Katy Guillen (guitar) and Stephanie Williams (drums) – dropped their first EP, Dream Girl, right before the 2020 lockdown, leaving them without opportunities to perform live. In their basement rehearsal space, they spent the year learning home recording and pre-production techniques, gradually crafting a collection of songs from the ground up.
The following April, they took the demos to producer/engineer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Heartless Bastards, Ray LaMontagne) at Invisible Creature Studio in Los Angeles. From their work with Ratterman emerged a batch of 15 songs. At the end of 2021, the band released the four-track Battles EP, offering listeners a darker, more simmering edge to their impelling indie-rock sound. Ten more would comprise Another One Gained.
The band’s sound and crisp arrangements live comfortably in the margins between indie rock and folk. In our interview, Katy tells us about what makes the band tick and what they love about making a life in music.
Do you have any go-to albums to listen to in the van?
Erika Wennerstrom’s Sweet Unknown, Band of Skulls’ Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, Heartless Bastards’ Arrow, Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer, Fanny’s Fanny Hill, Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats’ Tearing At The Seams, White Denim’s Corsicana Lemonade to name a few.
Do you try to make the most of being in a city, or do you prefer to just rest up?
It depends on how long we have to spend in a city, but we try to make the most of it whenever we can! It’s usually easier to take the time to explore and find the local hubs or landmarks on shorter runs or when we have a day off. Fortunately, Steph and I love a good road trip and we love to travel, which works well because we do a ton of driving as a band. We just had a one off show in Oklahoma City, OK and spent so much time exploring that we almost didn’t leave. Haha. We went to the memorial downtown, found an awesome Guatemalan cafe for breakfast, and stumbled on a string of local shops. We were totally enchanted by the city and honestly can’t wait to go back. At a minimum, we try to at least find a local coffee shop everywhere we go, but we do love getting to know a city by visiting both the major and lesser known spots.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
I would love to play at Red Rocks one day. I love epic outdoor playing spaces or venues that are nestled in some form of nature. Also, I would love to tour in Australia and New Zealand!
Explain the title of your album.
The album is named after the song “Another One Gained,” which is the first song on the record. It means there can be opportunities gained even in the face of loss or change. The song is about finding the silver lining. It’s about trying to maintain a mindset of seeing the glass half full, not half empty. Coincidentally, the theme of this song is found throughout the record in various ways.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
The album is all about making your way through life transitions, changes, and losses. It was written at the end of a relationship, a major career disruption, and during mental health struggles like depression and anxiety. It’s about facing the changes head on and embracing them in order to be a healthier and better person. Many of the songs deal with some form of addressing an issue and then finding resolve and strength to come out on the other side. I hope people can pull away the silver linings and moments of strength throughout this record.
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