Hydrogen Child

Review Summary: Dip your toes into some water-pop.

In terms of enticing interest, press kits for musicians can run the gamut of effectiveness these days. Needing to be concise, but sufficiently distinctive, such write-ups should keep the reader awake without inducing hysterical fits of laughter (although examples of the latter sure can be fun to read). With all the genre-mixing in existence – and in vogue - currently, describing a band’s sound can be one way to differentiate from peers, with self-proclaimed genres popping up frequently. If labeling your group as “death metal” or “funeral doom metal” isn’t getting the job done, then why not delineate it as “cremation metal”? One such self-labeling which caught my eye recently was that of “water pop”, by Louisianan quintet Super Water Sympathy. Would the vocals on their second LP ‘Hydrogen Child’ be delivered from under-water, or would the music be so ambient that you could hear the splendor of the waterfalls emanating from the speakers? Thankfully, neither is the case.

As one can probably guess, the designation of water pop is more gimmick than insightful. Sure, there are some water-based lyrics infused into the album’s themes, as well as borderline ambient use of keys, guitar and orchestral arrangements. However, the term seems to have been created, if only because it sounds better than “alternative indie pop-rock”. Thankfully, it is only the foot in the door (or should that be “toes in the water”) genre label which is gimmicky here, since the record itself is a welcome revelation of a band that should be destined for big things. One need only listen to opener and lead single ‘Uh Oh!’ for proof; a bouncy and deceptively catchy tune where each instrument gets a chance to shine without dominating proceedings. Providing the framework for the eleven tracks which follow, driving bass and cavernous drums provide a proficient backdrop for keys that twinkle and shimmering guitar melodies.

As is the case with many a female-led rock outfit, the most distinctive – and ultimately essential – component for success is the lead vocals... And it is with Ansley Hughes, where Super Water Sympathy have a true point of difference. Impressively delivering equal parts quirkiness, power and range, Hughes has the versatility to successfully deliver pop, rock and all points in between. Her effectively scratchy inflection works a treat on the playful ‘Sunday School Dress’ and catchy sing-along that is ‘Avalon’, while the best showcase for her voice are piano-driven tracks such as ‘Pipe Dream’, ‘When You’re Not Around’ and beat-less closer ‘Magnolia Parade’. The flow of her vocals is often a hooky strength, even if the reliance on rhymes occasionally results in some misplaced cheesiness. Furthermore, while the lyrics occasionally tend toward vocabulary spouting nonsense to heighten imagery, one cannot help but be captivated by their beguiling nature.

Much like Hughes’ vocals, Super Water Sympathy are accessible, yet far from cookie-cutter... Similarly, their sound is familiar, yet irritatingly difficult to pinpoint comparisons. Well-produced by Brit Cam Blackwood, ‘Hydrogen Child’ sounds crisp and cohesive, delivering some exquisite textures with more than sufficient diversity. Most promising – and equally frustrating - is the fact that many of Hydrogen Child’s shortcomings could easily be refined... The twelve tracks could do with some tightening in terms of song duration, there is a tendency to lean a little too often towards a mid-tempo pace, while the haunting melody of ‘Cantalopah’ and reprise of sorts that is ‘Pistol’ feel more like superior interludes unnecessarily stretched out to four minutes. Encouragingly, these all amount to rather minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things, since ‘Hydrogen Child’ ultimately casts Super Water Sympathy as a rare beast: a unique, creative and consistent band with genuine pop smarts and mainstream potential.

Recommended Tracks: Uh Oh!, Pipe Dream, Avalon & Sunday School Dress. - Sputnik Music

You may have heard of Super Water Sympathy before. They put out an album called Vesper Belle back in 2011. It was an interesting debut album and a bit experimental with the band exploring their sound and testing their comfort zone. Their new album, called Hydrogen Child, is a more focused production. It seems as though the band has found the sound, the style, they like and have decided to roll with it. The result is a new collection of twelve tracks.

Super Water Sympathy is, technically speaking, a pop group, though the five artists do not strike me as fitting perfectly into the pop genre. Maybe it’s because they hail from Louisiana (not a land known for its pop-y style). Their approach is certainly upbeat, it’s pleasant, but in a casual way. Quite often pop music is associated with a lot of post-production, a lot of chipper (bouncy might be a better word) sounds and songs. Super Water Sympathy (SWS) may be writing positive songs, but their sound has a more relaxed feel and the music the band creates nicely intertwines with the voice of vocalist Ansley Hughes.

