Kevin Bronson on September 22nd, 2023

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L.A. trio Polyglam craft sophisticated indie-pop that plays with your sonic equilibrium, with strings, guitar, keys, beats and airy vocals planted in fussy-for-a-reason production. Their first two singles sound plucked from a foreign film, maybe vintage, maybe modern.

They owe their musical kinship to a dog. Allie Stamler, Rachel White and John Sinclair first crossed paths one summer when they were recruited to house- and dog-sit for a music producer. They eventually matriculated to the home studio, where things happened.

Polyglam’s members bring disparate backgrounds to the project: North Carolina native Stamler (lead vocals/strings) is an NYU-trained violinist who’s studied abroad, toured with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and, as both a violinist and actress, racked up bona fides in film and TV. L.A. native White (guitar/keys) has toured with Panic! At The Disco and Mike Viola and engineered for bands including Weezer and Fitz & the Tantrums. Idaho native Sinclair is a producer/engineer, mixer and multi-instrumentalist who’s worked with the likes of Weezer, Dan Wilson, Celine Dion, Rhye, Andrew McMahon, Jason Mraz and Josh Groban, among others.

The trio debuted in April with the single “Adored,” a twinkling, melancholy tune about wanting see the best in someone, despite constant disappointment. Today brought the trio’s second single, “Town,” loaded with nuance and layered with instrumentation. “‘Town’ is a train ride through the past and present,” the band says. An out-of-body flight accompanied by longing strings, nylon guitar and soft piano. Instruments in reverse help question the idea of time, leading the listener to ask, ‘Is this all there is?’”

Both singles resonate with the key elements of indie-pop, especially the cloak of wistful, weary nostalgia. But something more is afoot in what Polyglam is doing.

The trio’s debut EP is on the way, release date TBA.

||| Stream: “Town” and “Adored”