Q+A: Washed Out

July 28, 2011 by Marty Jones

Hailing from the back blocks of Georgia, 28-year-old Ernest Greene has been making waves under the musical guise of Washed Out. Greene’s two EPs High Times and Life of Leisure have propelled him from the glowing praise of hipster blogs to being the latest and greatest signing to Sub Pop Records. Alongside artists such as Toro Y Moi, Neon Indian and Ducktails, Washed Out has been recognised for being at the forefront of the so called ‘Chillwave’ movement, a genre which is just as hazy and undefined as its title. Now only a couple weeks after the release of his debut album Within and Without, and in the midst of a European tour, we managed to squeeze in a few quick questions with Ernest.

Your music seems to have a very distinct aesthetic – is that something that occurred naturally or was it a conscious part of the process?

I think it’s a little bit of both. I naturally tend to write this type of song – slower and on the melancholy side – but I’ve also spent years working on refining the sound to what it is today. Especially the vocal sound – I started out imitating singers I looked up to – and gradually developed my own style.

Coming from (dare I say it) a somewhat lo-fi/bedroom based background, have you found that your creative processes have changed now that you’re on Sub Pop and there are more opportunities and resources on offer?

While there is definitely more opportunities / resources available, I still try to let the songs dictate which direction the production should take. That was a big part of the sound of this new record – I was writing much bigger, more dynamic songs so I wanted the production to sound a little less bedroom-y…

Do you think that coming from a rural background has helped you to form your own sound more than if you had been based in say a bigger city?

Maybe in subtle ways but I’d say the internet definitely levels the playing field. I’ve discovered so much music that has directly influenced my sound that would have been impossible to find anywhere around the small Georgia town I grew up in.

I’ve read and seen that photography is one of your main passions. Any plans to exhibit some of those wonderful shots from your blog?

I’ve been working on a re-design of my site with new images I’ve taken recently but I’ve been so busy with the album release that it’s sort of taken a back seat. I’d love to someday properly exhibit some work but I doubt I have enough material yet for a unified vision.

How do you see your music progressing in the future? Could you see yourself taking a more band like approach ala Toro Y Moi?

I play with a band for the live show, which is a lot of fun, but I see it as a completely different thing. It’s almost like we’re entirely different group that’s just covering Washed Out songs because in most situations we are playing different interpretations of the songs.

What were some of the touchstones that you were listening to that inspired you to start creating music as Washed Out?

The big ones are DJ Shadow, Boards of Canada, and all of the big shoegaze bands of the early 90s.

Having released music on cassette, vinyl and CD, what is your preferred format? And do you think that music as a physical thing is still a valid?

Probably vinyl. I like thinking about the artwork for a record and the vinyl cover is always best because of sheer size. I think physical product is still valid, especially from a collector’s perspective. I still mostly buy and listen to music digitally but love buying my favorite records to collect.

Through quite a natural yet rapid series of events you’ve gained a large amount of attention, what have been some of the strangest and greatest things to happen because of that?

I’m writing from a van in rural Italy right now and I can’t imagine ever making it over here if it wasn’t for the music. So travel is a big perk. I’ve also had the chance to meet a lot of my musical idols, which is really inspiring. Too many strange moments to talk about here..