At times the band treats us to catchy pop hooks, as heard in the song “Sunday School Dress”, a tune so full of sunshine that one expects someone at Disney Studios is listening to it while drawing singing cartoon birds. At other times we get into slower, more serious numbers such as “Anthem”. Whether SWS is going fast or slow, their music is clear, coordinated and, in a word, beautiful. This album demonstrates a special branch of pop music, one where the songs sound organic and carefully fashioned. This doesn’t feel like music fabricated in a lab or written with dance moves in mind, it comes across like a group of people sharing their views and joy in life. In short, it feels good. I’m especially happy with the group’s decision to lay low on the post-production effects, it gives this album a wonderfully clear sound and lets us focus on the strength of Ansley’s voice. And it is a strength. Ms Hughes has a powerful and unwavering voice. It resonates deep inside and she shows off a lovely range on this album.

Usually I don’t spend time talking about a group’s music videos, but in this case I think it’s relevant. If you watch the video for, “Uh Oh!” below you’ll notice there isn’t a lot of editing or special effects. While strange in its imagery at times, the video is straight forward, providing us with something interesting to watch while being treated to the band’s powerful, punctuating pulses. This is representative, I feel, of the album as a whole. It’s straight forward, not a lot of editing or computer effects, just raw talent at work. - We Love Rock n Pop

I don't often get a lot of music that is categorized as pop music for review and I am not sure why. When pop music is done right there is nothing more enjoyable to listen to. Super Water Sympathy oozes indie pop sensibilities, and the Shreveport band nailed it on their latest release, Hydrogen Child.

By marrying the melodic jangle of post-romantic indie guitar pop with lilting, trance-inducing sonic textures, and by showcasing a dreamy pop appeal with an ever-so-slight Celtic tint, Super Water Sympathy is primed to become one of the more successful indie groups to emerge in the early part of 2013. Led by vocalist Ansley Hughes, whose caoineadh (read: powerful and lamenting voice) is the most distinctive element of the group's sound, and following a fastidious and comprehensive two-month tour of the south and west, and with an upcoming gig on this year's Van's Warped Tour, Super Water Sympathy is set to make a significant and immediate impact.

There are few things more gratifying than the simultaneous coalescing of a new album that oozes with radio-friendly hits, a landmark, coveted and prestigious tour appearance and a quick ascension amongst your fans and peers. That's the indie musical trifecta and Super Water Sympathy has hit it. None of it would be possible without the hard work of everyone involved with the band and those responsible for the dynamic and unforgettable songs that make up this album.

The first thing you will notice about this album is it's wonderful sonic palette. Super Water Sympathy describes it as Water Pop, and at it's essence it is defined by lush tones and layered textures, a blend of pop and baroque arrangements that to a song is positively enchanting. The songs within are founded on a stratum of ringing guitar hooks and unconventional melodies with the focus on Hughes pitch-perfect vocals.

The combination is scintillating and very reminiscent of some of the Smiths/Morrissey works. Every song offers potential for mass appeal. The production is near-perfect, and in fact, the album was produced by Cam Blackwood who has previously worked with Florence + The Machine, Coldplay and Morrissey. The song Avalon has a strong Coldplay feel, but other than that, it is the band's stamp on this album that ultimately surfaces, and Blackwood has fortuitously steered the production in that direction.

It is also the synergy of the entire band that makes the music on Hydrogen Child so intoxicating. It's really a magnificent album that owes itself to equally strong performances from Clyde Hargrove (guitar), Billy Hargrove (bass) and Ryan Robinson (drums). But it is the vocal work of Hughes that truly stands out with a strong assist to Jason Mills on keys. It is the interplay of both that creates such an infectious listening experience. That pick and roll combination is most evident on Magnolia Parade, and though it is one of the softer and more melancholy sounding songs on this album, it is simply breathtaking on first and repeat listens.

