Kevin Bronson on May 18th, 2020

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Members of L.A. trio Automatic are spending their quarantines in varying ways — including business, sourdough bread and setting free magical spirits. In today’s QUARANTUNES on Buzz Bands LA, they share their secrets, along with a killer playlist that shouldn’t be enjoyed on shuffle. 

THE LATEST FROM AUTOMATIC

Pulsing and pounding with icy, angular beauty, L.A. post-punk trio Automatic’s debut album “Signal” arrived last fall via Stones Throw Records. The trio — Izzy Glaudini (synths, vocals), Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) and Halle Saxon (bass, vocals) — finished out the year with some notable gigs, including Hedi Slimane’s Paris Fashion Week show, an opening slot for Bauhaus at the Palladium and an appearance at the Desert Daze festival. They were raring to go this spring, with an ambitious North American tour planned, before COVID-19 reared its ugly head. Since then the album, Peaking Lights has turned in a remix of the song “Calling It,” and then Peanut Butter Wolf himself put his playful stamp on “Too Much Money.” Until they get together again …

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

Saxon: All this time has allowed me really get control of my “business” like I never have before. I caught up on my taxes, dealing with government aid and stuff, and I even enrolled in some classes. Also, I’ve been meditating and working on my insides … LOL. Basically everything but music so far for me, unfortunately …
Dompé: I’m a bit of a quarantine cliché … I’ve learned how to make sourdough bread, I’ve started a vegetable garden, and unsuccessfully attempted to dye my hair twice (I think my dye is old).
Glaudini: I’ve been using an app to teach myself how to read music. It’s for little kids, so it’s going very well. Before that, I played another game, Sky — I set free all the magical spirits in the realm, so that’s all done. Today, I got into an internet hole on Tiananmen square.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

Saxon: I feel like it’s going to be a long, long time from now, but I can’t wait to go to Europe again and play shows. Miss that a lot already.
Dompé: I want to hug my friends! I just want to sit at the merch table all night long and talk to strangers.
Glaudini: Yeah, I agree. I never thought I’d miss random people so much. Hopefully the venues stick around, and hopefully there’s a shift in creative energy when this is all finally over. Who knows.

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

Glaudini: We contributed a few songs we’ve been vibing with recently. Some are old faithful, some are random finds.
Saxon: The order is important — don’t put it on shuffle!