An Interview With the Alt-Pop-Rck Band, SHALLOW POOLS, On Their Newest Music and More!

Meet the alt pop/rock band MA-based band, shallow pools! On July 13th, they released their brand new single, “It’s A You Thing.” On August 24th, they will put out the follow-up single, “Sinking.” shallow pools strives to promote inclusivity, and wants to establish a welcoming environment for people of all ages, sexualities, and gender identities.

Connect with shallow pools here:

Twitter: @shallowpoolsMA

Facebook: @shallowpoolsMA

Instagram: @shallowpoolsMA

Learn more about shallow pools in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day?

Well actually this weekend we are going to New Jersey and Connecticut for warped tour!

All Access Music is currently compiling a list of our artists favorite songs this summer so what is YOUR song of the summer?

Power by Little Mix will forever be our song of the summer.

How has 2018 been treating you all? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year?

Lots of ups and downs, but recently pretty great! This year we are focusing on putting out an EP and hopefully playing some out of state venues!

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Has anything surprised you about this ride so far?

We started playing covers together at the end of high school and naturally progressed into writing our own songs a few years later. The thing we never really thought would happen would be how many friends we would make from different places through playing shows together!

How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What other names were you considering? What name was the runner up?

Well we were self-titled for 2 years and felt like we outgrew that name. This past April we decided to change the name to shallow pools. We didn’t really have any other names in mind because we all liked this one right away!

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?

There wasn’t a big music scene in our hometown, but we lived really close to Providence and Boston growing up, so there were a bunch of opportunities to see great shows! There are also some really cool bands that have come out of the northeast in general, which definitely inspires us and influences our sound.

Let’s talk about your latest single “It’s A You Thing.” What was the inspiration for this song? How do you think it is different or similar to anything else you have released before?

“It’s A You Thing.” was inspired by a strained friendship and everything that comes with that. This song is definitely different than our previous releases. Lyrically, it’s a lot more personal than anything we have written before. We also experimented with pad sounds and effects, which was new for us.

How creatively involved were you all with the making of the music video for it?

We all came up with the concept, bought the equipment, and put it together as a group. It was shot by our friend Andrew Young who did a GREAT JOB and was directed/edited by Ali!

When do you hope to put out more new music and a full album of new songs?

We have a new single “Sinking” coming out on August 24th and a 5 song EP coming out in the fall!

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

Both! It’s hard to choose. We love recording because it’s so fun to see what you started with and what the songs turn into, but when you see people reacting positively and being excited about songs that you worked so hard on at a live show, that’s also extremely rewarding!

Do you have any upcoming tour dates this summer that you would like to tell our readers about?

We are playing a show on July 20th supporting VISTA at Patterson’s Creations in Attleboro, MA. We also have a show on August 19th at the Middle East Upstairs supporting Walkney and Pollyanna in Cambridge, MA.

How do you think being musicians and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

We’re all super passionate about writing and playing music as individuals but getting to play with your best friends makes it even more fun. We all really love our new music, so it’s really exciting for us that people are starting to hear it.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that? Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate?

Sinking is a song all about anxiety and depression and this political climate has not helped our collective anxiety levels AT ALL. As a band, we are very vocal about our political stances as well as our involvement in the LGBTQIA+ community. Other musicians are definitely making music that’s influenced by this climate too. We think that if you have any semblance of a platform, it’s important to talk about what’s going on in the world and to let people know what you stand for.

Who would you love to work with in the future?

We really love working with Chris Curran at Reclaim Studios!! We’d also love to work with the producer Stephen Gomez one day.

Who are some of your favorite artists right now?

Movements, Little Mix, Paramore, The Veronicas… we like a lot of different genres!

What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this group?

Paramore! They’re one of our favorite bands and they’re all extremely talented.

If you guys were all going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you want to take with you and why?

Glynnis says the piano because she can’t ever sit down and learn it but maybe on a deserted island she’d have the time and patience to learn.

Ali would take a guitar because it’s easy to transport. I assume the island will be hot and drums are a LOT to carry.

Jess would take the tambourine because we need a percussive instrument and it’s small. Hopefully Ali would let me borrow her guitar sometimes too.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

We just hope that people will feel less alone when they listen to our music. Whether the song is about mental health, loss, relationships, etc. we want people to feel like they can relate. We also want to promote inclusivity as a band, and we hope that translates through our music.

(Photography provided by 25/8 PR)