The more upbeat songs like Uh Oh!, Purple Poppies, Sunday School Dress and Pistol are the best songs on Hydrogen Child -- but the entire album is a string of consecutive hits that are one through twelve all very good or better. There is no reason why this band should not come off of their appearances on this summer's Warped Tour and not be a near-household name. The bigger question is how will they follow this release? Hydrogen Child is a sophomore effort but is so well-produced and professionally polished it has a far more veteran feel. There's also no post-production tomfoolery and no sign of pitch or vocal adjustment or enhancement. Credit Blackwood, as well as great vision by the entire band. This album earns high marks in every aspect of the recording process, from songwriting through its arrangements and post-production.

The superlatives are most sincerely warranted. Hydrogen Child is an album that will immediately attach itself to you in a most endearing manner. It can get a little too lush at times but never in an overbearing or lamentable way thanks to the vocal marksmanship of Ansley Hughes. It is Hughes who keeps things lighter and slightly more airy just as things seem to get a little too keening or convoluted. That's the mark of a great album. Super Water Sympathy has arrived.

- See more at: http://blog.jivewired.com/2013/04/album-review-hydrogen-child-by-super.html#sthash.Pu3EPoZF.dpuf - JiveWired

JH Weekly - Aaron Davis

(Interviews by Kenneth Morton) - Highwire Daze

Super Water Sympathy Stirs Things Up - Christopher R. Phillip

"Since seeing them play, I must of played the record for 30 people this week, to see if I was crazy to think they were so good.. I was not." - Kevin Lyman - Founder of Vans Warped Tour

Shreveport, La., alt-rockers Super Water Sympathy will release the group’s debut album “Vesper Belle” Saturday, Aug. 20, at Dave’s Darkhorse Tavern.
The show is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
The band, made up of members Clyde Hargrove (guitar), Ansley Hughes (vocals), Billy Hargrove (bass), Ryan Robinson (Drums) and Jason Mills (piano), has played Starkville before and members say they can’t wait to come back.
“Starkville is unlike anywhere else we have ever played,” Hughes said. “It is this little quaint, cultured city that completely comes out of nowhere — I love it. The people are so welcoming and grateful for live music, especially at the Darkhorse.”
Hughes said the Tavern is one of the band’s favorite venues in the region.
“The fact that the space is so intimate and you’re playing on floor level, providing your own sound, is honestly one of the best things about it,” Hughes said. “You don’t need a fancy stage, or lights, or professional sound to do what you love and have people love it in return. And that is what is so awesome about Starkville.”
Hargrove said the last time the band played at the Tavern it had a packed house. He said he shares lead singer Hughe’s love of Starkville, so he’s hoping for the same warm welcoming this weekend. He describes Starkville as a tranquil, yet vibrant, hidden village where everyone acts as if they’re on a beach vacation.
“We look forward to coming to play there again and hanging out with everybody at the Darkhorse,” Hargrove said. “The people treat you well and the drinks treat you well. Everything is a panacea in Starkville.”
Super Water Sympathy is an alternative band known for its lyrics and ability to orchestrate multiple instruments into a unique melodic pairing with Hughes vocals. The Time Record News of Wichita Falls, Texas, said Hughes was “an angelic organ” and David Bottoms of Zeal Media said “Vesper Belle” was powerful and engaging.
Hood said he and the Darkhorse Tavern staff are looking forward to seeing Super Water Sympathy play again.
“They bring in a really fun crowd that Ansley Hughes draws in and mesmerizes,” Hood said. “They’ll be through on their tour, and we think they’re a great band for the first Saturday of the semester.”
Hughes, a self-described tom-boy and life-long singer, said being the only girl in the band just comes naturally.
“I would 100 percent much rather be with these four guys all the time than any other four girls in the world,” she said. “I feel appreciated, respected, and most of all, protected. I have four boyfriends, four brothers and four dads. I like to tell people that.”
She laughingly said being on the road with four boys can get a little smelly, but she loves them all and enjoys their differences. She said each one has and knows their purpose in the band.
“My only complaint might be that at times I’d like a female eye to help me pick out my outfit for the night,” she joked.
Hargrove said the name Super Water Sympathy means having a historic command of water and the ability to sympathize with its abuse. The idea for the name came from a dream Hughes had before a writing session while they were working on the first track of “Vesper Belle.”
“The name was created by accident when writing the words to ‘Spain,’” Hargrove said. “Ansley had a lucid dream and woke up ranting about an endless waterfall from the Pyrenees cascading into the Iberian valleys of Spain and said she had super water sympathy. Hence, the song ‘Spain’ is about having respect for water and getting out of our materialistic bodies, and this is what Super Water Sympathy is about.”
Hughes said she wasn’t sure at first that she agreed with Hargrove when he mentioned using her subconscious declaration of compassion for H2O as a band name, but now finds in fun and unforgettable.
“To be honest, at first I thought it (the band name) was too complicated and I would fight it and disagree with it a lot,” Hughes said, “but eventually it grew on me, just as everybody said it would.”
She said Hargrove kept pointing out the words had never been used together before and admits the uniqueness of it comes in handy.
“If you google ‘Super Water Sympathy’ we are the only thing you will find, and that’s pretty cool,” she said. “It’s really hard to forget.”
After the name was decided upon, Hughes said, another interesting fact came to life.
“We realized one day that every song we have written mentions something about water, whether its an analogy to a river or a mention of an ocean or stream,” she said. “This was completely unplanned. Water is fluid, it flows, it’s peaceful and it’s happy — much like our music.”
For more information on the band, vistit http://www.facebook.com/superwatersympathy.
- ANGIE CARNATHAN

