Meet Boston’s newest indie pop tarts: Miss Geo, the electro-pop creation of Rhode Island-born Abby Gutierrez (vocals/guitar) and French national Paz—“Just Paz, like Prince!”—(backing vocals/synth). Formed this year, the duo is already opening for Lovers at the Middle East Oct. 21, and is wasting no time on their self-titled EP due out in the spring. The pair’s new song, “Waves,” has garnered great buzz for its electro-dancey goodness and airy vocals.
The promising duo sat with the Dig to talk about their upcoming show at the Middle East, their experimental sound, and their star-crossed meeting at an Apple Store event a year ago.
“I played a set,” said Gutierrez, “and then [Paz] came. I don’t know how she heard about it.”
“I saw it online,” said Paz. “It was just when I arrived from France. And so I just needed to know the city and go places and so … I said ‘Okay, I’m going to sit down and just listen. And I went to talk to Abby and that’s how it started.”
While it seemed like the duo were fated to jam, Paz—a scientist by profession—admits that pursuing music wasn’t always in the cards for her.
“My mom hates music,” said Paz, “so I had to wait to go to college to really listen to a lot of music. I started with trip hop: Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, Kraftwerk, and then I moved on to Electrelane.”
“Science doesn’t satisfy me, but, it’s hard to say, ‘Oh, yeah I want to be in a band.’ In Paris, I didn’t see how I could meet friends and jam. In Boston, I met a friend on Craigslist and I’m like, ‘Maybe he’s a serial killer, but—oh, whatever!’”
Somewhat dangerous beginning aside, these girls have talent. Their newest release, “Waves,” is a celestial dream reminiscent of late 80s pop-heavy synth and lingering melodies that complement each other like peanut butter and chocolate.
Gutierrez’s echoing vocals and Paz’s playful synth beats will have you dreaming longingly of those breezy days of summer.
“A lot of times it flows,” said Gutierrez of the band’s bond, “Paz will finish my musical thoughts. I’m kind of more like … Pixies, Pavement, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and write more from the guitar and vocal standpoint.”
“We don’t pay attention to the same details,” said Paz.
No matter the formula, Miss Geo is getting the recipe just right and are slotted to open for the band Lovers at the Middle East.
“We’re so stoked!” said Gutierrez of their gig.
“I’m a big fan of Lovers,” said Paz, “I wrote them ‘Hey! Are you looking for a local band to open for you guys?’ And 5 minutes after, Emily Kingan, the drummer said, ‘Yeah! We’re looking for somebody!”
These ladies have plenty of ambition; they balance full-time jobs with their performance and rehearsal schedules and refuse to compromise on their ever-changing sound.
“If you come to see one of our shows … it reads like a mixtape,” said Gutierrez, “We’re going down a weird rabbit hole of our own style. We should just have a label, ‘It Is What It Is.’”
One absolute to Miss Geo: they care about their music. Whether riding a synth or a bassline, Miss Geo is exploding onto the Boston music scene like the Big Bang—pushing the boundaries of the indie pop genre and reinventing the definition of pop throughout the indie-verse and beyond.
LOVERS W/ KITSCHENETTES, SHEPHERDESS, MISS GEO
MONDAY 10.21.13
MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS
472 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE
8PM/18+/$10
@MISSGEOO
MIDEASTCLUB.COM