Samantha Gilder

Samantha Gilder is a native of Saint Simons Island. She attended Georgia Southern University for a brief stint where she studied Journalism, and although she became your statistical “college dropout”, she strives to pursue her goals with the best of them. Growing up, music and writing were the top two most influential things in her life; fast forward to the present and their roles in her life are just as prominent, with the only (major) differences being that now she is not only a writer but a mother. She has eternal love in her heart for her daughter. She bartends at a local coffee shop/café/pub where (lucky for her) the appreciation for music is equally shared between her employers and co-workers.

SXSW 2014: HEARTSREVOLUTION x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Leyla ‘Lo’ Safai and Ben Pollock make up New York-based HEARTSREVOLUTION. From embracing the food truck era by turning an ice cream truck into their tricked-out bandwagon, to graffiti “he(art)” via stuffed animals, to the synth-punk-magic-pop music they create, how these two even found the time to speak with us at Vinyl Mag at South by Southwest this year is impressive (to say the least). We shared eggrolls and talked about things like their favorite track to perform and their fabulous ice cream truck creation and the Swarovski crystals that were donated from Michael Jackson’s Neverland estate (totally a real thing). Be sure to also check out their latest album Ride or Die that dropped earlier this month.

Vinyl Mag: What are you most excited to see or do while in Austin?

Ben Pollock: I mean, personally, and I think Lo would agree, because we haven’t been here in so many years due to working on music or the ice cream truck or just not being ready in general, now that we are here, we are really focused on just representing what we came for. The album is coming out, the truck is done and we’ve got this graffiti thing we’re doing now – it’s just a big year for us. It took so much work and so many man-hours to be in the position that we’re in; it just feels like the right time to be back.

Leyla ‘Lo’ Safai: When we were building the truck, we thought it would take about six months, but…it just takes as long as it takes. People don’t seem to understand that, either. The first couple of years that we came to South by Southwest, we got a lot of super early buzz and press; we got really lucky. There’s this magazine out of the UK called NME, and they wrote highly on us and put us on their top 10 acts to check out for South by Southwest, and it really seemed to jump start our career and trigger all of the other magazines to write about us as well. It was great, but the songs were unevolved, there was no album, there was no management, and the ice cream truck we had at the time was a beat up 1960’s pink truck with chipped paint. There was in idea that was there, but it takes time to flush things out. People were really unforgiving to that and chalked it up to us taking too long….because we live in a society of social media and instant gratification, people think that everything is immediate, but that’s just not the case. Think of trying to build something terrific and magnificent like a pyramid or a sphinx and looking in admiration like, ‘Wow! That must have taken 20 years to make,’ and us building this crystal ice cream truck is just like that…of course, funding was a major aspect of it all, and during the process Swarovski gave us crystals, and we ran out, and it just so happened to be the year that Michael Jackson passed away, and they gave us his Neverland crystals in order to complete our truck. I mean, a lot of crazy stuff happened to get here, and that’s one thing that people just always seem to overlook.

VM: How have the fans responded to your latest music video for “Kiss”?

LS:  There was a huge issue with the Noisey release of our video, and somehow it got loaded on a back-ended server, and none of the views were actually accounted for. So as far as the numbers go, we will never know how many times it was actually viewed through there before I ultimately uploaded it on my own. But, I do know that Skrillex tweeted the link to the Soundcloud of the song, and that got like 95,000 plays. It was really important to us to make that video, though, because before Lady Gaga and Macklemore and all of that, we had been trying to make a boy/boy love story for like four and a half years. We paid an animator like 5,000 euros to make the world’s first gay animation love story; they took the money, made the characters that are on the front of our truck and then just never replied. And so now it seems to be very ‘in’ to do that, but we’ve been trying to do for years.

VM: What is your favorite track to perform?

LS: Maybe Vertigo…

BP: Really? We’ve only played it two times.

LS: Yeah, actually.

BP: We really like performing the songs off of the new album, but we’ve only played them a few times, so we haven’t had too many chances yet.

VM: Right, so you’re super into playing and performing the new songs right now, yeah?

BP: Right; we’re going to start playing them a lot more. There’s a lot of range of that album, and we’re used to playing short, high energy sets. So we’re pretty excited to start incorporating more range into our shows.

VM: Where were you [last night] when the tragedy at Red River and 9th occurred?

LS: We were in bed, although we were supposed to be out – in the truck – there, essentially.  We’ve been out doing graffiti every night while out here in Austin, so we had planned to go back to the Mohawk and take photos and whatnot, but we decided we needed some rest. It’s really crazy – we were literally going to be right there.

VM: A favorite question of mine to ask this year: are you food truck people or barbecue joint people?

LS: See for me, when I made the first ice cream truck in L.A., I was like, ‘This is going to change the way our life is!’, and everybody told me it would never work. It was during the peak of the recession, so people didn’t have money to start businesses, and everybody just hated their life. When we first came to South by Southwest, there were no food trucks- imagine that. I was like, ‘You guys, it’s going to change everything!’. I started tearing up when we got back to L.A. and saw parking lots solely dedicated to food trucks. It’s not about credit, because there is this thing called the Internet, so you can Google who started it. We pioneered this, and now everyone is enjoying the perks of it, which I’m super happy about. That’s how I feel about our music – we’re going to change the world.

VM: How did the two of you meet?

