I first heard about the indie-pop jams of Ski Lodge a few months ago from a short Asian man who looked about 25 and turned out to be closer to 50. We were waiting with a couple thousand other people for the opportunity to be told we would not be getting into Death By Audio’s final show, so it seems kind of appropriate that the first time I would check out the band would be at Nola, Darling, an under-the-radar DIY space (inexplicably in the center of Chelsea) that launched right around the time when DBA was ending – November 2014.
While frontman Andrew Marr’s lyrics weren’t always easy to decipher due to the sound quality (which, regrettably, is a somewhat a common theme at DIY spaces), the audience had no trouble rolling their heads, rocking their butts and wiggling their shoulders to the danceable tunes. Marr led the band through a host of new songs (the new album will be released on April 7th) including the sunny, synth-filled first single, “Trust.”
“Can I trust in you? / Tell me I can give you my heart and never leave you alone,” Marr pleads, but with the retro synths and tight pop hooks, it feels more like a party than the tortured yearnings of a young lover. Clearly, the trials and tribulations of love are easier to handle when they come wrapped in a ’80s-esque package of indie pop.
Look out for the upcoming LP from Ski Lodge and check out the band live on Wednesdays during a March residency at Pianos.
