An Interview with The Antlers

THE ANTLERS

Originally published on The Line Of Best Fit. 

Here is a transcription of a chat I had with The Antlers before their Macbeth show, back in September…

I never know how to tell people about your music. How would you describe the album?

Michael: We have trouble too.

I never know.

M: People make band comparisons, and inevitably… there’s so many, for some songs… so I’ve stopped doing that.  And, style, also. ‘Epic’ is a word that comes up, but it’s…. sort of pretentious, in a way, to say it.

Peter: Yeah, like… I feel weird saying that, because it has these positive connotations, it’s like saying ‘it sounds like it’s amazing’, and that’s not what we want to say! I think we want to say it sounds ‘big’

M: Yeah…

P: But a better word for big.

Darby: I think the goal with it.. was to make it really dynamic, like, being really intimate to loud, and almost aggressive, just to let it be a full range of sound, I guess. Highs are high, lows are low…

M: I also like ‘cinematic’ or ‘literary’, that almost captures a certain sense of some qualities of it…

Yeah! Well, when you read the lyrics it’s kind of like reading a book…

M: Yeah. I think so too…

Do you do any writing?

P: A little bit. I didn’t, really, for a long time. Then this summer I started to write some stuff,  and I haven’t quite finished… and I’m not really sure what, if anything, I’ll do with it. But, I started to enjoy it. I was trying to write lyrics, but wasn’t quite there yet… I just tried to write something, more like stories, I guess..

Is that anything you would consider doing in the future? Maybe writing a novel, or some short stories?

P: I think a novel would be REALLY hard, I’m really unbelievably impressed by anyone who can write a novel, because  I have no idea how that’s possible! But maybe some short stories or something….

So when people hear the album… because it’s so personal, it must be interesting for you guys (Darby + Michael) to play something that’s so personal to Peter, how do you guys connect with the songs?

M: After the initial interaction with the record personally, I don’t think of the lyrics… I don’t think of that perspective. It’s more… the sonic quality. It’s not like ‘oh, I’m thinking of this depressing hospital, cancer victim’ or something like that. Anybody is welcome, like, interpretation by others is great, it should be a variety. But for me, it’s not locked into what the words and the stories are explaining, it’s more the musical quality of it…

D: It definitely, it feels like…there’s portions of song,  like ‘Atrophy’, it’s the sound… I think it’s all part of the story, in a way. When I heard it the first time, the lyrics… I could only hear some of the lyrics because it was recorded really badly. Scratchy vocals, pieced together, and finally know… knowing the story, it means something different.

Are you enjoying playing it live?

All: Oh yeah!

M: Very much so. We’re getting to explore some musical territory… we take it to different places. It keeps it interesting for us, we can inject some spontaneous creativity from night to night, really keeps it fresh.. keeps it fun.

P: It really keeps us on our toes, and keeps us really enjoying it. We can tell the difference between a good set and a bad set… and we’re enjoying ourselves on stage, so, hopefully… that’ll be more enjoyable to watch too. And maybe it’s unexpected… you don’t know what to expect when you go into it each night. Venue to venue, the sound is different, the crowds are different… everything is different, every night, in a way. We learn how to roll with that, bring something out of that…

Were you nervous about the show at 229? Was it your first show outside of America?

M: Well, Canada…

P: Yeah, Canada, but we haven’t gone overseas yet

D: I was nervous for soundcheck…. Primarily we were all pretty wiped out by the journey, 1 hours sleep… nerves kind of get over powered by the tiredness.

M: There’s an adrenalin rush…

P: I think we did okay with it.

M: After a very warm crowd reaction it wipes away anything to be nervous about. It’s like being with a bunch of friends, you know?

What’s been your best show so far?

M: One show?

Yeah, if there’s one show you could go back and re-live…

M: I would play the Pitchfork show just because of the massive crowd. It was our biggest show by far.

P: Yeah, that was a big, big surprise. We knew there would be a lot of people, but the reality didn’t hit us until then. We got on stage and were like… oh! We were totally, so shocked. We’ve started playing bigger shows and opening for bigger bands, but that was a huge shock. It’s not like we’re playing shows like that every day. It’s like it came out of nowhere. We had no idea how to react to it.

