RETROSEX Brings the Modern Jams at Sarah Lawrence

In a world of digitized and formulaic sound, Retrosex emerges as a beacon of collaboration, experimentation, and raw, unbridled creativity. What started as a simple notes app idea has evolved into a dynamic collaboration between four members — Asa Campbell (vocals), Josie Kent (bass), Lazar Nelkovski (guitar), and Will Simpson (drums) — that thrives off of improvisation, humor, storytelling, and the magic of musical spontaneity.

Retrosex is relatively new to the scene; the band formed in October 2024 at Sarah Lawrence College, but has already performed at a student showcase and begun recording and producing their songs. Nelkovski and Simpson are both freshmen while Kent and Campbell are sophomores; though their youth and differing levels of experience may inevitably present challenges, they are eager to learn and grow together, and their fresh perspectives bring an undeniably electric quality to their music. Weekly Wednesday practices—sometimes extending into the occasional weekend session—serve as the backbone of their creative process, but much of the magic happens outside of rehearsals. “We each bring in ideas that pop into our heads,” says Asa, who has been writing songs since she was nine. “It’s about isolating aspects, playing with words and music, and then building them up together.” Though Asa has penned the majority of their tracks, everyone has a voice in shaping the final product.

Though Retrosex thrives off of their in-person practices, independent work from each member is essential when it comes to making the most of each meeting. “It’s like meal prepping for the next time we see each other.” Even when separated—like during school breaks when everyone is spread around the world—the group finds ways to stay connected through brainstorming sessions and voice memos. This has proven to be one of the biggest learning curves for the band; working together means more than just making music—it’s about dedication and creating time for your passions. “Finding people who will show up, match your hype, and balance their commitments is crucial,” Asa says. This can be especially hard for college bands, where musicians are not only tasked with developing their sound and style but are also expected to manage classes, social lives, and work towards future careers. Maintaining a consistent momentum and regularly carving out time to be together is something that demands intention and genuine dedication—a balance that often results in the fizzling out of college bands but has proven to be one of Retrosex’s greatest strengths.

“As an artist, you have to be intentional. In times of uncertainty, the things you love can be the thing that gets you through.” For Retrosex, making music is both a choice and a calling, something that requires true dedication but is equally undeniable. It is a true passion project, one with its own life and demands, that each member is committed to upholding and nurturing, maintaining their ethos of creative independence and collaboration while simultaneously embracing the inevitably unpredictable growth and evolution of their sound.

So what’s next for Retrosex? Their biggest goal for the upcoming year is a self-produced album or EP. They already have ten original songs in the works, and are determined to utilize the diverse skill sets of each member to produce the project themselves. Though this will likely prove to be more time-consuming than outsourcing the work, the band is fully committed to shaping a sound that is uniquely and entirely their own, from conception to production. It’s a bold and risky move, especially in a world that tends to place efficiency, speed, and constant output on a higher pedestal than genuine craftsmanship and quality. But for Retrosex, taking their time and truly enjoying the process of creation will always be #1.

INTERVIEW WITH ASA CAMPBELL (VOCALIST)

Tell me a bit about your band and how Retrosex came to be what it is today

AC – Okay, well, our name is Retrosex. Yes, Retrosex came from my notes app; at some point I was drafting band names with some former bandmates of mine, and I guess I kept on to those. One of them was Retrospects. And then in, you know, really, really intellectual humor, one of my bandmates was like, “What about Retrosex?” And we really liked it exactly, so that stayed on the brain. And then that ended up, you know, becoming the band name. Actually, one of the members of our band was in my previous band in high school, because we went to high school together. We have Will Simpson on the drums, me (Asa Campbell) on vocals, bassist is Josie Kent, and our guitarist, Lazar Nelkovski. But we came together mostly because, over the summer, when I was thinking about bands, I was like, Josie. I need Josie. I had never really talked to Josie that much, I just thought she was really cool; I saw that she played bass on her Instagram a lot, and then Will ended up coming to Sarah Lawrence, which was a godsend, and felt like a sign that we needed to start another band. And then I was in my experimental music improv ensemble with Laz, the guitarist. I saw him play, he heard me sing, and I was like, “Hey, we need a freaking guitarist,” and just like that, worlds collided.

