Rebecca Smith – Vinyl Mag

Shaky Knees 2018: Frankie Rose x Vinyl Mag

Posted on June 4, 2018June 4, 2018 by Rebecca Smith

It’s widely believed that keeping something wild in captivity will only cause it to wither. Frankie Rose might be the exception that rule.

A veteran songwriter who forged her rightful place in indie rock history with bands like Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts and Vivian Girls, she now enjoys the artistic freedom that comes along with making music under her name alone. But despite having created no less than three full length albums on her own, Rose’s triumph over her own isolation is what’s fueling her most recent work.

After surviving personal difficulties that caused her to take a hiatus from music altogether, she was able to crawl her way back through the slow and deliberate reconstruction of her creativity. She set about creating something new from the closet of her cramped L.A. apartment, an endeavor she refers to as an “act of faith.” With careful reflection and a little help from the late paranormal radio host Art Bell, she was able to turn feelings of claustrophobia and insomnia into the inspiration for her latest record. Aptly named Cage Tropical, the album chronicles confinement in California to her journey home, both literally and artistically.

Rose is proudly back in her element these days, feeling inspired from touring and writing new music from her true home in Brooklyn. We caught up with her at Shaky Knees Music Festival to talk about homecomings, new beginning and breaking out of the cage.

Vinyl Mag: I know you’ve only just arrived to Shaky Knees, but is there anyone you’re excited to see?

Frankie Rose: I would love to have been here on Friday. Friday would have been the night for me because of Franz Ferdinand. I got to tour with them, and they’re my favorite people in the world. If I could have one job, it would be opening for Franz Ferdinand for the rest of my life.

VM: There are some constant themes in Cage Tropical about feeling trapped, running away and coming home. Was that your original concept for the album from the start?

FR: I started the album in LA, and I was feeling very trapped and claustrophobic there. When you start an album you can’t really see the end of the line; it’s just an act of faith. That’s how it started in my apartment in LA. I turned my closet into a vocal booth and was just acting on faith. I didn’t want to be in LA at all; I just wanted to be back in New York. I ended up finishing the album in New York, so it was kind of this journey back to my home. I feel like I had to go through a lot to realize what a home Brooklyn is for me.

VM:I think your story really resonates with most people. Sometimes you have to put dreams on pause because life happens. What advice would you give someone trying to step back into the music world after a hiatus?

FR: My mother says, “everyone gets a tumble in the dryer.” It can happen to anyone, I don’t care how rich you are or how poor you are. Life is hard and bad things happen sometimes. I really did have to step away from music for a while and I didn’t know if I was going to return it or not. Slowly, I tried to feed my creative side with other things like going to art museums or nature hikes. Just anything to sort of stimulate that part of yourself that encourages you want to make art. And I think as long as that’s your main motivation, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. For me it’s music, and that’s what I’ve come to learn through that experience. I just want to make music regardless of what the outcome will be.

VM: How has the song writing process changed for you over the years from being in groups to going solo?

FR: I like it better, but I still collaborate. I can do it all myself, but I do love having someone to bounce ideas off of. It’s totally different from being in a band. When you’re in a band, you’re married and constantly making compromises. So the fact that I don’t have to do that is quite nice. It can also be bittersweet, because at the end of the day you are solely responsible for what you put out. It’s my name on that product. Actually, I think that’s my only regret, that I didn’t come up with some awesome pseudonym.

VM: We heard that science fiction was a big influence on this record?

FR: When I was making Cage Tropical, I became a bit of an insomniac, so I started listening to a lot of Art Bell at night to go to sleep. It just sort of subconsciously started to influence the album.

VM: What are your plans after tour?

FR: I’m writing a new album. Every record is like a time capsule for me. I just want to write a record where every song could be a single. I’m striving for perfection right now, and I feel inspired, which is great! Often times after tour that’s not the case, but it really is right now.

SXSW 2015 with Fictionist

Posted on April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

It’s no secret the music industry can be a fire-breathing beast; if you’re not careful, you could get burned. Fictionist of Provo, Utah is doing their best to make sure that doesn’t happen. After getting dropped from Atlantic Records last year, the band that consists of Stuart Maxfield (lead vocals, guitar) Robbie Connolly (lead vocals, bass), Brandon Kitterman (guitar, bass), and Aaron Anderson (drums) decided to release the self-titled album Fictionist. We caught up with them at SXSW 2015 for an impromptu interview about their journey and starting from scratch.

In 2010, Fictionist embarked on a journey that most musicians dream of by competing in Rolling Stone Magazines Do You Want To Be a Rock & Roll Star? contest and then soon after signing with Atlantic Records. But despite having all the ingredients to make an amazing record – including Grammy award winning producer Ron Aneillo, the historic Hollywood recording studio Sunset Sound Recorders, and even having one of Elvis’ guitars at their disposal – the boys of Fictionist chose not to release the album they recorded under Atlantic.

Stuart Maxfield explained, “It represents the challenging part of our lives, the timing wasn’t great for us. We made a record that neither Atlantic nor us loved, and it just really didn’t make sense to go forward at that point. It’s an album that the world will never hear. It’s a lot of work; it took a lot of time. It’s a bummer, but it’s okay, we’re glad, because it wasn’t the right record to release. Everything has to be right.”

Having been a band for six years but devoting a good chunk of that time recording and playing songs they weren’t passionate about, Fictionist is making the most of their independence. “The silver lining was that, after we got dropped, we were able to artistically do what we wanted to do, which was huge and good for the camaraderie of the band. That’s the breath of fresh air that created the Fictionist self-titled record,” Maxfield said.

On top of creating an independent record and touring with other Provo bands like Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees, the band has also shifted some of the lead vocals from Maxfield to Robbie Connolly, who coincidentally is Maxfield’s brother in-law. Connolly said, “We met at high school in Salt Lake City. I joined this project as a guitarist, but I kept writing songs and singing, so we got to a certain point where we were using some of those. At first, it was an experiment, but it worked out.”

