Q&A: shower curtain is Here for the Overstimulation
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHERIDAN AGUILAR ☆
VICTORIA WINTER SHARES HER DREAMS- shower curtain’s second album, words from a wishing well, was released last fall and has been steadily building momentum and praise in the indie music scene. Victoria Winter discusses new music, SXSW, her inspirations, and the creative process behind shower curtain’s unique sound.
From Brooklyn, New York, shower curtain is fronted by Brazilian-American artist Victoria Winter (vocals/guitar), alongside Ethan Williams (guitar/vocals), Sean Terrell (drums), and Cody Hudgins (bass). Their roots in the DIY music scene have helped shape their sound—blending ‘90s grunge, shoegaze, and influences from 2010s indie music.
Their creative style allows collaboration between all band members to account for time to make changes. The band's evolution from a solo project to a full-fledged quartet has allowed them to explore more complex arrangements and a heavier sonic landscape. words from a wishing well reflects this process perfectly, containing songs from 2021 to 2023 that were developed through a unique process of performance testing and group feedback.
With the release of their debut album in 2024 and the positive reception of their recent singles, shower curtain is poised to make a significant impact on the indie music scene. Their ability to blend nostalgic influences with modern production techniques positions them as a band to watch in the coming years.
Read below to learn more about shower curtain’s unique style and creative process.
LUNA: Tell me a little bit about SXSW this year! How have things been going so far?
WINTER: We always have a lot of fun at South By because we’re the kind of band that really enjoys the experience. It’s chaotic, but you get to make friends and hang out with people—something you don’t always get to do on tour. This year has been different because it’s our first time having a team working with us, which makes it easier to make those connections. Honestly, I’m just hoping to meet new people. I also love seeing friends’ bands that I don’t get to see often, like hernewknife and Cashier. I also really want to see YHWH Nailgun. I saw Wishy last night, that was one on my list. fantasy of a broken heart from New York, still haven't seen them. Those are like some of the ones so far.
LUNA: Tell me a little bit about the new music you were playing during your set earlier!
WINTER: This record took so long to make—recording itself took a whole year, and from start to finish, it was two years. As for the new stuff, I don’t even know what to tease yet in regards to vibes because we’re still discovering it. I go through phases where I want the new material to be atmospheric, then something different. We’ve been so inspired to write a lot. Since we’ve been busy touring, a lot of it hasn’t fully developed yet. I’m really excited to see what my bandmates can add to the million skeletons that are kind of lying under my bed.
LUNA: The creative process sounds like everyone’s really involved. What can you tell me about it?
WINTER: I would say, how our songs are usually made: I love the 13th form I have, a first chorus, and maybe 50% of it done. Then me and Ethan, the other guitarist, we sit down, just the two of us with an acoustic guitar. He really helps me flesh out every song. I have never cut that process in two years of creating music. He's also our producer, you know. He's the one that recorded our record, so he has kind of this other take on it. After that, we bring it to the other two and then it gets to the third phase. They give feedback like, wait, this part should happen another time and this shouldn't happen again. It goes through many iterations. I do feel like it's important to just play the new songs live. Sometimes, if we play them live so much, we end up figuring out before even recording it, like, oh, actually, it should be like this. How about we try this? All of our songs, at first, are kind of me in my room by myself, then me and Ethan in my room, then us in the practice space, then us performing live. Then only after that are we like, okay, we're gonna record.
LUNA: words from a wishing well has been getting great reception! How has that felt? How was your most recent tour for the album?
