Katrina Rees
If you’re a fan of alt-pop rock music then you need to be tuned in to all female three-piece band shallow pools.
Made up of Glynnis Brennan (vocals, bass), Jess Gromada (guitar), and Ali Ajemian (drums), shallow pools became friends in 2012 and started out by playing acoustic covers in their hometown of Massachusetts. By 2016, they decided to turn their hand to songwriting and released an EP under a different name.
Come 2018, and the trio have come a long way. Having developed a new sound and aesthetic, Glynnis, Jess and Ali decided to rename themselves shallow pools in order to reflect their development as a band.
Their first single as shallow pools, ‘It’s A You Thing.’ was released back in July and perfectly sums up who they are as a band. Armed with a catchy melody and expressive lyrics, the band have used their personal experiences to deliver a song which will resonate with many. shallow pools will continue their exciting journey with their new track ‘Sinking’, which is due for release later this month, ahead of their debut EP.
We caught up with shallow pools to discuss ‘It’s A You Thing.’, their forthcoming music and much more.
Congratulations on the release of your latest single ‘It’s a You Thing.’. What’s the response been like so far?
Thank you so much! Everyone’s been super supportive— it’s been great!
Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the track and how it came about?
‘It’s A You Thing.’ started out as a song about a strained friendship, but eventually turned into something that can relate to anyone who feels like they might be stuck in a situation/relationship.
What’s your favourite lyric from the song?
It’s probably “water’s rising and I can’t get out.” It’s so simple, but it’s a feeling that we’ve all had before.
You’ve also released a music video for the song, which ends in a beautiful sparkly confetti party. What was the filming experience like?
The filming experience was super cool! Ali (the drummer) directed it along with her friend Andrew Young, which led us to all be super involved in the process. We did everything from purchasing of props to making the final edits!
You’ll be releasing another single at the end of the month, what can listeners expect from ‘Sinking’?
‘Sinking’ is a lot more upbeat/alt rock than ‘It’s A You Thing.’ It’s unanimously our favorite song thus far, it’s a dancey song about a serious topic!
We also hear that you’ll be releasing an EP later in the year. What do hope that people will take away from your EP?
We just hope that people will connect with our music! These songs are all really personal, so people will get to know the three of us a lot better. We’re really proud of these songs and hope they reflect how much effort we put into creating them!
You’ve been together as a band for a number of years and originally released an EP under a different name. Why did you decide to rebrand as shallow pools?
We realized that the songs we were writing, as well as our previous name, didn’t really fit with who we are. When we started writing new songs, we figured changing our name would give us a fresh start with music we’re excited about!
How have you changed and developed as a band since your formation?
We all have gotten a lot more confident in our abilities. When we started Glynnis had never played bass, Ali hadn’t played a drum set since middle school, and Jess played primarily acoustic guitar. We have really learned and grown together and it’s been super cool to watch each other progress with every new song!
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
We definitely take a lot of inspiration from bands like Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, Movements, and a ton of others.
How has Boston influenced you musically as a band?
Growing up, we actually lived in between Boston and Providence, so we’ve gotten to go to a ton of cool shows in both cities. Getting to go to shows from a really young age definitely gave us the drive and motivation to make our own music.
You’ve played several shows this year including with VISTA. What’s your favorite thing about being out on the road?
Playing shows is the best. Seeing people who have never heard you before get excited and want to get a CD or talk to us is so cool. It’s confirmation that people can connect to our music! We also love meeting the other bands and making new friends!
What else do you have in store for the remainder of the year?
Right now, we’re working on finishing up our debut EP, and we’ve also got some shows lined up around Boston!
Thank you to shallow pools for their time. Make sure you keep up to date with them via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
‘It’s A You Thing.’ is available now. Keep an eye out for ‘Sinking’ which is due later this month.