Thrilled to be at South by Southwest for the first time in four years, Fictionist has been traveling non-stop since the album dropped last October. Aaron Anderson said, “We’ve been touring with Mates of State. Ever since the album came out, we’ve been to a lot of the bigger cities. We’re in the process of lining up some opening slots for the summer, but we can’t mention those yet!”

Fictionist has recently announced an east coast tour in August with COIN and Neon Trees (dates below).

Jun 18 Front Conference Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 25 Utah Arts Festival Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 27 Daybreak Music Festival South Jordan, UT
Jul 09 Revolution w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jul 10 The Beacham w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Orlando, FL
Jul 11 State Theater w/ Neon Trees, COIN   St Petersburg, FL
Jul 13 Center Stage w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Atlanta, GA
Jul 14 The Cannery Ballroom w/ Neon Trees   Nashville, TN
Jul 16 Newport Music Hall w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Columbus, OH
Jul 17 House of Blues w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Cleveland, OH
Jul 18 Rams Head Live w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Baltimore, MD
Jul 20 9:30 Club w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Washington, DC
Jul 21 The TLA w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Philadelphia, PA
Jul 22 Irving Plaza w/ Neon Trees, COIN   New York, NY
Jul 25 College Street Music Hall w/ Neon Trees, COIN   New Haven, CT
Jul 26 Paradise Rock Club w/ Neon Trees, COIN   Boston, MA

SXSW 2015: Geographer x Vinyl Mag

Posted on April 3, 2015April 6, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

@vinylmag Instagram: Mike Deni from @geographermusic took a few minutes to chat with us about ghost-modernism! #vinylmagsxsw #culturecolide #hardrock

In a noticeable evolution, Geographer’s new album Ghost Modern tells a story about what to do once you’ve realized life is meaningless – with melodies that range from delicate to danceable. We caught up with lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Deni, after his show on the last day of South by Southwest to talk about the new album, transitioning band members and the process of finding a new sound.

VM: What’s the story behind the name and theme of Ghost Modern?

Mike Deni: I was talking to my friend about Post-modernism, because I’m always trying to figure out exactly what it means. He went to a really good school – I mean, I went to a pretty good school, but he always helps me with the intellectual stuff. So he was explaining to me what post-modern really means, and I was like, “it sounds like this is ghost-modernism.” That was the first time I really said it, and then it kind of took on the meaning of when something is so post-modern that you erase all meaning from it.

It’s really deconstructionist – like if you think about something so much that you tear down its illusions so there’s nothing left. If you root through all those things then you find the core or the nucleus is nothing. That’s where I was at and it wasn’t doing me any favors to feel that way.

I had this other friend who was like, “I know you’re really into thinking life is meaningless and there’s no purpose, but I would challenge you to see where you can take that, because you don’t want to live your life just wasting your time until you die. You think you’re this dark person, but you’re a really light person who has positivity and drive.” So that’s really the thematic of the album – life is meaningless, but we’re not going to just sit here and sulk. What are we going to do? It’s not hedonism. It’s not, “let’s go out and party and do drugs and fuck.” It’s, “let’s find something other than meaning that’s also deep.”

VM: Why did you choose “I’m Ready” as the first single?

MD: I think that was the last one that I wrote for the album, and it came real quick, which is exactly what happened with “Kites,” our other biggest song. So when that happened with “I’m Ready,” I thought it was a really good sign. Then I finished the songs, and I finished the demo, and I realized this was my favorite song that I’ve written for this record, and I was just crossing my fingers that my manager felt the same way. And he did!

I had a different song up for the lead single, which isn’t even on the record anymore. The song was so cool, but I think he could see that we weren’t going to be able to pull it off, and I couldn’t finish it correctly – it was weird. So then “I’m Ready” was a no-brainer for the lead single. It’s so rare to have a label that’s on the same page as you, but they were like, “so lead single’s ‘I’m Ready’ right?” I was cringing for what they would say. I thought they would pick “You Say You Love Me” because it’s a little more of a dance song.

VM: Can you tell a little bit about your songwriting process for this album?

MD: I write like piecemeal – I’ll be walking around, and I’ll hear a melody in my head or a lyrical phrase, usually for a chorus, and I’ll just record it into my phone. So then I have this enormous list of recordings, and I’ll just chip away at those. If I have some down time, I’ll actually sit down with an instrument and flesh it out, and then it kind of builds from there. Sometimes I have time, if I’m at home and we’re not touring, where I can just write for five or six hours a day.

On this one I really wanted to finish the songs before I made the demos, because I think I got a little wrapped up in sound effects on the last album. The music I was listening to in between them where just real singer/songwriters like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and Jackson Browne. So that was the stuff I was really feeling a deep connection to – not that any of it sounds like that, but I think the ethos is the same.

VM: Why is it important to you for your albums to tell a story?

MD: I think it’s because I wanted to be a novelist. That’s the artistic medium that I respect the most. I mean, painting is the most artistic medium. If you think “artist,” you see a picture of painter. But a novelist can create an entire different life. When you’re reading, you’re in another world. That’s the greatest way to escape, much more so than even a movie, because you’re using your own mind to do the escaping- an active escape. I’m a failure as a novelist, but I do try to write like that.

I think it can be a problem, because in the beginning my songs were really overly complicated. That same friend who gave me that great advice about Ghost Modern said, “make each song about one thing.” He actually is a novelist named Nat Silverson. It was really hard for me to do that, but the first song I tried to do it was, “Patience.” That song started out so complicated – it was about aphorisms and how stupid they are, and then I was like, “Mike, this song is about patience.” So I made the song about patience, and it was so hard for me to do, but I did it and I’m deeply proud of it for that reason.

VM: You guys have really taken your sound to the next level; what was the most difficult part of that process?

MD: The big difference for me was the string arrangements on the album. I always felt afraid to try and do that, because I don’t have any training with that. I’ve been taking music lessons since I was little, but nobody ever taught me how to arrange music. I know people who do that, and at first I was thinking, “alright, I’ll just get them to do it.” But I also knew I need to control the output, because when you put it out there someone’s going to put different make-up on it – they’ll dress it up in a way you don’t like, so I just decided to try it.

