Q&A: Creative Differences is Ditching the Norm and Embracing the Wild Ride with ‘WAVESHOES EP’
ORANGE COUNTY'S ALT-ROCK DUO, CREATIVE DIFFERENCES, ISN'T KNOWN FOR FOLLOWING THE SCRIPT. Their latestt EP, WAVESHOES EP, which dropped on March 1st, is a testament to their commitment to pushing boundaries and crafting impactful music.
WAVESHOES shatters expectations and isn't your typical alt-rock record. It's a bold fusion of genres, where electrifying guitar riffs intertwine with pulsating electronic elements and hyper-pop flourishes. This isn't just music for passive listening; it's a journey that demands your full attention, rewarding those who delve deeper with layers of vulnerability and artistic exploration.
Get ready to discover a band unafraid to experiment, a duo pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to be an alt-rock force. We chatted with Creatives Differences to delve into the inspiration behind WAVESHOES, the band's artistic evolution, and how they're carving their own distinct path within the music scene.
LUNA: The "WAVESHOES EP" showcases a distinct shift towards electronic elements and experimentation. What factors motivated this evolution in your sound?
CD: While we were making our previous EP, which was our most “rock” inspired project, I think all of us just had this strong pull to more electronic music. We each picked up some new favorite DJ’s, hyperpop artists, and ambient musicians around that time, and I think that just really influenced where we wanted to go next. It was also around this time that Larson bought his first synth, and the ideas just kind of poured out of it.
LUNA: Given the title "WAVESHOES," is there a specific story or meaning behind it that you'd like to share?
CD: I (Ryan) had collected a bunch of iPhone piano/vocal song ideas and about six months later Larson asked me for them so that he could sample them. He sent back an arrangement of one where you could hear my mumbled voice singing what sounded like “waveshoes.” Even though that song didn’t make it into the final cut of the EP, it was sort of the tone-setter for what the rest of the songs turned out to be. We’ve always had this idea of making an entire project with the purpose of resampling it into a new album, the unreleased title track of “WAVESHOES” was the first attempt of that.
LUNA: While embracing new sonic territories, your songwriting is said to be your most candid yet. How does this vulnerability connect to the overall thematic exploration of the EP?
CD: I hadn’t done a lot of reflecting on the KIDBOY EP while we were making it, but I always described it as “paranoid”. The themes are a bit all over the place, but there’s this umbrella of hatred that sits overtop the previous project. When I started hearing the instrumentals larson was making, it felt like the other side of same coin. Where KIDBOY was paranoid and chaotic, WAVESHOES is accepting and expressive.
LUNA: You've mentioned defying the norms of the local music scene and crafting songs for deeper emotional impact rather than virality. Can you elaborate on this artistic decision and how it shapes your creative identity?
CD: We’ve written short, simple, easily-palatable songs shooting for streaming numbers before. For this release we decided to set that mission aside and let these songs be as strange as they needed to. These tracks have unconventional song structures, extreme vocal processing, and we didn’t cut them short. They are theatrical, meant to be played loud and experienced live. WAVESHOES is a sonic vomit of creative ideas that are refined but not at all dulled and the extreme switch to these electronic theatrics makes us stand out among the usual set of groups we perform with.
LUNA: Touring the EP in its unfinished state across various audiences is quite unconventional. What insights did you gain from these early live experiences, and how did they influence the final product?
CD: While it was sadly not an intentional decision, we did get quite a bit out of the experience. Touring with a project before its release lets the raw live energy play more of a role in how the songs are mixed. Watching back the videos each night really allowed us to see which parts hit and which parts miss. When we got back home, the fan feedback was integral to how we touched up these songs before putting them out.
LUNA: Your live shows are known for their captivating visuals. Can you hint at how you plan to translate this aspect to the WAVESHOES EP listening experience?
CD: We still have three more videos in production for this EP. I don’t think we’ve put out a single song that doesn’t have a corresponding visual component. We want each of the videos for WAVESHOES to have small appearances of characters from KIDBOY, but to largely be its own story.
In our live shows, we always try to bring at least one new element after each break from tour. After the KIDBOY tour, we had new costumes and background visuals, after the 6 shows tour, we had a synthesizer and midi controlled guitar, and now after the WAVESHOES Tour, we’re implementing lighting. This is one of the biggest jumps in our production quality yet, and I can’t wait to show everyone what we can do.
LUNA: Looking ahead, how do you envision the WAVESHOES EP impacting your artistic trajectory and your connection with your audience?
CD: I hope our audience can connect to what we’ve made but honestly, this project had more to do with proving something to ourselves than to any one else. Each of these songs have that emotion that washes over me in the opening second, and it feels like we’ve been chasing that “it factor” since we started writing music. This is the first time we’ve actually managed to accomplish that.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the upcoming season?
CD: We’re entering a bit of a commercial break in our discography. Usually our projects (EP's) are tonally very consistent, but I notice myself getting a little too enveloped in the concept of it all. The tone, narrative, and visuals always need to line up for me to be content with releasing a project. We want to restructure, rebuild, and find new ways to expand our creative output- without diving headfirst into another narrative. So the most I can say is to expect new singles, and a bit more experimentation than usual.
