Weyes Blood is depressing in the best way possible. Or, as Natalie Mering, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter behind Weyes Blood, puts it, “Morose is another word. Morose is a little better than depressing, I think.”
Earlier this week, I chatted with the soft-spoken Mering over the phone ahead of her West Coast tour departure.
The Los Angeles native brings her solo moniker, Weyes Blood, to Soda Bar on Thursday, Feb. 16, in support of her latest album, “A Front Row Seat to Earth.”
The album is delicate and beautifully dark, but it doesn’t make you want to jump off a bridge. The retro style of '70s folk melds Mering’s robust vocals with gentle guitar and piano ballads, which pairs well with red wine on a rainy night.
What makes Weyes Blood unique is that Mering’s music is rooted in emotional extremity.
“I think if I’m in an extreme emotion, then I can channel it into writing something. If I’m extremely happy or if I’m extremely sad -- it’s really the middle ground that’s not the best for writing,” Mering said.
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While Mering is the sole songwriter of the band, every so often her band adds a few touches here and there. However, her studio band is different from her live band, so I was curious about how this translates for touring.
“The tours have been great. The first one was really long; it was like, 40 days long. I don’t really mind. I’m kind of like a tour champion, but the boys in my band got a little -- ready to go home. It’s pretty taboo to complain. The golden rule is to not complain too much," she said. “I do really love touring the West Coast. I’m especially excited to go to Arcata and I love that part of California, because it kind of jumps a little further out into the Pacific Ocean -- it feels a little more wild out there.”
Let's just hope San Diego's not too tame for her.
Musician, people-pleaser, lover, fighter and writer Matthew Craig Burke has been spewing musical words of wisdom since never. He lives off of peanut butter sandwiches, beer and Beck Hansen. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.