WINTER: I mean, it feels great. I feel like when you put so much work into a piece, you want it do well. Sometimes with music, it's kind of hard to measure, but I definitely feel like there were more and more people coming out for us that had heard about the record. That was a first experience for us, just having people be like I really like this and having us sign their CDs. It's had good reception. It's cool because it just keeps growing! You put so much pressure on yourself the day your album comes out for it to do well. Even though people had told me you're not even gonna see an impact until six months after. We were like, we've been working on it for so long, we want to see it happening now, or maybe, it happening while we're releasing singles. It's been awesome that it's been almost six months and it just keeps growing. It definitely gives me hope. And also this, like immortality, of work, you know what I mean? Because we all know that, albums are immortal that way. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, you put out your record and then the next day, someone else is putting another record out, and then that's the new “thing.” But it's cool to see that we're still getting new fans every month. I just want to live in that. It's been a great experience. I don't even know what I expected, but this feels like it's exceeded my expectations even more.
LUNA: I heard you talk about expectations for yourself and how you're exceeding them. What are your dreams for this band/yourself?
WINTER: I actually have a list. If I was thinking, like in the next five years, supporting or being on a big support tour for someone we really love.
LUNA: Any artists in mind?
WINTER: Oh my god, maybe I'll keep those private. In case it happens, I don't want to be embarrassed. I don’t want to be a fangirl, you know. I know Ethan's dream is to play Brooklyn Steel, so I'm gonna throw that in for him. Ever since he was a teenager, that's been his goal. I think for us touring in Europe, playing a major festival like a Primavera or Desert Daze. I go back and forth between if I want to experiment more, or if I mostly just want to focus on solid, accessible songwriting, but really I just want to keep making really good songs. In a more metaphorical sense, just inspiring more women to play instruments and make music, front bands, and stand their ground. Just being bad b*tches, you know.
LUNA: For the readers who haven't heard your sound, how would you describe it to them?
WINTER: I feel like I have thought about this so much. I'm a Gen Z person I was born in the 2000s, and I feel like what made me fall in love with indie music was very much 2014 indie rock. I do feel in my heart that's kind of the backbone of everything we make. Solid songwriting with pop sensibilities, you know. Obviously, people definitely can pick up on the shoegaze and grunge influences. That's an art that's been building. We are kind of moving away from twee and going into heavier songs. I feel like if we were to describe it to someone, I'd maybe say a lot of texture, but also kind of the loud, quiet moments, always with a tinge of pop songwriting, and a little bit of catchy choruses and melodies.
LUNA: So y’all are from Brooklyn, I’m curious to hear about how New York influences y’all creatively.
WINTER: I love living in New York—it’s been the most inspiring thing for my music. I grew up in a small city in Brazil and wasn’t exposed to the variety of music I have here. The sheer amount of different genres, experiences, and people in New York is so inspiring. It also teaches you to work hard because there are always others who want the same opportunities. The community that I've had in New York is so pivotal to my existence because I feel like we are a band that came from DIY, we walked the path, and played from every sh*tty venue to our favorite venues. We were at some point playing every other week until we were like, okay, we don't really have to do this anymore. I think all the friends I've made, it’s awesome to see how supportive they still are. At the end of the day that's the most important thing, you know, just having a solid sense of community. For our own emotional reasons, just going back to that, and being able to go to shows, and seeing my friends, and learning so much from all the other musicians. I feel like I'm constantly learning from all of my friends and my bandmates. I would not have had that anywhere else—the amount of support is insane. I'm here for the overstimulation.
LUNA: I love that! I wanted to ask, are you sisters with Samira Winter of Winter?
WINTER: Yeah!
Luna: How is that relationship? What does it look like supporting each other in the creative space?
WINTER: She’s my older sister, so definitely big sister energy. She’s just like, “I don't think like this, you should do that, or just like, I kind of regret not doing this earlier”. She’s been super supportive—she’s the reason I started putting my music out in the first place. When I was seventeen, she told me to release my songs as an EP. I was embarrassed, I didn't want to show it to anybody. I didn't even want to play a show. I didn't want people to come, but I still shared it on Instagram. She's definitely been the one that's pushed me out of my comfort zone. Now that we’re older, it’s great because we’re in a more similar phase of life. She just moved to New York, so we get to hang out more—share music with each other and go to shows together.
