Pleased To Meet Me:Twin Bloom
Introduce yourself… (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)
Mickle Nguyen (MN): I’m Mickle, I play guitar in Twin Bloom. I’m originally from Southern California but have been in Oakland and the Bay Area for a while now. I’ve been playing in bands most of my life, more recently on bass, but this is the first project in a long time where I’ve been back to playing guitar and songwriting.
Josh Cano (JC): I’m Josh I play bass and keys in Twin Bloom. Originally from Texas but been in bay area for 15 years now.
Gvir Aviv (GA): I’m Gvir, I sing and play guitar for Twin Bloom. I grew up in the Bay Area.
Why do you play music?
MN: I’m kind of obsessed with music. It’s pretty much the thing I’ve consistently cared about the most for as long as I can remember. Even when I wasn’t actively playing in bands for years, I was always listening, thinking about it, or wanting to get back to it. It’s one of the only things that feels both grounding and a little escapist at the same time.
JC: I started playing music when I was 4, and at some point when I was eight would just really bug my mom to bring me to play music, told her it made me feel better to do it. I’ve felt that way ever since, sometimes it drives me crazy, but it is most wonderful practice to come up with something new or play something really well.
GA: Inspired by so many great artists over the years! Playing music is the primary creative outlet that has pretty much always been a part of my life in some way.
What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?
MN: I’ve always gravitated toward a strong melody first, probably from listening to a lot of motown and r&b growing up, but also punk, where it’s more about feel and urgency than perfection. I like when everything just serves the song. I try not to overplay, just add what actually needs to be there. If something sounds better without me on it, that’s totally fine too.
JC: I think as a band we have a few shared ones. Alvvays, Weezer & Phoebe Bridgers. As a child it was all classical and Motown for me. Now I basically mostly listen to pop. Whatever a song needs is the best.
GA: I grew up listening to a lot of my parents’ favorite artists like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen. Got into punk and alt-rock bands in my early teens, then gravitated more towards indie rock as I got older with bands like Built to Spill, Death Cab & Elliott Smith. I think it all probably bleeds into how I write music.
What’s a favourite book or film?
MN: The last book I remember really loving was Stay True by Hua Hsu. It hit pretty close to home, growing up asian-american, trying to fit into a scene, and convincing yourself you’re cool or important because of your eclectic taste lol. A lot of it felt very familiar.
JC: My favorite book is East of Eden, an epic and story of people evolving and trying to leave home and figure out the world and evil inside of it. For some reason, I think of this movie snack shack when I think of our new album, feels like that one great summer everything changed.
GA: Throw on any of the LOTR trilogy and I’ll sit and watch
Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?
MN: I enjoy both, you can kind of obsess over each in different ways. i usually lean toward the energy of a live show, but this last recording session really opened my eyes and felt like it unlocked something for us as a band. shout out to maryam at tiny telephone/best house for helping shape the vision and vibe.
JC: I definitely prefer recording as it’s so magical, but also feel that performing live helps build the muscle for recording so it’s a give and take.
GA: I prefer the recording process because everyone has to commit and fully immerse themselves in the goal of creating something that will outlive us. The studio can reveal things about a song that weren’t happening in the practice room or demo versions and make it better.
What would be a dream collaboration?
MN: Working with Dev Hynes would be a dream for me.
JC: I think Phoebe Bridgers, or Peter Hook.
GA: I think Alvvays are one of the best bands out there right now. They have put out some of my favorite albums of the last 10+ years. Would be a dream to get to watch them do their thing and try my best not to mess things up
What's your favourite local haunt?
MN: My partner and i used to go to a bar called Friends and Family all the time, but they sadly closed recently. lately i’ve been hitting tallboy a lot, it’s close to my house, has amazing drinks and easy. also tacos oscar around corner and few block, is another one of my favorite local spots.
What's your strangest experience while performing live?
MN: Having a show go so badly that you can read it on people’s faces in the crowd. haha.
GA: I played a show at some kind of artist co-op loft in San Francisco many years ago. About halfway through our first song, people started climbing up the walls and boarding up all the windows, trying to keep the sound in so the neighbors wouldn’t call the cops. We got through a couple songs before the cops showed up anyway and shut the whole thing down.
If I were pursuing anything other than music it would be…
MN: If i were taller and could actually play, probably a basketball player.
GA: I wanted to be a pro hockey player when I was growing up. Not looking good at this point.
What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Oakland?
MN: the community in oakland is so great. there are so many good bands, so much music, and always shows going on. it’s been really cool to jump in as a new band and feel welcomed, and just be able to be part of it.
If you weren’t playing music in Oakland where would you be?
MN: Hopefully still playing somewhere else. i’ve definitely thought about when that part of my life might end, though and whether you ever really know it’s your last show when you’re in it.
GA: NYC seems like a fun place to be making music and playing shows
Any sage advice for young musicians?
MN: play with other musicians as often as you can. that’s the best part of it, and you learn so much, about yourself, your skills, and how to connect with people. you improve quicker, and you give yourself a chance to make something really special.
GA: Finish things. Take all those half-songs in your phone and just chip away at them. You learn more from finishing a mediocre song than you do from all those abandoned fragments.