"You just gotta be tired and ready to snooze," says Nigel Chapman, one of the masterminds behind Halifax and Montreal's Nap Eyes, "A good nap can be the best." After a year of tinkering, Nap Eyes releases the full length Whine of the Mystic on Montreal's Plastic Factory Records on March 25.
Releasing EPs since 2011, Nap Eyes comes close to the pinnacle of Halifax's former indie rock gloriousness. Clean, nostalgic and characteristically unpretentious, Chapman steers the Nap Eyes ship. "I write the bare bones of lyrics, simple chords and the melody," says Chapman, "Then we jam and everybody makes up their own part, like Neil Young's 'Everybody's Alone.' Significantly, Seamus Dalton and Josh Salter (Monomyth) and Brad Loughead (Each Other) are such intuitive musicians---their playing influences the songs overwhelmingly. In that sense, the song writing is very collaborative."
The album's nine tracks sound nostalgic and new, with a Pavement-like force that meets the novelty of Chapman's slick vocals. Recorded live at the Drones Club in Montreal, Chapman agrees there are "certain threads that appeal to us all," from folk to rock. Nap Eyes is genre-elusive but inclusive.
"Things naturally fit together in the mix, and musically," says Chapman of the live recording process. "It does have advantages. You get the feeling of the song, everyone's feeling of the song, as all one take. Even the mistakes sound natural." Mastered by Mike Wright, Whine is one of the first releases for Plastic Factory, a developing label with bands like Freak Heat Waves on board. Chapman says a compilation record featuring "bomb tracks" from Plastic Factory's artists is coming soon.
Next, Nap Eyes hits the road for a 12-date tour with Monomyth.
Take your time with it. Whine is understated and unrushed. From the hand-printed record sleeves designed by Danika Vandersteen to the album's sonic steadiness, patience has been paramount. And if you want to get your nap on, Chapman says, "eat a snack. Now you've got the energy to fall asleep."
Nap Eyes, Whine of the Mystic available March 25