Super Water Sympathy's music isn't typical rocker stuff. It's alternative rocker stuff with a sense of orchestral and lyrical majesty. And then there's the band's big gun — vocalist Ansley Hughes.

"Our sound is very modern But our lead singer, I would say, is our weapon Her voice is like an angelic organ melting an edgy rock 'n' roll riff. She's got a very original voice When you hear it, it's 'Oh, that's Ansley Hughes,'" said the band's bassist, Billy Hargrove, a member of the group with brother Clyde on guitar, Ryan Robinson on drums and Jason Mills on piano.

Hargrove said his cousin knew Hughes from high school.

"We actually went through three lead singers She came over and I looked her up on YouTube — saw her with a snake on her head, and that was it. She's our energy plug. She takes over the stage."

Count on all that energy to power the Shreveport, La., band's concert tonight at the Iron Horse Pub. It will be the group's first show at the Pub, though Hargrove's brother played at the venue in 2003 and 2004 when he was in a different band.

Most of the members of Super Water Sympathy knew each other from bands they were in while attending Louisiana State University. The group formed in August 2010 and started honing their live shows earlier this year at clubs like the Iron Horse. The group, after four months of practice time, started hitting the stage just seven months ago.

"We just decided we were not going to play live until we got it right, right off the bat," Hargrove said.

Besides playing in Shreveport, the band has made the trip to the music Mecca of Austin about once a month to test their mettle against the slew of other bands that saturate the music capital. They squeeze all that performance time in between day jobs back home and in between recording an album.

"We didn't expect to have as much success with booking as we've had Our lives have been very, very busy," Hargrove said.

The group took its nonsensical name from a lyric in one of its songs. Its meaning is open to interpretation, depending on who in the band you ask.

"I have my own belief of the band name. To me, it's where ancient history meets modern civilization," he said, so a bit of the past melding with the present day, and in a more abstract sense, the mainstream meeting counterculture. Beyond that, "It reminds me of color and happiness, which is what our music is."

Hargrove said not to expect very much gloom and doom in their songs, which they've just polished up shiny on their debut record, "Vesper Belle." They recorded the 10-song CD at Sandbox Studio in Shreveport with Darren Osborn and Joe Osborn. The CD will be released Aug. 10.

Definitely expect some "Vesper Belle" tracks to be launched at tonight's show. The band may churn out tunes like the jazzy "Lucy Blue Who," the anthemic "Cherokee" or "You Us Hey."

They're coming prepared in all their alternative rocker, orchestral, lyrical glory, energy plug in tow.

Expect it to be one of those high-energy shows with color and happiness to boot. - Times Record News

Every so often, you hear about a group from (what you might consider to be) a random part of the United States that are taking their region by storm, spreading outwards across all directions of the nation. Bands that emerge from the more obscure places in the states tend to impress me because I get the feeling that they’ve transcended an environment separated from the bigger cities to rise above and get their music out nonetheless. Shreveport, Louisiana, our eastern neighbor, doesn’t stick out in my mind as having a bubbling music scene, (though I am no expert on music scenes by any stretch of the imagination…) and that is exactly where Super Water Sympathy comes to our town from, and next Wednesday, you’ll have a chance to catch their unique set at the Mohawk.