I sat down at my keyboard, and I downloaded this application that has really realistic sounding strings. I wrote these really weird string lines where, when I brought them to the string players they were like, “are you sure?” So I think that’s a big difference people will hear at first. Also, I’ve calmed down a whole lot. I feel comfortable in myself, and I’m trying to make my music less and less. I think space is very beautiful, and I think a lot of my earlier music was really cluttered just because that’s how I’ve always recorded music since I was like 13 – just layering stuff and layering stuff. By the end you have this enormous Dagwood sandwich that you can’t tell one taste from the other.

VM: Geographer recently underwent some changes; can you talk about that?

MD: The other guys toured with me and recorded with me but didn’t want to tour anymore for different reasons – but they were good reasons. So they did record with me, but shortly after recording the record, our drummer left the band, and after a few tours the cellist left the band. So we sat on the record for like a year. I found these guys after six months of auditions. I needed amazing musicians, but I wanted really good people. When you’re on the road, you might play music together for 30 minutes, but you live together, you’re a family, you eat together, you sleep together, so I need to love these people.

VM: How many times have you been to SXSW?

MD: Four times. The first time, we only played one show, and that was fun. We were like, “we love South by!” The next time we played nine shows and it was like, “ehhhh.” Then the next time we went, we played seven, and I had a broken ankle. I was sitting on a stool playing dance music, because I got hit by a car three weeks before.

VM: How many shows are you playing this year?

MD: Six. It’s perfect I think. Right now, I’m ready to go.

VM: What are your favorite acts you’ve seen thus far?

MD: I didn’t see anyone. I wanted to check out Tobias Jesso Jr. because I’m a song guy, and I like that he’s a song guy. I feel like he’s trying to do the same stuff as I am but in a completely different way.

VM: Are you food truck or BBQ Joint people?

MD: BBQ. I love the sit down. That’s my favorite meal on the road. Driving through Memphis or Austin – and we’re not going to get any this time around. We have to leave, but we’re going to be back here in May.

VM: What’s next for you guys?

MD: Mohawk in May. We’re finishing this tour, going up to Denver, then cutting across the country and going down the west coast. Then we have to learn the rest of the new songs and videos, photo shoots, that kind of stuff. Then we’re going out again in May to hit the rest of the country that we didn’t hit this time.

You can catch Geographer live at The Earl on May 26, 2015.

SXSW 2015: Fatherson x Vinyl Mag

Posted on April 2, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

For those in the know, Fatherson coming to America is big deal. Though well-loved and celebrated in their home of Glascow, Scotland, the three-piece has been making waves in the states with their single “I Like Not Knowing.” We got together with Ross Leighton, Marc Strain, and Greg Walkinshaw during South by Southwest with some brews to get the scoop on Fatherson’s new album I Am an Island and their experiences in the U.S. thus far.

Vinyl Mag: Where did the name “Fatherson” come from, and when did you guys change it from “Energy!”?

Ross Leighton: Yeah, we were called “Energy!” before and something else before that. We changed it to “Fatherson” maybe three years ago. It just kind of happened; we knew we wanted to change the name, but didn’t really know what to name it.

VM: Can you tell us about the writing process and overall theme of I Am an Island?

RL: I Am an Island was slowly turned into a concept album by accident. I think the title kind of set the pace for the whole thing. What I liked about it was we managed to fit the theme into a couple of songs, so it kind of just happened. The title of the album is a metaphor. Everything is going really well, but you really know what’s going on, so you’re like on an island amongst a ton of other islands with all your friends all the time.

VM: Did all three of you collaborate on the album, or was it mainly you writing the lyrics?

RL: I wrote all the lyrics. A lot of the time it just comes… but it changes. We don’t have a set process. It’s nice.

VM: What would you say the biggest difference is between playing in the US as opposed to the UK, trying to get people to understand what you’re doing?

Marc Strain: It’s hard to tell, because in New York peopled traveled really far to come see us, and we’ve had a great time. I kind of feel like the crowds are pretty similar. People come out and get involved. Our music has rock aspect to it. People jump about, and we have a good time. We also have the quiet, softer albums as well where we can have just as good of a show.

Greg Walkinshaw: It just works with a good cross section of people. I think if people can feel it and get into it, then they’ll be cool for the rest of it. That seems to be how it’s gone so far.

VM: You’ve been really well received in the states, which I’m sure feels great, but does it even compare to the incredible response you’ve received in Scotland. I mean, you did sell out your last show in Glasgow?

MS: We’re so close to the stuff that happens in the UK and Scotland, so it’s a lot of hard work. I guess the States are so far away, and for people to come and see us is a really amazing experience. Some people know all about us, and some of them drove three and half hours to come and see us at our New York show, and we didn’t even know they knew who we were. It’s our first time here, and they know all about us.

RL: The show was in New York, and people came from Philadelphia and Boston. We were like, “what happened here? We’ve never been here before, and you’ve taken that time our of your life to come and see us, first of all, and sing your heart out.” It’s awe-inspiring. It’s crazy.

MS: It’s really rewarding. Scotland and the UK have always been really special to us, but this has been really, really cool as well, in a lot of completely different ways.

VM: On that same note, how is playing with bands that are so established in Scotland?

RL: It’s weird when you start seeing your name pop us in lists of Scottish bands. To even be thought of is kind of crazy.

MS: You start to meet all of these guys as well, and you’re so ready for them not to be that nice, but everyone’s been lovely so far.

VM: Why do you guys play the music from movie credits at the end of your shows? How did that come about, and what movies do you typically play?

GW: It just happened one night by accident. Someone was playing John Williams; I think it was E. T. after the show one night. Since then, after every show we do it. Nine times out of 10 everyone will know it, and it’ll give them a wee smile. It’s just about making the experience.

MS: It’s a lot of fun; we like it. You walk out and think it was pretty funny.

