CRACK

Aesthetic:Porches

Words: Ione Gamble
Photography: Mike Chalmers
Styling: Jake Hunte

Jacket: Xander Zhou
Trousers: Xander Zhou
Trainers: Nike

Hoodie: Champion
Jeans: Liam Hodges

On first impression, Aaron Maine is a textbook introvert. He muses on every word he speaks aloud — thinking deeply before committing to any one answer. Some paint him as an outsider, a musician obsessively creating insular work that he hopes chimes true for his listeners. But that portrait might be slightly romanticised, in his own eyes at least. “There is this funny image of me living my life in solitude,” he says, “which is really not the case.”

In reality, Maine lives in New York City — a place where it is arguably impossible to ever exist in isolation. He spends his days writing or recording alone, and his evenings hanging out with friends and his girlfriend — seeing shows, attending events, and re-aligning himself socially. His version of solitude is perhaps one many city-dwellers can relate to.

Under the moniker of Porches, he creates music perfect for exploring lonely-but-not-alone cityscapes; taking solitary cab rides while listening to his cold sub-bass frequencies, walking streets late at night to the beat of sharp drum sounds, and feeling like an observer where you live as opposed to a participant.

Hoodie: Champion
Jeans: Liam Hodges

Jacket: Joseph
T-Shirt: Beams X Champion
Jewellery: Model's Own
Belt: Dickies
Trousers: Napa X Martine Rose
Trainers: Supreme x Nike

Blazer: T.M. Lewin
Polo: Napa by Martine Rose
Jeans: Levis
Belt: Levis
Boots: Timberland

Blazer: T.M. Lewin
Polo: Napa by Martine Rose
Jeans: Levis
Belt: Levis
Boots: Timberland

Having made music as Porches since the age of 21, Maine has also released under numerous monikers to acknowledge the “more dramatic shifts in content and style” of his output. Ronald Paris, Sex God, Ronnie Mystery and most recently Ricky Pepsi, in his own words, “stand for me as chapters in Porches' catalogue as a way for me to separate myself from previous work.” For Porches' third studio album The House, Maine says he was less interested in creating something “cosy” and more interested in challenging both the listener as well as himself.

While these characters may not crossover into Porches in an aesthetic sense, Maine does enjoy playing with his own image. In his day-to-day, he treats clothing “like a costume almost. I kind of put on whatever vibe I want out into the world on any given day. I guess that’s sort of role-playing; if you’re feeling low you can try and dress up to counteract a certain emotion or the opposite.” Feeling under no pressure to maintain a specific image, on any given show night you’re just as likely to watch Maine perform in baggy jeans and a hoodie as you are to spot him wearing heels or a bright handbag. “My dress sense is just a collage of everything I’m interested in and see walking around, and trying to recreate that in my own way.”

Growing up in New York State, Maine isn’t one for romanticising his immediate environment or creating an idolised version of New York City through his sound. His music videos have made nostalgic references to early 00s mall-rat culture and suburban living. He sees beauty in the mundane, attempting to draw attention to the little things that make up most of our days, as opposed to the large, dramatic events that may dominate our thoughts. “You can really wait around for these bombastic, blow-out, dramatic moments to happen,” he says. “I often find that there is a lot of drama and emotion in the smallest tasks or interactions you have with people or your surroundings.”

The House is released 19 January via Domino

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