Vancouver electro pop duo Rococode are excited to return to Lethbridge for the first time in several years in support of their new EP “Panic Attack,” Nov. 20 at the Slice.
“The last time we were there was around 2012. My how time flies,” said Rococode’s Laura Smith, who along with partner Andrew Braun are excited about a shift in the duo's sound.
“We just released ‘Panic Attack” about a month ago and we’ve changed the band’s sound. Not so that people who like us won’t like us now, but it’s a little more keyboard based rather than guitar based,” she said.
“We recorded the last album with people who worked with Yukon Blonde and Said the Whale. This time we recorded with Caleb Shreve, who has worked with people like the Wu Tang Clan,” she said adding they convinced him to come from New York to the B.C. coast to record the new album.
“He had a lot of stories about them. He only got three hours of sleep. They’d come in and play video games until they had red eyes. Then they’d record. Then the next one would come in. He basically lived at that studio,” she said adding recording Rococode’s new Cd wasn’t quite as intense.
“Andrew and I are the band and we recruit band members as we need them,” she said.
“For this album we recorded in a cabin off the grid on the Sunshine Coast where we recorded for two weeks without any distractions,” she said.
“They work in electronica, so we just gave them the song and let them do what they wanted with it,” she said.
“ It turned out really cool. We really like it,” she enthused.
The EP also includes a cover of INXS’s ’80s hit “Never Tear Us Apart.”
“Andrew loves INXS. He listened to them a lot when he was growing up. And that song really inspires us,” she said.
None of the songs off “ Panic Attack” will be on the full length album,”
“They were originally, but we recorded more songs so we decided to release the EP to get people excited about the CD,” she said.
They will be coming to Lethbridge as a quartet, though she and Braun are the core of the band.
“His brain and tongue really complements me. He like a lot of new songs and out there stuff compared to pop music,” she said.
While they haven’t been to Lethbridge for a few years, they have played here many times.
“Andrew and I played there as a duo, using the same band and taking turns singing. And I was there when I was briefly with Said the Whale, she said adding Rococode and Said the Whale remain close friends.
“Andrew and I do a Christmas show when we get a bunch of musicians together and play covers. And They come out for that, ” she said.
In the meantime, they have a couple videos planned for “Panic Attack” including the title track, which they recorded the past weekend.
“It’s going to be fun. We’re also making one for the next single but I can’t tell you what it is,” she said.
“Shooting videos can be painstakingly boring, or they can be a lot of fun. This one is going to be a lot of fun, she said.
Rococode play the Slice, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m.
