GENRE: Experimental Pop
HOMETOWN: Boston, MA
ARTISTIC APPROACH: To teach an advanced pop crash course.
www.prettyandnice.com
Digesting all of the idiosyncrasies that define Pretty & Nice would be quite the challenge. Their quippy nature is surprisingly charming – the members in the band are even more so. And the fact that they’ve been so modest about all of their hard work makes the news that they’ve signed to Rory Records, an imprint of Equal Vision, that much more satisfying. The boys got sweaty on 2008’s Get Young, a debut album that was more than just rattling guitar and irrefutable hooks – it was downright sprawling, untamable, and sheer fun. Being handpicked by Say Anything frontman Max Bemis for Rory Records would seemingly have an inherent amount of pressure attached to it, but Roger Lussier possesses a different point of view on the matter.
“It’s clear that Max grew up listening to a wide breadth of music and appreciates things that are weird and wonderful,” he explains. “He is also the type of guy who has always been in singular control of the aesthetic of his music and the way it is presented, and we’re similarly protective of those sorts of things as well.” Their latest single “Hibernate” lays out Pretty & Nice’s approach to texture and tune: complete and utter sincerity. The chords are straightforward and compelling – the vocals are cautious yet still enticing.
When asked if Boston listeners are still receptive to their sound, the members practically speak in unison. “Boston’s still great,” Jeremy Mendicino affirms.
“We make the music we make and people have always responded well to it.”
But figuring out Boston’s personalized music preferences isn’t as clear. As Holden Lewis divulges: “I have no idea what people are into in Boston. I thought I did, then all the bands broke up!” Thankfully, he realizes the positive side to this. “Luckily people always start new awesome bands here. Hopefully, they’ll keep wanting to play shows with us.”
photo by Shervin Lainez