You're sitting in a café–let’s say Liberty on Main. You dressed hot for someone to tell you tastefully, “You look cool.” You brought a book you intend to read but don’t. Instead, you're listening to the same old tunes you keep repeating until you physically can't listen to them anymore. You crave something new, nostalgic, yet totally original with members you can relate to. You scroll until you reach a band that captures your attention. A two-member duo that, like you, is going through some changes, a reinvention in their sound and lyrics. That band is AC-PDF.

On a rare-stunning Vancouver afternoon, I was lucky enough to sit down with the emerging, local band. Admittedly, I was nervous about meeting the duo. For the past week, I had been listening to the group's full discography including work from their previous name, DOUSE, and had become a new fan. In preparation, I decided to bring a tasteful four-pack of Boylan’s Cherry Sodas along for the ride; one, so I could be that cool-relatable columnist that brings Boylan’s to an interview, and two, to inadvertently break the ice.

After getting comfortable and assisting each other with our Boylan’s “easy” screw-off lids, I was curious to know the origins of their story. At this point, I turned to Oliver Clark, lead singer and guitar player of the group. Clark began their musical career teaching themself guitar, making mixed CDs, and listening to Laura Marling in their childhood home. "She was a big influence for me in terms of having a singer songwriter and guitar player who, at the time, looked like me. I feel like it’s really important to have artists you can relate to." In February of 2020, Clark started their transition and underwent the process of retraining their voice from soprano to tenor with a vocal coach. "It was interesting, because we already had the album recorded, and then I started T. We are putting out an album that’s never going to be sung the same again live, and our future albums will be in my tenor voice. In a way it's been a cool way to document my transition; I liked the visibility of it. Also, the trans-music scene is such a rad niche community, and I'm hoping it can be helpful to more trans-artists too," Clark says.

AC-PDF’s composer, sound engineer, and guitarist, Patrick Farrugia, was also deeply influenced by music from a young age. With musician parents, he grew up with the sounds of classical, jazz, and salsa at home, inspiring his love and devotion to understanding music and the power within it. "Musical theory has been the language that musicians use to talk to one another. I like the beauty of that and being a part of that process," Farrugia notes. Farrugia would go on to later learn violin, drums, guitar, and bass and meet Clark in their old band, Winter Coast. When asked about their process for making new music, the two smile. “There’s a lot of compositional freedom between Oliver and I. It’s really nice,” Farrugia replies.

In their new music video, “You’re Not Within My Power,” from their upcoming album Pleaser, Oliver and Patrick capture a relatable experience: an open letter to toxic relationships, moving on, and feeling safe in your own skin. Since Clark’s gender transition and the duo’s choice to work with new collaborators, their stylistic and sound choices have transformed to reflect the new changes.

The nostalgic, atmospheric 80's track is fueled with power, an experience which is translated into the music video’s choreography and rhythm. Filmed on location in the director Hayley Grey’s home and with the support of cinematographer Kaayla Whachell, Clark dances throughout the apartment, surrounded by a fleet of strobe and other colourful lighting. Clark recounts, "I was so excited to take the lead on this project. I knew there was going to be some dancing component, so when we hired choreographer, Marco Esser, it started to feel a lot more real. I started training with him. We only had one session together before the pandemic hit, then we transitioned to Zoom." The result is effective; an experience of movement and sound, a story of letting go and moving on within the lyrics.

The sunset was rolling in at Jonathan Rogers Park around this time, accompanied by a visit from a friendly Australian shepherd puppy named Juno and an individual who asked if we listened to Kayne West and if we believed in god. There was still so much I wanted to ask about the group, particularly their upcoming album Pleaser. Patrick chimes in, "Sonically, it came together fast and is much more of a dream-pop-scape than other stuff we have come up with. A lot of our old stuff was very anti-pop. We both realised though that having pop made our music a lot more interactive, especially when playing live.” In terms of the experience of this album’s songwriting, Oliver laughs, “It’s a mix of pre and post therapy. It definitely feels that we have our footing and are producing work that’s more confident.”

Around this time, the park goers began to dwindle down. Juno had gone home, and the fourth bottle of Boylan’s was done. Before parting, Oliver handed me some homemade soap that smelled like vanilla ice-cream, while Patrick offered to teach me a bit of music editing. On the way home, I reflected on how great and supportive the local art scene is in this city, but also how important a band like AC-PDF is for the community. A band that shares the hardships and growth that come with all things new and an accessible relatability that is shared with audiences of all backgrounds and forms of expression. Pressing play on my Spotify, I put on my tumble-dried headphones and listened to the band’s 2021 single “Act-Out” on my way home.

AC-PDF’s new album, Pleaser, will be available on October 1st, 2022. Stream the official music video, “You’re Not Within My Power To Change” here. Follow them on Spotify and Instagram (@ac.pdf).

Allison Shields (she/her) is a latinx, queer writer and sound-scape artist who lives and works on the unceeded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. She works as a columnist for SAD Mag and co-produces the podcast I Like Your Dress. When she’s not working on her degree in Creative Writing at KPU, you can usually find her crying in the bathtub, drinking sour beers with loved-ones, or following wherever the music goes.

SAD Online

Literature | Visuals | Sounds | Events

New Sounds, New Beginnings: A conversation with AC-PDF

SAD Mag