To introduce Super Water Sympathy, they’re a freshly minted indie quintet with a taste for catchy melodies and hooks, as in their songs stick with you so easily that once you hear a track of theirs, get ready to be humming it all day long. Lead vocalist Ansley Hughes has a voice that demands your attention, with a warmness and clarity that makes you feel right at home. Brothers Billy and Clyde Hargrove, bass and guitar, along with drummer Ryan Robinson and Jason Mills on keys, provide a smooth (ambient at times) mixture of sounds that just flows together in such a way that is well constructed and intentional.

This is no E-Z listening muzak, however. This group knows how to ROCK. OUT. Check out this live performance of their song “Where Creswell Ends” You’ll find that it muses you with crooning from Hughes that you’ll instantly hum along to, while suddenly being lifted out of your seat into a dancing frenzy. I seriously love this band already

? Do512 and The New Movement Theater Present: Mothership
The Irie Bean Trailer Grand Opening! ?
Super Water Sympathy, Toy Ghost, F for Fake and Globster @ Mowhawk (8/3)
Posted on July 30, 2011 by Do512 Blog

Every so often, you hear about a group from (what you might consider to be) a random part of the United States that are taking their region by storm, spreading outwards across all directions of the nation. Bands that emerge from the more obscure places in the states tend to impress me because I get the feeling that they’ve transcended an environment separated from the bigger cities to rise above and get their music out nonetheless. Shreveport, Louisiana, our eastern neighbor, doesn’t stick out in my mind as having a bubbling music scene, (though I am no expert on music scenes by any stretch of the imagination…) and that is exactly where Super Water Sympathy comes to our town from, and next Wednesday, you’ll have a chance to catch their unique set at the Mohawk.

To introduce Super Water Sympathy, they’re a freshly minted indie quintet with a taste for catchy melodies and hooks, as in their songs stick with you so easily that once you hear a track of theirs, get ready to be humming it all day long. Lead vocalist Ansley Hughes has a voice that demands your attention, with a warmness and clarity that makes you feel right at home. Brothers Billy and Clyde Hargrove, bass and guitar, along with drummer Ryan Robinson and Jason Mills on keys, provide a smooth (ambient at times) mixture of sounds that just flows together in such a way that is well constructed and intentional.

This is no E-Z listening muzak, however. This group knows how to ROCK. OUT. Check out this live performance of their song “Where Creswell Ends” You’ll find that it muses you with crooning from Hughes that you’ll instantly hum along to, while suddenly being lifted out of your seat into a dancing frenzy. I seriously love this band already:

Looks like they’re a hardworking recording group too, as they have a brand new full length album coming out, called Vesper Belles which I imagine they’ll be promoting and performing selections from at Mohawk. You can pre-order their album here, and I can’t wait to snag my own copy. - Do512

On board with
Super Water
Sympathy

First glances.

In a city that’s direly needed an infusion of
new, vital blood for a long time there are a
growing number of bands that have emerged
to offer original voices and bracing music.
Super Water Sympathy are emblematic of
the new breed, and their focus and direction
belie their very short time together. In late
August 2010 the band coalesced around
brothers Billy and Clyde Hargrove (bass
and guitar, respectively) and includes Ryan
Robinson (drums), Jason Mills (keyboards)
and Ansley Hughes (vocals). They realized
that not only were their energies and
sensibilities compatible, but that they simply
sounded good playing together.

Super Water Sympathy was born.

Sweet synthesis

They deliver taut, melodic music that’s both
evocative and powerful. Billy and Ryan hold
down the bottom end, and they’re met by the
forceful mesh of guitar and keys that offers
a fully formed, lyrics-ready framework.
There’s an instinctive sense of structure at
work, and the group’s current set bears this
out. “We’re like what should have happened
after the ‘90s,” offers Robinson.

