COVER - GLITTERER: "The scope of things in the past 6 years has really impressed me. This is not the world I existed in before"
The first time GLITTERER was showcased in the UK, it was while Ned Russin was still performing entirely solo. One man, his laptop, and his guitar against the world.
Based out of Washington, D.C, GLITTERER has never fit a specific mould, but four albums and three Ep’s down the line, their latest full-length, Erer - released last November - was the moment that Russin felt this project at its most complete “I think doing the band by myself was an interesting challenge, but it isn’t what I wanted to do forever. I always wanted a collaboration.” He admits.
For Erer, Russin brought on the likes of Nicole Dao, Colin Gorman and Robin Zeijlon. Nicole’s tenure with GLITTERER is the longest, having joined just after Life Is Not A Lesson in 2021. Colin, however, did play drums on that album too, so to some extent most of the current lineup has been in the orbit of the project since the early days. “The scope of things in the past 6 years has really impressed me. It’s dumbfounded me. This is not the world I existed in before,” he adds gleefully.
“I trust everybody, and I think they understand what the band is obviously very well. It feels very in place and fortified, solid. It feels great.” Ned speaks enthusiastically. After seeing their third-stage headliner set at Outbreak, it's easy to notice the synergy between the group, the small ways they play off one another to create magic. “When you play songs, it’s almost like you’re tapping into your former self, those moments where you don’t feel like you’re writing. I’m not playing an instrument; this is just kind of coming out of me. Which, of course, isn’t true, but it’s how it feels. It makes me remember how in awe of music I am. It doesn’t feel like my song. It belongs to the listeners.”
Their passion peeks through in their performance, their demeanour and the words they speak. This is a band that captures the very essence of DIY, going from Ned’s bedroom in Bushwick, New York, all the way to a full room of people across the pond in the UK.
Given the changes in lineup, for any project there’s always going to be a transitionary period, especially as far as converting from being solo and going into a band. Ned is a very keen songwriter, with years under his belt and a full array of emotional catharsis that he now shares with his band members. “Giving up control is only as difficult as you make it”, he begins. “When we’re all offering strong opinions and working for the good of the song. It’s great. It’s my preferred way to write, but it does add a lot of frustration. But I think that’s better than people being passive,” he adds.
A pervasive fact you’ll find throughout our conversation is his passion - not just for the band but for music and songwriting as a whole. Ned is very quick with the recommendations to see at the festival this weekend. “We’re very lucky to have many old dear friends. I was here Friday hanging out with BALANCE AND COMPOSURE, TIGERS JAW, JOYCE MANOR…”
The list goes on. Still, his connection to alternative music extends beyond GLITTERER, most notably to his time with TITLE FIGHT, the band he started when he was twelve years old, but also his other creative projects such as DISENGAGE, BAD SEED, STICK TOGETHER, BIG CONTEST and LIBERTY, a rich tapestry of noise that culminates in the songwriter he is today. A lifelong passion for music has made him one of the most hardworking in the scene, to the extent that he started his own label. Purple Circle Records, to distribute his music with GLITTERER independently.
But seeing Outbreak go from a community centre, to a large room with a PA, all the way to Bowlers Exhibition Centre captures an important part of Ned’s journey. “It feels like it kinda changed overnight. It’s still kinda crazy to see a festival based around underground alternative music in this capacity.”
Outbreak is measured in its moments, and over the years, the festival, sharpened by the very edges of the music scene, has provided a pivotal platform for hardcore and alternative music in the UK. A no-barrier push point for artists like TUNSTILE, SPEED and TRAPPED UNDER ICE to break European soil on their own terms. In its fifteenth year, the festival pushes the limits of music promotion, in recent years extending far beyond Manchester to lethal collaborations at All Points East, and even a steady roster of local shows.
“It’s crazy for me to think decades later, still hanging out with the same people, still playing music, shooting the shit, having a good time and enjoying each other's company. Enjoying what we love doing. That is a very profound feeling for me, and something I take really seriously. I think we all care a lot about this, and to share it with people I got to know and met through touring when I was 18 years old, and still be here with many of those same people, it’s a very profound feeling.”
Even still, the evolution of GLITTERER is somewhat in its infancy, especially in its current lineup. Erer is their most profound record to date, and that is on top of three other records full of eclectic, bouncy, synth-poppy goodness.
For Ned and the gang, the sky is the limit, the passion is evident, and from here it’s only going to get better… or betterer.
Words: Spencer Cunningham
Photos: Conrad Newton for Out Of Rage
Cover Design: Robert Halls
Editorial Lead: Amber Brooks
With Thanks To: Mitch Stevens and Revenant Earth
Shoot at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester
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