Experimental pop four-piece Phoebe Rings embrace themselves on “Cheshire”

The four-piece behind Phoebe Rings met whereas learning at a jazz faculty tucked away within the metropolis of Auckland, New Zealand. This is identical faculty that the members of achieved indie rock group The Beths attended (and apparently sufficient, the group’s guitarist, Jonathan Pearce, is a producer on Phoebe Rings’ upcoming album.) That includes Crystal Choi on vocals and keys, Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent on guitar, Ben Locke on bass, and Alex Freer on drums & percussion, the group’s technical music background offers their discography an particularly sensible dream pop sound.

Technical prowess apart, the members even have a pension for lush, dreamy soundscapes (their band is called after the most important outer ring of Saturn). With rhythmic, dynamic instrumentals and contemplative lyrics, the group makes music very similar to avant-garde pop teams Stereolab and Broadcast, and that well-rounded sound has made them stand aside within the music scene. Right now, they’re the latest signees to unbiased powerhouse Carpark Data.

Following the glowing single “Daisy” comes “Cheshire,” out immediately, written by lead singer Choi. The wild dreamscape of “Cheshire” matches the tone of its inspiration: the world of Alice in Wonderland. With its spry bassline, bossa nova-inspired percussion, and layered harmonies drifting atop a bit of romantic strings, it’s a vigorous, glittering masterpiece.

“‘Chesire’ is about my battle of not being able to accept myself the way I am, and dreaming of a day where I reconcile and embrace myself (where I could “dance with the mirror”),” Choi explains. “There are hints of life where that actually happens, but it kinda smiles and disappears, like the Cheshire cat. I was right in the middle of listening to heaps of Stereolab whom I still love, and hence the influence of the arrangement.”

Coming on October 18th, Phoebe Rings’s debut self-titled EP is a homage to some of the four-piece’s favorite things: 90’s Korean ballads, Studio Ghibli films, atmospheric video game soundtracks like Zelda and Stardew Valley, and all other dreamy things. The project has been in the making since the lockdowns that happened during the pandemic, but their reach goes beyond music — the EP inspired a game available to play now whose ranges correspond with every monitor.