A new beginning between dreams and sound spells.
After more than a decade redefining the boundaries of ethereal pop, the Canadian duo returns with a self-titled album that marks a new era: vaster, brighter and deeply introspective.
It has been more than 10 years since Shrines introduced us to the dream universe of Purity Ring. Since then, Megan James and Corin Roddick They have maintained a constant dialogue between the physical and the intangible, between the digital and the emotional. With his new album Purity Ringthe project reinvents itself: a work that looks back to its origins while expanding its sound into a territory of mantras, RPG worlds and melodies that sound like spells. In conversation with Indie Rocks!the duo reflects on this new chapter, their way of composing and the importance of creating without haste in a world saturated with immediacy.
Indie Rocks!: This new album is beautiful. Sometimes when a band releases a self-titled album, it often marks a key point in their history. What does this moment represent to you and why call it simply Purity Ring?
Purity Ring: Thank you. Yes, it was a very thoughtful decision. It’s something you can only do once in your career—well, maybe we could get Purity Ring 2 one day—but having an album with the band’s name on it felt right. Making this album was refreshing, like a new beginning, something we hadn’t felt since the first one. That’s why it made sense to underline it with that name.
Indie Rocks!: Before talking about the album in general, where did the inspiration come from? Was it something concrete or just life itself?
Purity Ring: We never start an album with a defined idea; rather that idea reveals itself over time. We usually go months without working together, so when we do it again, there is a stage of experimentation until we find a direction. In this case, the first songs already had a very clear concept, almost as if the album had been presented to us from the beginning.
Indie Rocks!: “Many Lives” was the first preview of the album. Why did you choose that song as the cover letter?
Purity Ring: We decided that near the end, when we started sequencing the album. That song made sense as an entry point because it’s the center of the album, it was one of the last ones we wrote and it kind of sums up everything that was already in the air. It’s like the main theme, a kind of introduction to the whole journey.
Indie Rocks!: In “imanocean you can hear many influences and nuances. How do you manage to balance so many genres and textures within the same song?
Purity Ring: That song had many transformations. It exists thanks to the comfort that we feel today with composition. We see our songs as pieces that could be played on a piano or guitar, in their most naked form. In that sense, “I’m an Ocean” It reflects who we are as composers, and although the album is very broad, everything fits naturally within that universe.
Indie Rocks!: In this new work there is a strong connection with the fantastic, even with the RPG universe. What led you to that terrain?
Purity Ring: It has to do with something that was always beneath the surface. We grew up with video games and with the music of those worlds. RPG soundtracks are incredibly diverse and inspiring. Going into this record, the first few songs had that feel, and we decided to fully immerse ourselves. It was a very rich source of inspiration, with many different textures and soundscapes.
Indie Rocks!: “Place of My Own” sounds almost like a mantra or a spell asking for a space of your own. What does this idea of finding or building a place that represents you mean to you?
Purity Ring: We love that song because it feels meditative. We had never thought of it as a mantra, but it is, a kind of prayer or spell. The entire album is about imagining a better world, dreaming about something possible and making it real. It’s like in games: you’re building, fighting with your allies, creating something worthwhile.
Indie Rocks!: It has been more than 10 years since Shrines. What is the secret to continuing making music without falling into monotony?
Purity Ring: This album feels new precisely because it is different from anything we have done. We don’t have a fixed system for writing; We make few songs and take our time, and that prevents us from exhausting ourselves or repeating formulas. Every time we compose, new doors open. Making music remains an infinite and beautiful process.
Indie Rocks!: In a world dominated by the immediacy of networks and rapid consumption, why is it important for you to do things slowly?
Purity Ring: Just for that. We live surrounded by constant demands. The simple fact of being connected to the internet already feels like a requirement. But we like to think of albums as complete works, not fragments. We are an album band. Making music takes time, and that time is sacred.
Indie Rocks!: They have collaborated with artists like Black Dresses or Deftones. Do you find it difficult to open your ideas to other people?
Purity Ring: Before we didn’t do so many collaborations, but since we started doing it, we noticed how refreshing it can be. You learn a lot from others’ process and it takes you out of your comfort zone. We definitely want to do more in the future.
Indie Rocks!: With this ethereal and dreamlike universe, what is the difference between Purity Ring in the studio and on stage?
Purity Ring: It’s quite big. Live we seek to create a visual experience that transports the audience to the world that the album suggests. Holograms, landscapes, projections… everything is designed so that what people imagine when listening to the album becomes tangible. We want it to be a total experience.
Indie Rocks!: If this album were a place, how would you describe it?
Purity Ring: This album is a place In fact, all of ours are. It’s a series of connected worlds: caves, open fields, cliffs, oceans. A sound journey through those landscapes.
Indie Rocks!: For someone who doesn’t know you yet, what song would be the best gateway?
Purity Ring: “Obey”of Shrines. And if we talk about the new album, we would say start with the singles… but better yet, listen to it from the beginning.
Indie Rocks!: Lastly, describe yourself in three words.
Purity Ring: Physical, ethereal and dreamy.
Or maybe… water, touch and air.
Stay tuned for Indie Rocks! for more details.
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