Window Weather is an indie rock band based in the Jersey City/Brooklyn area founded in 2019 by the songwriting duo Evan Dibbs and Georgia Sebesky. Since then, the pair have expanded with fellow New Jersey native Samir Tawalare, rounding out the group. Together, the trio just released their debut album, Out From Under, in October '22. The band also just came off a nine-day tour promoting the record, and Stef from The MIC had the pleasure of sitting down with the band to chat about what they've been up to!
Photo Credit: Alex Brown
Hey guys! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. We’re so excited to hear more about what you’ve been up to!
Georgia Sebesky (GS): Thank you so much! We’re happy to hang.
1. SJ: So, Window Weather was formed back in 2019. Can you tell us a little bit about how it all started? How would you describe your sound, and how did you come up with the name?!
GS: Evan and I were friends in high school and would occasionally perform together at school events. It wasn’t until he had graduated college and I was in my last semester that we got together to start working on original music and eventually formed Window Weather. We didn’t meet Samir until the first day of recording for Out From Under. Erik Kase Romero, who engineered and produced the session and knew we were in need of a drummer, suggested we reach out to Samir. We loved him and his playing so much that we forced him to stick around. Samir Tawalare: I’m super grateful to both Erik for thinking of asking me to play on the Out From Under session and Georgia and Evan for taking that leap of faith in letting a drummer they’d never met before coming into the studio on the first day of recording and trusting what I would be able to add to the process. As far as our sound, I would describe it as indie rock mixed with elements of jazz, pop, and alternative pop/rock. It’s so hard to describe, but I hope that makes people feel more inclined to give it a listen.
Evan Dibbs: In 2018, I visited Iceland, and in preparing for the trip, I was determined to be able to pronounce and read the insanely long Icelandic words. I was watching an instructional YouTube video, and the person talked about the Icelandic word “gluggavedur,” which in English could be described as weather that looks appealing from the inside but would be unappealing to be outside in. The best translation for it was “Window Weather.” I was like oooh, I should use that for something, and lo and behold, we got a band name from it.
2. SJ: Your debut album was the 10-track Out From Under in October 2022. You’ve described this release as “tak[ing] a close look at change in its many forms.” Can you explain what you mean by this and how the songs reflect this? What do you hope your listeners feel with, Out From Under?
GS: I think the opening track, “Sycamore,” acts as a kind of thesis statement for the rest of the album, introducing the concept of change with the line “That of which we’re certain is certain to change/I am certain to change.” As the rest of the album unfolds from there, the lyrical content touches on shifting family dynamics, the consequences of human activity on the environment, and disillusionment over past romantic relationships. Eventually, the closing track, “Something Sweet,” hints at what’s to come - it doesn’t announce our arrival at some kind of landing point, the finish line that all of this transformation has guided us toward, but rather a signal that change is an ongoing, inevitable process that doesn’t always have to be scary or overwhelming.
ST: All I would add to what Georgia said is that it’s always exciting to hear how people feel about the record, and I just hope it keeps making people think and feel a wide variety of ideas and feelings. I also hope our live performances of the record do the same thing and perhaps even inspire new ideas and feelings in others. Art is so awesome!
Photo Credit: Alex Brown
3. SJ: What was the creative process like for this record? How was it written and recorded? Was it more collaborative or an individual approach?
(GS): Each of these songs started with lyrics and a melody written by me, and then Evan and I would sit down and flesh out the structure and accompanying music. Some of these songs were written in this way as long as two years before we recorded them; others were finished as recently as a few months beforehand. Two of the songs (“The Light Falls on Your Face” and “Eternal Optimist”) were written with our dear friend and pianist John Kadian, who also contributed horn and string arrangements for a few other songs on Out From Under. The making of the album was an extremely collaborative process. Like I said before, we had actually never even met Samir until we got to the studio for day one of recording. He has such a knack for getting to the core of each song, ingesting its meaning, and creating a drum part that supports and enhances it. It was a real treat to kickstart such a meaningful friendship in such a creative and vulnerable way.
ED: I think we were searching for the identity of the band in this record. We had a lot of different people play on the record, and some folks had such a big role in making it that the lines started to blur of who was a proper “band member.” The whole process was very additive: Georgia wrote the lyrics and melody, then I wrote the music, then John arranged the strings/horns, then Samir came up with a drum part… it was a funny thing to be called a band and go about the whole process like a solo artist would. Now I think we’re more of a band in the traditional sense because of having explored so many things in the process of making the album.
