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What happens when you strike lighting right away?
If John Hughes were still alive, his soundtracks would include Alvvays.
But the band has already proved their staying power.
Their 2014 self-titled debut and its 2017 follow-upAntisocialiteswere critically praised and shortlisted for Canadas Polaris Music Prize.
This yearsBlue Rev, out October 7 through Polyvinyl, might be their best yet.
If there ever was a level-up record,Blue Revis it.
We will have a ton of rehearsal time where we can just forget about everything onstage and enjoy ourselves.
We havent gotten to that point yet.
Blue Revfeels like a huge leap, especially in terms of noise and energy.
But at the time, it was horrifying.
I say that as a compliment, but theres a lot of change in your camp.
Im probably the hundredth music critic to bring up My Bloody Valentine when talking aboutPharmacist.[Laughs.
]I think weve gravitated toward more things like that.
Were really into Lilys and MBV and Lush.
Weve always been really into loud guitars.
I think Im also very bossy.[Laughs.
]Ill go to bat for my ideas and my melodies.
We get most of that stuff out of the way before we start experimenting with drum fills.
I choose the hills I want to die on.
There are moments on the record that I knew couldnt change.
It just had to be exactly the way that it had been sitting in my brain for years.
We did start as a drum-machine band.
Some stuff in Lottery Noises.
Hes done a lot of work on a lot of big records and has his own thing, too.
He is such a talented, kind person.
I would never just stash songs in a bag for my endeavors later on.
Why spread your gems that thin?
I guess Im not prolific enough to have different categories.
When we first started, I once read someone saying that our band was for people with limp dicks.
I know After the Earthquake was inspired by Haruki Murakamis short-story collection after the quake.
I think it was fairly traumatic for everyone.
It was always on at my grandmothers or our house.
]Youve out-quizzed me on my own album, and I dont appreciate it.
Did you grow up on her music?We watched the Go-Gos doc.
Have you watched that?
Not yet.Its so good.
How do you negotiate social media?
If you think about it that much, you might as well just be on it.
I have a go at lean into the visual aspect of it.
We dont go out that much.
Social media just seems like an accelerated version of that.
No slight to anyone who thrives in that realm, either.
Its just not the place for me.
I dont know what it is about us, but no one has ever told us what to do.
We never get made to do anything.
I have to think it would be the same now if we started a band.
We would still probably be in the shadows half of the time that we arent onstage or doing interviews.
Im waiting for someone to do that.
Are you haunted at all by the success of Archie, Marry Me?
Even just playing it in practice and onstage feels right.
I still honestly enjoy playing it.
It would be so miserable if thats the way I felt about it.
Im not chasing that song.
And that song has done a lot for us.
My introduction to rock music was finding Oasis.
It opened up a whole new world for me.
I was obsessed with Oasis.
Every album I was into.
I mean, up to a certain point.[Laughs.
]But I couldnt believe how good the songs were.
WasBe Here Nowthe final straw?No, that was not the final straw.
I was perfectly fine withBe Here Now.
Because I had bought it.
You had to like it.
That was a thing back then.
Its like you buy this album and are stuck with it, so you will find redeeming qualities.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