This tension and precision are evident
on “Slade Was Made” and the
fierce “Village,” wherein Hughes’
ferocity sets up a blistering guitar solo
for a barnstorming net result that rocks
like hell. The band shot a video for the

addictive “You Us Hey” that’s definitely
spread the message. Clyde and Jason set
up the anthemic “Cherokee,” a track that
perfectly joins lyric and arrangement, and
there are surprises to be had such as the
tempo-shifting, genre-splintering “Lucy
Blue Who,” a jazzy little treat that coils and
uncoils in sui generis delight

Hughes, a heady admixture of Exene
Cervenka and Siouxsie Sioux, layers the
complexity of “Abzu” (a track of the
caliber that most bands don’t deliver until
way down the line), and the haunting,
beseeching “Siren City” in which she
pleads “…swallow me up by the salty
sea…show me off to your family…”

Stunner “Where Creswell Ends” builds to a
dreamy swell that culminates in a crashing,
brilliant cascade of sound, and again spawns
a rich and bawling guitar solo. It’s powerful,
engaging stuff indeed. In the current-day
realms of popular music there are tradeoffs
aplenty, with aspiring acts mining exhausted
rock ‘n’ roll tropes and hollow, faux-
confrontational poses. SWS hews to their
own impulses, and when you’ve got their
particular amalgam you don’t need to shop
around to flesh out your approach.

Billy, Jason, Ansley, Ryan and Clyde

CD Vesper Belle enroute

The band knew they needed a facility that
could do their stuff justice, and decided
on Sandbox Studio in Shreveport. They
cut a few demos with Darren Osborn, and
got dad Joe Osborn on board for the full-
length, due in June. The duo’s expertise will
show. “We’ve been in the studio for a while
now,” says Clyde, and Billy notes of the
record’s production “We don’t want to rush
it.” It is available for pre-order on the band’s
website,
www.superwatersympathy.com.
(Booking inquiries are directed to
pyramidstarter@gmail.com).

February was busy, as the band struck out
for a series of regional dates, every one of
which broadened their listener base and
gained critical exposure. These shows
(including a radio spot in College Station,
Texas) were “…a really big deal for us,”
says Ansley. “That was cool – that they
thought we were good enough.” Soon there
will be the album to tour behind, and other
ideas to develop.

“IT’S THE PAST MIXING WITH THE
PRESENT…IT’S THE MAINSTREAM
AND COUNTERCULTURE MEETING
IN THE MIDDLE.”

In from the cold: onstage in Texas.

Clyde, while pragmatic, is also, like his
bandmates, excited about the coming
months – holding the physical record,
promoting it, and the promise of further
shows and new faces. “We’re really focused
on getting out there…expanding out into
the region,” he says. “We’ve had a good
response with booking…we want to keep
writing…to take over,” he finishes with a
chuckle.

And why not?

Dave Bottoms

Shreveport ? New Orleans

Zeal Media Ltd.

zealmedia1@gmail.com

© 2011 - Zeal Media Limited

Every once in a while it’s healthy to come back to your comfort zone. On my way to see Ben Labat and the Happy Devil play, I knew I was in for a scene of familiar faces, affectionate crowds, and potent drinks. In fact, while paying cover at Carrollton Station, I realized that I’ve never seen Ben Labat play anywhere else. Though the band – fronted by the eponymous former lead singer of Baton Rouge collegetown favorites the Terms – surely exists in a realm outside my narrow understanding of the world, as it so happens I associate this band with this bar nearly on instinct.

Indeed, the Happy Devil has been anything but tied down in the past year. Since really heating up around last year’s Foburg Festival, Labat and Co. have played venues all over the city of New Orleans, stretched their tour north to Shreveport and west into Texas, and managed to record and release two albums (with a third one forthcoming).

Tonight they were joined by Shreveport’s recently-formed Super Water Sympathy, a band featuring several other former Terms. Though this was just their second show, I was floored by their professionalism, especially singer Ansley Hughes, whose deep, affecting wail soared above the ambient, textured synth and the adroit guitar work, creating a captivating post rock vibe that blithely bounced through synthpop passages and alternative riffs with surprising fluency.

After briefly joining his former bandmates on stage for the SWS set, Ben Labat emphatically kicked off his own. Shifting between the intimate one-man feel of latter day Mark Oliver Everett and the sprawling eclecticism of Whiskeytown’s Pneumonia, he ran through cuts from both of his albums with a level of confidence and buoyancy that I’d never seen in a Labat show.

The Happy Devil – they deserved the credit, the singer would later tell me – even went as far as to give the crowd an astoundingly perfect rendition of Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. Labat employed his own flare for vocal interpretation, of course, but that off-kilter bass/guitar interplay in the chorus was still there verbatim, and every time the band would knock out a chorus, I’d look around, blown away, yelling, “Is anyone else seeing this?!”

