PVRIS // The Dark Before Dawn

What reflects back in PVRIS dark mirror? Read this EXCLUSIVE excerpt from our revealing cover story, only in Hysteria #38, available on the App Store and Google Play.

During White Noise’s conception, Lynn, Brian and Alex were a little under strain. “We thought, ‘make sure the Rise Record’s fans will like this/I hope this group of people like it’,” remembers Lynn.  “We have to make sure it fits into this… box. The biggest thing I learnt making that record is that do the complete opposite of that,” she laughs.

“Do what you want; do what feels good. If it feels good to you, it feels good for a reason. You have to roll with it. We have that mentality going into the next record.”

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As kids, music immediately latched into PVRIS’s curiosities. It’s no surprise each member’s influence reflects their positions in the band. These interests lent PVRIS sophistication that precedes their age. They took the time, they didn’t hurry up. Flashes in the pan need not apply.

Vocalist Lynn Gunn lights up. She’s soft spoken and alluring; a landmine of rage and brilliance.  “The first time I listened to Lungs by Florence And The Machine. It wasn’t like, ‘this is what’s wrong with the world, you need to know these things’, she says. “It was just real music.”

“My family loved ’80s hair metal”, says guitarist Alex Babinski with a laugh. His rake-like arms are draped over his knees. His is a jawline that could cut steel. “My first concert was Iron Maiden and that changed my life.”

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“I feel like we all hold each other down. If anyone says something that’s a little out of line, we call each other out. Even that’s very rare for that to happen; we’re just people.”

[LYNN]

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For keys and bass player Brian Macdonald, it was the majestically progressive Marvin Gaye. “It was the groove and the way he was singing and what he was singing about.”

You can’t open the internet without stumbling into piles of hype. They’re anointing PVRIS with ‘the new sound’. In most ways, PVRIS’s success looks completely organic. Lynn’s epiphanies coupled with Brian and Alex’s technical dizziness marry into something mysterious. Even so, it’s recognisable like best friends in the distance. 2014’s White Noise is replete with moments like that—nuggets of hypnotism and tunefulness, woven into something well-worn. While at times it may seem they’re swimming with sharks, fundamentals keep PVRIS afloat.

“We know where we came from. No matter how big our band gets, we’re still from that”, says Lynn, seriously.

“I feel like we all hold each other down. If anyone says something that’s a little out of line, we call each other out. Even that’s very rare for that to happen; we’re just people.”

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Read the interview in full FREE in Hysteria #38 on your device.