When the pieces of a musical puzzle fit together in the right way, it’s a great feeling. If the chemistry is there, the timing right, and a kinship formed straight away, it leads to the creation of something special. This is the perfect way to describe the formation of Californian trio, Night School. “Baylie (Arin, drums/vocals) and I met through a mutual friend,” begins vocalist/guitarist Alexandra Morte. “At the time I had been writing some songs and was looking to join up with a drummer. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as she had also been working on music. She and I shared our songs with one another and realised what a perfect fit we were musically.”

The result of their collaboration, completed by bassist/vocalist Cheyenne Avant, would be Night School. By channelling the sweet harmonies and lyrical depth of The Shangri-La’s and The Shirelles, they combine it with a warm, fuzzed-out rock backdrop, creating a wholesome and inviting sound. “I would describe our sound as a heavier, distorted sounding version of 60’s doo wop, with 90’s garage rock elements thrown in as well,” says Morte when asked how she would categorise Night School. “Some of the heaviest influences on our new record were The Beach Boys and Weezer.”

On top of that, they have a very unique vibe, one that falls somewhere between a spooky October evening and a Disney-like innocence. “That’s actually such a spot on description of the things we are all into,” laughs Morte. “I think we all sort of have an equal love of weird, dark things and adorable things. That was definitely the aim of creating the aesthetic for our new record.”

The record in question is their debut album, ‘Blush’. Working once again with producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor) at Atomic Garden in San Francisco, Night School have come into their own. The songs are rounded, the playing more accomplished. It shows a huge leap away from their raw yet sugary-sweet 2014 EP, ‘Heart Beat’, and the power-pop of last years split with Dott. “There was definitely a deliberate move toward a more hi-fi sound,” explains Morte of the recording. “I really wanted ‘Heart Beat’ to sound kind of fuzzy and far away, sort of like an old record. For ‘Blush’ I had in mind the Weezer album ‘Pinkerton’ as far as production. Working with Jack Shirley again was awesome, and he was able to get this record to sound just the way we wanted it to. I feel like the song writing has been a very natural progression. A lot of the songs on ‘Blush’ were written around the same time as ‘Heart Beat’ and some of them came a little later.“

Lyrically, ‘Blush’ is very direct. Night School leave no room for metaphor, and the tales of love, romance and relationships that are at the core of the album are told through a very heart-on-sleeve approach. “A lot of the songs are inspired by romantic experiences,” says Morte as we discuss the theme of the record. “Some of them are written from a real life point of view, some from observations about human behaviour and some are more like story telling. There’s definitely a real-life love story woven throughout the record. Some songs deal with other aspects of life, but those are also certainly fuelled by emotion as well.”

While sole members of the band write some songs, the album is a very collaborative affair. The connection is felt on the saccharine ‘Last Disaster’ and the swooning surf-rock of ‘Misty and Blue’. Morte gives us some background as to some of her favourite tracks on ‘Blush’. “I think my favourites from the record are ‘Casanova’ and ‘Airplanes,’” she says. “’Casanova’ is a song that Baylie wrote and it’s just so good! This is one of those storytelling songs. The lyrics are so dark and written so well, she’s a genius at lyrics. ‘Airplanes’ is my other favourite because I feel like I was able to move away a bit from a style that I’ve gotten so used to writing in. I think it sounds a little different from the other songs on the record and I like that.’

The record will once again be released by Savannah-based D.I.Y label, Graveface Records, which couldn’t be a more fitting home for Night School. They will join their label mates The Casket Girls on several dates of the Graveface Summer tour, which Morte explains is something she is particularly looking forward to. “Working with Graveface has been wonderful,” she says enthusiastically. “We love working with Ryan and are so excited for our tour dates with the Casket Girls. I’m a huge fan of them and can’t wait to watch them play 5 nights in a row. We hope to bring a lot of fun energy to our shows and are working on perfecting our 3 part harmonies!”

At the time of writing, Night School is yet to become a full time proposition for these ladies, as they are currently juggling the band in between day jobs and their studies. While their ambitions are humble Morte admits that they definitely have their eyes firmly fixed on the future. “I just hope that ‘Blush’ is well received and people enjoy it,” she says when asked what the band hope to achieve with the record. “We are hoping to try to make a full US tour happen when we graduate college in the next year, and maybe head to the UK soon after. That can be tricky and expensive but we’d love to do it.”

‘Blush’ is released on June 17th via Graveface Records, and is available to pre-order now. They will also be appearing at the following West Coast dates as part of the Graveface Road Show.

JUNE
21 SEATTLE Barboza
22 PORTLAND McMenamins White Eagle Saloon
24 SAN FRANCISCO DNA Lounge
25 SANTA CRUZ The Crepe Place
26 LOS ANGELES The Bootleg Theatre