“This is the most touring we’ve done since we first started out,” Gunnulfsen says. “It’s gruelling, but I feel like we kind of adapted to it and we’re getting used to it. We got our touring schedule for the next year and a half and the only month we’re free is in December. It’s kind of daunting but we’ve already adapted to it and just gotten used to it – or figured out how to enjoy being away from home as much as we are.”
Pvris formed in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2012 and gained prominence on the local scene almost immediately. Things really ignited upon the release of their debut EP, Paris, in March 2013 and they haven’t looked back since. From the outset, they had no scruples about shooting for the stars.
“Our whole mindset with music or anything we do is, ‘If you have the opportunity to go as far as you can possibly go, you should absolutely aim for that, but you shouldn’t expect that’,” Gunnulfsen says. “So we don’t expect to be the biggest band in the world – we never expected to have all the opportunities and all this hype and amazing feedback on the record that we’ve gotten – but we wanted that.”
To casual observers, it seems like White Noise sprung forth with very little lead-up. Though, given the band had released music as far back as late 2012, there was a decent cultivation period.
“We all had to earn our stripes and pay our dues and play local shows to like ten people and work fulltime jobs,” Gunnulfsen says. “The two years prior to having the record out we were always hustling and just working hard to even make this a possibility. Now it’s finally paying off. To other people and it seems like this happened out of nowhere, but we’ve been working hard since day one and busting our arses.”
Co-written by Gunnulfsen and Harnage, White Noise is a good representation of not only the band’s diverse influences, but also a growing eclecticism in the tastes of the average listener. The record manages to intertwine everything from electro-pop and alternative rock to pop punk, and it also contains moments of soulful delicacy. Gunnulfsen says the genre merging isn’t overly contrived.
“I feel like it’s a natural thing and a subconscious thing that just kind of happens. Our main focus is just making music that we would want to listen to and music that we’re proud of and music that we’re happy with. That’s the ultimate goal and I think by doing that and not feeling pressured to fit into a category or appeal to a certain audience, it brings the best out of your music. By just vibing off something and doing whatever you want, it makes it speak for itself.”
White Noise came out courtesy of Rise Records. Having the support of an influential and well-regarded label is invaluable. Plus, the label didn’t attempt to steer Pvris’ songwriting in any direction.
“Rise is actually completely hands off with the creative process. They literally just were like, ‘Right. You’re in the studio from this time until this time. Whatever you hand in is what we’re going to work with.’ Which is super cool. I don’t think they were expecting what we handed into them but they definitely were shocked in the best way.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
