Searching for new experiences creates a foundation of honest and beautiful art. While some groups choose to find comfort in a consistent space, Braids opted towards adventures and newness.
The Montreal-based art-rock group has a close relationship with the state of Arizona. The group took a collective of vacations and recording sessions across the United States in unfamiliar places such as Prescott, Arizona. The aim of these trips were to foster togetherness, but catapulted the trio into the powerful yet vulnerable record “Deep In The Iris” released earlier this year on Arbutus Records.
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston expressed how removing a deadline helped the group create better art.
"We saved up to do this trip for a while," she stated. "We didn't go down (to Arizona) with the intention to finishing a record but we did want to write a record and write songs together. So taking away the pressure of having a finished product by time we would leave was really important. That allowed us to connect deeper with each other and not put pressure on each other."
Promoting an environment where each individual could express themselves freely allowed the group to write intensely honest and emotional music. Drawing from an extremely deep well of experiences, the band traverses territory that other artists may not feel necessarily able to address.
The ability to create material in a fearless manner also found shape in working with director Kevan Funk on videos for the singles "Miniskirt" and "Taste" that display a group willing to craft art that transcends previous comfort zones. Standell-Preston talked about the difference between Funk and other directors.
"He is really willing to work with us," she explained. "We have worked with some people in the past where it's their vision or the highway and our relationship with Kevan is so collective and so respectful."
The pairing of such fearless artists operating on the same wave-length produced music videos where each component searches for ways to amplify the other. "Miniskirt" guides the viewer through the process of flowers being processed and placed in houses while drawing parallels with femininity. The visuals compliment and infuse with the atmospheric tension built into songs as synth creeps out from behind Standell-Preston's vocals to match her intensity and passion while not overwhelming and consuming her space in the song.
The band collaborated again with Funk on a more ambitious vision for their newest video, "Taste" released on Oct. 2. "Taste" differentiates itself from "Miniskirt" by creating an immediate driving beat allowing piano chords and vocals to inhabit space that creates a romantic yet reflective moment that results in an intimate overall experience. The video creates an intimate atmosphere by utilizing naked portraits of individuals of all walks of life with occasional cuts to a group of dancers and Standell-Preston crooning to the audience.
The group is finding a mixture of fearlessness and like-minded individuals to create more than just music. To think that this momentum all started with a trip to Arizona.
Braids returns on Friday performing at Valley Bar with Tasseomancy. For more information, click here.
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Reach the reporter at dloche@asu.edu or follow @DMLoche on Twitter.
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