Earlier last year, a new and upcoming band called “After” released their first and second Extended Play onto streaming platforms. The two band members, Justine Dorsey and Graham Epstein write music that this era of pop/rock music is lacking. Singles like “300 dreams” and “Deep Diving” have a unique sound. It is inspired by the reminiscent sound of songs from the late 90s and 2000s. This is reshaping the iconic era of Y2K music that this generation lacks.
Coming Together as After
Both Dorsey and Epstein have previous musical writing experience. Their different inspirations blend together perfectly and create a whole new sound. With inspiration from bands like Talking Heads and singers like Blondie, After structures their music to sound comforting and nostalgic, while appealing to both older and younger generations.
“So much of indie music or alternative is really vibe-based and not satisfying, structured or melodic. We always say we wanted to make you miss a memory you never had. That is baked into the songs,” Dorsey said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
This collection of songs is unique because it captures all of the best of that genre of music. It emulates the sound of popular artists from the time from both sides of the spectrum. Songs echo similar instruments and sounds from artists like Colbie Caillat and Evanescence. Their songs explore the same timeless themes as these artists while putting an eccentric spin on it.
My favorite song from this band is “Outbound,” which was released earlier this year. This song perfectly manifests their brand as artists, as well as their aesthetic. While the instrumental and vocals are rather simple, they manage to still manifest the quirky, lively and ethereal personality behind the music. Unique music like this can potentially benefit the resurgence of this genre of music, and keep inspiring new aspiring artists, as well as widening the listening pool.
After started their first tour last October. They performed in various major cities around the country, such as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Austin.
