When bands get together, there's usually some story about how the members met in math class, or that they worked together. For Astragal, it wasn't even close to that. " We have Craigslist to thank for how David and Sam met, but I met Sam at a Beach House show after I complimented him on his Animal Collective shirt. I was in a weird place for a while after my band Wilding Estates broke up; I went from playing shows and practicing all of the time to barely touching an instrument, so I was really itching to play with someone. Playing alone isn't enough for me as a musician, so after running into Sam at a DIIV show, someone suggested that we get together to jam and the rest is history," says the singer.
The band with a name that's hard to forget feels like something from another time and place, something that Bent confirms. "Astragal came from a book by the same name from the French writer Albertine Sarrazin, the pink and cream cover caught my eyes at a bookstore while strolling through
The band has a sound that's very dreamy, almost like if The Cure and Ride had more energy, mixing it all to craft an intriguing shoegaze sound that's hard not to love. When asked who he was inspired by, Bent replied, "lately I've been into Hand Habits, Cortex, Pat Metheny, Corridor, and the song 'Keep On Calling,' by Nulifer Yanya. My usual rotation for the past couple of years has been The Clientele, Joy Division, Joao Gilberto, and Reverie Sound Revue."
As for Sosa, "through and though, we all love shoegaze like Slowdive and post-punk like Ceremony and Joy Division, with indie alternative acts like Deerhunter and Preoccupations. I personally am inspired by a ton of jazz and Interpol bass lines. My god of inspiration is Jaco
Beginning the band when none of the members were 21, the trio plays like musicians twice their age. When asked if he thought their ages ever held them back when they began, the guitarist replied, "I hope that no one has judged us based on our age, that's something I have never really thought of. There has been the issue of playing 21 & up venues in the past and not all of our friends could attend. Now with Walter's closed, that issue may arise again for many of us younger bands. I guess it's time for more house shows."
Looking at the band's past, dropping two E.P.'s instead of a full length to start has become the norm for newer acts starting out. "I think starting with two E.P.'s was a way for us to get to know each other better both musically and on a personal level. Neither of the three of us knew each other whatsoever which made for an interesting songwriting process. Our first songs were so frantic, chaotic, and blended so many genres together, we never really spent time getting to know one another because we were all so perplexed and fascinated by the sound we were creating. Now that we have grown with one another, I couldn't be happier with the type of music we are creating, it's the type of music I have always dreamed of making," remarks Bent.
When it comes to the live show, Astragal has come a long way from their early days to where they are today. When I first caught them they were great, but still had some elements to add, where now their live sets feel loose and in the pocket. Sosa says of the live show, "I think when we're performing live we want our sound to be as full as it can without any spaces to fill. Most of all I want Jimmy to tackle Sam at the end of every set."
When asked about what people should expect from them at the festival, Bent replies "from Astragal's humble beginnings, there were several things I wanted in our set,
You can stream Astragal's music in all of the usual places, you can purchase their music at record shops throughout Houston, as well as directly from their Bandcamp page or through Miss Champagne Records. You can catch Astragal at In Bloom Festival on Sunday, March 25. The all-ages