The rest of the audience members may not have realized it, but what they were seeing was a musician at ease in a familiar atmosphere – one that’s allowed him to kick start his still-young band while feeding his drive to perfect his live craft. - Barryfest

If you don’t know the story behind Hydrogen Child, here’s a refresher. The Shreveport, Louisiana band, under the name Super Water Sympathy, put out a pair of albums in 2011 and 2013, but in late 2014 announced they were changing the moniker to the same title as their second album, Hydrogen Child. Seven months after the release of the new track “Sirens”, the band is set to release a five-track EP bearing the same name, which we’re pleased to premiere here at PopMatters.

Ebullient, lavish, and with huge crossover appeal, Sirens combines modern alternative pop with a wonderful “Big ‘80s” influence. Singer Ansley Hughes leading the way with her charismatic, appealing singing. These tracks, produced by Frequency (Eminem, Rihanna) sound massive, and best of all, the hooks are incessant.

“We only wish our bones were air-made,” the band says. “Songs give us that chance to express the intangible world. We wrote this EP with hopes of freeing ourselves from our thoughts—to get it all out in the open. It’s a liberating feeling. We love our instruments, van, and home. To feel the creative energy surface from inside is what we are after here, at this moment—the infinite chase for melody, color, and sounds. The world’s air is a bucket waiting to be filled with different musical notes of paint—waiting to be splattered and evaporated and splattered again. We continue to just play and write and enjoy ourselves, really. We are thankful for having the opportunity to enjoy and pursue music as a group. It has been refreshingly good for the soul.” - Pop Matters

Explosive tunes, anthemic choruses and good vibes is what our Artist of The Week, Hydrogen Child, is all about.

For fans of: Misterwives, Lights, Ellie Goulding

The Louisiana-based band, comprised by Ansley Rimmer, Clyde Hargrove, Chris Rimmer, Jason Mills and Hali Kha, combines electronic elements with massive rock-inspired hooks and a dash of 80’s groove. Their debut EP Sirens contains 5-tracks that are the epitome of feel-good pop, with the lead single “Sirens” being the clear highlight.

The punchy, shimmery track captures you from the first note and doesn’t let you go (but really, it never, ever leaves your head). The catchiest section of the track is the bridge, in which a child-like chorus bursts singing “I don’t care what none of y’all say. I’ma be fine, I’ll be okay”.

Check out its music video. - Trendio

Two jobs, a trip to the chiropractor, and it’s finally time for Ansley Rimmer to talk about her band, Hydrogen Child. If you hear the Shreveport, Louisiana quintet, especially on their new EP Sirens, you would assume that all interviews were taking place on a luxurious tour bus in some exotic location. The hooks are that good and the performances are of such a high quality that they have to be pop stars by now, right?

“If you’ve eaten canned beans and tuna fish for a month and a half, and shared a van with five people somehow, sleeping semi-comfortably, I can’t imagine what it would feel like to sleep on a tour bus,” Rimmer laughs, but she’s not joking. She’s not complaining either, but the 26-year-old singer does want to lift the curtain a bit on what’s real and what’s not in the world of pop music these days.

In short, to “make it” involves a lot of blood, sweat and tears, even if you do have the talent and material to back you up.

“People, in general, think that we’re bigger than we are,” said Rimmer of the band formerly known as Super Water Sympathy. “Even when it comes to booking shows, a venue’s like ‘we’re going to book this band in the middle of nowhere, Arizona where they’ve never played before and we’re going to headline them and they’re going to bring a huge crowd because they played on Vans’ Warped Tour.’ Okay, well we played on a foldout stage, literally the smallest stage on the tour, nobody knew who we were, and we only played there because (Warped Tour creator) Kevin Wyman saw us at a showcase in Atlanta that we paid to play. Kevin Wyman was on the panel, and he booked us for Warped Tour, and still no one knows who we are. It’s the whole grind of the industry. ‘Oh, you guys need to be on the radio, when are you going to be on the radio?’ Well, maybe when we have four or five hundred thousand dollars to spend on a campaign.”

That means plenty of long hours working multiple jobs for everyone in the band (Rimmer, Clyde Hargrove, Chris Rimmer, Jason Mills, Hali Kha), but when it’s time to get down to the music, the band is all-in, whether they’re in the studio or on stage…or even not on a stage but playing somewhere. The grind will not let their art suffer.

