While Colin and Shane come from backgrounds in punk and hardcore, their latest collaborative project Metawav. is informed by all of that and then some. By combining their musical past with inspirations in the present and future, Metawav. molds it all into a distinct and intriguing sound, informed by many styles and presented in an approachable form that’s ready for the dance floor.
Read on below as we talk with Metawav. about their latest drop, their creative process, and much more!
Broccoli: How did you first get into music?
Colin: Music has always been my getaway from reality; I started playing guitar around 6 years old. I wrote my first collection of songs when I was 12, and I was in my first gig playing band by the time I was 14. I started doing guitar and vocals in punk / metal bands, and had some success with that which was amazing. But after years of being within those styles of music, I needed a change. I’ve always made electronic and hip hop beats behind the scenes, and when COVID hit I started to think about what I really wanted out of music, which is when I decided to pursue electronic music more seriously.
Shane: I first started music in high school; I was in a couple local hardcore bands as well, which is where my passion for music started. Once the band projects faded, I really started getting into electronic music. Ever since my first Movement festival, I knew that this was the music that I wanted to create.
B: What are your biggest musical inspirations?
C: I draw inspiration from a lot of random things…the sound of water droplets in a deep well can create a whole universe in my head, which can develop into a song or even sometimes an entire album. In terms of artists, I would say my top inspirations are Pink Floyd, Daft Punk and Timberland. They all inspire me to try things that most musicians wouldn’t do.
S: I mostly get inspiration from going to shows. I love seeing what makes people move, and what songs bring the most hype to the dance floor. I’m inspired a lot by the harder / dark side of techno, such as i_o & Charlotte de Witte.
B: Describe your creative process.
C: Our creative process is different every time. Sometimes I start with guitar and transpose the melodies to different instruments, sometimes I start with the drums and build around that. We kind of let the song create itself a lot of the time, I try to go off of a vibe or emotion that I feel deeply in the moment and then let that drive the ideas that come out.
S: I personally love to record late at night. I usually start recording late in the evening, and go into the night keeping the studio in a darkly lit atmosphere. Sometimes I’ll mix some music on the decks before writing just to get my mind flowing, it’s almost therapeutic in a way.
B: How did this track come about? Tell us about the inspiration and what made you want to create it.
C: We let this one create itself for sure. When I was working on the parts for “Shift,” I was just imagining how it would feel live. I wanted to give it an organic tribal feel with the drums, yet still very electronic-oriented.
S: We really wanted our two styles mesh together; Colin gives it the feel-good house vibe, and I bring the harder techno style.
B: What were the inspirations for the visuals? What do you hope to add to the song with the video? How do these two mediums interact with each other?
C: Once we were done with the song, the visuals kind of just came to me. We wanted to have a video that felt natural; there was very little direction given to the dancers in the video. The only thing we told them was to be themselves, and to have a great time.
B: What do you want people to think / how do you want them to feel when they listen to the song and watch the video?
C + S: We want people to feel the positive vibrations that we put into the song and the video. It’s really hard to not smile and enjoy yourself while watching the visuals because of how much fun it is. We want people to feel comfortable, to be themselves, and to dance!
B: How does this release fit into your overall artistic journey and your discography? How does it relate to what you’ve released before, and what you plan on releasing next?
C: Our first release (“Cntrl”) was an introduction to what we have in store. “Shift” is a push through to the higher expectations that we have for ourselves. With our second release we wanted to show our general progression, but one thing that listeners should know is that we have no intention of writing the same songs over and over.
S: Exactly. When you listen to Metawav., we want it to be a journey.
B: Any other details that you think people should know?
C+S: One thing about Metawav. that should be known is that we are an example of what happens when collaboration meets vulnerability. It’s ok to have fear of letting people judge you, but don’t let it control you. We want people to feel like they can be themselves and do anything that they want in their life. You just have to let go of the fear of being vulnerable, and accept the outcome no matter what happens.