LS: The first time I ever really noticed him was at The Strokes concert, but we worked at the same place in downtown Los Angeles. After the concert I was like, ‘Hey, we should hang out sometime,’ because the strokes were my favorite band, and they were his favorite band, also. Since then we’ve just continued to have the best time of our lives. It’s like the universe pulled us together, because he’s super normal, and I’m super crazy and mental, so we balance each other out.

VM: What is next for you once South by Southwest is over?

LS: When we get home, I get to see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – for lack of better words. For the past six months, we’ve been working on all of the tangible products of the release, and I’ve gotten to do everything that I’ve wanted to do with it. I had Crayola sponsor the CD, and the album artwork is a coloring book; it comes with an activity book that has three crayons- neon pink, yellow and green. We also had velvet record sleeves made in China that look like the old 60’s and 70’s covers. The vinyl itself is fluorescent pink and so beautiful. They really just let me make my sh*t, and it’s amazing. I honestly feel like I’ve given everything I had to give with this record, and now it’s about sharing it with the world and hoping they get to hear it.

SXSW 2014: Spirit Animal x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder
Photo by Samantha Gilder

There are many factors that go into scheduling interviews during the chaotic week that is South by Southwest; luckily, the scheduling aspect is completely taken care of by the brains behind this whole operation, Emily McBride.

Upon receiving my schedule and reviewing it thoroughly, my interview with Spirit Animal stuck out for a few different reasons, one of them being that the location was listed as “The Shred Shed” – fast forward to mass confusion and a hefty realization that the “Shred Shed” was an exhibit at the Austin Convention Center that didn’t really even exist until the following day. After sorting out the details with lead singer Steve Cooper, we settled on a completely appropriate and professional meeting point – let’s meet up at the condiment table, somewhere between Exhibit Hall 1 and 3…

Besides the appeal of its location, this interview also stood out to me because of the band itself.  Upon first listen, all of us at Vinyl Mag instantly knew that this is a band to look out for (and not just because Steve Cooper’s voice makes me think of Anthony Kiedis sometimes…is anyone else getting that? Especially on “I’m Around”…).

The guys of Spirit Animal have been known for their on-stage energy, and upon meeting with them, their off-stage energy does them just as much credit. In between their many performances, we snagged a few precious moments with Spirit Animal to ask them about their latest hit, “The Black Jack White,” Beyoncé and their summer plans.

VM: Is this your first experience at SXSW?

Steve Cooper [vocals, Moog]: It’s actually our third year; we’re pretty seasoned at this point [laughs].

VM: Your hit song “The Black Jack White” has begun to take off- are you actual fans of the White Stripes?

Paul Michel [bass]: I mean, yeah, we’re fans. We’re not like crazy about them or anything. It just fit as an appropriate title.

SC: Everyone likes The White Stripes, right?

VM: What is the writing process like? Does the music or lyrics come first?

SC: We don’t have a solid method down, but usually the music comes first. We work together to form something, and however it comes about is how it comes.

VM: A big thing for music this year – and always – is Beyoncé. Are you a fan of the new album?

SC: I mean, I woke up like this! No, but really, we’re huge fans. That new album is sexy and awesome.

VM: How do you feel that MTV’s Buzzworthy has helped in getting your name out?

PM: It’s been really awesome to have them airing our music video, and of course just reaching all kinds of audiences that we wouldn’t necessarily have reached otherwise. We were really excited to have them air our video.

VM: What showcases have you wanted to catch while at SXSW?

SC: Young the Giant, for sure. Also not only do we get to see Parade of Lights, but we get to play our showcase with them. That’s really awesome and exciting for us, because we love them. But like – Young the Giant.

PM: We took it pretty serious this year and made actual spreadsheets of who we wanted to see while we were down here; you can’t mess around when it comes to SXSW.

VM: What’s next for Spirit Animal once South By comes to an end?

COOPER: We have a song we plan to release in May and will probably go on tour for a bit. We have a whole archive of new songs we’re excited to put out, but we’re planning on playing our cards right and just seeing what’s best for us.

*You KNOW you wanna see these dudes live. But seriously. You do.

Tour Dates:

04.30.14 — BOSTON, MA: TT the Bears Place
05.02.14 — HEMPSTEAD, NY: Hofstra University
05.03.14 — MONTREAL, QB: Quai Des Brumes
05.05.14 — TORONTO, ON: Horseshoe Tavern
05.06.14 — WINDSOR, ON: Phog Lounge
05.08.14 — PHILADELPHIA, PA: North Star
05.09.14 — NEW YORK, NY: Westway
05.10.14 — COLUMBIA, MD: Sweetlife Festival
05.20.14 — COLUMBUS, OH: Double Happiness
05.21.14 — CINCINNATI, OH: Motr Pub
05.22.14 — CHICAGO, IL: Subterranean
05.23.14 — MADISON, WI: Mickey’s
05.24.14 — TERRE HAUTE, IN: The Verve
05.27.14 — DES MOINES, IA: Vaudeville Mews
05.28.14 — LINCOLN, NE: Vega
05.30.14 — KANSAS CITY, MO: Czar Bar
05.31.14 — WICHITA, KS: Wichita River Fest
06.03.14 — DENVER, CO: Moon Room
06.05.14 — LAS VEGAS, NV: Backstage Bar
06.10.14 — SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Bottom of the Hill
06.12.14 — SEATTLE, WA: Lofi’s
06.13.14 — VANCOUVER, BC: Waldorf Hotel
06.14.14 — PORTLAND, OR: Hawthorne Theater
06.18.14 — PHOENIX, AZ: Last Exit Live
06.21.14 — FORT WORTH, TX: Lola’s
06.24.14 — COLUMBIA, MO: Mojo’s

SXSW 2014: De Lux x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Sean Guerin and Isaac Franco are a duo from California that wants to make you dance. If dancing isn’t necessarily your thing, you’re at least going to consider it. Their musical influences alone say great things for these two, but the self-described “new wave disco” music that they create is on a playing field of its own. South by Southwest seems to encompass just about any genre of music your tiny heart desires, but even still, you’re in luck if you discover even a handful that stay with you.

