aaamusic | On 05, Apr 2011

Austin, Texas three-piece Love Inks are setting the Spring alight with their shimmering addictive lo-fi pop. Having already won BBC 6 Music’s Rebel Playlist with single ‘Blackeye’ last week and taking SXSW by storm, they’ve also just uploaded a new video for the track, created by Christin Turner – maker of Dum Dum Girls’ most recent clip.  Love Inks release their debut album ‘E.S.P.’ on Italian record label Hell, Yes! on May 2nd 2011 ahead of their first UK tour which is currently being booked in – details to follow very soon!

Watch the video for ‘Blackeye’ here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqRBSMBuy94

E.S.P.’ was conceived and recorded with strict, direct motives. The sounds captured within these 10 tracks are simply an electric guitar, a bass guitar, an old drum machine, at special moments a Moog Satellite and, most importantly, the simple yet poignant vocals of Sherry LeBlanc. The combined sound is minimalist dream-pop; imbued with raw emotion, sexuality, and splashes of electronic colour. Focus is placed primarily on the voice, which is direct and honest and real. No frills, tears through extravagant side roads, or indulgent solos necessary.

Sherry is however, a firm believer in positivity. Her lyrics are never abusive or cynical.

“We are a family, and in some ways stronger because we are always supportive. The album reflects a time and place for everyone in the band. A time to pare down to what is necessary, essential. Cut out complexity, and you’ll find a deeper layer that is thicker and stronger. Like the human body, you’ll eventually end up at a nerve; once it’s hit, that’s when we know we’re there, and that’s when we press the record button.”

Self-recorded in their own homes, Austin, Texas, and mixed by a friend; the idea was to get the purest signals from all instruments and feed them through an 8-track reel-to-reel, immediately warming the sounds and weaving it all together. This process was drawn out on a piece of paper in schematics before recording with the concept being: the less digitized, the better. In March of 2010, Love Inks started the process with fifteen or more songs, and by June they were down to a solid ten.

The songs featured on ‘E.S.P.’ were written to showcase the essence of emotion behind each instrument. It started as an exercise and became the only way to do it, forever. With the guitar and bass, Love Inks found there is a way to drop it perfectly into the song, in between everything, so that the vocal can exist in its own world, floating independently above the song.

Love Inks are Sherry LeBlanc (vocals), Kevin Dehan (bass) and Adam Linnell (guitar).

www.loveinks.com
www.facebook.com/loveinks
http://aboutloveinks.tumblr.com