M: It sounds counter intuitive but once you’re there and it begins, it’s really relaxing! You start looking at the sky… (laughs)

Is there anything you’d like to change about the live show? Ever consider to get more members? I was thinking about how epic it would be to play with an orchestra…

P: For certain, it would be hard to tour with that many people…

One thing that’s really cool is Grizzly Bear are doing a one off show in London with the London Symphony Orchestra…

M: Right! They did a similar thing in Brooklyn. That would be amazing.

P: That’s awesome, yeah.

M: I would love to do that.

P: I think we’re a little less open to adding members to the band, like, full time members, the way we’re most comfortable is the three of us. But, definitely, we’ve had Sharon [Van Etten] sing with us a couple of times…

M: Like when Sharon sang with us, I love her voice, such a great voice,  so… you can’t not like that.

One of my favourite parts of the album is the bit where she comes in at the end of Thirteen…

M: So good!

P: Yeah! I actually wish we had more of her…

More Sharon!

M: Yeah!

She’s brilliant.

P: She’s on a lot of places in the record actually. She pops up in places where it doesn’t necessarily sound like her. Like, she’s in Kettering, Thirteen, Shiva…

She sang on the Forest Fire record.

P: Oh cool. I haven’t heard that record. I saw that…

She sings on Sunshine City, but I didn’t recognise it was her voice. I thought it sounded like her but I just missed that it WAS her, and then when I found out it made it even more brilliant…

P: Yeah. She sings on a lot of records actually.

M: Did you see her play over here?

Yeah! She did a few shows in May. And she was brilliant. Completely brilliant.

M: Yep. She is.

So, obviously there are loads of brilliant New York bands. Are there any you would recommend in particular?

M: Well, you mentioned Grizzly Bear, they’re one of my favourite bands. Dirty Projectors, got a lot of play on tour for us this summer.

Do you go to many shows when you’re at home?

M: Yeah, we all live in Brooklyn, but we haven’t really been home that much lately. They do these free shows in the summer time in Brooklyn, but we get to see a lot of great bands on tour… now I feel less inclined to go see live music… I like to do other things besides live music.

So you all live in New York, are you all from New York?

M: Peter and I grew up in New York, and Darby’s a transplant…

D: I’m from Alabama.

M: Most people in New York didn’t grow up in New York.

Yeah, it’s the same as London. Everyone’s from all over the place.

M: People say that if you grew up in Manhattan, specifically, it kind of… breeds strange people. You kind of grow up too quickly… nobody knows how to drive….

I don’t know how to drive.

M: I’ll teach you.

Good! That’ll be amazing. How does living in the city inspire you?

P: Brooklyn especially, right now is breeding a lot of bands doing interesting things. Experimenting with textures. It encourages bands to work really hard… and be themselves, and be unafraid. Also, just New York, aside from music, has a really interesting cultural history. It has a personality of a person. A city has these things you love about it, things you hate about it. I find myself thinking about it a lot, as if it were a person. It’s got all these characteristics… a way of existing.

Could you live anywhere else?

M: Yeah. It would have to be outside of the US for me. New York… it gets in your system. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else, but perhaps a lot of European places can do that…

D: I used to live in a small town, I would never live in a town that small….

P: Yeah, I feel like I could either live in a big city like New York or London, or I could live in the absolute middle of nowhere.

M: I think it’s the dream for a lot of New Yorkers to have that getaway where you don’t check your email…

Have you had a chance to look around London much?

M: A little bit, we got to run around a bit today. It’s a great town, we feel really comfortable here.

Have you been to Rough Trade yet?

M: I have been in the past but we haven’t got a chance yet

It’s not far from here, 20 minutes walk…

M: Nice! We’re going to be at Pure Groove tomorrow….

Yeah, that’s a funny place. It used to be a record shop and now it’s like a café…

M: Yeah, it has like 6 records on the wall…

D: It’s like Cake Shop in New York

M: But it’s cool over there…

Yeah, it’s a nice place. They get a lot of good bands doing instores…

M: Yeah! I heard that.

I wanted to ask you why you’re called The Antlers. Because… I don’t know why you’re called The Antlers!

P: I don’t think there’s… well, I didn’t want to be a singer/songwriter, I wanted to be in a band. I was like ‘I need a band name’, it could be 20 people, or 6 people… it turned out to be 3. I think, at the time I just really liked the word ‘Antlers’. There’s a song by the Microphones called Antlers, which contributed to it. It’s not a great story (laugh).

