listening at http://theretheremusic.net/.

Free downloads can be obtained at http://therethereaz.bandcamp.com/. - Lyric Lounge