Music Spotlight: Indoor Pets

Indie-pop band Indoor Pets shares their long-awaited debut album Be Content. The record is an intoxicating 14-track masterpiece that speaks directly to our wallflower souls. indoor pets’ rock instrumentals + eccentric vocals exude a sense of nostalgia + relatability that we can’t get enough of. oh, and The band, composed of Jamie, Ollie, James + Rob, built their own ‘Be Content City’ that we basically want to live in forever. We chatted with the band all about the album + their upcoming tour.

photo by Felicity Davies

Asymmetric Magazine: Congrats on your album release! Can you tell us about Be Content and what it means to you?
Indoor Pets: I guess it means different things to different people. It’s about having your flaws and mistakes on display and finding a way to accept them. And it also reflects the nature of the world today, where your life ends up on social media and everything is used as content. Can you be content with everything being content? Huge amounts of wordplay there.

AM: What was your favorite song to work on?
IP: We recorded Thick last, and it was really fun to create in the studio. There was a lot of impromptu vocal parts added in the backing vocals. We were able to just go a little bit nuts.

AM: What about the most challenging?
IP: Good Enough probably was the most difficult to record, as it went through so many different stages and styles before we could find the right way to deliver the song. Hopefully we found it!

AM: We love your album art! How do you think it parallels your sound?
IP: Our drummer Rob designed the 'Be Content City’. We made it so that every song is represented in some form of structure throughout the town. We based the town on Googie style—[like] 50s posters that boasted about ‘towns of the future’ and what they will look like. We thought that over the top positivity worked really well with our message of Be Content, whilst also showing that it can appear a bit too good to be true. 

AM: For first time listeners, how do you like to describe your sound?
IP: We make dirty pop. Our songs are all based around pop sensibilities, but we love making things rough around the edges with huge walls of guitars.

AM: How do you think your sound has developed over the years?
IP: I think we have grown to have more faith in what we do rather than constantly cramming parts into every section. I stopped always trying to reach big notes and started singing more like a human. If the melody is good it will stick—it doesn’t need to always be ‘impressive’.

AM: Are there any consistent themes you typically pursue through your music?
IP: The feeling of not fitting in constantly creeps into our music. We struggle to see ourselves as anything other than antisocial nerds, and we tend to thrive when we can show that side of us.

We struggle to see ourselves as anything other than antisocial nerds, and we tend to thrive when we can show that side of us.

AM: What other musicians are you currently listening to?
IP: I’m listening to SWMRS’ new album on repeat. I absolutely love the production. Desperate to play some shows with them.

AM: You're going on a short album tour next month—what are you most looking forward to?
IP: Being able to finally play these songs live! I’m really excited to play Couch live, as I have been having dreams of hearing a crowd sing the lyrics back to me for months!

AM: Where is one place that you feel completely in touch with your creative self and your music?
IP: When we’re in the studio. We record at Squarehead Studios which is a great studio in our hometown where James works. We turned that place into our home, and that relaxed vibe really shows on the record. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s home and we feel comfortable there.

AM: What can we expect to hear from you next?
IP: We have so much to show you all. Keep your eyes peeled; we are going to unleash the Be Content City onto the world where you will be able to travel around the town to be able to hunt down exclusive content. We’ve got so many plans for the city. 

// listen to Be Content:

// Listen to more Indoor Pets on Spotify + SoundCloud.