The DUSK Issue: Airiel
Words & Photos by Elliot Novak
When giving suggestions of music that evokes the sensation of dreaming, shoegaze is often a topic of conversation. The world of shoegaze and dream pop is full of bands that paint pensive and otherworldly images with their music, perhaps none so mesmerizingly as Airiel.
The Chicago-based duo is comprised of Jeremy Wrenn (guitar, vocals) and Andrew Marrah (guitar, synthesizers). Wrenn is one of the founding members of Airiel, forming it alongside Shawn Delaney in 1997. Delaney departed in 1999, with various musicians filling out the lineup in both recorded and live settings. Marrah joined Airiel in 2010, bringing Airiel to the current primary lineup. Sitting down with the two, we talked about the permanence of art and the ever-changing relationships between artists and consumers.
“I think [art] is very permanent, that’s why it’s so hard to put out music these days.” Marrah said, jumping into an existentialist view of the pressure of releasing art into the world. “You have to be very careful about what you release because it should reflect you and it is forever.” He emphasized the self-image that is projected when an artist puts out music that may not be genuine. “The type of music that we make has definitely hit a time period where it’s almost as generic in some ways as country or ska might be,” Wrenn added, discussing the perennial effects of music
“Social media made touring a much more worthwhile thing,” said Wrenn, talking about the intersection of the internet and the music industry. He made mention of the documentary Why Am I Doing This? (A Film About Touring), which highlights many of the struggles that accompany musicians trying to make a living. In the film, producer Steve Albini brings up how the growing popularity of MySpace marked a turning point for musicians and how they collaborated to book shows.
“You also get to see how the bands you’re friends with are doing and that’s a huge benefit for sure,” Wrenn added. Connecting through social media has opened new doors for musicians, allowing them to reach audiences they may have never thought to include in their touring circuits.
The word of mouth element of the music industry has changed, especially with the ever-expanding presence of music publications. “Talk about permanence, publications are weird. I have a general distrust of anyone that reviews music because why should I care what this person thinks? Especially when they’re being paid to write about a band,” said Wrenn. He emphasized how the issue of payola to garner attention for artists has never really dissipated from the world. “It’s all about who has the most money to pay for the best reviews a lot of the time now, so we don’t count on [publications] for that social presence,” Marrah added.
Streaming has also altered the impact of releasing music for artists. “When you’ve got an environment where we’re all reliant on streaming platforms and artists get paid 0.003 cents per stream, the only people that really make money are the people on the executive committees for that company,” Wrenn said. “But without us, without musicians, they wouldn’t have anything to stream.” The importance of unionization within markets to better protect the working class is a sentiment that many artists share, with many criticisms of large streaming services and profit margins coming to light.
In an age full of trials and tribulations for musicians, the duo still manage to find gratification in their work. “Creating the music and then hitting the road to see the reaction to that music is probably my favorite thing because you’re investing so much time and money into the production and then you play it for the first time to a crowd, seeing that reaction is incredible. Having that emotional response and connecting with the fans is everything to me,” said Marrah. The reception from their fans is instrumental in the atmosphere the duo has cultivated. Wrenn added in reference to their recent experience of playing the Levitation festival in Austin, Texas in November 2024. “We had this huge crowd and they were all singing our songs back to us. That just gave me goosebumps.”
The feeling of stagnation when a genre feels like it reaches a plateau is another element of permanence Airiel touched on. The duo brought up the importance of keeping their music interesting as they reflected on the 20th anniversary edition of Winks and Kisses released by Feeltrip Records in 2023, a box set of four EPs released in 2003 and 2004 on Clair Records.
Wrenn shared that the original plan for Winks and Kisses was always to compile the EPs. “To have four EPs, then release it as a boxset, that was always the plan. We ended up getting a little cute with it, having the art reflect the season and that time in the year. They weren’t released in the seasons they reflected but that was the intent of the four.” The artwork in both the original compilation and the 20th anniversary relay the cohesion between the four EPs, with the songs blending into one another seamlessly.
Airiel discussed their method for their upcoming album: deconstructing their sound while maintaining the dreamlike musicality from past releases. “Let’s not do the thing that’s obvious. That’s kind of the focal point of this new record. It’s like deconstructing everything and starting over. It’s sparking new ideas and moving us out of our comfort zone.” Marrah said.
The songwriting process for Airiel has varied. Wrenn spoke about the way they’re approaching the production process for the new album as following a similar path to their 2012 EP Kid Games, working on recording each song as it’s written.
The duo has gone back and forth, their experimentation going forward can be found in their new instrumental arrangements, with both members exploring musical realms they haven’t yet. Alternative guitar tunings and incorporating more synthesizers in differing capacities expand upon their past releases.
With altering one’s approach to writing, there can often be a fear of not being consistent enough for fans that prefer their previous music. However, Airiel’s connection as a duo is reflected in their work, proving this is no concern for them.“I think it will always sound like me and Jeremy as long as it’s me and Jeremy,” Marrah said. “I feel like we can try new territory and whatever realm of sound we want to go into, it’s always going to sound like us.” The bond the two share creates a beautiful world of hypnagogic listening and their upcoming music is sure to continue and further develop that sound.
