The elusive sounds of Colours

Sometimes, art that isn’t immediately clear — that takes some digging — can be the most interesting.

When forming the band Colours, frontman Kyle Tamo says the project was as much about creating a sense of intrigue as it was the music.

“Ambiguity is a great representation of us as a band,” says Tamo. “Even with the name, we never wanted something with too much meaning. We wanted the music to be a blank canvas for people to create their own meaning.”

The two-piece electronic pop outfit formed in 2013, when Tamo and drummer Morgan Alley decided they were ready for a change. They were playing together in the hardcore band, Burden of a Day, but Alley says they wanted to pursue something more representative of them as musicians.

The two took a year off to cleanse their musical palate, while soaking up influence from musicians as diverse as The Neighbourhood, Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar, and from the growing genre of brooding, electronic pop music.

Alley started penning songs, and through necessity, the band found its voice. Playing with just drums and vocals, one thing became immediately apparent.

“There was a lot of space to fill,” says Alley, a Sarasota native. “So I started experimenting with drum pads and electronic sounds to fill the holes. When we found that sound, it landed really hard with us. This is it. This is our sound.”

The band recently released its debut LP, called “Ivory.” The 12-track release is packed with gritty, dark synthesizer lines and gentle, falsetto vocals that create an interesting juxtaposition and add to the intended mystique.

“There’s juxtaposition throughout,” says Tamo. “We’re making this darker music in a bright, happy beach town. I try to write about things that are familiar but hard to pinpoint. We’re not creating the music for ourselves — it’s for the listener to attach their own story.”

The band, signed to Chicago-based Victory Records, is preparing to hit the road for a summer U.S. tour, and Alley says they enjoy adapting the music to a live setting.

“When people see our setup, they never know what to expect,” he says. “But what I like most about this band is that it can transcend genres. It’s edgy enough for fans of heavier music, but it’s pretty enough for fans of pop. There’s something for everyone.”