Brooklyn-based, electro-infused indie poppers Savoir Adore are certainly friends of PHILTHY… However, they’re not quite what they were the last time we spoke, three years ago. At the time Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro were a duo, promoting the re-release of their third album, Our Nature, which had the two former solo singer/songwriters exploring ‘80s synth-pop and ‘90s ambience. Since then, Deidre has left the band, leaving Hammer as the primary songwriter and vocalist, with Lauren Zettler stepping in on female vocals. Savoir Adore’s latest album, The Love that Remains, is officially out today and the band will bring their new selves and sounds to Johnny Brenda’s tomorrow, August 13th. I recently got a chance to catch up with Hammer to talk about the band’s recent changes, which he says he feels are actually less significant than they would appear, and that would also seem to be getting a bit back to his singing/songwriting roots.
“For as much as stuff has changed, there’s a lot that’s the same. I would always start the songs and do the production. The biggest difference is it used to just be Deidre and I and now I collaborate with more people… Musically, it’s bigger. It’s a little more anthemic overall… And I hate using the word ‘serious,’ but it’s a little more human in nature, a little less fantasy and a little more reality… When it started out it was more of the electronic stuff that I was listening to that I thought would influence the album, but it wound up being the opposite and very guitar-based.”
Hammer also tells me that Savoir Adore are not only most focused on and excited about touring, but that live performances served as much of the inspiration behind the band’s current state (“The biggest thing was taking time off from touring and going to more shows as a fan,” citing the final shows at Glasslands and seeing Bleachers as major inspirations behind The Love that Remains). He also tells me that the live show is something they’re hoping everyone can get excited about: “The live performance had such a huge influence on the new record. It’s gonna be really, really fun. I don’t want to say ‘interactive,’ but I want these shows to feel like we’re all in it together.”