ST: This process was so incredibly unique because, as Georgia said, I only met her and Evan on the first day of recording. Luckily, I had worked with Erik in the past and know how excellent of an engineer and producer he is and how adaptable and welcoming he is, and so it was really reassuring to know that he trusted me to be able to contribute to this record. I definitely still felt nervous heading into the process, though. I remember when Evan started handing out the sheet music for each of the tunes, and, being someone who is not proficient at reading sheet music; I felt waaay in over my head at first. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone or let the music down. But as soon as we got to talking about the song structures and playing through them, I really started to feel at home within this ensemble. Georgia and Evan are such genuine and earnest people, and so as we spent more time together, the process moved more and more fluidly and easily. Sharing the rhythm section with Cody McCorry was a real honor, as he’s absolutely one of the best bass players I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. He is such a nice and supportive person, as well!
4. SJ: You just completed a 9-day tour in support of Out From Under. Can you tell us what that experience was like? Favorite part, worst part?
GS: We had an amazing time! It was definitely fast and furious - we didn’t have any days off, and we were doing 4-5 hours of driving almost every day, but it was awesome to experience new cities together and meet each other’s friends and families from different parts of the country. In performing the same set every night, we really got to sink into what felt best energy-wise and feed off of each other. By the end, I think we started to have a really clear idea of the creative direction we want to continue working in, which was definitely influenced by just how much fun we have together on stage.
ST: It was so sick!!! I felt so comfortable traveling and making music with Georgia, Evan, and the amazing Sam Roller, who joined us on bass for this tour. We click as a quartet both musically and interpersonally, and so I am so grateful to say that the whole experience was really rewarding and peaceful. It was definitely tiring, but it felt great to reach the end of the run and know that we played some of the best shows we’ve ever played and also made some incredible memories. I miss it already, and I’m stoked for what’s to come!
ED: It’s really hard to find a group of people that you gel with creatively, logistically, and as friends. We all had a bunch of fun on the road but were also down to, like, go to sleep eventually. I’ve been in bands where that’s not the case. I think we also all put the music first, which is critical for me. I don’t think we really have the whole rockstar energy; we just like to play and try to sound good.
Album Art Credit: Celia Pardo
5. SJ: What is one song you wish Window Weather wrote? GS: That’s a tough one for me because there are so many songs that I love almost solely because of the people who wrote and performed them. I’m gonna have to go with “anything” by Adrienne Lenker. Her lyricism and her vocal performance place the listener right in the center of this relationship. The things she’s describing are hyper-specific but feel universal - she makes me want to be a better writer.
ST: I think I’d say “Prior Things” by Hop Along because I really love that tune and that band, and I know Georgia is a huge fan of them as well! I think it has such a nice range of emotions and energies, it focuses on some really pleasant harmonies between voices and instruments, and it’s so fun to play on the drums.
ED: “You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain because it’s objectively the best song.
SJ: What’s next for Window Weather?
GS: We’re planning some shorter, more regional touring jaunts for the rest of the year and will also be releasing a really fun live session in the coming weeks. We definitely plan to continue writing and recording, as well. Aside from that, I imagine we’ll be playing our fair share of Catan for the foreseeable future.
ST: Big ditto on the Catan! And I’m super excited for future shows and the live session! I really feel like we’re performing at our best, and that is such a great feeling.
SJ: Thank you so much for talking with us! We can’t wait to see and hear what you do next!
(GS): Thank you so much! We wuv woo!
Photo Credit: Alex Brown
Stream Out From Under below!
Credits:
Music: Evan Dibbs and Georgia Sebesky
Lyrics: Georgia Sebesky
Additional music on Tracks 8 and 9: Evan Dibbs, Georgia Sebesky, and John Kadian
Track 10: Georgia Sebesky, arranged by Georgia Sebesky and John Kadian
String arrangement: on Track 2 by Evan Dibbs and John Kadian
Horn arrangements: on Track 3 and string arrangements on Track 4 by Evan Dibbs
Horn arrangement: on Track 5 by John Kadian
Tracks 8 and 9: arranged by John Kadian
Engineered: Erik Kase Romero
Mixed: Tim Pannella
Mastered: Philip Shaw Bova
Produced: Erik Kase Romero and Evan Dibbs
Album art and design: Celia Pardo
Lead Vocals: Georgia Sebesky
Guitar, Baritone Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Lap Steel, Vocals: Evan Dibbs
Drums, Percussion: Samir Tawalare
Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Saw: Cody McCorry
Piano, Rhodes, Vocals (Track 3): John Kadian
Accordion, Organ: Mark Maisefield
Trumpet, Flugelhorn: Khrys Williams
Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet: Alden Slack
Violin 1: Ben Karas
Violin 2, Fiddle (Track 1): Jacob Lawson
Viola: Jen Fantaccione
Cello: Bryan Wilson
Drums (Track 9): Faye Fadem
Vibraphone, Chimes, Upright Bass (Track 4), Electric Bass (Track 8), Vocals (Track 3): Erik Kase Romero
Vocals (Track 3): Natalie Newbold