Ejecta

Joined by mystic forces like some musical Megazord, Leanne Macomber (Neon Indian) and Joel Ford (Ford & Lopatin, Tigercity), Ejecta is a ‘not-a-side-project’ unlike any other.

Producing effervescent synthpop, the pair weave the tale of Ejecta, an everywoman reborn on Earth whose story is elaborate and mighty like a historical epic. Quickly gathering steam for their deliriously efficienct hook-carriages and unabashed use of nudity – don’t expect to see them in the windows of HMV (well, there’s a few reasons that won’t be happening…) any time soon. It’s not gratuitous or pornographic in nature, but there’s only so much butt that you can display on a high street.

They dabble in myriad styles, fusing Italo and disco on “Jeremiah (The Denier)”, explore moody synthscapes on “Small Town Girl” and challenge pop nobility on “Tempest”. Their debut, Dominae, is a slick, fluid torrent of emotive pop noises. “It’s Only Love” has been their calling card as Ejecta. Formed from glacial beats, jittery squelches and Macomber’s gloriously disconnected vox, it’s a swooning, Nero-esque (emperor, not DJ) ballad with a bucket of reasons to fall in love with it, and a wonderful introduction into Ejecta’s timbre.

We were able to grab a few moments with them to learn a few titbits: it turns out that being in the buff is vital, it’s been in gestation for almost seven years, and Ejecta, if an animal, would be a wolf. Or a bagel.

How did Ejecta form? When did you know you wanted to make music together?

Leanne Macomber: I’ve been a big fan of everything I’ve heard Joel touch. We’re very different musicians and have completely unique approaches to the craft. He’s methodical and thoughtful. I’m more visceral and a bit of a savage. I also have no concept for self-editing. It’s wonderful to have a collaborator you admire and who finds worth in your vision.

Joel Ford: Oh wow, thanks Leanne! Yeah I’d consider myself a better editor than anything else. We make a great pair. Super easy studio vibe.

What are you best at together?

Leanne: I find the dynamism most rewarding. I love that we can be in a sombre premenstrual lull one moment and on a blissful dance-y rampage the next.

Joel: Champion-level Bourbon-ists.

In what ways, apart from the obvious musical ways, does Ejecta differ from other projects?

L: For me it’s a completely new mission.

J: I bring something from my past musical experiences to every new session/production. Ejecta is new for me, but hanging and working with Leanne has never felt new or weird. We learn from each other every time we’re in the same room.

What’s the appeal of Latin as a language for this project?

L: The band name ‘Ejecta’ is a volcanological term referring to the dust that settles after a seismic shift. It alludes to a sort of rebirth. We wanted the project to have one foot in the future and one in the past. Ejecta sounds very sci-fi to my ear. ‘Dominae’ is a Latin word that would have been used by a female lord when referring to herself in official edicts in early England. It sounds archaic and suggests a power/submission relationship. It’s very open ended, feminine, and beautiful.

There’s a lot of nudity surrounding Ejecta. Has this presented any problems like it has Miley Cyrus or Lady Gaga?

L: We’re not on a major label. I wasn’t a child star. I believe the context is quite different as well. More inspired by the classic art nude than anything.

Could you give us your reasoning of the use of nudity?

L: Ejecta is nude because she is an everywoman. Without clothing, you cannot place her in a class or culture. You cannot assign her sexuality. She is timeless.

Why not Joel too?

L: Ejecta is a character representing this project. In images we’d prefer to tell her story rather than ours. To build her internal mythology. Present a mystery. She seems displaced in time. Maybe an apparition or a ghost. After the rebirth (described above) she finds herself on earth and this is where our story begins.

How did you set about writing the record?

L: I’ve been in the process of writing it for seven years. The bulk of it is a random collection of songs that I originally sent Joel when we began sharing music with one another. The rest we wrote together in the studio.

How was it recorded?

J: We recorded Dominae over 14 months in 5 different ‘studios’, ranging from million dollar recording suites to absolute shithoused-bedrooms. The first six months or so of collaboration was completely remote via email. At one point, when we had about five demos I sent them to a respected producer friend. He told me they sounded “very analog”, which was hilarious because the tracks were totally ‘in the box’ at that point. I knew we were headed in an exciting direction and the process of building out those demos into bigger, more dynamic jams was super fun. Most of the final tracking and mixing happened in two different studios in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

What’s been the inspiration for the lyrics and narratives?

L: The lyrics are very honest. Some are more fantastical, melodramatic, or humorous than others. They’re songs are about love, loss, and struggles in early adulthood.

Have any musicians or bands influenced the sound at all?

L: Nope. We were raised by wolves in the Black Forest.

J: Marble Madness for Original Nintendo is my only influence.

What are your aspirations for Ejecta?

L: We’re really hoping she goes to college after all the time and money we’ve spent on her.

If Ejecta was an animal, which would it be?

L: Wolf. Easy.

J: Bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers and onions.

What’s it been like translating Ejecta to a live scenario?

L: It’s been really fun. Much more rock influenced than the record. I’m on guitar, Joel’s on bass, and some dude hits stuff. It can be really nerve-wracking but we’re excited to develop things.

Do you have a pretty standard set-up or wild theatrics? What would you do with an unlimited budget?

L: Eventually I’d love for video to be involved in the performance. Or backup dancers that are all dressed like Joel having illicit sex. But for now I’m enjoying the simplicity of playing a rock show.

J: I want everyone to wear sleeping bags on stage. I want to play my bass inside a giant sleeping bag next to a fire with hot cider and whiskey.

If you could play anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

L: We would build a time machine, travel to ancient Greece, and perform on the Laconian battlefront cheering on Theban farmers as they courageously slaughter the Spartans – freeing 200,000 enslaved Messenian serfs.

J: Opening for Steel Pulse at the Pyramids.

Festival season’s a long way off still, but are there any plans forming yet for next summer?

L: We’re already picking out our furry boots and bikinis.

J: Yeah we’re gonna hit club dates and fests in the USA and Europe. Stoked!

Dominae is out this week in the UK, via Happy Death.