While it is not actually the vanished island community of early United States history, Roanoke, Virginia has long been a sort of cultural lost colony. It’s no wonder that, in recent years, the city has taken on a majestic quality. The bands that make up the Roanoke-based musical confederation known as The Magic Twig Community–including The Sad Cobras, The Young Sinclairs, The Missionaries and Eternal Summers–are a testament to this fact. With this year’s release of their second album, Correct Behavior, Eternal Summers have grown beyond the boundaries of their close-knit hometown scene, while still finding a way to stay true to their origins.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW ISSUE OF RVA MAGAZINE!
While it is not actually the vanished island community of early United States history, Roanoke, Virginia has long been a sort of cultural lost colony. It’s no wonder that, in recent years, the city has taken on a majestic quality. The bands that make up the Roanoke-based musical confederation known as The Magic Twig Community–including The Sad Cobras, The Young Sinclairs, The Missionaries and Eternal Summers–are a testament to this fact. With this year’s release of their second album, Correct Behavior, Eternal Summers have grown beyond the boundaries of their close-knit hometown scene, while still finding a way to stay true to their origins.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW ISSUE OF RVA MAGAZINE!
The easy birth of Eternal Summers was due in large part to the enthusiasm of guitarist Nicole Yun and drummer Daniel Cundiff, who quickly discovered a lo-fi aesthetic that set them apart from their peers. “We decided early on that it made more sense to really focus on the impact we could pull off in our songs,”Yun explains. “We could have just played loudly, and that would have probably been cool. Yet it seemed more fascinating to take the quiet parts and make them quieter. That way, we could really make louder moments resonate through a particular song, and leave a lasting impression.” This technique is prevalent on their first full-length Silver, released in 2010 on Kanine Records. “Running High” and “Pogo” are strong examples. “Running High” relies heavily on giving the space between notes and chords as strong of a focus as Yun’s vocals. “Pogo,” on the other hand, is a bit more straightforward in its upbeat tempo, while still reflecting their initial intentions.
One particular instrument deserves a big part of the credit for the way the early Eternal Summers sound developed. The Parker Nitefly guitar is known for its ability to bring both strong low and clear high tones. Yun’s use of this particular guitar allowed Eternal Summers to achieve the low-end that would typically be supplied by a bass and perform as a bassless duo without leaving any sonic elements missing from their songs. However, the unfortunate theft of Yun’s Parker Nitefly while the group was on tour changed everything, and helped shape how their sound would develop in the future.
Yun replaced the Parker Nitefly with a Fender Telecaster, but it wasn’t the same. There was definitely something missing. This is what led bassist Jonathan Woods to come into the fold. “We were never married to the idea of being a two-piece, and I had already played in a few bands with Jonathan,” Cundiff says. “He seemed like an ideal fit.” Yun’s transition to playing a Fender Telecaster helped her to make her guitar hero dreams come true. “With Jonathan there, it’s a whole new idea as far as how I can approach a song,” she explains. “It lets me focus on riffs and solos in a way that I would have never really considered before. As a result, I feel like I have gotten better as a guitarist, and we as a band are better for it as well.”
The inclusion of Woods also helped the band to have a different perspective in regards to their older songs. “It was never an issue of songs not being fun to play live,” Cundiff explains. “Nicole and I wouldn’t have done this band if that were ever an issue. Having Jonathan in the mix definitely helps us work on the older songs a bit differently. Whether that means making them faster or building intensity in new ways, there will probably always be songs from the earlier records that we will play or bring back.”
After a few tours with Brooklyn indie-folk heroes Woods, Eternal Summers were ready to return to familiar Roanoke studio Mystic Fortress in order to record Correct Behavior with engineer Joe Lunsford. “Working with Joe and Mystic Fortress feels like home to us,” Yun mentions. “For Correct Behavior, it felt natural for us to potentially take more chances. We are a three-piece now, and these songs weren’t too far removed from what Daniel and I were writing before. They were definitely different enough that maybe there was something that we had to acknowledge there.” While the band still decided to record to analog tape, the biggest change was the mastering process. The tapes for Correct Behavior were sent to Sune Rose Wagner of The Ravonettes and producer Alonzo Vargas for mastering. The band felt nervous at first, but when they heard the results, everything was to their immense satisfaction. “I was in Korea when I had a chance to hear the final touches and I couldn’t believe it,” Yun recalls. “It sounded bigger and grander than I could have ever imagined. It definitely made the record.”
When listening to Correct Behavior, it’s easy to spot how important a record this is for Eternal Summers. This is a band figuring out a proper balance between two different eras of their existence. “Wonder” and “You Kill” add more momentum to the up-tempo numbers from Silver, as well as showcasing Yun’s harmonious vocals reaching epic heights. “Millions” displays Yun’s growth as a guitarist with a stronger understanding of her craft through the inclusion of varied effects. One song in particular that sticks out is “Good As You,” a slow jam that escalates when it hits each chorus, and feels like the perfect middle ground for the band. “With that song, I can see how someone might say that it reminds them the most of our older material,” Yun says. “It definitely works in the slower build and focuses on some of the isolated energy that we tried to pull off on Silver. It’s also one of the first songs that we had written for Correct Behavior.” It’s an absolutely remarkable standout from a quality release that is filled to the brim with beautiful, lush surroundings and clever throwbacks to sounds from the eighties and nineties.
Since it’s release, Eternal Summers have been on tour nonstop, hitting destinations around the country and garnering rave reviews for Correct Behavior, even having “Millions” remixed by Toronto artist Teen. One might wonder if all of the touring that Eternal Summers does is a means of escaping Roanoke, but Cundiff is quick to defend the city, and clarify their continued desire to call Roanoke home. “Some might see what we are doing as a way of getting away from here. I don’t see it that way. The laid back feel and the lack of competition amongst all of the bands is always going to be comforting. Everyone just plays to play and it’s easy to find people that are creative with desires of starting bands. It was that way when a lot of the early Magic Twig stuff was getting underway, and remains the same now. If anything, it’s a nice breather to come home to Roanoke after spending a good amount of time away from here.”
Eternal Summers are only a small part of the Roanoke music community, but their efforts as a band are bringing attention to the entire city. The possibility of opening for a Jenny Lewis solo tour is just one hint of what is still on the horizon for the band, as they continue to enjoy an excellent rapport and develop a stimulating creative output that rivals the biggest names in the music world.
