6th November 2023
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Tempers are a dark-wave post-punk band from New York City. The duo, made up of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, recently released their third album, Private Life, with lyrics combining the complexities of modern life with an introspective depth, and a sound that indicates an influence of dark dream pop. About to begin their UK and European tour, I interviewed them ahead of their upcoming gig in Liverpool:
Joy Division, Fleetwood Mac, Kraftwerk, Sonic Youth, Nico.
Jasmine
I was really obsessed with Nirvana when I was a teenager, and I got a guitar to learn how to play their songs and my own songwriting developed from there.
Jasmine
Our influences change even in the middle of writing an album – I think that’s why we end up with a pretty broad spectrum of energies on our albums. Thinking about it as a whole, though, no, I kind of feel like my core influences are locked in place.
Eddie
Claustrophobia from the information / surveillance age, and the pressure to externalize the self in simplistic ways on social media. Wanting to express the value of containing a private realm – where imagination has space to incubate, where you have permission to be complex.
I wanted to create an empathetic space for feelings that don’t get “likes”, and explore the value of those abject parts of ourselves.
Jasmine
Well of course there’s so much new music and music history here that it’s unavoidable to be inspired as a musician living here. But besides the literal, NYC itself has a specific depth and power to it – there’s a grandeur in the look and sound of the place that makes you want to write immortal songs.
Eddie
P.T. Anderson. Jonny Greenwood’s work is so great in his films obviously, but I’d like to give it a shot too.
Ediie
Evolving musically with complete integrity to what feels inspiring and true, being guided by passion above all else.
Jasmine
Everywhere, and much more often.
Eddie
Album – Private Life: https://tempers.bandcamp.com/album/private-life
Website: Tempers.
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