Watch out Los Angeles! Five piece indie dreampop outfit Boolan may be new to the scene, formed just earlier this year, but they are ready to bring down the house. The group is comprised of Andru Bautista (rhythm guitar), Patrick Maniquis (lead guitar), TJ Perez (drums), Juan Rodriguez (bass) and Selena Vernon (vocals). The band follows in the footsteps of their musical inspirations such as Radiohead and Little Dragon, with a sound that delicately strides the balance between upbeat melodies and heavy, loaded lyrics and somehow still manages to keep things feeling fresh and fluid. Boolan have played a handful of shows this year at The Mint, Silverlake Lounge and the Airliner and have geared up for the official release of their single, “Passenger” out today (December 4). The upbeat guitar and rhythm lends itself well to head bopping, swaying and some good ole fashioned interpretive dance. Paired up with the airy but substantive vocals of singer Selena Vernon, the song keeps things catchy.
We chatted with the band to dig a little deeper and they dished on the making of the new single, the wonderful world of Craigslist, what holiday music means to them, and more.
On recording “Passenger” in the studio…
Patrick: “Andru and I first recorded “Passenger” about a year ago as a jam session at home, and since then it’s been such a great experience working with the rest of the band members to get the song right. As the band grew, the song did too and now it’s almost unrecognizable from our first recording.”
Selena: “It was the first time I recorded in a studio, so a whole new experience than what I’m used to. For the most part it was a pleasant experience, my favorite part had to be dancing around in the vocal booth.”
How Boolan came to be…
“Andru and I (Patrick) knew each other from college. I knew he played music so I invited him to come jam with a few friends. We’ve been playing music together since. In early 2014 we made the decision to start a project together but had no real intention for anything until TJ, a drummer we met from our manager, joined the band. We set a goal to record an EP and find a bassist and vocalist by the end of the summer. We posted ads all over L.A. and online, and thanks to our good friend Craig and his List, we found the finishing touch to our group in late August.
Favorite/influential music from childhood…
Selena: “Ironically I listen to songs I really don’t listen to much now. It was all about the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys. I feel like those artists help me now with song writing though. I definitely know what a single should sound like because of them.”
The holiday season is upon us, which means holiday music galore…please describe your relationship with holiday music in three words…
Patrick: Cheesy Easy Sleezy
Juan: Elvis Fucking Presley
Selena: Love hate relationship.
Upcoming Shows / Releases:
Boolan unleash their single, “Passenger” into the world both online and live at the Bootleg Theatre tonight, Thursday, December 4th alongside Animal Games, Via Echo and Leopold and His Fiction.
The band is also scheduled to play The Mint on January 17th (mark your calendars!) and will be working on new material throughout January.
Listen to Boolan’s new single “Passenger” below.
Words: Emily Saex
Artwork by Angelo Rosales
Boolan – “Passenger”
