The last time we caught up with Sheer, their goals as a band were humble, simply out to play shows and make new friends. Two years on, vocalist/guitarist Gina Almaguer says that “It’s more or less the same,” for the Californian band. “We're planning on traveling a lot more for shows and eventually doing a tour so we are able to play in new places. Right now we're still trying to write as much as possible for our next release which are hoping to have done soon.”
Sheer are clearly thinking ahead, as they are about to release their excellent new EP, ‘Psychic Quarry’. It follows on from their debut album, ‘Uneasy’, which put them on the radar, but got somewhat lost among the trend of shoegaze bands that were rapidly releasing music at a similar time. Truthfully, while they draw influence from the dreamy textures of the genre, Sheer’s music goes a little deeper than staring at your feet.
“We’ve had many people describe us as shoegaze, but we’ve also gotten anything from post rock, grunge, and dream pop, so we really just go with it,” explains Almaguer, who isn’t really concerned with where the band fit. “To be honest, we’ve never really “identified” with any specific genre simply because there are so many artists from so many different genres of music that influence our sound, it’s hard to put a label on it. We really just let the listener decided and however it resonates with them is good with us.”
Not letting a genre or label define then has worked in their favour on ‘Psychic Quarry’, and by circling thing back to a more rock-driven, “less is more” approach, it allows Sheer to stand out. A line up change since ‘Uneasy’ also brought something new to the band. “Adding two new members to the band naturally introduced new influences to our sound,” admits Almaguer, before going on to say that the writing experience was incredibly smooth after the transition.
“We ended up writing the whole EP in just a few months,” Almaguer continues. “Everything really happened organically, which led to us developing a new sound. Although there are definitely some differences from the last release, it’s really a great representation to who and where we are as both individuals and a band.“
Another change came for the band when they chose to record with Taylor Young, a producer rooted in metal and hardcore. Not only is he a member of Twitching Tongues and Nails, his hard-hitting production has appeared on releases by a long list of aggressive bands. “Taylor really helped us capture such a big/full sound and really brought out smaller elements that are unique to us,” beams Almaguer of their first time recording with Young. “He helped us dial in the perfect tone on all of the instruments and even helped to add smaller parts in some of the tracks that really brought the songs to life. We could not be more stoked on how it came out. He rules!”
Lyrically, Sheer deal in honesty once again with ‘Psychic Quarry’. It doesn’t come easy, though, particularly on the tale of intimacy told during ‘Room’, and other personal subject matter spread across the EP. “What makes me so nervous is really just the feeling of being so vulnerable,” says Almaguer “I never really talk openly about my feelings with anyone in my personal life so to be so up front about it in my songs really makes me feel anxious. Writing is sort of a form of therapy for me, so I try to be as honest with myself as possible. I think it’s easier for people to relate to a song if it’s easy to figure out what it’s about.”
Hailing from Simi Valley, the small Californian city has not been immune to ‘Trumps America’ in the wake of the presidential election last November. Sheer have made various efforts to support those affected, playing benefit shows in aid of Planned Parenthood and ACLU. It also gave fuel to the fire while writing ‘Psychic Quarry’, with ‘To Love and Feel Alive’ hoping to give a voice to those who feel marginalised, letting people know they are not alone.
“My feelings are still the same as when the election first happened, that being that it fucking sucks,” Almaguer emphatically states. “Trump and his minions have really stirred up a lot of hate that unfortunately has always existed, but has just been normalised now. Many of his supporters have developed this sense of entitlement has “Americans,” where they feel superior to others, but are really just equal with them. I do think it’s good for bands and artists to be vocal and use whatever platform they have to speak up, but I do think it takes a lot more than that to really make a difference. It’s less about talking about what you don’t like and more about taking action to change it and continuing to do so.”
While still keeping their goals modest, Almaguer does have a message to those who listen to ‘Psychic Quarry’, and what Sheer would like people take from it. “I just hope someone who listens is able to relate and know they’re not the only one who’s constantly struggling with their mental health. It may seem like everyday there’s an internal battle that has to be fought and you just have to do your best to power through and not let it define you.”
‘Psychic Quarry’ is released on April 28 via The Native Sound, is available to pre-order now. Sheer have also curated an excellent playlist of some of their collective influences, which you can listen to below.