Free at Noon Flashback: Pure Bathing Culture showcase new sounds and old at World Cafe Live

Pure Bathing Culture | photo by Emily DeHart for WXPN

Portland, Oregon’s Pure Bathing Culture came by World Cafe Live to deliver a fantastic set of new and old tunes from their expansive discography, which dates back to 2012.

Pure Bathing Culture is Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman, who first met in 2011 in New Jersey. The two began writing together, moved to Portland, and began seriously pursuing their new musical adventure. Their sound can be described as 80’s-influenced synth pop, with a clear modern presence. After being dropped from their previous label, the duo took some time to figure out their situation before jumping back in, with many songs from their new record already written. Finding new ground, the group is finally back with Night Pass, their newest project released in April.

Pure Bathing Culture began with newer cuts, “Ad Victoriam” and “Devotion” off of Night Pass. The whirling synth lines and Versprille’s washed out vocals rang throughout as she playfully danced all across the stage. Shifting into the past, the band chose the title track off of 2015’s Pray For Rain. A classic, dancey piece of synth pop, Versprille’s vocals shined through once again. As their set came to a close, Hindman and Versprille came together to perform an acoustic version of one of their oldest songs, “Ivory Coast.” Hindman’s beautiful guitar chords and Versprille’s haunting vocal delivery made for a terrific end to PBC’s set for WXPN’s Free at Noon series.

Check out photos from the performance below.