Things happen in four years. In music specifically, fads change, people move, and a local scene can quickly become redefined. It has been four years since Pretty & Nice released their standout full-length, Get Young, but they are quick to reassure us that their motives have changed little. Crouched on the front stoop of guitarist Jeremy Mendicino's home studio in Brighton, wittily dubbed "Esthudio," the three men at the forefront of the band appear to be much on the same positive wavelength. "I can't say that too much has changed," says guitarist Holden Lewis. "Some of the songs that we're releasing were written and recorded some time ago, others more recently. We're not exactly picking up and starting over."
Touring with the likes of Miniature Tigers and Geographer, the band has been occupied with label-shopping and constant songwriting between their last release and their upcoming EP, Us You All We, which continues Pretty & Nice's caffeinated brand of hook-heavy rock but cleans the corners with more palatable melodies and warmer, colorful tones. Out November 6, they're pleased to put this one out independently after previous releases on Hardly Art and Black Bell Records. "It presented the best opportunity for people to listen to our next LP if we released an EP ourselves first," says bassist Roger Lussier. "A short release now acts as a re-introduction for our full-length, which should be out early next year."
Re-acclimating fans to their music isn't the only wise decision the band is making this time around when it comes to taking care of business. Loyal to the Boston scene, they know their audience. They know enough to limit their number of live shows so as to avoid oversaturation, and they know that when they do perform, it needs to be done right. That kind of maturity has allowed them to outlast the often transient nature of Boston's music community. It is also what led them to take Us You All We's release show to Allston's underground Store 54. "We wanted it to be a party," says Lewis. "Something specific and different that got people excited from the idea alone."
It's also another way for the band to get closer to their community. "Boston fosters musicians really well, but sometimes bands are in and out like a roadhouse," says Mendicino. "We've always found what we've needed here." Pretty & Nice insist that there is no exact formula for making a band last in Boston. "There's no point in lamenting scene changes or getting hung up about things that have already happened," says Lussier. "As long as we have people to play for, we're ready for whatever."
PRETTY & NICE + EARTHQUAKE PARTY + LADY BONES :: Store 54, 16 Harvard Ave, Allston :: November 1 @ 8 pm :: All Ages :: $7