You could make one up!

P: I know!

M: Great. We all like to hunt and kill…

P: (laughs).

An Interview with Chris Garneau

Chris Garneau

While Chris was over here a couple of weeks ago in support of his latest record, El Radio, I had the pleasure of spending a little while talking to him. He makes really wonderful music and has a couple of brilliant records and an EP. You can hear some of his songs here. We sat down on the staircase in the back of the Luminaire and Chris asked me if he can fix his broken harmonium whilst we talk…

What happened to it?

They’re fragile enough anyway, and then the piano that we have with us actually tipped over on to it… it was closed, but… it’s not good!

Where did you get that?

My friend gave it to me, my last one broke. I mean… she kind of gave it to me, so I guess it’s mine. But I still feel bad… because it worked so well. It was the best harmonium I had ever used, and then, I dropped a piano on it.

How’s your day been?

Actually, it’s been really nice because we came into London last night from France, so we’ve just been on this block since last night, which is nice. I feel like usually when we come here it’s like, hustling. We get here late to soundcheck, all crazy. It’s nice to feel we’re here, we’re in England, we did the whole ferry thing, went through customs,  weren’t worried about all that stuff… so, it’s been a really relaxing day.

What did you have for dinner?

We ate at this Italian place and I had a risotto and a bit of cheeseburger. Which isn’t Italian, but they had a weird menu. How’s your day going today?

My day’s been pretty good.

You wrote that comic, right? I though… I was 99% sure it was you, but I wanted to make sure.

Haha, yeah. I’m nearly finished my whole book of comics.

Oh nice!

Yeah that’s what I did in the morning… I drew some comics, then I had my friend over and we watched The Birds. Lazy day!

(laughs)

So you have your new album. When is the release date over here?

It came out in France and Germany and Spain, and I think Belgium and Holland at the same time. I think September 15^th. But I don’t know if it’s going to come out in the UK. I really don’t know the answer to that question. It’s probably on the UK itunes, but I don’t know if it’s in stores, yet… or will be.

Is there a vinyl?

Yeah! We got vinyl made for the first time. It’s the first vinyl, it’s exciting! I’ve been asking for a long time (laughs), but you know, it’s hard. But it feels like it’s more important to a lot of people, more than it did ten years ago, so…. It’s nice to have.

Where did you record you album?

We recorded most of it north of Massachusetts, in New Hampshire. Kind of in the mountains, on a lake. Sort of like mountains, they were more like hills I guess. In a family home my dad’s family has owned for years, or something. We were there for a couple of months on two separate occasions, and that’s where the majority of things were made. And that’s where we had people come up to record on it, and then we finished stuff at home in New York.

Who did you have play on it?

The first few months we had myself and Saul Williams. He used to tour with me but now… our work relationship now is more of a recording one and not so much of a performance one. He produced the album with me and he recorded a lot of instrumentation, and he wrote a lot of the instruments with me. We had Meredith Godreau from Gregory and the Hawk, and our friend Jenny O. Then we had a drummer named Adam Christgau. Another guy, Kenny Warren played trumpet. Anna Callner and Eleanor played trumpet. We had string players, flute players…. Yeah! At the end of the day there were about 17 or 20 people who played on it, which was so exciting for me. All I’ve really done is just a few people working with me over the past few years.

Are most of the songs new songs, or are they all quite old? Because, when I saw you a few times last year you played Hands on the Radio and Leaving Song. And then Dirty Night Clowns, Fireflies, they’re all…

Yeah. We actually were recording this about… hmm, let me see. We started recording in 2007, it was about 6 months… no, I’m sorry, it was 2006. It was before Music For Tourists came out. We just finished mastering and then a month later we went up to New Hampshire to start recording. So, three of the songs are from 2006: Dirty Night Clowns, Fireflies… and something else that was older. The rest started being written around that summer, mid to late 2006. We took a few months off then finished in 2007. So they’re all written between late 2005 to late 2007.

Do you have a favourite track?

