Stereo Embers The Podcast 0193: John and Rorika Loring (Fleeting Joys)

“Despondent Transponder Sacramento Shoegaze Blues”

The Fleeting Joys’ 2006 debut Despondent Transponder slipped on the shoegaze radar with little fanfare, but fifteen years later, the album is considered a front to back classic. Awash in soaring melodies, fuzzed up guitars and hypnotic arrangements, the album sounds like a heavenly blend of lifting fog, exploding comets and outer space bliss. A bit of My Bloody Valentine, a bit of Sonic Youth and a touch of Ride–sure, all of that–but the Fleeting Joys have their own brand of magic that made subsequent releases like Speeding Away To Someday and Occult Radiance instant sonic treasures. The Sacramento band, which is fronted by the married team of John and Rorika Loring, know when to soar and when to punch and when to skyrocket into the stratosphere—not only that, they know when it’s safe to land. There’s new music on the way, there’s a vinyl reissue of Despondent Transponder, there might be some live shows and there’s a reason why the Fleeting Joys don’t think it’s important to do things in order. In this chat, John and Rorika talk about their musical roots, their love of Sonic Youth and how the creative process works when your creative partner lives in the same house….