Last April, an engrossing, glitchy four-song EP made its way on the Internet from a new Milwaukee electro-pop duo called Dream Attics. The group consisted of members from two local bands: singer Shane English fronts folk-leaning outfit The Gazettiers and producer Nick Tovarek plays guitar in the high-energy, party ensemble Kane Place Record Club. Based solely on their resumes, UNBEND sprung up from nowhere, like a sociology and business major joining forces to build a rocket ship. But the EP doesn’t sound like it was made by novices. Tovarek, who’s created beats on his computer since age 12, and English come off like seasoned veterans.
“Years ago, [Tovarek] would come to me with some beats and ask me to throw vocals on it,” English remembers the group’s early beginnings. “We ended tapping into that a bit more and producing more ideas together. But that sound is coming from him. I don’t really do the computer stuff.”
After the abrupt release of UNBEND, Dream Attics never surfaced to play any live shows. Almost a full year went by before the duo was heard from again, until a new single “You Had Me” from a forthcoming EP was released last month. The track came in anticipation of the group’s long-awaited debut performance, an opening slot for Nashville’s Terror Pigeon at Mad Planet this Saturday. They have enlisted local visual production company Video Villains to celebrate the momentous occasion with some colorful visual displays.
So, what the hell took so long? Tovarek and English were intently focused on the recording process and not how to replicate those sounds to an audience.
“When you’re writing, that’s not even an idea that gets in your head,” Tovarek says. “It’s been fun figuring out.”
Plus, neither wanted a live experience that involved simply pressing play on a laptop and letting the computer do the work.
“We’re both playing guitar during the show,” Tovarek explains. “We’re not using a computer. I don’t like using computers on stage. I’m using a sampler, which I’ll use to trigger the parts of the song, and then playing live synth.”
They’ll also be joined by singer Amanda Huff from the hauntingly beautiful folk band Flag Signals, who provided back-up vocals on the EP and new single.
While this performance marks a big leap for Dream Attics, it’s clear that this isn’t just a side-project for the two musicians. They’re already looking past the upcoming EP, which should be ready sometime this summer, to a proper full-length album. Tovarek’s computer is already brimming with half-finished songs and other basic ideas.
“We’ve got a solid batch of 14 that are stronger than the rest, that we have rough vocal mixes for and lyrics started,” English says. “The ideas are practically endless. His computer is overloaded with ideas.”
That’s the easy part. The hard part will be figuring how to play them live.
Dream Attics make its live debut on Saturday, May 2 at Mad Planet, 533 E. Center St., opening for Terror Pigeon. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the cover is $8.
