Freshly Pressed – Antisolar “Drifting”

Despite living over 5,500 miles apart, the two members of Antisolar have managed to sustain their musical relationship well. Olivier (based in Paris, France) and Andrew (based in LA) often collaborate on their songwriting remotely, with brief in-person visits when their travel schedules allow it. Their latest single, “Drifting” was written during sessions in Paris and Houston, then recorded in LA – it mixes indie and alt rock styles with an electronica twist for good measure. We caught up with Olivier and Andrew to chat about the song, how they became a band, and what’s coming up next.

From The Strait: Tell us about the new single, “Drifting”.

Olivier: So, I came up with the original (albeit much simpler) chord progression for the verse, along with the lyrics, “I saw you drifting in the rain…and I don’t know what you want from me….” I had originally imagined that it would be about not being heard in a relationship but I couldn’t find much more inspiration. Then Andrew came up with the killer chorus and a very personal story to develop the existing lyrics into something much more precise and meaningful.

Andrew: Yeah, it somehow became about my best friend from high school, who in his early thirties got addicted to meth. I tried to write it from his wife’s perspective: I imagined her constantly torn between love for the man she’d married and had kids with, and recognition that the life they’d envisioned together was gone. Incidentally, there’s a tip of that hat in the bridge to Rush via Ovid’s Metamorphosis: my friend who the song is about is a drummer, and he and I used to play Rush’s “Bravado” together. The first line of the song is “If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun”, a reference to the Icarus myth. To me, that became an apt metaphor for my friend’s life at the time Olivier and I were writing the song.

FTS: How did Antisolar become a band?

Olivier: Andrew and I met in L.A. while I was recording a different project in the spring of 2005. He later became that band’s music director for our live shows and our friendship blossomed from there. We both knew we wanted to continue the adventure together so over the years we found opportunities to collaborate despite living on different continents.

FTS: What was the coolest (and/or weirdest) live show you’ve ever played?

Andrew: Well, I’ve played on boats off the coasts of six continents. I know that’s not a single show, but I think it’s pretty cool!

Olivier: I would have to say the “weirdest” show was just outside a butcher’s shop at a festival in central France.

FTS: What do you hope that listeners take away from your music? How do you hope they feel after listening?

Olivier: I always hope that they can see the sun in their lives. The best bits of feedback I’ve received have been when people have told me that they felt like they were driving around with the top-down, whether or not they were actually in a car! That’s sort of the first layer. The next thing that I love is when people ask about the lyrics and what the songs are about. To make people feel free while taking them on a journey with us is an amazing feeling.

Andrew: Along those lines, I hope listeners feel something, whether exhilaration via the chorus of a song like “You Resurrect Me”, or sadness that motivates them to consider change via a song like “Do We Tremble At Night?” To that end, I think in many cases our exact meaning is less important than what the song might mean to the listener.

FTS: What’s next for Antisolar?

Olivier: We’ve got several new songs (as well as a few old ones) brewing, so we’re aiming to cross the Atlantic and get them recorded soon so we have the next batch of songs ready to go.

Andrew: Mostly we just want to keep growing, not only through new songs, but also by connecting with listeners and other creative people. A big part of the joy in the journey so far has been discovering all the cool stuff other people do!

Check out “Drifting”, the latest single from Antisolar!