‘Babes in Canyon’ brings ethereal synth folk to Sandpoint

SANDPOINT — As a winter storm whipped around Nathan and Sophia Hamer’s cabin, they found themselves searching for a way to pass the time. 

So, they lit a fire and Nathan Hamer brought out his baritone ukulele. The duo began working on what would eventually become the first song of the couple’s musical project “Babes in Canyon.” 

"It’s called ‘Help I’m trapped in a cabin have nowhere else to go.’ Well, that was the original title,” Hamer said with a laugh. “Now it’s called “The Wolf.” 

After releasing two EPs and accruing over 153,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, the couple set out to build the project’s first complete album. Naturally, the couple returned to their roots, hunkering down in a cabin on the Washington coast, immersing themselves in nature and analog technology while building “The New Loud.” 

"We tried to create an atmosphere in this album,” Sophia Hamer said. “It's a lot more heavy into the electronic elements, which let the organic elements shine ... there’s a lot of conversation back and forth between the synth creating loops and the mandolin coming in on those loops.” 

The band returns to Sandpoint with Camp Bedford and Spokane-based Erin Parkes to celebrate the release of their new album at The Hive this Friday. Hamer said that after playing at The Hive earlier this year, they knew they’d have to come back. 

"We loved it; the scenery was stunning, but we had a wonderful time hanging out in Sandpoint,” Sophia Hamer said. “We had a really nice time, and we wanted to come back.” 

During the party, attendees can expect to hear singles off “The New Loud” that were released before the full album like “Strange” and “Sunset Song.” These more synth heavy singles are indicative of the unique sound that the band delivers on its new album, Sophia Hamer said. 

While writing the album, the two spent time connecting with themselves and nature. Nathan Hamer recalls spending time walking on the beach and hearing the waves or the silence of a Pacific Northwest forest, aiming to use synths to replicate the calming repetition of the waves on “Sunset Song.” 

"We have a synth that’s very soothing and evokes emotions of the ocean and a sunset,” Sophia Hamer said. “We tried to use layers that replicate the environment and that made it feel obvious when we had added enough.” 

The duo aimed to build sonic layers in each song, playing around with the mandolin and folk elements that Hamer draws from his own experience as a founding member of the band Kuinka. Sophia Hamer delivers lyrically throughout the album, diving into themes of loss of identity and trauma-driven memory loss. 

The couple said that there were focused on exploring those darker themes, while providing an uplifting message in “The New Loud.” Nathan Hamer said that the songwriting process is a cathartic experience, especially when exploring those themes because it allows him to shift his way of dealing with difficult topics. 

"I never really start out with a concept like, ‘Oh, let me tackle this idea and turn it into a song,’” Sophia Hamer said. “It starts as a way for me to process my own feelings about any given thing.” 

Despite the exploration of more harrowing themes, Nathan Hamer said that doesn’t mean that the event will be any less of a party. Sophia Hamer said that they focused on writing songs that they wanted to hear and would sound best played live, a break from their previous EPs. 

If you want to catch Babes In Canyon for their album release party, tickets are still available at livefromthehive.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. this Friday and Hamer said that there will be merchandise, vinyl and CDs of “The New Loud” available for purchase.