Soft Complex

It’s the critic’s job to pigeonhole new bands, and the band’s job to escape those categories. We’ve described DC’s Soft Complex as “twenty-first century Smiths” or “a Haircut 100 for our times,” making “new music with an old-school mix of chimy guitar, Material Girl keyboards, and New Order vocals”. As the group goes into the studio for their first full-length, we thought it only fair to give guitarist Chris Connelly (and former On Tap music editor) a chance to put the band's (which includes Shane German, Rich Dejong and Mike Harbin) sound in his own words.

On Tap: Soft Complex is often described as New Wave, or '80s retro. How do you respond to that?
Chris Connelly: There are certainly elements of our sound that you can find in New Wave music or '80s music, but I think there are plenty of elements from other time periods — and elements that are uniquely our own. We're all from very different backgrounds musically, and we all listen to a huge variety of music. Our sound is the result of our collaboration — it isn't that we've set out to sound a certain way.

OT: Can fans of the EP expect to hear a difference in the album's sound?
CC: This recording will have some differences from the "Barcelona" disc. This lineup has been playing together for almost three years, so the sound has just become a bit more "us". We're much more confident creatively. We know what works for us and what we want to try. Also, we're hoping that you can expect some guest appearances from some friends of ours.

OT: What have been the high points of Soft Complex's career so far?
CC: This answer is definitely different for each of us, but personally, I can point to a few things: "Barcelona" debuting on the CMJ Top 200; some of the accolades the EP has received; performing at the 9:30 Club for INFAMY in March, which was the most fun we've ever had playing live; James Iha from the Smashing Pumpkins attended one of our shows.

OT: What’s next?
CC:: We're looking forward to completing the record and seeing where the songs go in the studio. From there, our biggest priority is continuing to make music at a professional level, and continuing to have fun doing what we do.

OT: What does it take to make a DC crowd dance?
CC: Alcohol. Lots of alcohol. I'm kidding, but it does seem that DC audiences seem to have more reservations about dancing at rock concerts. It’s not just a DC phenomenon, but there are places where people are much more willing to get on the dance floor.

OT: Any outstanding experiences from the road?
CC: We've had some great shows out of town. Playing with our West Virginia friends the Red Velvet is always a blast. We've also played out of town with Middle Distance Runner and Cedars — it was great to be able to play on the road with some other fantastic DC locals.

OT: Any insight on the virtues or oddities of the DC scene?
CC: This is a difficult town in which to be a musician. We don't have the infrastructure that exists in Los Angeles or New York — big labels, big promoters, publicity companies, booking agencies, and so forth. That makes getting noticed more challenging. It is also an expensive place, so we definitely have to schedule music around jobs. The transitory nature of DC is also a challenge — folks don't stick around and develop huge attachments to anything, music included. All that said, this is a community of musicians that is proud of their history and proud of what they do. The music happening here today is exciting and fresh. The DC music scene makes me very proud to call Washington DC my home.

OT: What's our best hope for the future?
CC: Plastics.

For more info, visit www.softcomplexmusic.com.