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DE TE RM I N E D TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF RELENTLESS TOURING AND RECORDING, THE FIVEY E A R P R O C E S S OF MAKING ‘ W O M B ’ HAS BEEN SOMETHING OF A L E I S U R E LY PURSUIT FOR PURITY RING. A CERTIFIED H O M E B O D Y, M E G A N J A M E S WOULDN’T C H A N G E A THING. W O R D S : J E N E S S A WILLIAMS.
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egan James’ family are partial to a big reunion. The latest was 150-strong in Montana, with glorious sunshine beaming across the lake. Everything was bliss, until suddenly it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, an enormous storm hit - trees falling to the ground, deck splintering in half. Megan, meanwhile, was somewhere in the middle, doing what everybody should in a crisis - calmly making pizza. “It’s funny, because the whole time it was happening everyone was running around and things were smashing on the ground. There’s broken glass everywhere, and I’m just there carrying on...” she laughs. “It was just total havoc. And then 10 minutes passed and it was all over; we were all inside watching these beautiful pink skies. You kind of realise that things can get heavy, but there’s always a reason to stay and be present and keep going.” This act-of-God moment, immortalised on recent single ‘Pink Lightning’, came to be a fairly formative metaphor for the return of Purity Ring. Known for their intimate brand of ‘future pop’, the Canadian duo (completed by multi-instrumentalist/producer Corin Roddick) have earned a dedicated following thanks to their otherworldly atmospherics and distinctive vocals, filed next to the likes of Grimes, CHVRCHES and FKA twigs. Yet, contrary to the traditional tour-release rota, the duo have always been willing to take the time required to craft the exact record of their imaginations. Their latest, ‘WOMB’, has taken them five years; previous record ‘Another Eternity’ took them three. Megan recognises this to be a luxury that many bands can’t afford, but considers it essential to the alchemy of the band. “I feel like I have to take some time to settle back into myself in order to make music again,” she explains. “It’s always been something I’ve struggled with. When we first started, and we were touring in like a little Volkswagen hatchback, I brought so much shit with me. I hate the feeling of being without something. I would pin things I found in antique malls to the inside of the car like a bedroom, just to feel a bit warmer and comfier. “Staying home a lot more and being settled, the record really flourished from that,” she continues. “Corin and I have always been long distance and had to travel to get together and write, and I’ve always wanted to be able to make something at home instead. I’m really glad we did - I think the record is a lot more comfortable because of it.” Seeking comfort, from that zen-like mid-