I really like, when everyone’s all together, No More Pirates. My favourite one to play live at the moment is the second to last track on the record, it’s a reprise of Pirates, though it’s not really a true reprise. It was just sort of a joke, actually. That’s been really fun to experiment with, because when we were tracking it, it was really a strange but unique, but fun, recording experience. We didn’t really know what the sound we wanted was, we started going crazy with the cello, overdubbing all these cello tracks… I never really knew how we would perform it live. But, we just ended up doing whatever we do, which is really fun. It mostly involves Anna playing really amazing cello. I guess the other song, Hands on the Radio, has been an important song to play. It’s very meaningful to the record, for me… it has a lot of significance.

I really liked when you covered Harvest here, almost exactly a year ago.

Oh did I play that here?

Yeah. Do you do any other covers? Obviously Between the Bars…

Right, yeah. I’ve been covering a couple of French songs. Francois Hardy, well not Francois Hardy, she was the more recent person to do it, the song [something in French I can’t understand], she was the first person I heard do it, but before that Jacques Brel recorded it in the 50s and maybe 25 people recorded it in the 20s and 30s. And this other one [more French], which means ‘the prettiest one to go dancing’. I recorded it this past winter for a French film, and then I started to play it live a little bit. So we’re doing those, which is fun.

[Chris starts banging the harmonium]

Oh I think I fixed it!

Yay!

I have a list of cover songs that I want to do, but I just haven’t gotten around to…

What’s on that list?

I really want to cover a Xiu Xiu song.. The Sad Pony Guerilla Girl. Do you know Frog Eyes?

Yeah! My friend Adam loves Frog Eyes.

Adam: Yeah!

Amazing right?

Adam: Bushels is one of my favourite songs of the decade.

Ok, yeah. For an Absolutely Kosher (because we share a label in the US) compilation. We did a cover of Policy Merchant. But I never did it live… we did these percussive things, that I really can’t take any credit for, that were so complex, at least for me, that we could never get it together live. I’d want to do some version of it live, even if it was just me and the piano because it’s such an amazing song. And also it’s just a strange dichotomy for someone like me to be covering Frog Eyes to begin with… it’s just, straight up, a little strange. I’d like to reach different crowds. An appreciation for music that sounds nothing a like…

What have you been listening to lately? You have a lot of talented friends: Gregory and the Hawk, Scary Mansion…

Yeah. I’m surrounded by so many great people. Otherwise, I’ve been listening to Sebastien Schuller…

I think he’s playing here on Monday.

I noticed he was playing here, I hoped to be in the same town. He’s touring extensively. I picked up a few records… Van Dyke Parks [tries to remember what it was called], I was reading about Joanna Newsom’s last full length…, and this record was one of her inspirations and that’s how she ended up getting Van Dyke Parks to do the string arrangements. And now I can’t remember what it’s called. If you Wikipedia Ys there’s some great information on there…

[plays harmonium]

Oh, that’s really loud. What else? The new Sunset Rubdown. Not that new, I’m a couple of months behind. I saw them in Paris a few nights ago, it was like back to the first time I saw them, a few years ago. They played New York to like three people. Literally three months ago they came back to New York and sold out Bowery Ballroom… 800 people. When we saw them in Paris it wasn’t 30 people, but it was less than a hundred. It was like back to the way it was. It was really good. I even cried a little bit! It was really nostalgic for me.

Do you catch much live music?

Not a small amount… but when I am home, I’m not really going to shows that much.

Take a break…

Yeah, definitely. I see a lot of bands when I’m tour, even if it’s not the night I’m playing. It’s fun to see bands not in New York.

How do the crowds differ?

Well, just like that show the other night, it’s small. And generally European crowds… there’s certainly differences. There’s more support through energy and love and not so much… pretence. There’s a lot of US crowds that are afraid to emote or be over supportive of something through fear they’ll get blasted by somebody, or somebody will shoot them down. But here, people like what they like… not so much walking on egg shells. There’s a lot of people looking to see what everyone thinks, you know? Here, if people like something… they just go to that.

Do you have hobbies outside of music? Do you like drawing or…?

I make little things. Just stupid things. I don’t really like to talk about them. I like to do a lot of visual stuff, I enjoy the whole getting dressed up kind of thing…

Theatre?

Well, more like… last year I did this party with my friend. It was supposed to be a play on when families get their kids to go to a makeover… making fun of that whole thing. We did it on Easter, so we had all these crazy Easter costumes and hair spray, blow dryers… we did these crazy photos. You know? Stuff like that. Whatever happens when it’s three o’clock in the morning… (laughs). They don’t just become things you throw away the next day, keep sakes. You feel like you’re making something profound. No, not profound in an intellect way… just profound… in fun. Just to make sure you keep yourself happy.

