Respect The Neighbors • HOMESHAKE
Photo by Pederson
Hometown: Montreal, Québec • Follow: Facebook // Soundcloud
Montreal-based Peter Sagar has had a pretty successful music career in his young life. The twenty-something multi-instrumentalist jumped from band to band until about 2011, when he began touring with slacker rock god Mac DeMarco. However, in the midst of his success with DeMarco, Sagar jumped ship to direct all his focus to his solo project, HOMESHAKE.
HOMESHAKE is an icy, soulful indie project that can’t be described as one thing. Like many solo music projects, HOMESHAKE has evolved with Sagar’s progression as a musician and music lover. That isn’t to say all HOMESHAKE music doesn’t still have the same feeling, either. His first effort, 2013’s The HOMESHAKE Tape, finds itself on the more lo-fi side while his newest project, Midnight Snack, embraces an entrancing electronic vibe. Though all three main HOMESHAKE projects have different sounds, Sagar creates a consistent dream-like state on every project. In The Shower, HOMESHAKE’s 2014 debut album, is to date Sagar’s most well-received effort under his solo project moniker. Tracks like “Making A Fool of You” and the underground cult hit “Chowder” are best enjoyed before a good night’s sleep or after a Sunday afternoon nap. I find this album incredibly sexy in the same way that some women find men who barely take care of themselves sexy. Think of that super hesh skater kid from high school who showered twice a week (maybe) and drank beer in school, but still managed to pull a super hot girlfriend with little to no effort. It carries a grove throughout its 30-something minutes that are effortlessly attractive and soulful, while resonating within me through its romantic lyrics. I think of The Spinners' classic, “I’ll Be Around”.
I was first turned onto HOMESHAKE through my 17-year-old brother who seemed to have had “Chowder” stuck in his head for the better part of last year. I always like to survey him and his friends for new music, as they tend to drift into more instrument-based artists while I prefer my rap/hip-hop and production-based music. When I heard my little brother mindlessly singing, “She’s my chowder / and I love her so much,” I knew there had to be something special about HOMESHAKE.