As far as, like, the way we write songs and stuff there, there is, like, a main flow to the band, I would say, like, I write lyrically most the music, and you know, if there’s some rhythm or tune stuck in our head, we bring it to the table, of course, or if there’s some kind of word play that is totally welcome. But for the most part, I’ve written all but one song, and so in terms of that, we kind of have a leader in a way, but that’s really the only time that happens, because, like in the musical process, we all sit around in a literal circle, and play stuff and think about the way it sounds together. I think that’s, honestly, probably one of the most important parts of songwriting for me. I’ve been writing songs since I was, like, nine, and they were really bad. But like, I’ve always liked to play around with words and music. So I think a big part of that is like, also silence and working on little things at a time and making sure, because I think a lot of bands go at it like they just start playing all at once, and try to find a groove or rhythm to it, um, which is great. And, like, no hate at all. It’s just, I think I work best when I can, like, stop and hear things individually so that I can kind of work them together. And that way that we get, like, pretty much everyone in the band contributing to everything we do.

What do you think is important for a new reader/listener to know about Retrosex?

AC – I think style is very important. I think, like, that’s also because we all individually have very specific styles and personalities that are, I don’t know, don’t necessarily, like, build what we’re doing all together, but are a part of it, and hold it up and withstand it. A lot of like, the exposure we get right now is just like being in the music building and practicing, because A) we’re super loud and B) I don’t know if you know this, but the guy whose house was turned into the music building, it was designed to have like, different pipe layouts cut out of the walls so that you can 1000%, no matter how much you soundproof the room, it would not do anything. You can hear our music all through the building. It’s kind of awesome, because low key, the exposure we get is just because, like, the house sings it. There is no other way to know who we are, I guess, right now, except, like, if you’re listening in Sarah Lawrence College, and I’d like to change that, but that’s also really beautiful. Like, to be able to play for a small community who’s like, “Who is that in the basement?” We have a small music community but everyone knows each other. And it’s like, you know that can be really great, that can be really bad sometimes, but it’s like, no matter what you have to say about it, it’s tight knit, and that’s not a sense that most people get when they go to college. It’s cool to have a community.

Do you feel like you have an inner critic and how do you manage it? Do you shut it down or does it play a role in the process?

Unfortunately I would say I give into it sometimes, as we all do. It’s hard to tell yourself to shut the fuck up when you also, like, take yourself seriously, because you have to take yourself seriously as an artist. But I think one of the great things about being in a band is there’s lots of self subjectivity, but most of it is worked through in the group. So you have a filter of like, hey, I can be really honest with you guys. Did that sound really fucking stupid? And they can be like, “Hey, I can be really honest with you, Asa, yes, it did.” Or “No, it didn’t, like, I really like that. Let’s work on that.” It’s like a workshop, yeah. And I also did a lot of acting stuff when I was younger, and so I think as far as the actual performance of it, I always have so much fun, because it’s like a persona you’re creating on stage, right? Even though it is Asa there singing, and that’s still me, I want to sell it and, like, that’s a big thing for me, is the real performance of it. That’s what brings me the most joy.

What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far? What have you learned?

You know, it’s not like a conservatory environment, obviously, like none of us are at Sarah Lawrence only doing one thing, doing music as if we were, like, getting a BFA or something. So in a lot of ways, I think the learning that I’m doing in this band, similar to at Sarah Lawrence, is very multifaceted. It’s social, it’s figuring out how to, like, get stuff done, getting people wrangled in horrible schedules. Making people interested in what you’re doing is a big thing. Like, when you’re trying to do something and take yourself seriously, you know, you want others to do it with a similar passion. And so it’s just like, learning these little things that, like, oh, it’s not cringy to post my music on my Instagram. In fact, I need to, like, step up and do stuff like that so that I can get gigs and so that I can do this. And just really learning that it’s very important to me and that, like, I do want to do those things, yeah? Because I think my band experiences in the past have not been like, more casual, but they’ve been more like, I’m in high school, I’m in a band. It’s really difficult to get people in a room sometimes! And like, I am so grateful for all of the people on SLMF (Sarah Lawrence Music Festival), and also the behind the scenes people who book the spaces and get all that stuff done. Like, that’s not even me, but it’s also learning to get in touch with those people so that they know who you are and, like, who to turn to if they need someone to go play at a show or need an opener or something. Finding good people who share your passion and commitment. That’s important.

How does organization play a role within your band? How do you guys practice?

We do it weekly. Um, sometimes when we can, we try to do like, an extra practice on the weekends, but that can be hard. But Wednesdays are when we practice. We’re honestly pretty quick with it. We cook and we cook hard, and so, like, we get there to practice, and if someone has a sound or chord progression or something, we play that. And, like I said, we all sit in a circle. We often record what we’re doing. Like, I have so many voice recordings, like, 30 minutes long, just like us messing around and then so we can reference ourselves. And we can also just kind of play around with it. And we also listen to a good amount of music too. We can bring in sounds that we find interesting and it helps us get to know each other better.. It’s pretty laid back, but very productive, which is really awesome, because I think it’s a testament to how into it we all are. I don’t mean this in like, a self righteous way, but there are so many other things we could be doing. But we’re there. You know? It’s a choice. And I like that, I think that it’s really cool to be in a group with people who are great musicians and also committed to the bit.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given about music or creating or whatever? And what advice would you give to someone who has started a band?

