A Chat with April Afternoon (09.07.24)
The former frontman of Dutch indie-rock band Captain Felix, Jelmer Luimstra makes music for the masses as April Afternoon. Binding elements of old-school new wave and contemporary synth-pop, the Amsterdam-based musician brings a unique flair to a sometimes-stagnating pop scene. We speak with April Afternoon about his debut EP Words, favourite quotes, future plans and much more.
OSR: A rather cliché question but what drew you to music? Why did you decide to pursue a musical career?
April Afternoon: I played in several bands before deciding to work on a self-produced EP in the middle of 2022. I wanted to create my own wall of sound with synthesizers, as an ode to the new wave movement of the ’80s, but with a modern production.
OSR: You recently released your debut EP Words. What can you tell us about it?
April Afternoon: In 2023 I continued to work on four songs: ‘I’m Going Back’, ‘Modern Lovers’, ‘The Chorus’ and ‘Walking Through Your Day’. These ultimately ended up on my debut EP Words. I recorded the vocals in a professional studio in Amsterdam and worked with a local producer who did a great job finalizing the mix.
OSR: Regarding production, did you face any challenges and if yes how did you overcome them?
April Afternoon: Everything was new to me: from the hardware to the software. I worked with Ableton, a DAW, and watched hours of YouTube tutorials to get an understanding of the program. When I started working with this DAW, I was forced to stay at home for a week due to a Coronavirus infection. Luckily, I wasn’t too sick. I used this week at home to master the basics of the technology, which gave me a good starting point.
OSR: What is the most exciting and least exciting thing about creating music, particularly your EP?
April Afternoon: The most exciting thing is when you create a new part of a song. It could be a well-sounding choir, it could be a synthesizer tune or a pounding snare drum. The least exciting part is when you have to finalize your mix. This is about panning, editing the vocals and so on. You have the most creative part of your production work behind you, but you’re still not there yet. This is that part where you have to patiently continue your work, while you sometimes just want to switch to a different track.
OSR: What significance does Words have for you as an artist?
April Afternoon: I hope it shows the different directions I can take with synth-pop. My work can be uptempo, happy and Devo-ish, like my song ‘I’m Going Back,’ or dark and EBM, like ‘Walking Through Your Day’.
OSR: What does music mean to you and what makes you unique?
April Afternoon: Music adds colour to life, which can otherwise be tedious. I don’t think my project is unique, but I hope people recognize it’s an eclectic project, combining old-wave influences with a modern-styled production. I feel influenced by both Gary Numan and something contemporary like Working Men’s Club.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
April Afternoon: I hope it makes them fall in love with synthesizers, new wave and goth. I really hope it can be a gateway for them to discover more obscure waves.
OSR: Do you have any favourite quote? It doesn’t have to be by a musician, just anyone really.
April Afternoon: When I find something exciting and don’t dare to do it, but still want to do it, I think of the song ‘Ask’ by The Smiths. Morrissey sings: “Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you/ From doing all the things in life you’d like to”. In other words: do what you want to do, life’s too short.
OSR: What are you the biggest fan of? What can you always fangirl over?
April Afternoon: The Cure. My fascination with ‘80s music started when I first heard ‘A Forest’ by The Cure on Dutch radio when I was about 14 years old. I thought this dark song had something special going on. It is alienating, but super cool at the same time. Through ‘A Forest’ I started to delve into new wave, the genre that would ultimately determine my taste in music. By diving into new wave I discovered other defining genres from the end of the twentieth century, such as twee pop and even acid house
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
April Afternoon: I’m working on a second EP, which will be a bit more Pet Shop Boys-ish. Many of the songs are slightly less dark, soundwise. There are some poppy elements here and there. I thought it would be interesting to combine wave with pop, as long as the result remains alternative.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
April Afternoon: Avoid making compromises when it comes to art.
Many thanks to April Afternoon for speaking with us. Find out more about April Afternoon on Instagram and Spotify.
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