The Young and the Restless: Ejecta

Photography by Therese + Joel

Venus, the Roman goddess of love, was traditionally portrayed as rising from the sea, naked and born from a shell. This is also, in a way, the story of the New York-based electro-pop duo Ejecta. Singer-songwriter Leanne Macomber and producer Joel Ford met in 2009, when she was playing keyboards for Neon Indian and he was touring with Tigercity, but they didn't find time to record together until 2012. The end product was Dominae, the debut album they released late last year under the moniker Ejecta, a character they conceived of that also inspired many of the LP's tracks. Named after the geological term for volcanic sediment on the ocean floor, Ejecta is a figure of rebirth, a heroine represented by Macomber's nude form -- she insists on appearing completely unclothed in all of the band's official imagery. "Playing with the idea of feeling displaced in my early adulthood, or feeling sort of lost as a person, is a really common theme on the record," she says, citing everything from The Little Mermaid to Leeloo from The Fifth Element as reference points. "So I think my nudity is a visual metaphor for the stupidity, the difficulty, the loss, and the love of floundering through my 20s." Meanwhile, Ford (a behind-the-scenes mastermind also known for his work with Autre Ne Veut and Oneohtrix Point Never's Daniel Lopatin) describes his style as "stuffed somewhere between the past and the future." His dreamy synths are a perfect match for Macomber's elegant vocals and dark, enigmatic lyrics. If Ejecta is a siren, it's impossible not to fall under her spell.

LISTEN TO: Dominae (out now)
FOR FANS OF: Austra, Chairlift, Cocteau Twins