Luckily for Vinyl Mag, and me in particular, De Lux brought an entirely new sound to my ever-growing SXSW table, and now I have a total understanding for how Christopher Walken must have felt in the infamous “Cowbell” skit- disco (and particularly, De Lux) being the Cowbell. I could go on and on about how into their hit single “Better at Making Time” I am, but I’ll chose to let you discover the track’s awesomeness for yourself.  We sat down with the guys of De Lux after their show at the Filter Magazine showcase, and you should probably go ahead and see what they’re all about. Afterwards, stream their music and instigate an impromptu dance party wherever you may be.

VM: Is this your first SXSW?

Sean Guerin: Yeah, it is. It’s our first time in Texas, too.

Isaac Franco: We’ve maintained to our little bubble; we haven’t traveled very often.

VM: Being that it is your first time here, what was top on your Austin “to do” list?

Isaac: We didn’t really have any; it was more just about getting the vibe of the place and seeing what we liked and didn’t like.

VM: What don’t you like?

Sean: We call Sixth Street “Zombie Street”; we went there last night for the first time, and everyone was just walking all fast and strange.

Sean: Everyone is really nice here, though, which is different. You have people saying “hi” to you on every block.

Isaac: Congress Street is really cool and just a little bit outside of downtown. There are really cool places to eat and hang out, and we enjoyed that area a lot.

VM: Have you two caught any cool shows?

Sean: Yeah, we’ve caught a few. We saw Damon Albarn and the 1975; we played at the same venue as the 1975 earlie,r and we had passes so we were like, “let’s go.” But yeah, Damon Albarn was really awesome.

VM: So, when did you actually get in town?

Isaac: We got here last Friday.

VM: Oh, so you’ve been at it for a minute! When do you leave?

Sean: Unfortunately, tomorrow.

VM: Ah, I leave tomorrow also; so bittersweet. So, let’s take this in a positive direction- who are your musical influences?

Sean: Television, Talking Heads, David Bowie, ESG, The Clash- we’ve got a list going.

Isaac: LCD Soundsystem for sure. I’ve been getting into Orange Juice- they’re wicked.

Sean: I’ve been getting into a lot of SEGA music.

VM: So would you say you gather inspiration from all of these avenues?

Sean: Yeah, we’ve been working on our second record, and we write all of the time, so it just seems to happen that way. I definitely feel like the music we listed has been having an effect on the music we’ve been writing recently. Oh, we’re also really into Prince.

VM: Prince was like the big thing for South by Southwest last year; you know, that show that was widely talked about, but you would never actually get in to.

Sean: Oh, that’s awesome!

VM: Would you consider yourself food truck people or barbecue joint people during SXSW?

Isaac: Probably neither- we’re more diner kind of people. We like to sit down and be warm.

Sean: Here it’s diner, but at home it is food trucks. There are a lot of great burrito and taco trucks.

Isaac: It’s hard to get food down here when we have shows back-to-back, so when we do get to eat together, it’s late at night, and we just show up at an IHOP or something.

VM: I read that skateboarding was how the two of you ultimately met, and you then were in a former band together? Is this true or just the internet talking?

Isaac: Skateboarding, a bit of high school, and another band.

VM: Ok, so you went to high school together? Were you homies in high school?

Sean: We weren’t really homies. I mean, we were cool with each other, but we didn’t really hang out with each other.

VM: Did you leave the [previous] band with a mutual understanding that you were planning on starting something together?

Sean: When we started writing songs, we were still in that particular project, but eventually we got so into it that we stopped writing for the other project, so it just sort of melted away. We just didn’t communicate with the other band members for a while, and vice versa.

VM: But are you still all cool? No bad blood?

Isaac: Yeah, I mean, we just hung out at shows and kept it strictly business, which was kind of annoying.

VM: Where were you when the accident at Red River and 9th took place?

Sean: Our band decided to stay home that night, which was totally coincidental.

Isaac: I knew a couple of people walking over there just minutes before it happened. We all got a bunch of texts making sure everyone was okay and whatnot; it’s just all really sad…

VM: If you had to categorize your own music and put it into a genre, where would you put it?

Sean: I mean, it kind of changes- I feel like we’re more disco than punk.

Isaac: It’s also like a new wave sound.

VM: How many shows have you played since you’ve been here?

Sean: We’ve played six so far. This is our second for the day, and we have another tonight at The Madison.

VM: What’s next for De Lux?

Sean: Yeah, we’re returning home; we have our first album coming out on April 8th.

Isaac: We have our album release show, and the month after that we are heading to Hawaii, where someone bought tickets for us to play a show. So we’ll be staying at a house on the beach and just playing music, which is exciting.

VM: Last question- where did you come up with the name De Lux?

Isaac: It almost sounds like we’re a diva band from the 70’s, and we’re totally not that way at all, so it’s just funny at this point.