RL: We’ve done Top Gun, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Sweeney Todd; anything we fancy. Mission Impossible, that’s a good one.

VM: Is this your first time at SXSW?

RL: Yes. This is our first proper time in the States.

GW: We had a show in New York a couple days after we came here.

VM: What’s your first impression?

MS: It’s very hot. New York was pretty normal, but this has been crazy hot.

VM: You just need another beer. I think our countries like to drink, so we should get along for that if nothing else. How many shows are you guys playing here?

RL: We’ve done two so far, five all together. We have one this afternoon.

VM: How does it feel to be listed by so many sources as one of the top bands at SXSW?

MS: It’s cool. It’s obviously a big thing, coming over. We’ve always toyed with it for a few years. We just wanted to come over to show we’re not lost in the sea of all the other bands. We weren’t expecting that.

VM: Is there anyone in particular you guys are excited to see play?

MS: Basically the amount of music condensed down to two streets is amazing.

GW: There are a couple of bands. I really want to see Twin Shadow. We have a showcase tomorrow, but I really want to catch it.

RL: I want to see a band called More Than Conquerors; they’re really good friends of ours from the UK. And I want to go see Future Islands in person.

VM: Do you guys see yourselves more as “BBQ joint” people or “food truck” people?

RL: We had breakfast at a food truck place around the corner.

MS: That was amazing. I don’t know what’s breakfast about brisket, and cheese, and potatoes. That’s not breakfast in Scotland, not even close.

RL: I don’t think we’ve tried enough stuff yet to make that comment yet.

MS: We’ll get back to you on that one.

SXSW 2015: Twin Peaks x Vinyl Mag

Posted on April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

“We were wingin’ it the whole time. We’re still wingin’ it, and it’s going great.”

When the founding members of Twin Peaks decided to drop out of college and pursue music fulltime, they really were just “wingin’ it.” A philosophy that has worked out so well for the group, they’ve decided to live their lives by it.

We caught up with front man Cadien James at South by Southwest and found out quickly that sometimes, the best strategy is not having one at all.

Vinyl Mag: You guys recorded Sunken pretty quickly in order to make money on tour. Did you feel you had a little more leeway with Wild Onion?

Cadien James: Yeah, we were able to take our time with it. I started playing with Taylor here and there. He wasn’t around for the first album. We were able to experiment with having some buddies of ours help us work on the album that knew how to engineer. Taylor plays, but it’s buried in the tracks, but we had him play on a couple things, and now he’s playing live with us.

VM: Your videos for “I Found a New Way” and “Flavor” feel really summertime oriented, and they make you feel really young and youthful. Would you say that’s basically what Wild Onion is about?

CJ: We’re not a band who often thinks about what we’re going for. I think it naturally comes out with a natural process. My thing is, if we were to have a biography about us one day, or an autobiography if I do it, it’s going to be called “Wingin’ It,” because we’re always winging it. I guess we have a summer vibe. If that’s what you take out of it, that’s wonderful. No, the album is a little sad boy sometimes, because I’m just singing about a babe, but it’s still summertime vibes.

VM: Can you tell us about your decision to pursue music full time?

CJ: We all loved playing together. We were trying to play a lot more house shows when we were finishing high school. We booked this DIY tour before we went to college, so we went to all of these house shows across the west coast and the states. We were all in school and all thought that would be much cooler, so we dropped out – wingin’ it. We were wingin’ it the whole time. We’re still wingin’ it, and it’s going great. I guess a lot of people can wing it, and it ends up really bad, but we’ve been lucky in the sense that we all have a similar mindset with it, and we wing it together. We know what to say yes to and what to say no to.

VM: I know you guys are BFF’s, but what’s the most obnoxious thing about touring all the time with each other?

CJ: Oh, just that I’ve slept with all the dudes from the band more than I’ve slept with ladies at all in my life. A lot of the smells; the smells are bad.

VM: Can you tell us about your decision to release the demos album, Mind Frame, for free?

CJ: When we were thinking about doing the demos – I love Wild Onion, but I was sick of listening to it. I’m very happy with it, but there are things about it that I think could be better, and that’s why we always keep making more music. But I was also going back through the demos thinking, “these have some magic to them.” There was a nice characteristic to them. Some people might get something out of it, and I’d like them to hear it. I want to give them a gift. You see a lot of musicians who put out their albums before they’re for sale, like Chance The Rapper – he’s one of the most successful rappers coming out in the last couple years, a real success story, and he’s never sold any of his music. He has two great albums out. It’s a lot harder being a rock band to do that and sustain yourself, because there’s less money in being a rock band right now. You have more people involved, and the money is more spread out, and there’s less of it. It’s a little harder to put your music out for free as a rock band. Maybe I’m doing it wrong; I could learn some things. Anyone out there [reading] this, let me know.

VM: Some people have called your music ahead of its time – maybe even a bit ambitious; do you agree or disagree?

CJ: I feel like it’s behind its time almost. We play old school rock ‘n’ roll. Like I said, we never worry or think about those things too much. We have three different songwriters. We all write different kinds of music, but when we get together and play it, it works, and we’re all fans of each other’s stuff. We don’t worry about trying to have a super-cohesive sound necessarily; we just try to make a good album, a good piece of art we can celebrate live. It’s totally different live, because we have all sorts of things on record that we can’t think about doing live.

VM: Do you guys get sick of people talking about your age, or do you see it as a compliment?

CJ: We’re very lucky. There aren’t a lot of bands that are young, our age, right now that I’m a big fan of. There are a lot of great bands in Chicago right now that are doing stuff. In general, I’m not missing a lot of bands that 19 or 20-year-olds. I guess I am proud of that.

VM: We’ve seen your name all over Austin and feel like you guys might be the hardest-working band at SXSW. How many shows are you playing?

