Hello Rockstars!
Today’s Artist of the Week is Trip-Hop, Shoegaze and Dream Pop Band Division of Favor!
Here’s their story in their own words, enjoy!
All photo’s courtesy of Tiffany Salerno (@halfstop on Instagram)
VMS:
When did you start writing and performing your music.
What’s your backstory and current lineup.
Division of Favor:
My name is Spektor. Right now, Division of Favor is just me.* I started Division of Favor because I wanted an outlet for the songs that didn’t fit band Past Self’s aesthetic. Some of these songs date back about 3 years.
Update* as of April:
Division of Favor has a new guitarist and backing vocalist who is Chinita Cabras. 🙂
VMS:
What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.
Division of Favor:
My biggest influences are Massive Attack, Low, Sigur Ros, Talk Talk, Engineers, Elbow and Doves.
VMS:
What’s your writing process and inspiration for your lyrics.
Division of Favor:
Typically, I’ll come up with a basic idea on piano, bass or guitar. The structure for the song is usually pretty loose until I figure out what I’d like to write about. I’ll usually structure out a song after I figure out the contours of the melodies around some lyrics.
VMS:
I love your songs “The Man (Who Can’t Love You Back)”, “Shutting Down” and “Steeple”. What is the inspiration or story behind these songs.
Division of Favor:
Thank you! “The Man (Who Can’t Love You Back)” was heavily inspired by Sweet Trip, Panchiko and South. It’s about the fear of stringing someone along.
When I wrote it, I’d never fallen in love. I recently found someone really special, but before then I’d date women who expressed interest in me, but ultimately I couldn’t see them as anything more than friends. I didn’t know if infatuation was actually that mundane, or if I was just incapable of falling in love.
“Shutting Down” is inspired by Ulrich Schnauss. It’s about the ways tech companies alienate us from the human experience through social media and short form content. I’d include AI “art” in this category as well.
We used to say you could find anything on the internet. It wasn’t technically true, but now AI can just make it if it doesn’t exist. It removes almost all forms of human decision making, and distills the act of creation to the same search bar that’s wasted our time for the last 30+ years.
It’s nothing more than glorified content consumption. When that hollow simulacrum of human connection is all you can bear, it’s easy to resign yourself to pointless solitude. I can’t think of anything more nihilistic.
“Steeple” draws from artists like Massive Attack and UNKLE, and it’s about a sad interaction I had a couple years ago. My roommate was going through a hard time and tried to rekindle an old relationship with his ex. This ex ended up somehow being in an even worse headspace than he was; relying heavily on alcohol to get her through the day.
She tried cheating on my friend with me while he was at work, because she thought it would make her feel better about herself. She had suffered serious trauma and had nothing productive in her life to help her move on, and was just coasting at best. It was just heartbreaking seeing her struggle. She was unbelievably lost.
Listen to Division of Favor on Spotify:
VMS:
Which local artist would you like to work with and why.
Division of Favor:
Haphazard would be really cool to work with. They kinda have that Mojave 3/Innocence Mission thing going on. We’d probably fit well in a lineup. I also love Man of the Oasis and Los Emptys.
VMS:
What’s your overall theme or message of your music.
Division of Favor:
The confrontation of Nihilism is one of the biggest themes Iike to write about. Main takeaway is that all of us are products of our environment, so it’s best to treat people with patience and compassion. Sometimes in order to change, a person needs positive influences and time for honest self reflection.
VMS:
Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform.
Division of Favor:
“Steeple” is probably the most fun and straightforward one to play.
VMS:
Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.
Division of Favor:
I once saw a guy get kicked out of Swan Dive for stealing a bottle of liquor from the bar. That was pretty chaotic.
VMS:
What does the future hold for Division of Favor.
Division of Favor:
There’s an album in the works. It’s almost done. Once I find a guitar player*, expect us to start playing some shows and be on the lookout for that album.
Update* as of April:
Division of Favor has a new guitarist and backing vocalist who is Chinita Cabras. 🙂
VMS:
What have been your personal pros and cons of being a band here in Las Vegas. What do you think the scene could improve on and what are your hopes for the future of the Vegas Music Scene.
Division of Favor:
Vegas has a pretty tight-knit community. I can expect to see a lot of the same faces at our local shows, and that’s great! I just wish there were more all-ages shows in this city. It’s important to encourage more of the younger generation to pick up the mantle and keep this community alive. Personally, I never felt like I’d found my people until I started attending local shows.
VMS:
What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.
Division of Favor:
I want the audience to be enraptured in a trance and have a nice introspective experience. As a bit of a spacey loner myself, I hope to cater to the audience of other weird spacey loners. As much as we don’t seem like we want that sense of community, the truth is that we do. We just struggle to communicate that.
For More Information about Division of Favor, please visit their Instagram!
—–VMS 
