Those who were introduced to Strange Ranger through their 2019 sophomore LP Remember The Rockets might do a double take after pressing “play” on their latest endeavor Pure Music. The band, made up of members Isaac Eiger, Fiona Woodman, Nathan Tucker and Fred Nixon, took a turn from classic indie rock into shoegaze territory with their latest album.
Songs like the opener “Rain So Hard” and “Wide Awake” come across like a veiled dream while others like “She’s On Fire” and “Way Out” emulate the synth-pop of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. “Music makes us transcend the feeling of being alienated from or trapped in the world,” Strange Ranger’s Woodman. “I want the experience of listening to Pure Music to be euphoric.”
To celebrate the release of Pure Music, Uproxx sits own with Stranger Ranger’s Isaac Eiger to talk Weezer, New York City, and double joints in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
This is pretty good.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
The culmination of thousands of years of civilization.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
New York City but would love to play in Tokyo.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
There was this guy Mr. Lamme who worked in the computer lab at my high school. Pretty surly guy and he had a lot of good ideas about the world.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Popeyes off Myrtle.
What album do you know every word to?
Harvest by Neil Young.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Chanel Beads at that mansion in Bedstuy.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
A t-shirt with pants and shoes is my go-to.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter/Instagram/TikTok?
@willsurvivesofficial on TikTok.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
Mondrian by “Turtlenecked.”
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Will Survives Tik Tok.”
What album makes for the perfect gift?
I got my sister the Grouper album that’s mostly piano one time and she was psyched.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
This weird couple tried to have a threesome with Fred in I think Salt Lake City.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
No tattoos.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Ari Solus.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Conceive / given birth to me.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Your friend’s mom is probably going to evict you from the house you’re living in in a couple months just a heads up.
What’s the last show you went to?
Weezer.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
If I was watching TV with my dad and Knight’s Tale came on that seems like something we would finish.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
My thumbs bend too far.
Pure Music is out now via Fire Talk. Find more information here.