CJ: Nine total; we’ve already played three. Maybe this year we are, but not in past years when there were a lot more unofficial shows. Now SXSW is on everyone’s shit. They won’t let you do a certain amount of shows that aren’t official, and there are so many bands and so much social media, it’s a little bit harder, and there’s a lot more competition. I remember when I first heard about SXSW, Black Lips were playing 15 shows. The notoriety of that at SXSW is what I would hear going up before a game, but coming down here – this is my third year – this is the most shows we’ve ever played. I guess we’re playing more than most people. I’m down, I’m tired, I have a couple more days, but I’m still with it. I got free beer.

VM: What are you most excited to see this year?

CJ: We started to see a lot of our friends from Chicago. Maybe that makes me lame. I really hope I can catch Sheer Mag this week. They’re really cool, out of Philly, really dope, kind of 70’s power pop punk band. A lot of Chicago artists, because I do have pride in a lot of bands who are a couple years behind us, who are around our age, doing their first SXSW. I’m just so happy and proud to see them coming out here and making it on their own, trying to find any shows they can play, saying, “alright, we have two. Let’s go, road trip.” There are a lot of Chicago bands down here. Strange Faces, Modern Vices, The Boxers, Petty Crimes, and some of the older bands in Chicago, too.

VM: You guys are going to be busy.

CJ: Yeah, I don’t really have time to see anyone. I have tomorrow off. I’m just going to try and see some friends, but I also really want to go swimming in the river, since you can do that here. So, I might miss out on some bands and go swim. Last year I had a broken leg at SXSW; grateful to not have one this year. The first year I went to swim there, and it was fucking wonderful. We jumped off that bridge, and we were so excited about the rope swing. Bands are cool and all, but I like water.

VM: Do you guys consider yourselves BBQ joint people or food truck people?

CJ: I’m gonna say food truck, because the best food truck is BBQ Heaven, which is a BBQ joint that is a food truck, and they have Trailer Treasure. They got a spot by Hotel Vegas this year. We met them our first year, but they have this huge keg filled with Louisiana water seasoning with crawfish in it for free, free beers, and then they have shark and alligator meat to buy. We are going! It is dope! I’m gonna say food trucks.

VM: Is there anything else you guys would like to say?

CJ: Just keep breathing! The four words I appreciate in life are love, kindness, compassion, and positivity, and I try to think about that wherever I go, whatever I do. So I hope all of you reading this, I hope you can fuck with that too, because I fuck with that.

SXSW 2015: Palma Violets x Vinyl Mag

Posted on March 30, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

Whether it’s thrashing around on stage night after night or secluding themselves on a sacred mountain in Wales, Palma Violets knows that sometimes, it takes a little balance to make good rock ‘n roll. We sat down with lead vocalist/guitarist Samuel Fryer and keyboardist Pete Mayhew at South by Southwest to find out all about their much-anticipated second full-length album, Danger in the Club, and their upcoming US tour.

Vinyl Mag: How many shows are you guys playing here?

Samuel Fyer: We’re doing seven, which is more than last time. We came two years ago and only had five. This time we came with two and ended up with seven.

VM: We understand you worked really hard on the new album Danger in the Club.

SF: We really did. We worked hard; we really needed to. The first album was done in such a rush, in a month. We spent a lot more time writing and recording. We ended up with 20 songs after writing, demoing, and recording. The first one happened so quickly, because we were signed only after a couple of songs. You know how people say they have all their lives doing the first album, but I say we had more time doing the second one than we did the first.

VM: You guys were having trouble transferring back to the creative side after touring; what was that breaking point for you guys?

Pete Mayhew: It took a few months. There was a period where we had two or three songs for ages, and it was the pits.

SF: We were going to go on a US tour, and then we had two years of touring work, and we had no other songs. We needed to find a time to write some more together. We went to a house in Wales.

VM: Do you prefer the creative time writing an album, or touring and having fun?

SF: We do love touring. We’re made to play live, and that’s what it’s always been about since the beginning. It was playing to our friends in our basement, and now it’s constantly touring. I feel much happier within myself when I know we’re doing more and more for ourselves in the writing.

VM: Are there any significant differences between Danger in the Club and 180?

SF: The way that we wrote the songs are always different between every song, but it’s relatively the same process. We really said to each other to keep it young, to keep it sounding like music for our age. We’re not trying to grow up and write mature songs. That was the only thing we spoke about; we didn’t really talk about what direction we were going to go in ever. We just spoke about keeping it young and youthful.

VM: Because of the success of 180, did you feel pressure when creating the new record?

SF: Only internally, in ourselves. The pressure was trying to connect with each other again. Coming down and writing songs with someone you’ve been on tour with for two years is hard work. We never felt pressure from our fans and our label. Thank God we signed to the right people in the first place; we knew that was going to be a thing if we signed to a major label.

VM: Do you feel like the fact that the album was recorded in Wales has a reflection on the general theme of the album?

SF: I think so, yeah. The place was a very special place. It was kind of spiritual. It was on a farm, but the people that run it weren’t farmers. They grew vegetables, they had horses and cats and dogs. It was on the mountainside where the rocks were taken to form Stonehenge, the cliff there. It’s ancient land and sacred.

VM: Would you call the album tranquil then?

SF: It got us writing about London and what we experienced on the road. Lots of the album is about America. Although people may think it’s a cliché, we’re not saying how great America was. We’re just thinking about having fun with our thoughts. “Danger in the Club” is a very British song. It made us fall in love with the English countryside and what it is to be British being in Wales.

VM: Are you singing a lot of the songs off the new album here?

SF: Yeah! Even the ones we don’t know how to play live yet. We’ll be giving them a go, because this is SXSW. If we came back and played the same set again it’s not going to work out.

VM: What’s the biggest difference for you between festivals in the US from Europe or concerts in general?

SF: Festivals do seem to be quite commercialized over here, even though they are in the UK. They’ve still got the core campfire feel over in the festivals in the UK that I did love even before we went to festivals in a band. Over here, they are quite a bit different. Like, they’ve got a bit more investment involved. We haven’t played many though, but we’re going to play some more.

VM: So you guys are going to try and do some stuff in the US this summer?

