The despondent corners of a Lithuanian disco may be far from the bright lights of New York but the inspiration for such flickers of the night can present itself in many forms. Dark-wave duo, Tempers, build their own private narrative within a song whilst using the complexities of feelings, particularly those that are unresolved, to evoke moments connected with life meaning.
Their music is deeply affected and responsive to emotional aches, much like the wave-fed genres of the new-wave and cold-wave eras, but its construct also allows their real sensibilities to come through as what they describe as a “gothic, industrialised soundscape”, whilst their unspoken aesthetic has been one to catch the eye of the neighbouring fashion world over the last twelve months, including Interview and V Magazine. In the lead up to their first full length LP release, the warmly enigmatic duo reveals their cult fascination with rural discos, and how their music tries to make poetic sense out of life’s emotional complexities.
How did you cross paths before Tempers?
Eddie: Jasmine and I had known each other for a while through mutual friends, and I joined her previous band, Sea Sick, a bit before the project ended. She and I began composing in the studio, which was a change in process that we both immediately liked.
In an interview with doNYC you discussed how your music explored “all kinds of psychological fevers”. Is it an unconscious approach to explore the emotional complexities of the mind, or a conscious song-writing decision?
Jasmine: Making poetic sense out of experiences gives my life meaning and mystery.
"When writing lyrics, I will mix an emotional ache or inspiration with a creative fantasy until there is a spark between the two. "
As I am drawing from my unconscious my lyrics are often trying to make sense of unresolved feelings, so that explains the fevers, and why they have so many voices.
What do you think it is about the band’s aesthetic that is highly attractive to the boutique fashion world, given your recent features with V, Interview and Nylon?
What do you think it is about the band’s aesthetic that is highly attractive to the boutique fashion world, given your recent features with V, Interview and Nylon?
Eddie: Tempers has always had a clear, unspoken aesthetic. There's a mysterious sensibility we tap into that forms a kind of private narrative, and for us it bridges the musical and visual. Fashion and music are always connected, and I guess our particular private narrative is a natural fit.
You’ve been carefully working on your debut album after a series of single releases in 2013. Will the remainder of 2014 see a release, and what can new fans expect from the full-length record in terms of the overall debut? With the closure of Pendu Sound will you also be self-releasing your next record?
Eddie: We've completed the album and are looking for the right label to release by the end of 2014. It's incredibly exciting to have this tangible thing that represents everything we've wanted to express. Stay tuned.
There is a distinct New York sound within the Tempers’ veins. Would you say this comes from being surrounded by many like-minded musicians, or does is it come from more of an instinctual influence?
Jasmine: I think the New York sound is largely a consequence of living here, and absorbing its sonic character; the frenetic intensity, neon feelings, racing time, the mysterious underbelly of magic, and overall possibilities. It also comes from having been influenced by New York music history, such as the CBGB’S, Sonic Youth, and The Velvet Underground.
One of your tour posters has an image taken from an editorial on rural discos; this one may have been a Lithuanian disco in particular. They are a rather fascinating cultural entity – by any chance, have you ever been to one?
Jasmine: I have never been to a Lithuanian disco, but when I saw the series of photos by Andrew Miksys they really spoke to me. There is something so devastating and innocent about these derelict disco scenes.
"I feel like the spirit of Tempers is always dancing in one of those rooms, sad and elated."
Jasmine: You are also a visual artist specializing in collage works when you’re not working with the band. Which medium is more powerful in expression to you as an artist?
Jasmine: Music and visual art express different aspects of my creative imagination, so I can’t really compare them to each other because I don’t see them as competitive forces. For me, it’s more about feeling out which medium is be better suited to express what I want to communicate in a particular moment. Music uses time as a medium and lives in the world of vibration, whereas with art I am creating a physical object that must be deciphered visually. It is fulfilling to do both - to make something invisible and ephemeral, and something that I can touch.
What is one of your favourite quotes that has travelled with you throughout the years?
I had the great privilege of seeing Leonard Cohen perform live a few years ago, and at the end of the show he said, "May you be surrounded by friends and family, but if that is not your lot, may the blessings find you in your solitude".
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