Change and perspective expand quickly in tight quarters—and no one knows that as well as married couple Solange Igoa and Andrea Walker.
It’s true of each of their time as queer kids in need of an escape from conservative towns; of their years living together in a van, traveling the country to play music and busk; of settling down in a studio apartment just prior to the pandemic. And now, partnered with a rhythm section and produced by Chris Funk of The Decemberists, they’re harnessing the lessons from this closeness and cracking them wide open into a whole new world with their band Glitterfox.
The duo first met at a coffee house open mic in Long Beach, California, where Walker had recently relocated after growing up in North Carolina and Virginia. She quickly fell in love with Igoa’s voice, knowing that if their vocals and her guitar came together that would only flourish—and it did, the two now married and having spent more than a decade as a pair. Musically, channeling Walker’s Southern warmth through Southern California indie shine, Glitterfox carves out lithe, nostalgia-fueled anthems powered by the intimacy of their relationship.
“A lot of our songs are about serious challenges in our lives,” Walker says. “All the struggles in my life get poured into the music, but always with this silver lining of hope, this drive not to quit before the miracle happens. Making a living as an independent musician is hard, but we’ve always had each other and always made it work.”
Igoa and Walker quickly found new roots when they moved out of their van and settled down in Portland, Oregon, in 2018, quickly cementing a reputation for their boundless energy and positivity. Soon they were joined by Eric Stalker, a singer-songwriter who got along with the couple so well that he volunteered to learn bass as a way to join their band. Drummer Blaine Heinonen followed, the quartet now capable of producing grander leaps of musical gravity to crash through the couple’s golden-hued compositions.
The group’s soaring intimacy quickly won over Pacific Northwest fans and heroes in addition to Funk, with Kill Rock Stars label head Slim Moon who jumped at the opportunity to sign them. Despite that rapid growth, the beating heart of Glitterfox will always be Walker and Igoa’s love. “Having a band that’s built around a healthy marriage is cool because it has longevity. We’re a very stable unit and we’re a family,” Walker says.
“We’ve learned how to trust each other’s instincts. When Solange and I play together, it’s so second nature—their voice and my guitar are so intimately bound.”
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
Andrea — My favorite part is the interesting people that I get to meet — other artists and creatives. Through our work we’re always meeting sound engineers, musicians, producers, visual artists, photographers, videographers, circus performers, dancers, the list goes on. I love meeting other people who love art and music as much as me. When I’m with artists, I feel more understood than with any other people.
When you create music, what is your personal purpose or goal?
Andrea — My goal is to capture a feeling in a musical way that people are going to want to move their bodies to. I always try to think of music in terms of movement. When I sit in the driver’s seat of my van — what kinds of songs do I like to put on? But for me, it’s not enough to create something that people can dance or drive to. I always want the feeling of the song to be right there at the surface. My goal is to create music that people can feel deeply.
What draws you to your preferred genre?
Andrea — My favorite genre is New Wave. I love it because it’s always pretty upbeat — even when the lyrics are about sad stuff or hard experiences. I like music that I can move to. I spend a lot of time walking. So I like music that I can walk or drive to. And I also just love the new wave vibe. I love modulation. I have several vintage 80s modulation pedals on my board, and I don’t think I write a song without them now.
What first got you into music?
Solange — I don’t even know when it started, I have always felt a strong desire to sing. My parents told me that I started singing before I could even talk.
What is your favorite song to perform?
Solange — My favorite song to perform right now is probably our song “TV” I love the long note at the end that I get to sing! It took me a while to figure out how to hold a note for that long, and it makes me feel excited every time I do it. I will also mention, that my go-to karaoke song is “Power of Love” by Celine Dion.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Solange — The most helpful thing anyone has ever told me regarding a career in music is that, “It is a marathon, not a sprint.” It’s something I think about all of the time. We just keep going, I don’t think I am even capable of giving up on music.
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Solange — I sing all of the time, and it’s usually going to be a Glitterfox song, and if not, it’ll probably be something from a musical.
What movie ending really frustrated you? And how would you change it?
Solange — Honestly, the movie ending that has always bothered me and literally affected my emotional state is the ending to the third Pirates of the Caribbean. I can’t believe they’d do that to Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner. I pride myself on the fact that I stopped watching that series after that. Also, Blue is the Warmest color, so dumb. She’s really gonna be with a man at the end after being with that super hot chick, no way.
What was the last TV series you watched on TV?
Andrea — currently re-watching Euphoria
You are a new addition to a crayon box. What color would you be and why?
Andrea — Midnight lavender neon because it is the color of my soul
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
Andrea — “I’m still figuring this thing out.”
Stream the studio version across platforms: https://pocp.co/its-always-over.oyd
Website: https://www.glitterfox.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glitterfoxband/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glitterfoxband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sTGtcslsxEgrgfLdmuwgJ?si=tNlsWuArT1GgRdxveS8EbA
