Contrary to what you might think, the best mascots are born, not manufactured. Yes, a lovable socialist monster like Gritty might emerge to provide a face for the soul of a city, but sometimes, there are artists who rise up to define the character of that city.
One of the enduring memories I have of the early days of COVID involves Julia Massey being contracted by the Washington State Department of Health to create a jingle, and accompanying video, designed to encourage social distancing in the most breezily twee way possible. Bedecked in her trademark SuperSonics gear, Massey made flattening the curve seem not only doable, but like a joyful civic duty that one should be proud to take part in.
That breezy energy is a foundational element of Warren Dunes, the band Massey fronts alongside Jared Cortese and his brother, Dominic. Jared and Julia are married, making the whole project a concentrated family band. Running counter to the largely overcast world of the Pacific Northwest, Warren Dunes pitch themselves as a beach band, creating warm, hooky music that begs to be listened to on long car drives with the windows rolled down.
Bringing an umbrella is paramount for PNW beach music.
Photo by Carlos Cruz
“Originally, it was very simple,” says Warren Dunes guitarist Jared Cortese. “Our son was really into Harry Belafonte—that was his first favorite artist. So, we were listening to it constantly. And we were coming into the band with a lot of different aesthetics that we enjoy. So, we said, ‘Let’s do what we do, with a disparate array of taste in music, and have Harry Belafonte and that Caribbean style be the focal point and see what happens.’ From there, after that first EP, we’ve just been trying to not make the same record every time, but also defining what it is that is that Warren Dunes sound. That’s been the fun challenge, I think, is navigating how to honor what we’ve done before, but not make the same record.”
On their initial EP, Welcome to Warren Dunes, it’s not as if they sound like Belafonte and his tropical style, but they seem to embody the carefree beach lifestyle in a way that also fits right in amongst the Seattle gray. More than a desire to surf, you may feel the impulse to hug your neighbor, or to try something you’ve never done before. KEXP’s Eva Walker dubbed their music “PBS Metal,” which nods to the general air of brightness that permeates their music, while also taking into account the impressive musicianship at play.
Recently, Massey became the host of 107.7 The End’s Locals Only show, further enmeshing herself and Warren Dunes into the fabric of the Seattle scene. Both endeavors highlight the desire that the members of Warren Dunes have to provide positive experiences, and to uplift those around them.
“We’ve been doing this for a while, and I think that the scene it’s changed, over the course of time,” says Warren Dunes guitarist Jared Cortese. “That’s part of being an artist—I actually just recently had this conversation with a friend of ours—but when you first start playing music, it’s really easy to find a reason to play music. You know, you start because you had a reason already. I think it’s the same with being in the scene, where originally we just thought of it as our friend group, like it was very social for us when we first started.
“We really enjoyed it, on that level, and as we got to do more things, we felt like we wanted to be something where we had our own lane,” Cortese continues. “With Julia being the frontperson, having an emphasis on positivity and kindness, making music that highlights that, in a way we believe in, was something we could offer the scene. We feel like there are people who might want that, to hear music that represents them in that way. … We’re also enjoying bringing the spotlight to other people that we’ve connected to, and meeting new people that we can help.”
Every year, Warren Dunes puts on a Christmas show to benefit the Many Hands project, which helps artists to afford childcare. Cortese also teaches guitar, and takes particular pride in his students eventually finding the ability to perform live.
In 2024, Warren Dunes released their second LP, Aquamarine, which expanded on the earlier, 2021 release, Get Well Soon. For indie rock fans of a certain age, there may be something quite nostalgic about Aquamarine, with its huge sound and emotionally direct lyrics, evoking the New Sincerity era of the mid- to late-2000s. It seems as though we can expect a new Warren Dunes album, sooner rather than later.
“We’re working on a lot of new material, and looking forward to debuting some of it at the show,” says Cortese. “We’re trying to play all of the new songs live, a few times, before we go to the studio. We really want to make these songs really enjoyable live, too.”
Maybe this will out me as a simpleton, but the image of Julia Massey playing a keyboard with each hand while also singing lead will never not break my brain. How do you divide your brain into that many compartments? Check it out for yourself when Warren Dunes hit the Sunset Tavern for the first time since 2021.
Warren Dunes is playing at the Sunset Tavern, with doors at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, June 13. Find tickets here.
