.png)
Oakland musik collective Naked Roommate's latest album Pass The Loofah retains the wild energy of their 2020 debut, but leans into the minimal rhythmic throbs and punchy guitar lines of junkyard funk and dizzyingly no wave that was perpetuated by outsider forbears like Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and Medium Medium. As the album showcases the group's expansion from the duo of Amber Sermeno and Andy Jordan to now a sextet, each cut is an adventure and takes the Dadaist post-punk impulses and pushes it toward the dance floor. To celebrate the release, we chatted with Sermeno and Jordan all about how the group stretched out their sound with the addition of a horn section and an array of percussion, putting absurdist exposition and elegant simplicity in place of mere primitivism, and how a bad roommate spawned the creation of the band.
First tell me what you've been up to lately? What have you been listening to, reading, watching, or spending a lot of time doing?
Amber Sermeno: Well me and Andy had a baby somewhat recently so just now trying to squeeze our old life into our new one with playing music again. Otherwise spending time at home. Listening to a lot of outsider folk and krautrock. Battling my landlord's eviction notices and suing him has turned into somewhat of an all consuming duty and passion of mine. I haven't had much time for other hobbies, so lots of movies and TV I hate to say. Most recently, I've been whittling while watching Alone. Dreaming of how good a freshly caught fish would taste while starving in the wild. I actually can't stomach fish but I like to imagine a me that would love them.
Andy Jordan: Hanging out with Vivian, our 17-month old, listening to Raffi, Peter Alsop and, every version of "Wheels On The Bus"... I went through a Faces phase recently, resurrecting some of my taste from when I was 20-something (I listened to mostly dad-rock when I was younger). New shit I like includes Retail Simps, The Submissives, Puppet Wipes... Canada is killing it. I recently DJed "Italoween," an annual party me and my Club Giovanni cohorts throw so I'm hyped on the Italo right now, trying to find bangers I forgot/don't know about. I go through phases, returning again and again to my favorite genres. I'm out of the dub phase for the time-being, but it will return at some point. Same with movies, just got out of a huge noir thing that lasted a year or so. I love 1940s noir and neo-noir but I sort of wore myself out. Lately I've been into contemporary stuff: Safdies (The Curse was the best TV I've seen in a while), Sean Baker, Ruben Ostlander, Yorgos... I'm gonna sound pompous but these directors are a big deal for a reason. I flipped-out over Love Lies Bleeding so we watched the director Rose Glass' other movie, Saint Maude which was also great. This year, some notable things I've read include Red Dust, by Cuban sci-fi author Yoss, which was great political pulp and lots of fun, Clarice Lispector's Hour Of The Star, The Stream Of Life and The Passion According to GH; all are profound and essential, too much to go into here; there's a good essay about her in Rachel Kushner's The Hard Crowd. I just read Dodie Bellamy's essay collection The Sick Will Inherit The Earth, (I'm late to the party) it was hilarious and moving.
For our readers unfamiliar, tell us about the origins of Naked Roommate. How did it go from a duo to a six-piece?
AS: Me and Andy started messing around with tracks in our living room. We decided to put out a tape and had to come up with a name real quick. Naked Roommate was an assault tactic I came up with to intimidate a bad roommate out of our home. I don't know if that was the tipping point that resulted in their leaving but it certainly made me feel dominant. Anyway, once we decided to play some of these songs live, things just grew. First with Alejandra. We were in a brief band together, me and her, called Launderette and we knew we riffed off of each other well. Then a few other friends came and went until Michael joined the band. Andy and him can bounce off of each other all night. Great to witness their enthusiasm feeding off of one another. So it's been us four for awhile. On our last album we decided to have some sax recorded, so our friend Jeanie took some on. I think she was having some issues finding the right note for one song or something like that. Or maybe she couldn't play a show? I think it was a combo. This resulted in her inviting her friend Geoff to help out. We thought this would just be temporary but Geoff and Jeanies chemistry is undeniable. Both with the sax and their playful energy. Lucky us he kept showing up. Since then Geoff has added percussion and saxophone. He also recorded us. And Jeanie found that sax note after all and we've benefited from her exquisite vocals. It sounds funny using that adjective but it's true! Have you heard her sing? She's amazing. Check out Judith Horn.
AJ: I used to do a lot of recording at home, just messing around till the wee hours, so after our band The World ended me and Amber decided we should collaborate on a tape. The name just came up in conversation and sounded like a funny thing to call a band; at least something that hadn't been used before. Apparently there's a jokey college-guidebook by the same name, which is unfortunate. The tape was kind of a lark: we didn't intend to play live at first, I think The World kept getting show offers, so we took one! We got Alejandra on bass before the first gig, plus a friend named Jon-Jon. Can't remember what he played! Must have been guitar? It was real sparse, I was playing a tiny, cheap drum-machine hooked up to a tiny, cheap synth via midi. No other keyboards. Jon-Jon quit after one or two gigs and Jordan (who was in The World) played a few gigs on percussion... We met Miguel while in the World, he had a great synth-punk band called Work that we played with and soon it became obvious he should be in the band too. Jeanne added some sax to a song on our first LP and played live a few times, just on that song. At some point we decided it would be cool if she was a permanent member, very soon after that she brought Geoff along and before we knew it, we were six!
