Dear Tracks: “If dream pop/jangle pop is up your alley, you should come out!”

I’m not exactly sure how they would take this, but I think that it’s safe to say that Dear Tracks are easily the best dear/deer band to emerge in...

I’m not exactly sure how they would take this, but I think that it’s safe to say that Dear Tracks are easily the best dear/deer band to emerge in the past decade… The Grand Rapids-based band began when frontman Matt Messore (formerly of You Blew It!) moved up to Michigan from Florida in hopes of starting a dream pop band.  Since then he’s teamed up with Victoria Ovenden, Jacob Juodawlkis, and Alex Militello, who cemented the lineup.  Their latest EP, Soft Dreams, dropped last month and boasts the kind of dreamy, synthy, shoegazey alt rock that could’ve perfectly soundtracked the more tender moments of Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy.  This Thursday, 3/17, Dear Tracks will be headlining Kung Fu Necktie and Matt Messore recently took some time to tell me about the band.

Izzy Cihak: So this is a bit general, but Dear Tracks is still a very new band: What have been some of the highlights so far, whether experiences, reactions, or whatever?

Matt Messore: It’s been a pleasure having DIY record labels and management collaborating with us and believe in our tunes. We’re lucky to have our first two EPs released on vinyl.

Izzy: Is there anything you think is especially important for fans and potential fans to know about the band?

Matt: This band from the beginning has been a natural experience and we’re learning as we move on forward. We spend a lot of time capturing sounds, tones, and visuals in the best way we can that feels right to us.

https://youtu.be/bLPlW7gGvvg

Izzy: You draw comparisons to a ton of really cool bands, but I’m curious what you consider to actually be the band’s biggest influences, whether musical or otherwise?

Matt: We’re inspired by many artists, films, shows, poems, record labels, etc. I’m not sure if there’s a bigger influence than the other. I think everything that inspires us, balances all of our creativity and motivation to writing tunes and continuing the band

Izzy: How is the Michigan music scene at the moment? Any favorite regional peers?

Matt: We’re not really sure where Michigan is at with a music scene. Like many places, it’s kinda hit or miss. Usually touring bands play in Ann Arbor and Detroit/Ferndale. Those cities usually have great bands come through.

Izzy: You’re going to be playing here in less than a week at Kung Fu Necktie. What should be expected of the live experience?

Matt: If dream pop/jangle pop is up your alley, you should come out! We’ve been getting compared to Wild Nothing, Diiv, and Real Estate a lot on this tour. We’ll be playing all of our songs from both of our EPs and a few new unreleased tunes

Izzy: And how are you hoping and planning to spend the rest of the year, after this batch of dates wraps?  A lot more touring in the works?  Any possibility of some more new music?

Matt: Yes we have a short tour that we’re working on in May and we’re also planning for the west coast this summer. We’re just trying to play new cities and stay active. We’ve been writing new tunes and demoing them out. Maybe we will have new tracks up later this year to single out.

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Band InterviewsLive EventsMusic

During the day Izzy Cihak teaches transgression, subversion, and revolution at Temple University. At night he haunts Philthy's best venues to cover worthwhile acts for Philthy Mag. Morrissey is everything to him and, in their own heads, all of his friends see themselves as Zooey Deschanel.

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