Each day this week, we’re spotlighting the homegrown budding talent sourced via KCRW’s Young Creators Project, a community arts mentorship platform celebrating the creative work of SoCal residents under 21.
Eagle Rock trio Forsythia — Namika Conness, 17 (lead vocals, guitar), Riley Arce-Riolo, 17 (backing vocals, bass), and Eli Wiliams, 16 (drums) — rock, hard. Chunky guitar riffs channel eviscerating tones, the vocals encompass satisfying harmonics which tiptoe right up to the edge of off-kilter, the drums hit, and their mastery of tension/release could rival that of Pixies.
It’s no wonder then, that the direct influences they cite are sure to spark flutters in the hearts of ‘90s kids everywhere… Think: Pavement, Built to Spill, and the inspiration behind the band’s name, Veruca Salt.
But Forsythia are no tribute band. While their sound places them in dialogue with previous generations, their lyrical concerns are very much rooted in the here and now.
“We had been playing for a while before we wrote our first song together,” says lead singer Namika Conness of the band’s YCP song submission “Pretty Lungs.”
“It started with just me in my bedroom writing about an experience where we had a scare with a school shooting. So I recorded a demo and brought it to them.”
“Pretty Lungs” goes all in examining the dark subject matter, both from the perspective of the potential shooter and the potential victims. It’s an unfathomable space for many of us to imagine, but when active shooter drills become a routine part of the high school experience… it’s difficult to deny the cathartic power of these types of exercises.
More: Explore the Young Creators Project Class of 2023