What have you got planned for the rest of the year?

Mostly be touring until the end of the year, until February. And then in March start working on the new record.

Already!

Yeah! Well, it’s time (laughs).

Have you got some songs already?

I have a few songs, and a few other ideas on what the album will be like. Someone who, if it ends up working out, will be producing the album and I’m really excited about… all these things. And we made a recording in Brazil…

Oh wow!

Yeah!

Did you play a few shows over there?

Yeah. I really love Rio. I kind of want to live down there, work on the record down there.

Do you have a bit of a following over there?

A little bit. In Sao Paulo. We play a show, and people will come. There’s a great promoter down there who we work with. It’s a tentative plan for now.

That’s really cool.

Yeah.

Okay…that’s all my questions.

Cool. Thanks!

And you got your harmonium working!

I think so! I hope so! We won’t really know until we’re playing in front of you guys. Thank you, thanks for reaching out.

Interview: The Antlers

The Antlers

Ages ago (I have taken terribly long transcribing it) I interviewed The Antlers before their show for The Line of Best Fit. I’ve finally finished writing it up and will post a link to the interview when it’s on TLOBF. In the meantime, at the end of the interview I asked them some questions completely unrelated to anything relevant. 

I have a completely unrelated question. Have you ever heard of Nando’s?

Michael: A band?

No. It’s a eatery. It’s my favourite place. I’m doing a weird survey, seeing who likes Nando’s… but you haven’t heard of it

M: I love Nando’s. If YOU like it, I like it.

Peter: Is it good?

It’s amazing.

M: What’s your favourite thing there?

Well, they just do chicken.

All: Oh!

M: Well I LOVE chicken!

You can get different spiciness levels.

P: So, spicy chicken…

It’s peri peri.

M: Can you get wings?

You can get wings. You can get whole chickens. You get loyalty cards… but apparently you get loads of loyalty cards in America though, we don’t get them much here…

M: Yeah, like buy one get one free…

P: People aren’t afraid to use them.

M: I’ll tell you something,  do get to New York ever?

I’ve been there, yeah…

M: In the East Village, on Saint Mark’s, we were introduced to a place, it’s a Korean barbeque place, and if you like chicken wings… soy garlic chicken wings, it’s crispy, it’s light, it’s perfect…

P: It’s not messy…

How is it not messy!?

P: I don’t know!

M: It’s magic! They cook it to perfection.

Darby: Yeah. We do have cards though, I went to a little coffee shop in New York, and they gave me a card and it was like ‘buy 20 coffees, and get… 1 free small coffee’. It was ridiculous.

M: Ohhhh. I can’t believe that! Print that!

I was speaking to Alela Diane yesterday on the phone and she was saying that everything in Europe is so small compared to America.

M: Like, driving distance?

No, just food wise…

M: Oh! I didn’t notice that…

She said if you want a tea you get a little cup and in America you get like a jug…

P: It’s all about super sizing things.

M: That’s true, that’s why everyone’s so fat.

D: Well, not in New York…

M: Yeah, if you go to the Midwest…

P: But yeah, I think you can get pretty enormous coffees in America. But I haven’t found stuff in London to be that small.

M: Yeah. Can I ask you something, completely unrelated?

Yeah.

M: Your Twitter. Eye hands! Reminds me of…

Pans Labyrinth.

M: Is that where you got the idea?

No… well, I started the year and I was going to take a photo every day of the year…

M: Are you still doing that?

No, I gave up!

All: (laughs)

M: But yeah, when I see that… it makes me happy.

I love The Antlers and can’t wait for them to be back. Listen up!

Interview: Alela Diane

I got to speak to this nice lady on the telephone.

Excerpt:

Me: I love ice cream. It’s sad that’s it the end of ice cream season.

Alela: Oh no! (Laughs) it’s true. Food is a major issue on tour.

Full interview on For Folk’s Sake. Tasty photograph is by Alissa Anderson.

Alela Diane interview

Hurrah, I finished transcribing my Alela Diane interview for For Folk’s Sake. My favourite part is this:

Alela: Yes! There is. There are two things in particular that I miss. One of them is Mexican food.