We've been fans of your other bands and Naked Roommate since the beginning, but how do you feel looking back on your catalog? Do you still like or relate to your past releases?
AS: That's a good question. I'm pretty proud of the music I've made. Sometimes when I look back, I can appreciate the songs more since I'm not holding that immediate self consciousness that can come after a song's recent formation. But pride and appreciation are different than relation. I don't feel as angsty or reserved as I did while recording songs in Penny Machine or The World. Motherhood has loosened me up. I don't take the time I can find to create and perform for granted. I'm ready to gobble up life! But there are common threads throughout my time making music. I've always been critical and appreciate humor. So in that way, yeah I can still relate. I feel that's all there but now I gravitate towards things that are a little more soulful. I don't want to work within the confines I used to impose upon myself I just wanna feel.
AJ: Well, for me the beginning is quite a ways back. I don't feel much of a connection to most of what I was involved with before The World/Ah & The Reps, which happened around the same time. I don't regularly listen to my older bands, but I think the music has merit.
What insight can you share about your new album, Pass The Loofah, and how exactly did it all come together? When and where was it recorded?
AJ: It took us four years to complete! The first one was released during the pandemic, we didn't tour and so we didn't feel a huge impetus to release something else right away. But Do The Duvet actually did pretty well for a non-touring band, it seems to be an enduring record for DJs and we got a fair amount of international response. So since we couldn't do shows after the release, we had more time to get together and write, which we did at Miguel's old spot, Grassy Null: a studio he and his roommates built in their backhouse. When Covid was bad, we'd play in the actual backyard, with headphones. It was nuts, we had all these cables running from the studio to our gear and the neighbors would hassle us from their open windows but we recorded it all and some of the songs on Loofah came from those demos. I have very fond memories of those days actually! It was beautiful playing among the trees, mannequins, neon signs and other detritus and definitely helped to create a vibe. We recorded most of the actual LP there, but inside. We also tracked at me and Ambers' place, our practice space and Geoff's studio Itinerant Home.
AS: Just like Do the Duvet, a lot of these songs were written in the thick of the shut down but weren't polished enough to be released then. We were fortunate enough to have Michael's backyard to continue on, which was really special. But things started going back to normal and we got back into a practice space. Once we were ready to record, Geoff was in the band and has a great studio, Itinerant Home Recordings, to record out of. That's how we were able to get things on there like an impromptu marimba track for "Yob." That really elevated this goofy song with a Phillip Glass moment. Also fun fact. I was extraordinarily pregnant while recording. It was interesting trying to sing then. The hormones would often lead my voice to cracking like a pubescent boy. I learned to sing lower on that album.
How would you compare this new album to your previous releases, Do The Duvet and the 2018 cassette of demos?
AJ: It's more developed; we gave ourselves so much time to listen to demos, arrange and come back and rearrange... We also started playing the new ones out as soon as we could, so we've had plenty of time to work them out live, before doing final overdubs. It helps a lot, this record has more honed performances for the most part. Do The Duvet is more meandering and spacey, more of a kraut-influence. Loofah is poppier. The songs are more sinewy and funky, less angular in general than the first one. Obviously, we've gone for increasingly hi-fi production, although you can hardly call the new one slick or over-produced, right? It's 2024 for god's sake.
Which song from the record means the most to you (and why)?
AS: I don't know. It's between "Bus" and "I Can't Be Found." "I Can't Be Found" is kind of spiritual. It was recorded in the first months of the shutdown when questions of who you are exactly were ever present when your daily patterns were upended. It came so easily, it's just lovely. "Bus" gets me emotional though. Maybe it's just me being overly romantic. I relied on hopping on the back of the bus for years when I struggled to make ends meet. I had a different relationship with time and the rhythm of the city then. When I think about it I resent my car for stealing all the time I used to have to appreciate the passerby's or read a book. I also remember the closeness I felt when having someone to ride the bus with me. My priorities seemed to be more in place when it was so clear what side of the poverty line I was on. I knew all I had were these simple things and I really savored them. Getting old with a car sucks.
AJ: "I Can't Be Found" is special for me. It was recorded late one druggy pandemic night at our place with our old friend Alex, and it seemed to just flow out of us. I think the lyrics are some of Ambers' best. It hits an unknown chord, transports me to an unknown reality. I think it expresses a feeling that is otherwise inexpressible. We sat on it for like two years and then listened again and knew it had to be on the LP. The added sax and guitar by Geoff and Mig take it from beautiful to totally transcendent, in my opinion.
