Inspired by an exploration of physical and emotional alienation by both members, Teen Ravine’s debut full-length album is due out early 2018! Shortly after Nick Rose ended a long-term relationship and Dan Griffin spent a year confined to a dark room recovering from a serious concussion, the duo joined forces in their humble apartment studios to create a masterpiece influenced by west-coast pop/R&B of the late 70’s and early 80’s! I recently sat down with Teen Ravine to discuss their musical start, current favorite songs, and brand new tunes!
Q: After meeting about a decade ago and being involved in the music industry for several years, you two eventually joined forces and created Teen Ravine. Can you reflect on the duo’s origin? What does “Teen Ravine” mean to you?
A: We met ten years ago, but at the time we were busy with other bands etc. We started collaborating on this project a couple years ago. There was no specific plan or goal in mind; we just started sharing demos and work shopping them together. We’ve always shared a similar musical sensibility so it felt like a natural partnership from the get go. Eventually we had a group of songs that felt connected to one another and we started approaching it like band making an album. Nick stole the name “Teen Ravine” from his girlfriend at the time. It felt like an appropriate name for the project: at once light and breezy but also nostalgic and dark.
Q: It’s not every day you discover a group like Teen Ravine; You guys have an ear wormy vibe that offers a different approach to music production. How did you two ultimately find the band’s unique sound?
A: We experiment a lot… Our process is slow and iterative so the songs have a natural opportunity to grow from their original idea. There are so many effects and instruments available that if you don’t have a perspective and learn to trust your instincts you can become paralyzed by the options. It’s important to let the song speak for itself and not let the production become a crutch. We do love pitch shifting, digital distortion and artifacts though… All kinds of weird stuff happens when you throw a bunch of plugins on a track.
Q: Teen Ravine’s new music has been described as “aspiring to the west-coast pop/R&B of the late 70’s and early 80’s.” Who are your major musical influences when it comes to songwriting and music production?
A: We listen to a lot of different music, but lately we’ve been revisiting a lot of R&B from the late 70s/early 80s—artists like George Benson, Pages, Brenda Russell and Luther Vandross among others. The level of craft in those recordings is really inspiring, especially given the limits of recording technology at that time.
Q: Your debut full-length album is rumored to be releasing worldwide in early 2018. Can you share any details on the LP (and its release)?
A: We’re keeping a tight lid on release plans for now, but there’s lots of exciting things coming soon.
Q: You guys have already premiered a few tracks from the LP, including ‘Steady On’ and ‘Hall of Horrors.’ These softer songs focus heavily on disconnection and loneliness, so will that be a recurring theme on the album?
A: Those themes naturally kept creeping into the songs as they were taking shape, so we wanted to keep pushing and exploring. I suppose it’s all a reflection of where we are in our lives – trying to settle into ourselves, managing expectations of adulthood, and struggling to find emotional intimacy in a distracted, isolating world.
Q: Of the singles you’ve released so far, ‘Friend of a Friend’ stands out to me the most because of its cheerful instrumentals and memorable vocals. Which song is your favorite track off the upcoming record?
A: We try not to play favourites…
Q: Since your new record will be the music community’s first taste of Teen Ravine, what do you guys hope fans will take away from the new tunes? How should people go about interpreting the songs?
A: We just want people to escape the bullshit for a while… Listen to the songs closely in a warm bath and try to feel something.
Q: Nick, you were once the guitarist of Sweet Thing; and Dan, you were once the keyboardist and guitarist of Arkells. Being a part of these Canadian alternative rock bands must’ve greatly shaped your idea of music and other musicians. Which musical artists would you most like to work with, or perform alongside, one day?
A: There’s a lot of great bands around here… Weaves, Alvvays, Timber Timbre, Andy Shauf. We’re playing at Massey Hall on December 23rd in Toronto opening for July Talk. It’s going to be a great night. It’s a special room with a lot of history and a lot of bands never get the chance to play there so we’re honoured that they asked us to join them.
Q: There has been so much fantastic music floating around for decades… Which songs are you two currently listening to? Who are your favorite artists to jam out to?
A: There is too much. Some current artists we’re digging: Benny Sings, Ariel Pink, Alvvays, Louis Cole and Blood Orange.
Q: 2017 has seen the exciting single releases of ‘Friend of a Friend,’ ‘Hall of Horrors,’ and ‘Steady On.’ With 2017 coming to an end, what else do you have planned for next year in addition to the debut album release?
A: We’ve put together a great band to help perform these songs live, and [we’re] working on some strange visual collaborations, which is really exciting. Everything else is up in the air…
Teen Ravine’s debut full-length album is due out early 2018, and they’ll be playing a special show with July Talk in Toronto on December 23rd! Feel free to leave your thoughts on Teen Ravine in the comments section below, and follow my blog for more music posts!
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Aliiissa 
I really enjoyed this! Nicely done!
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Thank you so much!! 🙂
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