Me: Mexican food?

Alela: We eat so much Mexican food here! You know, ‘cos Mexico is close to California. And I grew up in California… so I was always eating beans and rice…

Me: We have Mexican food here! Oh, hey! Have you ever been to Nando’s?

Alela: I have not. Is it in London?

Me: Yeah! It’s all over Britain. It’s a Portuguese place, and they do different types of chicken! It’s really delicious…

Alela: I have not tried it. BUT! Portuguese food is not Mexican food either!

Me: Well, it’s Spanish…

Alela: It’s not the same! (Laughs) It’s totally different!

I will post a link to the full interview when it’s on For Folk’s Sake. Also, I think that photo of Alela + cat is brilliant, and in future everyone that I may be inclined to like should submit a photo like this to me.

Interview: Family of the Year (Part Three)

Here we are! Part three of an interview with the lovely Family of the Year. You can sign up to their mailing list here, if you fancy. Free MP3s will be sent out, and if you sign up now you can get Summer Girl. Click the links for Part One and Part Two of the interview, and pay a visit to their Myspace.

Christina:  The weirdest thing is that these big people are taking notice of us.

Vanessa:  I’m trying to coax her into putting a modest spin on impressive things. She feels embarrassed, which is only natural.

Christina:  And we’re really just excited about everything… it’s kind of unreal and hard to beleive since we’ve all only been playing together for such a short amount of time, and to have all these really great things come out way…

Me:  Exciting times.

Christina:  We’re playing CMJ which is a big music/film festival in New York.

Me:  Oh wow, I wanted to go to that this year.

Vanessa:  We have a couple major labels that are licking their chops, but really we kinda wanna take things into our own hands.

Christina: And we’re selling cars and packing bags and coming up with creative ways to make money… bake sales maybe

Vanessa:  Love bake sales.

Me: And you have your EP out this coming September…

Vanessa:  It’s nuts cause we all have these different trades that we’ve worked hard at and become comfortable at. And this thing just sort of happened. and came along. And people are taking notice. It’s really exciting. Yes!

Christina:  Yeah, our EP is coming out Sept 22… we have this great manager who has given us deadlines and lots of ambitions and things, and she really beleives in us and it’s really encouraging… alot of our focus is doing everything ourselves and we hope to keep it that way… so like, we’re hoping that the donations from our EP will help fund the release of our full length… and every other expense that comes our way.

Me:  What’s the local music scene like where you are? I noticed you have Whispertown and Michael Runion as your top friends. I like them both alot…

Vanessa:  Awesome. Yeah it’s cool because everyone sort of helps each other and inspires each other. It’s sort of a tight knit group where everyone sort of helps each other out and stuff.

Me:  Was that a bit intimidating when you first started?

Christina:  What she means is that Silverlake is very communal… I always find that other bands are so supportive. It wasn’t that it was intimidating, it was  inspiring to be around artists like us who were succeeding.

Me: Are you nervous about the prospect of all these future shows? And touring?

Christina:  Yes, of course we are nervous! The thought of touring sounds like a dream come true, but yeah, of course we’re nervous too… I mean, I am.

Vanessa:  totally. to be with your best friends and have someone else pay, even a little for you to do it, and meet people from all sorts of hometowns, way too good to be true.

Christina:  I just couldn’t imagine anything better than getting paid to see the world with my best friends. I mean, at least hoping to pay my bills.

Vanessa:  I love being on stage in genera though.

Me:  I want to see you live! I bet your show would be super fun

Christina:  Vanessa is AN AMAZING front woman. She really is, and she’s my best friend and I love her either way, I mean, except in interviews, but she really is amazing live

Vanessa:  You even caps locks for me your awesome. 

Christina:  And Seb and Joe and Jamesy.  Brent has yet to play live with us, but he’s sure impressive in practice.

Vanessa:  The reason we’re called Family Of The Year is because we want not only everyone to be in that sort of thing, but also know that they can do it to. I don’t want to say its all about the fans, cause that retarded, but really it’s more about like… play music, have fun…

Me:  That’s sweet.

Vanessa:  Does that make sense?

Me:  Yes. There’s a band here in London, who I love alot, called Alessi’s Ark… which has the same sentiment. She added the Ark on the end of her name because she wanted it to seem inclusive.

