Ernest Greene never expected his solo music project Washed Out to gain recognition.
After graduating with masters in library sciences last year, Greene, 26, moved back to Macon, Ga, proposed to his fiancé Blair Sexton and was content making respectable bedroom pop while searching for a job at university libraries around the South.
But then the blogosphere came knocking.
“Chaz [Bundick of Toro Y Moi] started getting a lot of attention and the guys from Nopaininpop.com sent me an e-mail, said they liked the song, asked me if I had any other new stuff,” Greene said. “So I sent them some new songs, they put it up and its kind of snowballed from there.”
However, Greene’s prominence in the scene didn’t really take off until he sent the leading lo-fi blog “Gorilla Vs. Bear” a sample song and they decided to post it to the site. In the following months, noted blogs Pitchfork, Hipster Runoff and Stereogum followed suit and posted Washed Out songs including a remix of his track “Feel It All Around” from Bundick.
Greene has been recording music in Columbia for around three years but only recently found an interest in the fuzzed-out drones of what he now calls Washed Out. He said the name really doesn’t mean anything but if it does, it describes the overall sound of the project.
Initially, Greene’s musical endeavors were slanted more towards the hip-hop end of the spectrum.
But working with local group Bedroom pushed Green in the direction of a more lo-fi pop and dance sound of bands like Emil and Friends and Neon Indian.
“They were really into doing aggressive dance stuff, like Crystal Castles-sounding,” he said. “It was the last month or so that is was in town and it was a natural progression.”
His goal was to combine the lo-fi rock sound with a more danceable melody. But writing pop hooks is new territory for Greene and he doubts if he can create the intricate layers involved in certain dance pop. Instead, he decided to head in a simpler direction, incorporating subdued hooks.
“It’s just bringing that lo-fi rock sound and marrying it with just more straight ahead dance stuff,” he said.
For Greene and his music, it is about keeping the production simple.
On his songs, Greene plays the role of multi-instrumentalist. He relies on a studio he constructed in his bedroom and utilizes the software Reason for synth layering and programming. To add texture, samples from old records are introduced and his vocals are recorded on a simple microphone.
The uptick in Greene’s popularity even surprised Mexican Summer, the label he has been working with. Originally, the plan was to limit his releases with only 1,000-record pressings and 300 cassettes but high demand has led the label to plan a release of his album “Life of Leisure” into stores.
“I had no idea it would build to this scale,” he said. “At the time I was talking to Mexican Summer, I was thinking to myself ‘there’s no way 1,000 people would want to buy this.’”
Even with the demand, Greene still doesn’t know if he will bring his music on the road. With getting married this month, he is apprehensive about the idea of being away from home for long periods of time.
Greene has talked about doing one-off shows every once in a while and currently has plans to return to Columbia to perform at the Whig. The label he is working with currently is asking him to possibly do a showcase at the South by Southwest festival in Austin.
“I’m into the idea of doing shows here or there but as of right now there is nothing long term planned,”
And even though he currently lives in Macon, Greene feels a kinship to Columbia and its scene and could see moving back to the city.
“I definitely claim Columbia,” he said.
Either way, Greene wants to continue making music in some shape or form, even if that means a record deal. But he is still guarded about the industry.
“It would be certainly nice to just make music,” he said. “I just don’t feel that nowadays with independent music it is hard to make money unless you tour a lot.”
