Trails and Ways

Trails and Ways make bossanova dream pop from a bedroom studio in Oakland, CA. After graduating from UC Berkeley, lead singers Emma Oppen and Keith Brower Brown took off–one to Brazil and the other to Spain. Both learned the new territory and languages through nylon strings and percussion. After months abroad, they came home with a vision; to craft a sound with the pensive warmth of Brazilian jazz, the tight songcraft of Latin pop, and the hypnotic rough edges of basement dream pop.

The two female and two male members of Trails and Ways all sing, braiding their voices down landscapes of tight percussion, reverbed guitar hooks and tidal synthesizers. The lyrics are political graffiti and lovers' unsaid conversations, crossing at the borders between Spanish, Portuguese and English.

The band makes its home in Oakland's tight-knit scene of jazz pop experimenters and R&B producers. They play visceral shows powered by the force of their four matching crystals: amethyst, agate, larimar, turquoise. Through 2012, they rode a swell of singles and covers, and are currently working on their debut album.