Vanessa:  We’ll check them out for sure. Totally.

Christina:  Yeah Seb and Joe and Jamesy are like seasoned musicians and Vanessa and I, and Brent, are pretty … not new, but drawing from old experiences.

Vanessa:  When we origanally started, Joe and I wanted it to be a revolving door of sorts and just play with everyone we know and love.

Christina: It’s more about just hanging out with best friends, I think. Because if we werent playing music, I’d still be with these humans.

Part four soon (!). 

Interview: Family of the Year (Part Two)

Here is part two of an interview with the sweet Family of the Year. Listen to their songs! Part one is here…

Me: Where is your practice space?

Christina: In this lovely little town called Rosemead… well, it’s not lovely, its more like dangerous. Our space is in this warehouse called Grandma’s basement. It’s our friend Willy Mason’s place that we utilize while he’s off impressing the rest of the world.

Me: Oh wow. Are you all from Silverlake?

Vanessa: Something like that, we got robbed. Well tied up, and robbed in Hollywood recently and then moved back to the East. Half of us are in Happy Valley, half are in Silverlake and the other one, the bougie one is in Beverly Hills. We appeal to all types.

Me: Diplomatic.

Vanessa: …I love offending everyone. But I love British people. Honest to God. Best humor ever.

Me:  Are you going to come play here then?

Christina:  OK, Vanessa is no longer allowed to be a spokesperson. Hahahahah.

Vanessa:  Love you.

Christina: We would love to, and we hope to come to the UK at some point… our “goals” consist of a European tour within the year, but we still have a lot of work to do. we’re a new band still

Vanessa: Brent’s snorting. He’s the bass player. Brent’s snorting whilst laughing, I mean.

Christina: Like a pig, she means.

Me: Oh dear.

Christina: Yeah, seriously.

Me: When did you first get together playing music?

Vanessa:  Well, Seb and Joe were born from the same womb. So they started at like ten I feel. Well Joe was 13 I guess.

Christina: Seriously, I don’t want Vanessa answering any questions anymore, she’s sooo embarrassing.

Me: Get her some tea and biscuits to calm her down.

Christina: She needs a McGriddle. Poor girl.

Vanessa: And they had all these songs that were super aggressive. But they were on tour with Juliana Hatfield for a while and soundtracked for Stuck On You and that sort of thing. But anyway. That aside. Jamesy, the guitar player has played with them before as well. About 4 years ago. And then I came around and screwed everything up. About a year ago. and then shrodes came into play like 4 months ago. Brent’s been about two weeks. But it’s awesome. We all love each other. And are impressed by everyone.

Me: Have you played many shows?

Christina: Well we’ve only played a couple shows… and by a couple, we only count one… the other two we were either a) way too drunk at a warehouse party or b) playing me and Vanessa’s dads’ birthday party. But!

Vanessa: Say something impressive to follow that up please.

Christina: We’re secretly impressive.

Me: That’s the best way to be.

Part three soon!

Interview: Family of the Year (Part One)

As explained in this post here, here is part one of a loooong interview with the lovely Family of the Year. Listen to their sweet songs! In this part conversation mostly centers around food…

Vanessa: Does this work I wonder?

Me: Migration to Gmail!

Christina: Yayyyy

Vanessa: Pumping my fist in the air obviously

Me: Hurray! So how are you all?

Christina: Aside from hanging out with Vanessa, I’m great!

Vanessa: So good, we’re learning new songs and things. Thanks for waking up so early for us!

Christina: Yes thank you, that was very nice

Me: No worries! Have you all had your dinner? It’s nearly time for my breakfast, woop!

Christina: I had chef boyardee microwaveable spaghetti. Totally classy.

Vanessa: Do you guys have Jack In The Box over there? Across the pond, I mean? I had chicken strips.

Me: Jack In The Box? No.

Christina: It’s weird because me and Vanessa are typing and giggling at the same time and sitting next to each other

Vanessa: You should look into french toast sticks.

Me: Is it like KFC?

Vanessa: I looooove you!

Christina: We have a lot to impress you with here in the States.

Vanessa: Best french fries known to man! Or woman. I’m a feminist.

Christina: Mostly fast food, not talent.

Me: What’s your best fast food place?

Vanessa: I already love you for asking about fast food.