“We bring our full production, whether we’re playing at the House of Blues or if we play in a dive bar and we’re standing in the corner and there’s not a stage,” she said. “We bring our lights, our fog, and our bubbles, and we always bring it, no matter what.”

And with Sirens, the band – which changed their name in late-2014 – has basically put all their cards on the table for an all-out assault on the musical universe. Dramatic, maybe, but after battling it out on the road for over five years, it’s time to start reaping the benefits of their hard work.

“We’re not 19 to 22-year-old people,” Rimmer said. “We thought things were going to go a bit further with our second album and they did, and so with this EP, we’ve got two members, we’ve revamped our image, we changed our name, and we needed to hone in on our sound and figure out the direction we want to go because nothing significant enough had happened. So we said ‘let’s do what we want to do.’

“I would be so happy if we were able to tour the country and play sold out shows to 300 people for the rest of our lives,” she continues. “But why not aim for selling out arenas for the rest of my life? All we really need is for something to happen with this EP, just to put us a couple steps above where we are now. And that will be enough to keep us excited and ready to move on and keep on with this.”

It should happen, as long as the EP hits the right people in the right places. That’s a roll of the dice for sure, but it’s disappointing to fathom that tracks like these might get lost in the mix. If that happens, it won’t be from a lack of effort, and in the meantime, guitarist Hargrove has a plan to make sure HG begins their world invasion in style.

“Clyde calls it ‘Operation Swarm and Swoon,’” Rimmer said of the band’s philosophy of playing anywhere in the small towns in and around Shreveport. “It has really, really worked in our favor. Bands have to respect and embrace your region.”

Hydrogen Child do seem destined for bigger things than being a local band though. They play like it and they’ve set the bar high, with some – like Rimmer – having dreamed of the big time for as long as she could remember. I ask her if she’s ready for a life change in the next year.

“I’d like to think that I am,” she said. “I’d like to think that I would be able to handle something like that with grace, but I don’t know. I’m a pretty scatterbrained person. (Laughs) I try to meditate and give myself rest as much as possible, but again, with working two jobs and being gone on the weekends, it’s kind of hard to find that balance. But I’d like to think that I’m ready. It’s been five years and I feel like we finally produced a product where the ultimate dream doesn’t feel as far in the future as before.”

She pauses before continuing, as if she wants to make sure that commitment to the dream is fully there.

“I think I’m ready. Ever since I’ve been a little kid, all I’ve wanted is for everyone to come up and ask me for my autograph everywhere I go. (Laughs) If I can’t handle it, that would be a shame.”

It would be more of a shame to not see her band at least get their shot. They’ve come close with the Warped Tour slot, four days at SXSW in 2014 and positive critical and popular acclaim, but close is just that for a band that will be called an overnight success should they hit big in 2015.

“The scary thing for me is, I think about bands like Coldplay, who were together for ten years before Yellow dropped,” Rimmer said. “Everyone’s an overnight success. But I do look at someone like Macklemore. He was able to build his own empire without ever having the help of an outside label. That was just an anomaly, but that’s the ultimate goal.”

In the meantime, it’s more two job days, more recording, more shows, and thinking up more ways to reach the masses. It’s not as glamorous anymore when you put it like that, but when Ansley Rimmer and her bandmates take the stage, all is forgiven.

“As cliché as it may be, honestly, it’s the release,” she said when asked why she still does this. “Spiritually, energy-wise, physically, after releasing it through sweat, the sleep you get after the show is better than any sleep I’ve ever gotten in my life. It’s also awesome to be vulnerable. When I’m on stage, I’m emotionally naked and I’m not thinking about any movement I’m doing or my facial expressions. I’m thinking just enough to make words and melodies come out of my mouth. It’s a hundred percent stress release.” - Examiner

Today’s New Music Discovery on Daily Unsigned, Hydrogen Child is an Alt Pop band that hails from Louisiana.
Hydrogen Child has taken a different approach to their music by adding a “Pop” approach to their Alt sound.
Although a risky task these days at radio, I feel Hydrogen Child has successfully captured the true essence of Alt and Pop.
If you are a fan of songs that are designed just for you, Hydrogen Child is just for you.
Hydrogen Child is your New Music Discovery on Daily Unsigned. - Daily Unsigned