Formed in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2015, Bad Moves is David Combs (guitar), Emma Cleveland (bass), Katie Park (guitar), and Daoud Tyler-Ameen (drums). On November 18, Don Giovanni Records will release the band’s self-titled debut EP. It includes four songs recorded at Lurch, a studio run by Danny Saperstein (Flasher) and Owen Wuerker (Big Hush).
Combs, Park, and Tyler-Ameen each have a proven background writing melodic, punk-informed songs as members of Spoonboy, Hemlines, and Art Sorority For Girls respectively. Bad Moves was conceived as a way to stretch out a bit: to take a melody and break it down, to see if a hook might thrive in a different style or context. As a result, the music takes subtle inspiration from power-pop, new wave, and garage without being too on the nose. The songs are a little downcast, but not without a sense of humor — and while the subject matter is rooted in the members’ experience in D.C., the sentiments are often universal. Bad Moves summons a bit of cautious optimism in the face of wack day jobs, skyrocketing rent, and decaying expectations.
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