Los Angeles-based indie/pop duo Yeti Tactics are today premiering their newest single, “El Matador”. The song imbues a hazy and somehow melancholic vibe inspired by a psychedelic night-out that the band members Jordan Sherman (lead singer) and Sean Saley (bass) had in Malibu beach. It is, in some way, a lamentation towards this year’s ‘lost summer’. Still, it is warm, nostalgic and perfect for watching the sun’s evening horizon or a late night drive.
Jordan say, “‘El Matador’ is about the realization that no matter how hard our egos work to make us feel important, one day we will all be reclaimed by the Earth.”
Produced by XY&O‘s Skip Curtis, “El Matador” is billed as Yeti Tactics’ first single on UK-based label, Pet Shop Records. It’s also the title-track to their upcoming EP.
We connected with one-half of the duo, Jordan Sherman, for a short interview. See it below:
The band recently got signed to Petshop Records. First of all, congratulations on that! Two, considering that the deal was finalized during the COVID-19 isolation period, can you describe how the process unfolded?
Thanks! Because PetShop is actually located in the UK, I imagine that our particular process would have been fairly similar, even without the COVID-19 situation. It has certainly changed our strategy for releasing music and future plans, but we were going to be meeting with the label via Zoom regardless!
Had you actively been seeking a recording deal or did it happen purely organically?
We’ve made various partnerships for releasing music before and were courting a few prospects for this latest collection of tracks, but as soon as we met Skip Curtis at Pet Shop Records, it immediately clicked. So, we were actively pursuing a label partnership, but I don’t think that we expected to make such a great friend in the process!
Well, with the deal done and your first single via the label being released, are you anticipating a specific change in the band’s growth trajectory, or you’ll prefer to let things naturally fall into place?
Without touring, it will be hard to see what type of ‘on the ground’ effect these new releases will have, but the guys at the label have some amazing strategies were going to try out and hopefully it will connect us to new fans all around the world. We love this song and we really think that when people hear it, they will to!
Do describe Yeti Tactics’ sound, creative process and how the two of you coordinate ideas.
We have evolved quite a bit since our debut LP, Expectation Reality, and so has our process. We currently reside in the indie/pop hazy, synthy universe. Kinda sounds like driving down the coast at night with the windows down. As for current creative process, it varies track by track, but lately, Sean runs titles/concepts past me and they find a way into an instrumental I’m working on. Then I’ll write the top line with that concept in mind, then Sean comes over and we finish up the production together. It’s amazing having a partner who is busy continuing to have crazy life experiences, which always drives new ideas within myself for the art!
You both grew up as friends in Pompano, Florida, please do shed some light on the journey that led to the formation of the band?
We really connected in high school. Friends with lots of the same people, but I think we both recognized that we weren’t like a lot of the people that we were hanging out with. We spent a lot of hours just jamming at my parents house (me on drums and Sean on bass). We would play parties in college or even reunion shows back in Pompano when we were both in town. We never wrote anything, but we loved being the energy behind a good time for our friends.
When and why did you choose to relocate to Los Angeles and what are the changes you have experienced, both professionally and at a personal level?
The move to LA is when everything changed. I was living in Washington, D.C., Sean was in Florida and we were both at a big crossroads in our lives. We were on the phone often and I’m not really sure how it entirely materialized, but we made the decision to make the move to LA to see where things could go. At the time, I was releasing music under my own name and we got here and played a couple shows as Jordan Sherman, but that quickly shifted into writing music together for the first time.
We both tried our hands at different careers in LA as well. I was already a full-time performer, so I stepped right into that out here, signing with a talent agency and singing in bars and restaurants 5x a week. Sean has always been interested in visual art and through a story that could easily take up the whole length of this interview, is now a producer at Viacom/CBS in Hollywood.
Needless to say, making the move was the right choice!
Lastly, when can we expect a new, full-length release (or EP) from Yeti Tactics?
We have the tracks complete for a 5-song EP! We’re working with the label to finalize dates, but likely before the end of the year!
Follow Yeti Tactics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or their official website.
Aipate 