SXSW 2014: Drenge x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Drenge, a post-grunge brotherly duo from England, sat down with us during the week of SXSW to talk about things like music, American culture, and their obsession with Game of Thrones (that’s the second one this year— we can’t stop talking about it!). If you’ve ever held conversations with a couple of English lads, you understand where I’m coming from when I say there’s nothing more endearing than an authentic English accent. Check out what the guys had to say to Vinyl Mag below (and try to read it in proper English vernacular if you’re feeling really wild)

Vinyl Mag: When did you guys get into town? Have you played any shows yet?

Eoin Loveless: We got in late last night and played a show this morning at Red 7.

VM: Have you played South by Southwest before, or is this your first year?

EL: No, this is our first time.

VM: So, what are you excited for or hoping to take from this week?

EL: Well, the main reason we’re in town is to go to the Game of Thrones exhibition – really excited about that. All we really want is to find a way to be asked to do a song for the fifth series of Game of Thrones.

VM: Are there any completely American/Texan things you want to try or do while you’re in Austin?

EL: Well, I’m pretty into root beer right now, which seems to be American. We would like to have a proper barbecue, as well, but I’ve actually heard that Kansas is the place for that. Granted, I heard that while in California, and I had one of the worst burritos I’ve ever had there, so I’m not sure how much I can trust that statement. Also, I’ll be watching True Detective tonight, which seems pretty Texan.

VM: How old are you guys? Are you old enough drink or what?

EL: I’m 21, and Rory is 20, so he can’t drink, but he could probably out-drink the masses.

VM: How old were you when you started taking your music seriously?

Rory Loveless: I don’t know if that’s happened yet. Maybe one day.  It would be nice to take it seriously.

VM: Do you feel like being not only a two-piece, but brothers as well, is an advantage or disadvantage?

RL: I don’t think it’s one way or the other, honestly. Maybe when we do start taking it seriously, we’ll get stand-in’s, or something.

VM: How much of a culture shock is it to play in the States versus playing in the UK?

EL: It’s fine. We’ve grown up on a lot of American culture with movies and television and whatnot, so it just feels like instead of it happening in a small box in front of us, it’s happening in real life.

VM: Were you excited to find out the lineup that you will be accompanying for the Reading and Leeds festival? There appear to be a good bit of acts playing that are actually playing SXSW this year as well.

RL: We played the festival last year on a smaller stage, but it was raining while we were playing, so everyone just came into the tent; there were about 4,000 people and two circle pits going, so it was a pretty intense show. People seem to really take to our music there.

VM: How much of an influence do you feel that Tom Watson was in the notoriety of Drenge?

EL: He kind of just introduced our music to a lot of people who didn’t really care, like political writers of national newspapers and whatnot. It does come up in every interview, so we do have that to thank him for. I don’t think him mentioning us boosted album sales or made people want to buy tickets to our shows, but in terms of the media, he did kind of put us in the spotlight.

VM: After this week, what’s going on for Drenge?

EL: Just a bunch of recording and writing and touring; nothing too different than normal.

*Click here to catch them on tour!

SXSW 2014: Lily & the Parlour Tricks x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Lily & the Parlour Tricks is a soulful sextuplet based out of NYC.  According to their bio – and evident in their sound – their influences range from The Andrews Sisters all the way to The White Stripes. During South by Southwest, we sat down with Lily, Brian, Terry, Morgane, Angelo, and Darah to see what they had been up to in the past and what they plan on getting into in the future.  Read about all about it and more below, and check out their website for a stream of their latest release, Requiem, as well as upcoming tour dates.

Vinyl Mag:  Is this your first SXSW?

Lily: It’s our second; the first was in 2012.

VM: Is there a reason you took a year off from it?

Lily: Yeah, actually, a label saw us at SXSW 2012, and we got into a development deal with them through 2013, so it made sense not to come- but now we’re back.

VM: What set have you had your heart on catching while down here?

Lily: Definitely St. Vincent.

VM: This question is for the guys- I watched a bit of your interview with Rock on Philly, and Lily mentioned how you were super into 90’s R&B; as a fellow R&B appreciator, what kind of 90’s R&B are your particular favorites?

Brian:  Bone Thugs for sure, Montell Jordan, Brian McKnight…

VM: Oh snap, you guys are the real deal!

Brian: Well, the thing is that we did a run of shows once, and Angelo had found this Planet Groove: Best of 1997…

Lily: I think that was the first time we had ever gone out of town together, actually.

Brian: It was! So that was our soundtrack for about three straight days. And now it’s just a thing.

Terry: It started as a joke, and now we’re all into it.

VM: Being a larger group, how do you travel?

Lily: Well, now we have a van courtesy of Angelo. But usually, if we’re out of town, we rent a big SUV or something. Otherwise, we just split into two cars; usually, it’s just the “boys” car and the “girls” car.

VM: Here’s a question I’ve found relevant with this week: are you food truck people or BBQ joint people?

Lily: Both! We’ve done Iron Works already, but we’ve also done the food trucks. Really, we’re just food people.

VM: What has been your favorite so far?

Lily: Gus’s has been mine.

Darah: The best fast food truck at SXSW is Chilantro’s for sure.

Brian: We were discussing earlier how the food truck situation is really interesting and awesome, but I don’t know- I always leave hungry. It’s an experience more than it is a filling meal.

VM: You’ve mentioned how “Belle Gunness” was just a demo when it was picked up by BMW for their new commercial- have you since gone back and mastered it or left it as is?

