Nation of Language brings new synthesized sound to Missoula
William Munoz
(Missoula Current) Nation of Language has been actively creating music that has gained them popularity across the country. Their performance at the Wilma Theatre was a first in Montana.
The trio, which formed in Brooklyn in 2016, consists of Ian Devaney (lead vocals, guitar, synthesizer), his wife Aidan (synthesizer, backing vocals), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar).
Ian is the principal songwriter. The music is grounded in a synthesizer, drum-machine-sound that first came about in the late 70’s early 80’s by such bands as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads and OMD, whose 1979 song ‘Electricity’ inspired Devaney to pursue what ultimately became Nation of Language’s sound.
The concert was originally scheduled for the Top Hat but moved to the Wilma as ticket sales quickly sold out. While the Top Hat is a much more intimate stage and I’m sure the performance would have been as good, the Wilma stage offers greater lighting and sound, as well as more space for Devaney to move around; something that he does constantly.
The sound quality of the Wilma system was also critical to the audience experience of this bands’ sound.
From first stepping on the stage, Nation of Language had the audience hooked. The synthesizer and bass create a hypnotic feel but is more nuanced than monotonousness. Their songs are at once full and expansive and intimately personal.
Ian Devaney in an interview this past June in DIY said, “In this era quickly being defined by the rise of AI supplanting human creators, I’m focusing more on the human condition, and I need the underlying music to support that… Instead of hopelessness, I want to leave the listener with a feeling of us really seeing one another, that our individual struggles can actually unite us in empathy.”
He was comparing the influence of Kraftwek and Eno on his songwriting. Many in the crowd knew of them but there were a lot who had come out of curiosity, or because they heard from a friend who heard from a friend; taking a chance on this band.
No-one left early. One of the highlight songs was when they played ‘On Division St.” from their 2020 album “Introduction, Presence.” The song explores being overlooked and longing for understanding.
Nation of Language came into my consciousness in June of this year, and I fell under their musical spell almost immediately. If they can navigate the tightrope of the music business and keep their sanity, they will continue to grow and create and become an even greater force for live music.