SF: Yeah, we got a tour booked just now, a month long tour just after the album comes out. We’re going to go to a bunch of places we’ve never been. I think besides the tour, we got ourselves booked to play New Orleans on Halloween. I’m very excited about that.

PM: New Orleans is a lovely place. It still has that original feeling.

VM: What are you most excited to see while you’re here; are there any bands you haven’t seen before?

SF: We had a quick look at the lineup yesterday, but there are just so many bands, you can’t find anyone you know.

PM: We’re going to actively try to see a lot of shows from bands we haven’t seen or heard before. That’s kind of the whole point of South by. We’re going to try to catch Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

VM: What’s your favorite venue to play here?

SF: We like Mohawk. We’ve only seen five of them so far; there are so many. We’re not repeating any of the venues from last time.

PM: We’re happy to be in an actual venue at SXSW. Last time, we did a show at bicycle shop, and it was dreadful, so if it’s a venue we’re just happy it’s a real venue.

VM: Are you a barbeque joint or food truck person?

SF: Barbeque joint. Barbeque. I had the best ribs I’ve ever had a few days ago in San Antonio. We had just gotten off the plane. It’s called the Big Bib. They made their own sauces in the back, and we like sauces. It was really nice.

VM: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

SF: We are coming back to America in the middle of May. Buy the album; it’s worth it!

*Palma Violets new album Danger in the Club drops May 4, and you can catch them live at Shaky Knees in Atlanta May 8-10.

SXSW 2015: Survival Guide x Vinyl Mag

Posted on March 30, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

Emily Whitehurst is doing things a little different these days. After years of singing for the San Francisco favorite Tsunami Bomb as Agent M, she’s headed out on her fuzz rock solo endeavor, aptly named Survival Guide. We got a few minutes for an impromptu interview with her find out the basics about her upcoming album Way To Go, inspirations, and what she really thinks about SXSW. While you’re sitting in on our chat, check out her newest single, “January Shock,” below.

Vinyl Mag: You are one person, but you perform by the name Survival Guide…where did that come from? Why not perform under your own name?

Emily Whitehurst: Well, originally it was me and the guitar player. I play keyboards and sing. It was a two-piece, and then when he left the band, I decided that we had already done all this stuff as Survival Guide – we had a couple releases. I decided that I wanted to continue and possibly add more musicians as I go.

VM: So you just released a single [this month]?

EW: Yeah about a week ago. I have a record coming out May 15! I’m super excited and adamant to get this record out.

VM: So that’s just you singing and on the keys; you don’t have any guitar in that?

EW: All that stuff was from when my guitar player did his parts already. We wrote the electric drums together and put the guitar and keyboard part on it. So I’m not sure what I’ll do for the next record, but this one is done.

VM: How are you performing that?

EW: I am on my keyboard rig, and I have a trigger for all the tracks. It’s a backing track with guitar and drums while I sing and play keyboard.

VM: Is this your first time at SXSW?

EW: As Survival Guide, yes. I played here once as another band.

VM: Do you like it so far?

EW: Yeah, it’s awesome! I played a show yesterday, and then I have an acoustic one today and one tomorrow at the Big Picture showcase in the Blind Pig.

VM: What inspires you to make music?

EW: I definitely go through phases where I get obsessed with one or two records at a time when I can’t stop listening to them. Right now, it’s all female artists. I love the Haim record so much; I love Electric Lady by Janelle Monae, and I love Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey, which surprised me.

VM: After SXSW and after you put out this record, are you going to tour more?

EW: I plan on touring at least the West coast behind the record. I’ve actually been working on it. I have friends that played backing on a few shows for me, so I have a drummer, guitarist, and keyboardist, so it’s like the opposite of what I’m doing now, but it’s super fun. If not, it’ll just be me.

VM: Are you a barbeque joint or a food truck person?

EW: With a food truck, you have so many different options, and I love having a million options even though it takes me forever to decide. You can also get barbeque from a food truck! Food trucks are like everywhere in California. Speaking of, there’s a place in California where they can flash freeze ice cream in the truck…

SXSW 2015: Guantanamo Baywatch x Vinyl Mag

Posted on March 27, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

@vinylmag Instagram: Thanks for the rain hangs Guantanamo Baywatch @guantanamobaywatch @theliberty #vinylmagsxsw #theliberty

“If a technical bass player were to watch what I’m doing, they would probably start to cry.”

Guantanamo Baywatch is definitely NSFW. Listening to their laid back, surf pop melodies in any professional situation would surely induce the uncontrollable desire to strip off that business casual pantsuit, find a bikini, and head for open water.

We sat down with Jason Powell, Chevelle Wiseman, and Chris Scott over some frozen drinks at SXSW to talk about recent collaborations, unique approaches to playing bass, and their new album Darling… It’s Too Late.

VM: Do you guys prefer touring on the West Coast or the East Coast?

Jason Powell: LA is my favorite place to play. We’re going to move there next year. We play the East Coast a lot. We always play up and down it a few times a year.

Chevelle Wiseman: As much as we can; we’re just from the other side so…

JP: I like the East Coast, too; we recorded our new album in Atlanta at The Living Room studio. We were there for like two weeks, we’re friends with The Coathangers and Curtis Harding.

VM: Speaking of, how was it working with Chris Harding for the single “Too Late”?

Chris Scott: It was cool. I called him the day of, and he said, “I’ll be there in an hour.” He had never heard the song before in his life and then sang for maybe half an hour.

JP: He hit it all in the first try.

VM: Chevelle, you kind of just picked up the bass and started playing one day; do you feel you’ve mastered the craft now?

JP: She is truly one of the worst bass players.

CW: Just for fun, I’ve been working with one of my mom’s friends who is a professional bass player (who used to play for The Go-Gos). She was trying to show me how to really do it, and I realized my technique is just like – no one ever taught me how to do it. So I don’t know how to do anything on bass, and I have to start back from the beginning. I can do some things well, but there are others things that I’m just the worst. If a technical bass player were to watch what I’m doing, they would probably start to cry.

