SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

There is a tendency among the most recent wave of 90s-aping young bands to gloss over everything but the most obvious (and easiest to replicate) aspects of that decade’s indie rock.Which is to say there are lots of people doing fuzzy shoe-gazing stuff, but very few augmenting it with much in the way of melody or, heaven forbid, any sign of the deceivingly expert production that was the order of the day. Enter Field Mouse, a local duo (they perform live as a four-piece) led by singer-guitarist Rachel Browne. Their arrangements are expansive and airy, but also driving and focused, the perfect backdrop for Browne’s peppy, likable vocals, which are as sweet as they are commanding. We haven’t fallen this hard since we first heard Juliana Hatfield.

Favorite NYC venue?
Probably Glasslands. Shea Stadium is really great, too. They record your set and have an excellent live archive on their website!

What New York band from the past has had the biggest influence on your sound?
Patti Smith, Pavement, Sonic Youth, The Magnetic Fields…does Yo La Tengo count? Yo La Tengo.

Favorite song about NYC?
“We Built This City” by Starship or “New York City” by Cub.

On tour for a month, what album would get the most play in the van?
The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Darklands, Sloan’s One Chord to Another, The Ventures (Best of), Pixies’ Bossanova.

Ideal four-band bill (realistic):
Beach House, Wye Oak, Built to Spill, Bear in Heaven.

Ideal four-band bill (dream):
Breeders, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine. Actually, that sounds way way too intense. Maybe if they share gear and all do short sets.

If you had to relocate to another city, where would you go?
If we had to leave, we would probably pick somewhere with a cheaper cost of living like Philly or Athens so that we could tour with less financial anxiety. New York is great, but you have to live pretty frugally and work extremely hard. We’ve been wanting to get super into sloth and gluttony.

Listen: