As a duo, Holy Golden embark on adventures as if they're turning pages in a book. For their sophomore album Wax Castle, they hit the road traversing the US and recording songs in various locales along the way, including a eucalyptus grove on the California coast, a spot in Martha’s Vineyard and from within an empty mansion in the midwest. They keep their songs short and sweet, like any good pop song worth its salt, with most of them clocking in at the two minute mark and sometimes under. In that short span of time, they weave fantastical mini-tales about aliens and volcanoes over raw guitar chords for a lo-fi sound that wouldn't be out of place in rotation on alternative radio in the '90s, while staying very current, too.

We chatted with members Leslie Schott and Andrew Valenti about the whimsy that exists in their output, the journey of recording Wax Castle and their favorite authors.

Hometown/Homebase: Detroit, MI

If you were to creatively describe your sound, how would you?

Leslie: The sound is a choose-your-own-adventure of fantasies, feelings and experiences. A place where things are not always what they seem, like standing in a hallway of mirrors where the rug could be pulled out from under you at any moment. If you pay close attention, you'll come out on the other side with a special new feeling — a secret only you know.

How did the two of you initially meet and how soon/what sparked the musical collaboration?

Leslie: It was a December day, I decided to walk in the cold back to the ferry instead of taking the bus while visiting Martha's Vineyard and I saw a sign for a record store and went in to warm up — Andrew was working at the shop. Our meeting was a strange thing, magnetic and serendipitous, we both felt like we already knew each other.

Andrew: I knew there was a musical connection when I saw the CDs she had in her hand at the record shop. When Leslie went back to LA, she sent me some lyrics she wrote on the plane, and I immediately recorded music to the words. It has been a non-stop collaboration ever since, with the music being the soundtrack to our creative world together.

What is your musical history? What have been your other projects and what does Holy Golden fulfill in you?

Andrew: When I was 15, I sought freedom by moving into a tent in my parent's backyard. I brought my guitar and 4-track cassette recorder with me (connected by extension cord) and started making up my first songs. I've been in a handful of bands and recorded several solo albums. Holy Golden is the most freedom and support I've had with a musical project and brings out my favorite parts of the music-making process.

Leslie: I was a super shy kid. I sang a lot, but only alone in my bedroom or when my sister and I had a Mariah Carey singing competition — she always won. My parents made me take piano lessons and do the recitals. Music makes me feel vulnerable, and I've learned to embrace it. I had a roommate from London when I moved to LA; she was the first person I started officially writing songs with, and then I was hooked! Holy Golden is the culmination of many things I have always felt and wanted.

What's your song writing process like?

Leslie: We've called it "a labyrinthian breadcrumb trail." We pick up little clues as we go, the words and the sounds. We try not to control anything too intensely and instead be led by something bigger than ourselves. Some songs appear out of nowhere and get written in ten minutes! Others tease us, leading us on and on until they finally show their true colors. It's a very cathartic process.