A New Chapter: A Conversation with Heaven Motorcade

What was the story behind creating the band and the group and everything?

LAYLA: So we met in my freshman year. There were two other people also at the time. We all got together in, like, a pop ensemble. And then we started writing music, and it just kinda clicked. So then from there, we were in, like, another band with the two other people. And we wrote, like, 10 songs as a group, and it was just really cool. And then when we all kinda dispersed a little bit, we still kept writing music. And it's been really cool, like, in that to see how the pieces that we started with have shifted over time because both of our, like, styles have kinda coincided more. Like, now that it's just the two of us, and I think we've been able to reach a really cool blend.

PATRICK: Yeah. I mean, that and that other band is Toothache, and that was a really fun experience. We actually just played another show this weekend… we're kinda just doing reunion shows now because everyone's in different places, and we have different members from before. But I think the reason this all started was because Layla and I just kinda clicked creatively. I mean, I think in a way that I haven't clicked with other people in the past. We discovered that we really like each other's music taste, and we both have this desire to create something that isn't really limited to the sort of like, three to four instrument blend of like, an indie rock band. And we wanted to see if we could explore creating music in styles that we haven't tried yet. And because we're not a band that needs to necessarily be in physical shape at a show or something, we can kind of explore a lot more of the creative field and work on something that's like an immersive sound experience as opposed to something that we can perform at a show. And so that's kinda why we started doing this.

So now talking about Heaven Motorcade: how would you guys describe your sound in like, three words?

PATRICK: Experimental. 

LAYLA: Colorful, like, as an adjective.

PATRICK: Atmospheric.

LAYLA: Lively. 

What kind of  atmosphere or emotion do you want your music to create?

PATRICK: A big one is nostalgia. We realized at a certain point that most of the artists and bands that we've been kinda throwing back and forth at each other to say, like, ‘Hey, this is really cool. We should try something like this.’ We realized that the one of the main common elements between all those is, like, the nostalgia It drives their sound. A lot of stuff from the 80’s and stuff inspired by the 80’s. Also, a little bit of 90’s and, like, early 2000’s stuff. Also creatively we're really interested in exploring the visual aspect of this project, and a lot of the stuff that we've been thinking about doing involves stuff like old CRT TVs, that kind of thing. Layla can talk about this a lot because she's had a lot of really cool ideas for that visual element. But, yeah, a lot of 80’s stuff, 90’s stuff, 2000’s stuff. Nostalgia is a big one.

LAYLA: And with that, I think specifically, artist wise, the longer we've been in the process of it, we're pulling more and more from retro artists. Like, you know, we have a playlist for reference, and it's a lot of Prince and I've added a lot of disco stuff. So it's just whatever makes the music feel more lively and that feeling of nostalgia, I think, is really portrayed through a lot of the music. 

PATRICK: Yeah. Bill Collins. Kate Bush. We started a playlist that's, like, fifteen hours long now called Heaven Motorcade which, we kinda just add whatever feels like something we would want our music to feel like. And then at a certain point, there was so much, like, Mk.gee and Dijon and that kind of thing. And we were like why don't we just start to look specifically for the stuff that inspired that? So that's called retro learning, and it's got a lot of that stuff that Layla talked about.

So with both of you being in previous bands is there something that you're kind of experimenting with here that you didn't have space to experiment with before? 

PATRICK: Absolutely. That's, I think, the main strength and simultaneously weakness of this project. In the strength sense, we're both music production students, so we have access to a lot of software and techniques that can help us achieve an infinite number of sounds that we never had access to with, like I said, the three to four instrument band. So using software as an instrument, using the DAW, and we use Logic as an instrument and making soundscapes that would just be impossible with two guitars and drums and a bass, adding lots of vocal layers, that kind of thing. We've been really, you know, pushing ourselves to explore that. But at the same time, it's a weakness because it's so hard to make a decision, because we can do so much more with it. 

LAYLA: I also feel like, for me, at least, I've only ever been in that one other brand and that was Toothache, and I feel like when two people who have that creative click, I feel like it allows for a lot of room to feel what I wanna put in the song is gonna be there and that it's gonna come out with a sound that I think is really reflective of our shared taste specifically.

What's the story behind “Laminate Me”?

LAYLA: It’s changed so much over the course of making it too. I think there's another demo that's completely different and that was the original. It was one of those songs that we just reworked like, 40 times. I really like the production of this song specifically because it's one of the one songs we made so far that welcomed our vocals in a really cool way. Like, there's certain points where it kinda almost sounds like one voice, and I think that that contrast was really interesting. It's one of my favorites that we've made so far.

What inspired the music video and the visuals in the video? And also who directed it and helped you bring the video to life?

PATRICK: Shout out to Thor Slaughter and Cow Dog Productions. He reached out to me once just out of the blue. I posted something on my Instagram when I was recording our friend Ryan's album, and I just took a video of that and posted it, and he responded and just happened to be looking for someone to make a music video. And I was like, “Well, you know, I know a ton of bands in Eugene who would love to be part of a music video. We don't have any money. So, unfortunately, you know, not really on the table for us, but I can put you in touch.” And he was like, “Honestly, man, just send me some of your music. If we vibe with it, I'll do it for free.” I sent him some stuff, he vibed with it, and I kind of just let him cook. We shot the music video in two locations, one of them was a warehouse, where the production team created a hallway.

LAYLA: Also, I'm just forgetting to tell people, but we shot it over two days. We probably spent, like, seven or eight hours collectively shooting it, and I just think that's so impressive for him as a director. And I honestly was kinda nervous going in just, like, trusting someone's vision, but it turned out really cool. I was really nervous to, like, dance in front of the camera, but it looks really cool. 

PATRICK: Yeah. Layla killed it. Layla's a dancer. She has a dance gene that I do not have. So there's going to be a lot more of her dancing than me. Thor did make me get out of my comfort zone in a way that I haven’t before and that is also another testament to him as a director. The fact that he convinced me to get in front of the camera and dance like an idiot. That's awesome.

Do we have an estimate as to when the video is dropping?

PATRICK: Yeah. So he's a very, very busy guy. So we are not entirely sure, but we hope to drop sometime in December.

What's next for you guys after this single? 

PATRICK: We have like 50 songs that we have started, and a lot of lyrics and a lot of ideas. The goal is to start dropping a lot of singles.

LAYLA: Yeah we talked about dropping some singles, and then picking from that we want to make a cohesive album.

If Heaven Motorcade were a movie what would the opening scene look like?

PATRICK: Oh god. Like, it would be kind of like David Lynch.

LAYLA: So I've actually thought about this. So it's like a girl on the side of the road, and it's a desert opening shot. And you can see she’s hitchhiking, and she has a scarf around her head, and she has a vintage suitcase. And she's waiting for someone to pick her up, and then she gets picked up by someone, and then they drive across the country.

How could everyone best support y'all right now as you launch this new era? 

PATRICK: Stream. 

LAYLA: For real, just stream and watch the video. 

PATRICK: Yeah. You know, watch the video. Share it if you like it. Give us some feedback.