Lily: We left it as is.

VM: And that wasn’t the plan originally, was it?

Lily: No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t the in the plan to release it all, necessarily, but we like it, and it sounds good. Now, we have all of these demos that we had done with this label, and we’re allowed to release them. We may or may not do that, but it’s kind of an amazing position to be in.

VM: Are the lyrics a collaborative effort or do you [Lily] do all of the writing?

Lily: I do all of the writing; it’s just how it’s happened. I 100 percent look at it is as a collaborative effort; it just happens to start with me. I send them skeleton recordings, and then it’s formed from there.

VM: Last question- I read that you’ve been going back and forth from Nashville to work on a lot of recordings- are you still going back and forth, or has that wrapped? What can we expect musically in the near future for Lily & the Parlour Tricks?

Lily: We just went in February for a big session, and we got six songs out of it, so now we have a total of 13 to work with. We’ve just released the first single titled “Requiem,” and we plan to release another single. After that, it’s wide open with what we want to do with the rest of it.

SXSW 2014: SW/MM/NG x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

As a seasoned SXSW attendee (two consecutive years constitutes as seasoned, right?), I’ve come to realize that – while not many – there are a few things you are guaranteed take with you from your experience.

You will, without a doubt, always leave with a full backpack-worth of “swag”- koozies, stickers, matches, sunglasses, t-shirts, CDs or whatever else was shoved in your hand as you were cramming a taco into your face while power-walking through the masses to get to Red 7 by five minutes ago.

Second, you will definitely leave with some sort of battle wound. Battle wounds take on a variation of forms, so be prepared to endure them in (potentially) multiple fashions, such as blistered ankles from the 10 miles you walked in six hours, or an unevenly proportioned sunburn (also resulting from the 10 miles you walked in those six hours of blazing sunshine).

While those things are all good, great and dandy, the last thing you are guaranteed to take away is probably most relative to what brought you to this week of SXSW in the first place – you came for the music, and without a doubt, you left with at least one new band that really, really did it for you.

For me this year, that band was SW/MM/ING.  SW/MM/NG is a five-piece from Arkansas that makes whimsically dreamy tunes that put you somewhere between the California coast and the year 2004 in your mind. Following their showcase at Valhalla, we were able to catch up with some of the guys and find out completely relevant things like where they were eating and potential lawsuits they were witness to. Read for yourself, and then download their demo “Feel Not Bad” (if you’re into things like ear candy and good feels).


Vinyl Mag: Tonight was your first showcase, correct? How do you feel it went?

Jared Hennessey: Yeah, it was our first showcase and first show with Jack on pianos. It went pretty well, I think.

VM: Oh, first show with the band?

Jack Paul: Well, I’ve been with the band playing drums, but I’ve assumed a new position, because we got a better drummer.

VM: Right on! What has been memorable for you thus far [during SXSW]?

 

Jared Hennessey: We tried to catch some shows today, but every time we would be walking up, everyone else would be walking out.

Brian Kuppillas: The Portals showcase was really cool, though. And actually, a great set we caught was Trash Talk, and it was right outside of Beer Land. It was nuts- the cops were called; people were jumping off of the roof and falling out of trees. There was a huge mosh pit in the center of the street, and the cops rode up on their ATV’s with their sirens on during a song, and it just made the song so much cooler. Other than that, we’ve just been partying with buddies.

VM: I noticed you had a substantial amount of people at your showcase tonight who knew you guys- were those real- life friends or fans?

JP: A lot of people move away from Fayetteville, and Austin is pretty close, so they come here. We have friends all over, so they come to support.

JH: We actually have no fans – just a lot of friends.

BK: Arkansas is a good place for leaving, so they all head to bigger cities.

VM: Well, Arkansas seems to keep you content, right?

BK: It’s fine. It’s easy and really cheap in the city.

VM: I noticed when trying to google the band that you’re actually very hard to google- is that an intentional thing?

JH: No, we’re working on it. We’re thinking about it pretty hard right now.

BK: Can we talk about the story behind it?

VM: I would love to talk about the story behind it.

BK: So, there’s this UK band called Swimming, and they called Jared up one day around 8 a.m. while we were in Virginia Beach on our first or second tour. They went on with some ‘manager of the band Swimming’ stuff, and I was like, ‘No, we don’t need a manager, but thanks for the call’ or whatever. Meanwhile, he had this ridiculous accent, so I had no idea of half of the stuff he was trying to say. It pretty much came around to him stating that he was calling because he might sue us if we didn’t change the name.

VM: So, this is how the slashes in the band name came about?

JH: Yeah, that’s how that started. But there’s also this band in Australia with the name Swimming, so we may as well just call ourselves Swimming.

JP: Their main concern was that it would be too hard to tell apart in iTunes, so now we just write it differently.

VM: Well, I guess this segways nicely into another question of mine- I saw that you [were on] a list of ‘Worst Band Names of SXSW’- how do you feel about that?

JH: Well, there’s a good point to that that a friend of mine mentioned- you can literally take any of the ‘best band names’ and put them on the ‘worst band names,’ and it all still works. They’re all easily interchangeable.

BK: For example, I think Perfect Pussy is a fine band name. But as far as how I feel about it, I love that we made that list.

VM: To be honest, the name is what drew us in to check you guys out, so I guess it’s all relative.

BK: Well, that’s awesome. It could always be worse- like, The Goo Goo Dolls or something.

