Photo by Ry Black.
“You might catch the homage to Elliott Smith in the record’s title, but I assure you the songwriting here is far more than a mere nod. Take my favorite track, “I See You See,” with its wind-swept guitar notes and airy vocal performance; the chorus has these notes that will draw in fans of Alvvays and the like.”
Robbins, Blair. Both/And I. Spring 2019. 11”x8.5” Chalk pastel on paper.
Ama formed in Austin, Texas in fall 2014 with Blair Robbins, Alex Peterson, Sam Jordan, and Miles Kelley comprising the original lineup. Robbins spent several years prior to Ama’s formation gigging as a guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist with other bands in Austin’s independent, garage, and psych rock circles, as well as singing backup vocals on tracks for nationally-recognized acts Spoon, Peter Matthew Bauer (formerly of the Walkmen), and Walker Lukens. After ten years of quietly honing their songwriting, Robbins found self-confidence and encouragement from friends to lead Ama. Ama serves as a vessel to transmit Robbins’ vulnerable and esoteric songwriting through dynamic rock 'n’ roll and visual art (see Robbins’ artwork here).
Ama quickly garnered warm reception in Austin, playing on bills with well-loved artists in town and from around the country. Ama recorded their first EP, Losing Less, during the summer of 2015 with engineer Daniel McNeill (White Denim, daphne tunes) on reel-to-reel tape in his home studio, Daniel’s House. Ama quietly shared the four-song set online in fall 2017 and recorded their follow-up EP, Trilogy, a few months later with Peterson as engineer. They released the EP on Peterson’s home label Two Moons in spring 2018 to a small, receptive audience after completing an east coast tour.
Ama recorded their debut full-length album, Both/And, with engineer Erik Wofford (Daniel Johnston, Voxtrot, The Black Angels, Bill Callahan) at Cacophony Recorders during a session in June 2018 and sessions in January 2019. Matt Hudson joined on keyboards, organ, and synthesizer; Theo Snow and Ana Worrel sang backup vocals; and Evan Kaspar featured on pedal steel guitar.
A direct and unapologetic nod to the seminal album by Robbins’ prime influence, Elliott Smith (and the Kierkegaard text which directly influenced him), Both/And is a record of trials and inspiration; heartbreak and love; division and unity. It is accessible in language and emotional relatability, yet deep in concept. Robbins’ obsessions with dialectics, depth psychology, alchemy, and the tao dwell within and through the songs they write directly about their lived and tangible experience.
Ama does not currently have a fixed lineup. Robbins leads the band through its organic ebbs and flows while continually striving to unite their lived songs, art, and philosophy. Robbins is currently in the process of preparing demos for Ama’s second full-length, Mother.
Album art for Both/And: Robbins, Blair. Both/And II. March 7th, May 28th, and June 14th, 2020. 24”x24”. Oil on canvas.
Photo by Amanda Arredondo.
“On top of being an insanely talented visual artist and passionate pro-musician activist, this singer-multi-instrumentalist poet/songwriter’s been sharing their art under the handle Ama for the past decade… Sonically, Ama’s caught adoration thanks to retro-alt-indie rock, as heard on their mid-2010s EPs Losing Less and Trilogy, but their magnum opus to date is decidedly the 2020 full-length Both/And.”
Blair Robbins, Sean Lochridge, and Matt Hudson. Photo by David Freid.
“Jung”, track 1 off Both/And, was featured on the Austin Sunset Public Programming Summer Mixtape Vol. 1 alongside a number of local Austin artists.
Chris Lopez, Blair Robbins, and Matt Hudson. Photo by Syd Fuller.
“Lost My Way”, track 8 off Both/And, was featured on Episode 10, Season One of That Animal Rescue Show, a show about the animal rescue community in and around Austin that was executive produced and directed by Richard Linklater and Bill Guttentag.
“Some will be tempted to draw comparisons to Liz Phair given Ama's 90's alt-rock energy but, while both artists may share similarities in sound, Robbins is a far less candid songwriter—at least on the surface... Instead, Robbins is indirect; she never fully addresses the proverbial elephant in the room, a move which forces listeners to dig deeper into her lyrics. Ama is one of the best bands in town, and their catchy indie-rock deserves nationwide recognition.”
Photo by The Inner Chamber.
Robbins, Blair. Both/And Rosarium Sequence. Nine 12”x12” canvases arranged left to right/top to bottom in sequential order with each track on Both/And. 2019-2020. Oil.