Apples put a new spin on a classic sound

No matter which kind of music it is, there’s always a noticeable influence from decades ago that’s evident when a new song comes out.

It’s part of how music progresses while never abandoning its roots.

Dartmouth indie rock trio Apples has a unique way of blending a modern approach with rhythms and tones reminiscent of British Invasion bands like The Beatles and The Kinks. There’s a pop sheen covering their music from end to end.

The energy being unleashed whenever they perform is infectious and it’s shown in the way they make people dance.

Frontman, guitarist and keyboardist Ian Motha and I had a talk about the origins of Apples, having a natural style, playing covers versus originals and a new album that’s on the way.

Rob Duguay: How did Apples originally start out? Did you all go to school together?

Ian Motha: I met Keith [Sylvia] at his sister’s wedding years ago and we realized we have an almost identical taste in music. We stayed in touch, then about 3 years ago we decided to start working together in a band.

Tim [Lee] and I did go to college together but we only crossed paths once or twice playing in different bands, it wasn’t until after college that we decided to make music together.

RD: You guys have a very '60s pop influenced sound. A lot of bands these days try to fuse stuff that's similar to their contemporaries with styles from the past. What made the band want to go this particular route when you guys started writing songs?

IM: It’s just the sound we make when we’re together. There was never a conscience effort to sound a certain way. Keith and I have had a healthy diet of 60’s and 70’s music and Tim has an ear for indie sensibilities. If we were around pre 1960’s I think we would have arrived at something close to what we’re currently doing.

RD: Along with Apples you also play in a cover band called The Oh No's. Other than the obvious conflict between originals and covers, what are some of the differences you see when it comes to playing live in a cover band versus playing your own music?

IM: That’s an interesting question. The Oh Nos play some of my favorite songs in the world, so I’m playing it with very similar ownership to my own songs. We’re not doing top 40 or exclusively hits. We’re playing the music that inspired me to write my own songs and I’m doing it with people that have become some of my best friends.

Regarding playing live in the two different projects, in The Oh Nos we can hook people in easier with the first song because most likely the audience knows it.

For original shows with Apples we put a lot of thought into what song we open with as that sets the mood. Playing live it’s important to make the audience feel something and I think both bands do a great job of that.

RD: Last December, Apples released their debut album Dream Too ... and it was recorded at Soundbox Recording in New Bedford with Clinton Lisboa. How would you guys describe the experience of making the album?

IM: It was a lot of fun. Most of the tracks were recorded in only one take. We just finished up recording “Like Stars Do” at Bongo Beach Productions with John Mailloux which was an incredibly exciting project for so many reasons. Working with someone with the credentials and experience as John was such a learning experience and he got us to sound how Apples are supposed to sound.

There were preliminary meetings and discussions of what we wanted the record to sound like and throughout the recording process we were trying things that we didn’t know were possible in the studio.

All of the songs were written prior to recording but a lot of magic happened when the recording button was pressed. We are all really proud of what we just made and we hope everyone enjoys it.

RD: What are the goals the band has for the future?

IM: A short term goal is releasing our new record “Like Stars Do,” and to create a few videos to go along with it. We have a lot of creative ideas that will help us spread our music.

It’s a dream to write some classic songs that resonate with everyone and play some of the stages our favorite acts have. I have this insatiable desire for discovery in music. There is so much more to be explored sonically, implementing new findings on each record and into the live act are a priority.

Learn more at applesloveyou.bandcamp.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/applesloveyou.