VM: Serious question- are you food truck people or BBQ joint people when you’re Austin?

JP: Can we be all of those people? Because we’ve already done both of those today.

VM: What exactly have you done today?

BK: The Bearded Lady and Austin Daily Press. They’re both dope places to eat, so check them out. They literally have the best hush puppies, and I hate hush puppies.

VM: Where were you when the accident happened in front of the Mohawk?

JH: Still in Fayetteville, actually. We didn’t even hear about until we were driving down here. It was really weird pulling up here and knowing we’re right beside where it all went down.

JP: I was texting my girlfriend on the way down here about how I was worried about the energy we would be coming into, but the vibes have been really good, all things considered.

VM: What’s currently playing in your tour bus at the moment?

BK: We’re all obsessed with the solo record from Kevin Morby, who is the guitarist in Woods.

JH: I’ve listened to it four times in the same day, and I never do that with any record. I’m obsessed with it- you let him know that.

BK: Our drummer is obsessed with The Zombies, so we listened to a lot of that, also.

VM: What’s the best/worst artist comparison you’ve received?

BK: I’ll never understand it, but there was this dude who said we sounded like Hootie and the Blowfish. I’ve also gotten the guy from Dashboard Confessional, and I don’t hear that one, either.

JH: People seem to relate things that they personally like to other things they personally like, even if there is no real comparison there.

JP: My girlfriend always says The Cure, and we’re all totally down with that.

VM: In that same token, what’s the weirdest thing anyone has said to you about their thoughts on your music?

BK: So, this dude named Buffalo once told us that our music took him to the spirit realm, but he was tripping really hard, so I’m not sure how much of that was musically-induced or drug-induced.

VM: Do you ever have those moments where you get those vibes off of your own music?

BK: There are times when you think about something too much that it doesn’t seem real anymore. You can do it with a word, even. If you say ‘orange’ over and over again it becomes meaningless; it’s easy to feel that way when you’ve played something hundreds of times. But, there are those times when you realize that you’re essentially five strangers, and everything worked out so well that you ended up together, and now you’re all playing the same song, and you’re very much in tune with one another. That’s what usually pops in my head and throws me out of it for a second.

JP: Because I live in Little Rock and not Fayetteville, I come to things a little bit later, so I have more of that outside perspective where I listen to the music and can really appreciate what’s being made.

 

SXSW 2014: Aer x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

New-age hip hop duo, Aer, is comprised of Boston natives Carter Schultz and David Von Mering. Having just released their sophomore album earlier in March, the evolution in their style over the years is not only prevalent, but pioneer-style impressive. During SXSW, and (literally) hours into their arrival in Austin, we sat down with the two to pick their brains and find out what’s going on in their world. Give it a read, and follow that up with giving them a listen (I recommend “Feel I Bring,” but note that it’s been in stuck in my head for weeks now, and that’s a commitment in itself).

VM: It appears March and SXSW are the beginnings of an extensive tour for you two- what is the ratio of time spent on the road as opposed to off?

Carter Schultz: I’d say about 65 percent  on the road and 35 percent off. It’s definitely what I prefer; I get stir crazy when I’m home in Boston.

VM: Are there any artist comparisons that you frequently get that you’re over hearing about?

CS: Anything “Frat Rap” – get out of here with that. I hope you didn’t have all of these bands you had compared our sound too…

VM: Well, I did have one in mind, but I wouldn’t consider Gym Class Heroes “Frat Rap.”

CS: Oh, no, I’ll take Gym Class Heroes any day. I just hate being put into that pool of college rap, or anyone who is just doing it really “normal.” If you really listen to our music, it’s clear how different it is than that, but I honestly think the real comparison solely comes from our age. We are of the typical college kid age, but that’s as far as it actually goes.

VM: What are you most excited to see and/or do, being that this is your first year at SXSW?

CS: I want to go to Iron Works; I want to see The Felice Brothers, and I’m really excited to be playing the same showcase as Dom Kennedy and Casey Veggies.

David Von Mering: I’m looking forward to everything Carter listed, but also to finding a new artist.

VM: Do you feel like you’ve had a breakthrough moment into the industry yet?

CS: I feel like we’re not even close. We’ve had our moments where we’ve had sold out shows where it felt a little surreal, but I wouldn’t say there’s been a “break.”

DVM: It’s funny, because I feel like five years ago the big “break” was just signing a deal, and now deals aren’t really prominent or even normal. I wouldn’t say we’ve had a break, but the “Feel I Bring” video did a lot for us.

VM: Currently, what are your favorite releases of 2014?

CS: I’ve been bumping Satellite Flight (The Journey to Mother Moon) by Kid Cudi a whole lot lately, and obviously the new Arctic Monkeys has been on replay non-stop since it came out.

VM: Are you two hands-on with your own social media accounts, or does anyone handle that for you?

DVM: Our manager usually does boring, dry announcements, but other than that it’s one of us.

CS: I think it’s so important to give that personal interaction. It takes tweeting, “Haha thanks” or a little smiley face, but that means so much to the fans. I’d say that we owe most of our success to the tools on the internet.

DVM: I’m not totally satisfied with my Twitter, personally, but I’ll get there. The thing with that is you can tweet one thing, and it gets totally misconstrued into something else. I do love Instagram, though, and all the photos from artists that I follow- I like that sh*t.

VM: Have you ridden in a pedicab yet?

