Over the past 13 years, Portland's The Shivas have matured from high schoolers who had to wait outside when they played shows at 21-and-up venues to the mature, tight-knit unit they are today. Their fifth album — Dark Thoughts, out now via Tender Loving Empire — is their most ambitious yet, the product of three different recording sessions, the final one with producer Cameron Spies (Radiation City, Night Heron).
Today's Song of the Day has a dark '60s psych-rock vibe with haunting harmonies from vocalist/guitarist Jared Molyneux and vocalist/drummer Kristin Leonard. When KEXP premiered the video for "Gloria" back in August, Molyneux gave us some insight into the witchy clip:
"Gloria - The cost of striving for glory. Is it worth it?
"It's the familiar setting of a band on tour looking for a place to stay for the night. This video is an homage to all the folks who have let us stay at their house on tour. We met Claude, who shot and directed the video, while we were on tour when someone told us we could stay at his house without asking him. He was cool with it anyway and has since become one of our best friends. This video is that scenario but gone horribly wrong. Often staying with a friend of a friend (or strangers) we’re not exactly sure what we’re getting ourselves into. This has happened to us many times, but we have never stayed with anyone quite like Gloria … but almost."
The Shivas will be LIVE on KEXP on Wednesday, November 13th at 1:00 PM and playing the seventh annual Freakout Fest on Thursday, November 14th.
Finding good new music can be a full time job, so let KEXP help! In Our Headphones brings you five song recommendations every Monday, straight from KEXP’s DJs and Music Directors. Join hosts Janice Headley and Isabel Khalili on this never-ending journey of music discovery.
Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
