Picture this moment in time: I’m sweating, intoxicated, and digging my own grave in the name of networking exhaustion at SXSW in Austin, Texas. It’s 10 PM at Austin’s historic Scoot Inn, and ThisSongIsSick is showcasing artists by the likes of Louis Futon, and Classixx. All I need is a lighter. I meander my way past the bar and find a stool to set up shop, I dig through my purse for my Turkish Royals, and a lighter. Naturally, I have no luck on the lighter. I glance around to find a seemingly “cool” human to bum fire from. I strike up conversation with a handsome fellow who aptly lends his lighter for my self-righteous use. As we continue our small-talk, I come to find he is a member of the creative collective that is NVDES, playing a show a few blocks away in only a matter of hours. We talked about fears, and creative struggles as I made feeble attempts to blow my smoke in the opposite direction of the masses. That was it. I moved on with my evening, falling victim to the beauty that is my down comforter, and didn’t think much of the aforementioned composers.
It was only days later that I realized exactly who NVDES was. The creative collective, led by Josh Ocean, is one of the grooviest, rising contemporary ensembles in the game. They’ve seen a slew of successes over the last 6 months alone, and their latest single, “Anything Goes” was featured in Spotify’s official “New Music Friday” playlist upon release. A rugrats-esque intro drops into a mid-tempo wave of groove, and chrome-like production. The lyricism is outlined to mimic the rhythm of hip-hop verses- conversational and idiomatic. It’s playful aura is inviting, and saturated with vibrancy. Their consistent, colorful aesthetic directly translates into, “Anything Goes,” as technicolor vibrations cause synesthesia, awakening senses beyond the obvious. Tune in and stayed tuned for more from the peachy outfit that is NVDES.
