“Radiator” was written under duress in March 2020, just a few weeks into COVID lockdown.
“I’d just moved into a new apartment and finally had a little home studio,” says Watt about the ramshackle origins of the latest single from Pastel Blank’s debut LP. “I also had the bright idea of throwing my mattress on the floor directly next to an old heater that wheezed and sputtered like a geriatric warlock, lying with my head basically right against the heater.”
Much like Watt’s sleeping situation, there’s something slightly off-kilter about his Montreal-based project, which thrives in a weird netherworld of synth-laced pop and angular post-punk unpredictability. “Radiator,” in particular, reflects Pastel Blank’s uncanny balance of driving grooves and sonic unease.
“I’d wake up with pounding headaches until I started sleeping facing the other way,” says Watt. “This was mostly out of space management, since the room was quite small. But it did get me thinking about how much our environments shape our behavior and choices.”
We’re proud to premiere “Radiator.” Pastel Blank’s Unmade In Minutes is out today via Paper Bag.
—Hobart Rowland
See Pastel Blank live.
