THE sophomore EP from Glixen, ‘Quiet Pleasures’, was released in February to much anticipation. The collection of five songs “explores change, desire, devotion, sensuality and lovingness,” explains bandleader Aislinn Ritchie. “We used layers of fuzzed-out and gritty guitars to introduce a darker, more intense iteration of Glixen while still capturing the fluttery charm of shoegaze.”
Started as a project founded by Ritchie in 2020, Glixen would immediately add guitarist Esteban Santana, drummer Keire Johnson and bassist Sonia Garcia to round out the band. Garcia and Ritchie had been longtime friends prior to Glixen’s formation, a strong bond that prompted Ritchie to hesitate asking her to join the band, “it’s a big commitment, it’s like a big deal because I was very serious about it,” Ritchie shared, “it’s a lifestyle and it’s something that I told all of them, like this is going to be serious. We’re going to be touring, it’s going to be hard. It’s not easy. That’s hard to ask your best friend, it’s a different dynamic and different things can go wrong.” Thus far, the Phoenix-based band has seen its fanbase grow as last year alone, they played SXSW, Treefort Festival and performed with the likes of Interpol, DIIV, Nothing., Tanukichan, Turnover and Glare, Glitterer, Softcult and Fish Narc. Glixen has been on their first-ever headlining North American tour that will include their first appearance at Coachella.
glixen spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about how they formed, drawing inspiration from anime, Gregg Araki movies and EDM. They talk about their anticipation performing at Coachella for the first time and more.