JP: But the audience doesn’t care.

CS: The funny thing is that bassists here at South by, they look at Chevelle and what she’s doing on the bass and say, “how do you do that?” There’s no rhyme or reason to it; she’s just hitting notes.

VM: Your fans have been anxiously awaiting new music from you guys since Chest Crawl. How long did it take to record Darling… It’s Too Late?

JP: It took a long time. It took forever for me to write all the songs, and then we had to head down to Atlanta and record. Even after we got back, I worked on the album for another two months down in my basement, adding and editing shit. Then we had to go back to Atlanta to get it mixed and mastered. So it took almost a year.

CW: We also lost all the album art because my computer got stolen on tour, so we had to postpone it two more months.

VM: “Too Late” is kind of a slower departure from the rowdy stuff we’re used to with you guys – can we expect more of the same on the album?

JP: Well, everyone puts out a single that’s a fast party song, so we said, “fuck it; let’s do the slowest song we can do.” When we were listening to it, we thought it sounded the best.

CW: It definitely stands out as the title track, but it’s also the slowest song on the album. I think there are a lot more mid-tempo songs.

JP: It’s a pop album. It’s not a punk/surf rock album, but there are a lot of instrumental songs – but even those songs are more like theme songs for a show.

Do you guys still play house shows?

CS: Yeah, we played two yesterday! But they’re getting harder and harder to come by, especially in Portland.

JP: Yeah, Portland’s changed so much.

VM: Is this your first time at SXSW?

CW: It’s our fifth!

VM: Wow! How many shows are you playing?

CS: We’re playing eight total.

JP: But last year we played like 15, year before that it was more like 20. We used to play around three shows a day, but why would you want to do that? I get sick, and my throat hurts, and my strings break, and I’m hungry, and I’m sleepy.

VM: Who are you most excited to see, or what’s your favorite band that you have seen?

JP: No Parents, Natural Child, Sheer Mag. The White Fangs show at the Mohawk was so sick. We kind of grew up playing with them, so we’ve seen them a million times.

CW: We tried to see all of our friends that we’ve seen before but don’t get to see very often.

CS: And its South by, so getting to see your friends play to a whole new crowd and see how they react is really fun.

VM: Are you barbecue joint or food truck people?

JP: Barbecue joint. I hate food trucks. They’re always bad. They’re expensive, they’re terrible, you get rained on, and they’re slow as shit.

VM: What’s next for you guys after SX and the album comes out?

JP: Touring Australia and New Zealand. Going to hang out with some Kiwis.

SXSW 2015: Clean Bandit x Vinyl Mag

Posted on March 26, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

@thisisvinyl Instagram: No place we'd rather be than here at #NMmakesomenoise watching @cleanbandit @jessglynne and @courtthebesta #vinylmagsxsw — @vinylmag Instagram: No place we’d rather be than here at #NMmakesomenoise watching @cleanbandit @jessglynne and @courtthebesta #vinylmagsxsw

Clean Bandit prides itself on gracefully meshing house and classical music while collaborating with some of the best vocal artists and DJs in the world. Their smash hit “Rather Be” featuring Jess Glynne has been a huge turning point for the band. We sat down with brothers Jack and Luke Patterson, who play keyboard and drums respectively, to talk collaboration, US tours, and flashing the goods.

Vinyl Mag: Can you tell us a little bit about your time in Russia? Was it a conscious decision to blend house music and classical, or was it just a happy accident for you guys?

Jack Patterson: It was kind of an accident. The initial genesis of it was quite lucky. It was kind of circumstantial. Grace had a string quartet, and I was helping them out a lot; I was doing recordings for them and helping them promote their gigs.

Luke Patterson: You said that you lived above a house record shop?

JP: Yes.

LP: I wasn’t there at the time. You said you were self-consciously being driven to making more electronic, more “housey,” not commercial, but more popular music.

VM: Why did you guys choose the title New Eyes for the album?

JP: There’s a song on there that I really like called “New Eyes,” which is actually named after a place south of France called New Eye. That just kind of Anglicized the version of that name, and we just liked it. It seems to fit.

VM: Did you have any idea when you were writing New Eyes how many people would like it – that 300 million people would be dancing to it?

LP: No, I don’t think we knew. For the singles, for the songs, we definitely had an idea that that was really going to take off, but in terms of the album, no. We just find it really cool that we’ve made this body of work into so many different types of music. It’s really humbling to hear that people respect that and are embracing all of these different styles.

VM: Do you guys have certain singers in mind when you’re writing the music, or does that just come later?

JP: It depends, really. Some of the songs we’ll work on with vocalists, half of it is written with the person who’s featuring, the other half is written with other writers. We’ve got a couple of long-standing friends that we write music with. Some of it is all of our own material, and that stuff is probably not written with anyone in mind.

VM: You guys do sing sometimes, but it’s usually just smaller stuff? You try to have as much collaboration as possible?

JP: I’m singing on “Dust Clears” and “New Eyes” as well.

VM: A little birdie told us you guys might be collaborating with Marina and the Diamonds soon. Can you comment on that?

JP: Yeah, we did a session, and it was definitely like a track in the works.

JP: She’s fantastic.

VM: How many times have you been to SXSW?

LP: This is our first time.

VM: How many shows are you guys playing?

LP: Five.

VM: Do you guys work closely with the DJ’s when they do remixes?

JP: It kind of just happens. It depends. Some of the remixes just got sent, and we’re like, “Okay, cool.” Some of them we’ve tried to get ourselves. With Gorgon City, we’ve done really cool remixes, like with our song “Nightingale,” which we play live. It’s really an amazing interpretation of the track.

VM: Have you guys been in any flash mobs since your video for “Rather Be”?

LP: We had a flash mob in Japan.

JP: Luke likes flashing in mobs. He likes flashing to the general public.

VM: What’s the biggest difference playing concerts or festivals in the UK as opposed to the US?

LP: So much more up for it, for the US.