CS: A bike cab? I have not, but our hotel is like seven miles away, so maybe they can take us that far. It’d probably take like eight hours or something insane like that. I did see this beautiful girl today who was a pedicab driver, and she had these leopard pants on- I may have to find her later.

VM: Do you both participate in songwriting, or is one of you more prevalent than the other in that aspect?

CS: David is the one who is most prevalent, because he produces all of the music that you hear. But in terms of songwriting, we each collectively come up with a concept, and I’ll write my verses to the concept, and David will write his hook to the concept. So I’d say we each have our respective duties, but David takes on the bulk of it.

DVM: Our songs usually start with instrumentation, so I usually try to let that dictate where I personally go with it. Also, if I have an idea but Carter doesn’t like it, we scrap it or vice versa. But definitely instruments come first and play the most part.

VM: What can we expect from Aer for the rest of 2014?

CS: Over the summer, we are touring the UK, and later in the summer we’re going on another tour that’s still in the works. In the fall, expect videos, more music, and just more.

DVM: This is just the beginning, kind of like one of those sitcoms like Seinfeld or Friends; there’s still a lot more to come from us.

SXSW 2014: The Mowgli’s x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder
We’re bums and had memory card issues with our Mowgli’s pics, so here is a photo of them at the Pandora Showcase! Credit: Natasha Moustache Photography

Kicking off one of our favorite weeks in the year, day one of SXSW began with a complimentary Bloody Maria and an interview with American rockers, The Mowgli’s. Not too bad, eh? When they’re not touring and spreading endless love and good energy across the world (which doesn’t seem to be all that often), these guys are creating feel-good music that’s generating a buzz all over the billboards. Read all about our sidewalk chat session with Colin Louis Dieden before their set at Maggie Mae’s below, and be sure to catch these guys on tour while you can!

VM: What was your most noteworthy experience from SXSW last year?

Colin Dieden: Well, last year we played at Stubb’s with Walk off the Earth, Cold War Kids, and the Specials, and that was a really big, awesome show. It was kind of one of the first times we got to showcase on a huge stage for our publishers and our label and just everyone.

VM: Is anyone from the band actually from San Francisco proper?

CD: We’re not, actually. Some of the band members are Los Angeles locals, but that’s it. We took this trip to San Francisco and fell in love with it, so we decided to write a song about it.

VM: So did you expect “San Francisco” to become the hit single that it did?

CD: I definitely didn’t expect it to become a “hit,” but it also wasn’t surprising that it did. We had been playing that song for about four and a half years at that point, and everyone at the shows was attracted to it and would sing the loudest to that song. It definitely became the anticipatory song of our shows that the crowd was waiting for, but I was surprised by the timing of it all. We had been playing that song forever, and all of the sudden it’s being played on the radio and all of these places. Going from 20 kids to 20,000 kids singing your song is definitely a trip.

VM: I read about your summer in Venice where you would play up to five gigs in one day, which is pretty standard for a lot of bands during the week of SXSW. What are the most shows you’ll be playing in one day this year?

CD: I think today [Tuesday] we have about four of five, and I’m not even sure if that’s including press stuff. Last year we did a lot, and I was expecting to play less this year, but apparently that’s not happening. We’re just going to wring ourselves out like wet rags and love it.

VM: How taxing is that? After this week, do you need some recovery time?

CD: Yeah, but we don’t get that. After this week, we’re out on tour for two months, so we really have to be careful with our voices and kind of take it easy as much as we can. But, as you saw earlier, I was drinking a beer, and I think it’s technically still considered morning-time so I’m not sure how much ‘taking it easy’ will actually come into effect.

VM: Which show are you most excited to catch as a viewer this year?

CD: I heard The National was playing, here but I’m not exactly sure if that’s right or not. If so, I’d definitely like to catch that.

VM: Explain the [strategy] behind the Kickstarter the band created where you claimed the band had been “kidnapped by a record-producing kangaroo.”

CD: I’m not sure if that was marijuana-induced or what, actually. We were doing it on our own before we had a record label and all of that. We had seen some really awesome Kickstarter videos, and we just thought it was funny so we decided to do one of our own.

VM: Being that you were active participants in the Occupy movement, were you exposed to any of the extreme situations in regards to violence or chaos?

CD: No, we weren’t. We were part of the movement in downtown L.A., and I’m not sure if anything went down there, but we definitely weren’t a part of any kind of police brutality or anything like that. It seemed like political climate of the place we were at was pretty mellow. We played some songs of the steps of City Hall and whatnot to promote the peace. I would love to say that I saw something crazy happen- actually, I wouldn’t; I’m glad that I didn’t.

VM: I saw on your Facebook page that you just recently shared what the band has been listening to and/or watching lately, and, naturally Beyoncé was on the list. Are you as obsessed with the new album as we are?

CD: We’re really into it! That song “Drunk in Love” kills me.

VM: Have you seen the music videos she made for each song?

CD: Oh, yeah. Katie from the band is obsessed with those videos. Beyoncé is an incredibly sexy woman.

VM: So, what’s next for The Mowgli’s?

CD: We’re touring for two months straight after this, and then we’re recording a new album in May. After that, we’ll probably just tour again for the rest of our lives or something.