Diving now into some of my favorite tracks here, I really like "Broken Whisper." What can you tell me about this one?
AJ: I wrote this one when I was reading a lot of Nietzsche and his various (left-wing) interpreters. It's about the discursive nature of rationality and the unburdening of existence with meaning. Also, overcoming resentment and all that good stuff. Criticism of transcendental ideals? The eternal return of difference, etc... Actually, it kind of troubles me now! I'm a little sick of that stuff these days. Maybe because I had a kid? But I like how it's the bubbliest song on the record yet has the heaviest subject matter, which was the intention.
What's the story of "Yob"?
AS: Me and Alejandra wanted to make another "Fake ID" because that's one of our favorites. So she planted the bass line and we went from there. It's lyrics came about how they usually do. I make sounds to the melody and those sounds eventually turned into words. Words that expressed frustration with dating yuppies and academics in a city. Then it goes into the short sighted fantasy of dating someone who is a far reach from your culture or class, a YOB. Especially because we don't have "yobs" here. A derogatory term I know, but it's more a critique on fetishism. So I'm okay guys! But yeah the song just got better and better the more layers put on top like Geoff's marimba mentioned earlier.
AJ: This track came from a backyard demo. It took me a while to get into this one, I didn't really get where it was going until we got a mix of it. I'm really into it now and think it's a standout track. It's nice and sparse, we didn't want to push for sax on every track and I think this one benefits from that. No over-"saxuration" if you will. (I won't!) The marimba at the end was a surprise added by Geoff. It's a real marimba; he has every instrument at his studio, I'm pretty sure. It sounds like Steve Reich to me and I love that. All I did on this track was program drums and go "hunh"! on the choruses. Live I just play Latin jam-blocks and dance.
What was it like putting together the opening cut "No Kicker"?
AJ: Really fun. We used the CR-8000, one of our coolest old-school drum machines. It doesn't midi-up to anything so we're just playing over it. It's got a few beats, you know: tango, foxtrot, samba etc. I think we used the disco beat maybe? Kept the stock fills since they're perfect. The bass comes from a little semi-modular synth, we were going for a "rubber-band" sound. I have no idea what "No Kicker" means, but "This verse..." comes from an idea we had where each verse in a song would describe another Instagram post, kind of like scrolling (and the hangover it brings). So that was the initial idea. We let this one stretch out a bit, so we had time for fun stuff like sax-skronk parts and Migs' Mickey mouse vocals at the end. Aside from the bridge (which is almost like a maximalist center of a minimalist donut), it's real repetitive, and hits hard, so it makes for a good opener.
What can you tell me about "Fight Flight"?
AS: I love that one. I feel like I'm floating around on top of it. I guess that's why I gravitated toward the word "flight." It then turned into this love song about young boys fighting over me. [laughs] Well kind of. It's more about the passion towards the fight rather than me, that I witnessed. How these young guys would fight but their anger towards one another or their bonded disappointment towards me would last longer than our fleeting romance. I noticed there was a connection much stronger that remained after the love that inspired these fights to begin with.
AJ: The rhythm track started with the "popcorn"-synth lead line. I wanted to make something that had a bouncy, Italo feel. Mig added the bassl ine and it became this slinky, creeping thing. That and the subtle drum-track meant it lost the proper Italo ingredients, but I think an Italian vibe still permeates without an obvious genre-rehash, which would have been boring.
I really enjoy the funkified offbeat pop of "Reasons Why." How did this one come about?
AJ: I made the rhythm on my Electribe EMX-1 which is a great sequencer and really fun to write with. I was attempting a classic late-70s/early-80s disco sound but with synths, so it's basically house music I guess: electro-house or something. I think the guitars and saxes add to that classic disco feel. The album title came from one of the lyrics in this one. Very funny lyrics by Amber here, with that languid delivery which is just so sweet.
AS: This album is filled with love songs if you haven't noticed, this however is not one of them. I decided to compile all of my vainest most self-serving reasons why I've "loved" someone and put them in a song. Partially as an homage to toxic love songs that I often hear in pop hits and a partial acknowledgment/absolution for the more frivolous reasons I had messed with one's heart. I think we all do it. It's hard to recognize love or I guess the absence of it when we need so much from one another.
What are some future plans for Naked Roommate and your other bands?
AJ: Got to tour! We're booking the West Coast now. If all goes as planned, both Naked Roommate and Famous Mammals will be coming your way next year. Non Plus Temps has another record in the works, hopefully out by next summer.
Lastly, any advice or last words you'd like to share with our readers?
AS: Well, first of all let me say that it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge that I'm singing songs about struggle and class from a relatively comfortable point in my life right now. With that in mind, I suppose my advice would be: if you are born into poverty you are gonna stay there unless you break the law.
AJ: Viva La Revolution! Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down!
Pass The Loofah is out now on Trouble In Mind Records.