JP: We haven’t really done a lot of US festivals yet. This is our first, but the crowds are just really nice, really warm. It seems like they’re much more ready to let go in the US. You have to work a bit harder to get there in the UK.

LP: You have to really persuade them to have a good time.

VM: What’s next for you guys? Are you going to do more festivals here, or are you going to go back?

JP: Yeah, we’ve got a few more shows. We’ve been touring now for six weeks in the States.

LP: We got Coachella and Governor’s Ball.

VM: Who are you most excited to see at SXSW?

JP: Probably Marina and the Diamonds.

VM: Would you consider yourselves “food truck” people or “BBQ joint” people?

JP & LP: What’s food truck?

VM: Austin has trucks all over the city that sell unique types of delicious food. You need to try it, ASAP!

JP: Okay, sweet! I’m excited.

VM: Anything else you’d like to say?

JP: New single “Real Love,” check it out, our album, and a new video we just put out for a song called “Stronger.”

*You can check out Clean Bandits new video for “Stronger” below!

SXSW 2015: Parlour Tricks x Vinyl Mag

Posted on March 25, 2015April 1, 2015 by Rebecca Smith

Made up of three girls and three boys, Parlour Tricks’ sound is every bit as balanced and effortless as their group dynamic. We caught up with Lily, Brian, Morgane, Angelo, DeeDee, and Terry during South by Southwest to chat about their upcoming debut album, Broken Hearts/Bones, changing their name, and some interesting pre-show rituals.

Vinyl Mag: Last year when we interviewed you guys, you were still Lily & The Parlour Tricks. Why did you drop the Lily?

Lily: I left the band! No, I’m just kidding. It was mostly just a practical trimming of fat move. We refer to ourselves as Parlour Tricks, or just Tricks, and so do other people. When someone asks, “What’s your band name?” and you say, “Lily & The Parlour Tricks,” inevitably they just get confused, so it just seemed like a natural move.

DeeDee: Another thing is that Lily is our bandleader; she writes all the music and all the lyrics, but we are a band. There are six of us, so it was nice. It felt unnatural and unnecessary.

VM: Having an even boy/girl ratio in a band is pretty rare; do you think that affects your dynamic?

Morgane: We actually say that’s one of the reasons we get along so well. We joke about it I think, but it’s also kind of true. The fact of it being evenly split allows there to be somewhat of an equilibrium, that’s magical and makes it easy.

VM: You guys put on a great show. Do you think your stage presence is a result of playing together for so many years?

Lily: Our comfort with each other has been there from square one, but I think it took time to understand. It’s still taking time; it’s an ongoing process. It’s definitely fun. Our main goal is to be enjoying ourselves on stage.

VM: Can you tell us a little bit about the writing process with the new album and maybe some themes that are going on?

Lily: It’s funny. This album was very personal, which is very, very new terrain for me. I used to write almost exclusively drawing from different stories or newspaper articles and stuff like that. It started with “Requiem” and “Love Songs” and “The Storm.” It was like a little game for myself. With other songs, our guitarist Angelo would call me and challenge me to write another song, and we would record that instead of what we were planning to record. It was an interesting challenge and fun, but it was personal in a way that I had not ever been comfortable doing before. I’m not an instrumentalist at all, but I got an omnichord for my birthday like two years ago, which Brian actually plays when we do acoustic performances. It has like eight chords on it, and it’s very limiting, but in a safe way for someone who doesn’t play an instrument. I began writing on that, and it became weirdly integral to the sound of the album. We don’t play it on the album, but it became a necessity. I would send very bare bones voice tracks with three part harmonies and a bass line to them and begin to put it together.

VM: That sounds like a process.

Lily: This was a very lengthy but relaxed process. The fact that it turned out to conveniently be an album of 10 songs was a bonus. We just wanted to be working on these new songs in a new way.

Brian: It was a different palette and approach to music; you start getting more textures. It defined how we approached and created the album. We were searching for a sound that felt like us. It probably took longer than we wanted.

VM: We heard you guys split a lemon six ways before going out on stage every night. What’s up with that?

Lily: Morgane was sick one time with a 104-degree fever and needed to wake up. We had to go out there, so we all sucked a lemon together. I don’t know if we gave it much thought. It’s just like a slap in the face when you bite the whole thing and eat it.

VM: Being from New York, how did it feel to be named “Best Pop Band of 2014” by Village Voice?

Angelo: It was a really great feeling. If it was our moms voting it would be like, oh…but it’s the Village Voice – more than just our moms.

VM: Is getting so much positive press before your album drops more scary or satisfying for you?

Lily: I think it’ll be interesting. I have absolutely no idea what people will think about this album. None. It’s encouraging to hear people have responded well to the two songs we put out from it. I have no idea if it’ll lead to more press. Strong reactions are what we’re going for.

VM: You’ve performed a lot at festivals in the past year. How is SXSW different?

Lily: The first time we played at SXSW, we did like nine shows in four days, so this is kind of tame. SXSW is such a different animal; it has to be approached differently. Parking is the only really bad thing and having to navigate with all our gear.

Morgane: There’s something about SXSW. We know what to expect; we know it’s going to be crazy, and everyone’s going to come prepared.

VM: This is your third year at SXSW. Do you feel like every year you’re gradually seeing more opportunities as a result of playing here?

Brian: Every time we’ve come, or almost immediately after, we’ve seen a direct effect. In our minds, it’s totally worth it. We have a great time doing it.

VM: What’s the best thing you’ve eaten at SXSW so far?

Lily: We ate at this legit little diner called Magnolia Café. It was so delicious and out of the way.

VM: Who are you excited to see this year?

Morgane: Stromae! He’s a Belgian rapper. We also want to see some of our friends.

VM: What’s next for you guys?

Lily: Taking a nap. We’re playing a fun show next weekend at Rough Trade in New York with Bright Light – Bright Light from the UK. We’re going to be releasing “The Storm” in the spring with a video and then preparing to release the album.

*Check out Parlour Tricks perform their new single “Storm” at Austin’s Riverview Bungalow for Paste Magazine.