This summer, I went to this music program in Germany, in Mannheim, which was at this this university called Pop Academy, and they have an international summer camp where, basically you audition and you go and within this period of like a week and a half, you write, compose, record, produce a completely original song, either with yourself and a producer or in a band. And at the end, you have a concert, and everyone performs what they’ve made in that week and a half. And it was really incredible. It was so cool to work with everyone. But the head of the school there, Derek, super cool, super great guy, was leading this performance class initiative thing where before the actual final performance, we were performing songs that we were planning on bringing in. And in my critique, he said, “It’s obvious that you have something you’re going for, and that you know what you’re doing, and that you know that you can do it well. What you need to do now is really, like, trust yourself and, like, really commit to it. Because it’s all so obvious in like, what you’re wearing right now, what you’re like, how you’re moving around the stage, the music that is being made, that this is something you’re passionate about and that you want to be doing it. Now, what you really have to do is commit to that.” Like, because some, there’s some times that I break character, I think, where you could see, like, that inner critic and like, maybe I look down or whatever, and, yeah, the advice is just like, really, “You have a vision. Go for it. Don’t let yourself stop you, because that is, like, a waste of your time, because it’s so obvious, there’s something there.” And it was, it was, it was really nice to hear because it was so blunt and like, “Dude, just do it.”

You want to grow, and the only way to grow is to be able to really, like, put yourself to the test and prove yourself to yourself. But you have to be able to like, have that threshold of, okay, I proved myself to myself. And realizing that is so important because it’s like the difference between writing a beautiful song and then like singing it, rather than writing a beautiful song, and performing it and performing the shit out of it, and making other people want to sing it, and making other people want to, like play it, or relate to it, or understand it, because wanting to understand someone’s art like that is such a valuable thing. Like, ooh, to show something to someone and then to be like, “Wow. Like, tell me more, give me more.” Like that, I think, that’s what is so beautiful about art and the shared nature of it.

I think in starting a band, you have to find people who will show up, which is such a silly thing to say, because it’s like the first step, but it’s kind of hard in college, especially. But if you’re going to school, if you have a job, if you have other obligations in life, which you do because you’re living, bands are not always the number one priority. And that’s so fine, and that makes a lot of sense. But you need someone to match your hype about the music you’re creating, because your music, no matter what it is, is your music, and that’s important. And so, like, you can’t just let it go into, I don’t know, wavering hands. People have to be in it with you. You can’t wrangle them to want to be in the band. Which can be really frustrating in finding people, but like, it’s so much more worth it to like, find someone who will, like, show up every week for practice and like, learn the shit you want to learn and like, be really excited about performing, than to have someone who’s flaky and just there because you could find them. Surrounding yourself with people that you trust because you’re doing music together; that’s such an important asset and form of self expression and you don’t want to be making stuff like with people you don’t vibe with. It just doesn’t flow as well.

What are some of your aspirations for the band in, let’s say, the next year, but also just in general, where do you see your trajectory headed?

Well, we are currently setting up different recording sessions for ourselves. We’re going to be self produced for this album, or EP maybe, depending on how many tracks we get done. All together this year. I think since October is really when we started, like our real practicing, we’ve written, I think 10 songs together. But anyway, so however many we end up finishing and feeling good enough that will be in the quote, unquote album. So, long story short, we would like to release music that we will produce ourselves. I’d also, I’d like to find a way to maintain it in times that we’re not necessarily around each other. Because, you know, that’s what’s so precarious about college bands; you want to stay on your grind, but sometimes you just can’t, due to being away from each other. So I want to find a way for us all to communicate with each other, despite being in, like, completely different places at completely different times.

Over winter break, we talked a bit here and there, but a lot of it was individual work that we shared when we got back to campus. It’s like meal prepping. We’re constantly meal prepping for the next time we are able to see each other. That might be the most accurate way to describe it, because it’s not like it’s ever completely done once we’ve brought it together, like, there still need to be steps. You have to assemble it and put it together. So there’s still a meal to be made despite prepping. And that’s what makes this so exciting, you know; every time we come back together, we get to see how it all fits, how it grows, and where it can go next. But yeah. Album, EP, recordings. We just want to keep cooking.