Christina: Jack in the Box is amazing. Sourdough Jacks are really imperative to our being. But Whoppers are also fab, from Burger King. We all got really quiet for that question because it was so important to us.

Vanessa: Chick filet. even though its a rare occurrence. Jack in the Box has the most variety. They’ve got like an Asian type, a Mexican, it’s like a small world afterall at Jack in the Box. Whoppers are overrated. What’s yours?

Me: Well… there’s this place I really love called Nando’s. They serve chicken. Like, all different types of chicken.

Vanessa: Please show me to Nando’s directly when I come there.

Me: It’s amazing.

Christina: Oh, I hear scotch eggs are really amazing by the way, and probably my #1 reason for wanting to visit the UK.

Me: Scotch eggs are ok.

Vanessa: I feel like the boys should answer this since they’re half Welsh. Half of the boys are half Welsh.

Christina: What! ok! An egg with meat surrounding it and deep fried!

Vanessa: Our band is a quarter Welsh. Or 1 /16 for that matter. Have you heard of Roscoes?

Me: No. It sounds like a biscuit. But we have different meanings for the word ‘biscuit’. Apparently.

Vanessa: It’s like soul food central station. Fried chicken and waffles and syrup on one platter.

Me: Sounds tasty.

Christina: We’re probably the worst humans to represent America at this moment. And usually it’s like, the President or us.

Vanessa: Or the worst humans to represent humans more like. Anyway, that aside…

Christina: True. We’re ready for real questions.

Vanessa: Get it together, Shrodes.

Part two here.

Interview: Forest Fire

Forest Fire

photo by Victoria Jacob

Forest Fire are a wonderful band based in Brooklyn, led by Mark Thresher. They recently played a couple of London shows and have had their record, Survival, released over here by the Broken Sound Music label. It’s a brilliant record and you can pick it up at Rough Trade. I really recommend catching them when they’re next over here, and you can listen to their songs here. Mark answered a few little questions:

A ‘challenge’! Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your band?

Nope. ):

I love Survival. Are you happy with the way it turned out? Favourite parts of the record?

Thanks for listening to the record! I am happy with it. My favorite track is I Make Windows. I’d have to go with Nathan’s guitar solo in the same song, as my favorite part..

You were playing some (wonderful!) new songs when I saw you live, how many new ones have you got and is the next album on the way?

We have a lot of new ones. Plenty of work to be done.

How would you like the next album to sound in relation to Survival?

I’m hoping the next record comes across as a more direct thought.

How long have you been writing music? What was your first instrument and where did you get it?

I was 13. My uncle gave me a guitar. I wrote my first song later that day.

Can you tell us about Scareplane?

I’m not allowed to talk about it yet, thank you so much for asking, and please stay tuned.

http://www.myspace.com/scareplanex

Brooklyn is so rich with alot of truly brilliant bands that I love hugely -Scary Mansion, Sharon Van Etten, She Keeps Bees, The Antlers etc etc, who are your favourite local bands and do you have any other recommendations?

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers.

What’s your favourite place to play and why?

France, beautiful people.

How was your trip to London? Did you get to see any of the city at all? And how was La Route Du Rock?

London was amazing, saw a lot. I love that market. France even more amazing. La Route Du Rock was a blast. It was my first time in Europe and I can’t wait to go back in the fall.

Do you ever read your own reviews? Why or why not?

I do sometimes, it’s usually a drag. It’s nice that people are writing about us, but reviews just sound like a bunch of people agreeing to me. I welcome all perspectives, but I rarely feel like I’m getting as many as I want to hear.

Do you ever do any covers?

I don’t like doing covers that much.  We did this one Bob Marley song “Chances Are.”

What are your hopes for the rest of 2009?

Get back to Europe!

Here is a video of the band playing Slow Motion:

Listen to the songs!

Family of the Year Interview

On this past Saturday morning I sat down (via the wonders of the internet) and had a chat with the lovely Family of the Year. We covered all relevant topics from Nando’s to Mary Poppins, and a little bit about the music too. Because the interview is so long, I’ve decided to break it up and post it in handy, easily digestible, bite size parts.  The interview is via Gmail with Vanessa and Christina, but the whole band was present at their practice space. We did the interview at 1 am their time and 9 am GMT.

They’re a charming band and you can listen to their sweet songs here. I especially love Let’s Go Down. Go go go! Part one soon.