1-2-3 | Interview with WOTTS
- SHOWGRAPHERS
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
Welcome to another instalment of "1 Band – 2 Photos – 3 Questions", where we interview artists to share the snapshots and stories that shape their sound. Next up is WOTTS, an indie pop duo from Ottawa, Canada whose latest single "NOT US" just landed—and it's a dreamy, groove-laced dive into heartbreak and self-reflection. The track is the first glimpse of their upcoming EP "FLANK!", due out early this summer, and it hits that sweet spot between dancing it out and feeling all the feelings. From brutalist photo shoots and post-pandemic joy to their love of natural, in-the-moment shots, WOTTS let us into the world behind the music.
Keep reading & listen to "NOT US" if that is you:
A person owns both a vintage leather jacket and a lava lamp. They crate dug for some Police vinyls, listen to Tame Impala on Spotify and are all about existential dance parties. In between listening to all this music, they probably spend their weekends overthinking relationships, perhaps even crying in the car on the way to work. This person wants heartbreak with a side of a groove, and bless their heart for that.
1 Band
We’re Wotts, a two piece indie pop band from Ottawa, Canada. We just dropped a single called "NOT US". It's the first track off our upcoming EP called FLANK!, which will be out in early summer. We're super inspired by pysch pop bands like Tame Impala and Pond, but we're not afraid to incorporate different genres into our music. You can keep track of our adventures on Instagram.
2 Photos
It changes shoot to shoot, but this is our latest favourite. It was shot by our friends at Rainbow Studios here in Ottawa on a cold and windy day back in March. We were going for a brutalist type vibe and Rainbow really captured it nicely. It was a dope shoot, lots of fun, and what was funny is as soon as we literally took the last shot, security came to kick us out. Perfect timing and we all joked that it was a sign that the universe was on our side that day.
This isn't from us performing but it's a behind the scenes shot from our first 'official' photoshoot after the pandemic. I think we love it because it shows how happy we were to be out there together having some fun. No fake smiles here! It was taken in Central Park in Ottawa by a friend of the band. What was funny about this one was that since it was our first shoot, we couldn't stop yapping, so our poor photographer had to tell us to shut the heck up on multiple occasions (and rightfully so!). Defining moment for us because we needed to learn to zip it way more during shoots.
3 Questions
HOW DO YOU APPROACH PHOTO SHOOTS AND DO YOU ENJOY THE PROCESS?
We tend to approach our music in terms of chapters, and each chapter naturally ends up with its own theme. Thankfully it presents itself clearly so when we approach photographers with the story they usually have a good idea of what we're going for. At the end of the day the visuals are always tied to the music and vibe of that chapter, so we're the ones that come up with the initial idea. But the idea is only half the battle. That's why when we pick a photographer, it's because they're very creative and open minded. They can help us piece together the rest of the puzzle, like location, types of shots, etc. And when you work with people that really get what you're going for that allows you to improvise on shoot day, and those improvised shots are the ones that usually turn out the best for us. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?
WHAT CAN PHOTOGRAPHERS EXPECT WHEN THEY ACCOMPANY YOU BACKSTAGE AT A GIG OR ON TOUR?
No crazy pre-show rituals at the moment but we always warn photographers that we can get a bit nervous before shows. So if we end up a gig together please stick with us, eventually we become cool laid back humans.
WHAT KIND OF PHOTO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE TAKEN OF YOURSELF?
I think ultimately we like to keep things simple when it comes to these types of shots. We have dream venues like a lot of bands do, but at the end of the day we just want to connect with our music. Whether it's a small venue, or a festival, once we get into the set we love when a photographer can capture things naturally and offer a glimpse into that temporary world we're all in together.
Hooked? Then check out WOTTS' recommendations:
I stumbled on an artist from South Africa called aboynamedblu. The genre of music he makes is hard to pin down, but I get some modern britpop vibes and I'm obsessed. On the photog side I got to shout out Pooneh Ghana. I'll probably never get to meet Pooneh, but I only recently pieced together that she's taken pictures of some of my favourite bands (Tame Impala, Pond, Djo, Dayglow, etc.). I don't know a lot about the technical side of photography but I do know that I'm in love with her work.