Oakland based five piece Waterstrider posses all the hallmarks of typical indie pop; catchy melodies, introspective lyrics and thoughtful production, but there’s definitely more going on here. In the overpopulated indie scene of today Waterstrider is a breath of fresh air.
No, it’s not a Mortal Combat character. Waterstrider are an indie band who make mature yet playful indie pop music.
Waterstrider, who remain un-signed, state that you can find them in the place where the turbulence of city life blurs with the serenity of nature. This idea about the natural world seeps into their music. The band clearly draws inspiration from a Graceland era Paul Simon and in turn the African artists who first inspired him.
Waterstrider began in 2009 playing basement shows and house parties in Berkley. A few years and lineup shifts later they have just released their debut LP Nowhere Now. The album is cohesive and mature, yet at the same time experimental and fun. Front man Nate Salman has a euphoric vocal delivery that is then elevated by a textured and rich sonic backdrop courtesy of Brijean Murphy on percussion and congas, Scott Brown on bass and synth, Drew Brown on guitar and synth, and Walker Johnson on drums.
Passing Ships, one of the standouts on the album oozes with passion whilst never becoming sentimental. The light percussion and synth will make you feel like your floating whilst Salman sings, “Thought I’d meet another love, I was wrong” before repeating, “In your love I am warm” over and over. Passing Ships is powerful and knocks all the ballads you’ve ever heard out of the water.
Waterstrider have said that their band has a co-op mentality, in which the goal is a shared experience, a connection between artist and audience. One can feel this when listening to tracks such as Nowhere Now, which starts off with an afro-pop beat before Salman’s impressive falsetto begins. The song draws you in and makes you feel like you’re a part of something.
There is a tropical undercurrent to much of Waterstrider’s music. That said, their tracks have more depth than your typical ‘summer song.’ On Calliope, a percussion heavy rumbling number, Salman sings about a struggle between the external and the internal, the title referencing the muse who resided over classical poetry in Greek mythology. Don’t let the infectious beats fool you, Waterstrider have lyrical chops too.
This is the type of band that really deserves to blow up. They are making complex yet danceable music that will stay with you. Listen to Waterstrider whilst walking through a forest and if you can’t find a forest the suburban park will do. Either way they will make your ears feel good.
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