Catching up with Lydia

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Leighton Antelman of Arizona-based band Lydia is arguably one the most talented (and ridiculously good looking) singer/songwriter/musicians in the indie scene right now. Lydia was formed in 2003, and has since created musical masterpieces like nobody’s business. Lydia released their latest album, Devil, back in March of 2013 with great fan response. Devil Deluxe (B-side edition) was released mid-October while the band was on tour with The Maine and Anberlin. We got to catch up with Leighton at their show in Jacksonville during their last week of the tour. If you’re now thinking to yourself, “I wonder if he’s just as friendly and amazing as I’d imagine him being”, quell your curiosity and take my word for it- he is. If, like us, you’re interested in what exactly Leighton had to say about the past, present, and future of Lydia, check the interview below to find out, and then head over to iTunes and download Devil Deluxe (neither of which will leave you disappointed).

VM: How is the tour going so far? Tonight marks a new ‘leg’ of the tour, correct?

LA: We just finished the last show with The Maine and Anberlin last night in Orlando, and now we’re just playing and headlining 5 more shows on our way back home. It’s not really a tour; it’s kind of just fall headlining shows.

VM: Is there anyone that makes this tour more special than the last (aside from a stop in Jacksonville this time)?

LA:  Haha, yeah that’s true. I mean, this is the first show, so I can’t really say anything special about it…..so far. Maybe tonight it will be super special. We’ve been playing 30 minute sets for the past month and a few days, so we get to play new songs finally, which is cool. We usually play the same set, but we get to play 6 or 7 more songs now.

VM: Let’s take it back a bit- what happened in between the decision to do the Farewell Tour and the release of ‘Paint It Golden’?

LA: The guy who started the band and I had started parting ways, and that was the reason that we did the Farewell Tour. About a week before we left for the tour, he just…disappeared. We didn’t know what happened to him. Our relationship was the only reason I wanted to stop the band. We still did the Farewell Tour, and I had planned to hold to my word about stopping Lydia, but about 6-8 months after the Farewell tour, [the band] convinced me that we really should keep playing music. I really enjoy playing music with those guys and I didn’t really ever want to stop, it was kind of just a one-person thing. After all of that was gone, we all still wanted to play music together. It was kind of just a sketchy thing that happened, and I wish it had never had to happen, but it is what it is.

VM: Will any of the songs off of the very first demo ever surface again, or are those just dead songs?

LA: Wait, which songs?

VM: Oh you know, the ones literally titled “Demo One” and “Demo Two” that were really terrific…

LA: Haha, nah, those were just…demos.  I don’t know how they made it on the internet.

VM: Well, they’re terrific and I’m glad they found their way on the internet.

LA: Come on, they weren’t terrific. Some of the parts were cool. They never were meant to make it on the internet, but they did and I guess they’re there forever.

VM: What’s currently on your personal playlist?

LA: Lately in the van we’ve been jamming a whole lot of country mixes.

VM: Like what?

LA: Like Zach Brown Band.

VM: Is it because you’re in the south and you feel like you should?

LA: No, no, the whole tour! It’s just been a thing that we’ve all been into on this tour; kind of along the lines of Top 40 country. I can’t really do the honky-tonk stuff, though.

VM: Is the band still in contact with Mindy White? Has the set list decision process seem to have been affected since her absence?

LA: I’m absolutely in contact with Mindy- we talk on the reg. And I guess it affects it a little bit; some of the songs she sang too much on, so it’d be weird to play those particular songs. At this point we have enough songs so it’s not hard to fill a set. We’re definitely still friends though- she’s a great gal.

VM: Have you ever felt intimidated by the pedestal that so many people seem have to put ‘Illuminate’ on when it comes to writing new music?

LA: Eh, I would say no just because I won’t let myself do that. It’s just a terrible thing to do if you’re trying to be creative and artistic. I feel like you should always be trying move forward and create new and exciting things. It just seems like a weird way to go about creating something- holding yourself to a thing you did in the past. I already did that, I don’t want to do that again. And then there are those people who are like “Oh, it’s not as good as Illuminate” or “It’s better than Illuminate”; I’ve learned to not let the affect how I want to write the next album. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just…I guess I don’t care. And you shouldn’t care, really.

VM: With that said, have you been pleased with the fans response to ‘Devil’?

LA: Absolutely. I’ve been very impressed with the response. I’ve had so many people tell me that it’s their favorite record, which is cool because I don’t want to be that band that keeps putting out shittier and shittier records.

VM: Will there be another Holiday cover release this Christmas?

LA: I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. Did you really enjoy the last one?

VM: I did! I made this little video montage of my family at our Christmas festivities and I used that track as the background music.

LA: Yeah? Thank you! I just really have always loved that song. I love Holiday music; there’s some that is too much, but there so many good Holiday songs. I might need to do another one.

VM: Have your band members supported your endeavors in regards to The Cinema, and is there anything new coming from that in the near future?

LA: Yes, absolutely. They all love it, as well. We are about 90% done with a new album, and about a week and a half after we get back home I’m going to fly out to Atlanta to put the finishing touches on the record. It’s going to be out probably in January.

VM: My past experiences at your shows have proven to get rather intimate- would you consider doing a house show tour to keep the intimacy a real thing for Lydia shows?

LA: We’ve talked about doing a house tour before. To be perfectly honest, I’m not really sure why it hasn’t gone through. There’s definitely been talk about it because it’s a really cool concept. A lot of my close friends have done house tours, and it just sounds like a really good time.  A lot of bands seem to be going that route, and I can understand- they don’t have to pay anybody, all of their fans can get in, they don’t have to deal with a venue. We’ve definitely talked about it, and we’ll probably do one, I just couldn’t tell you when.

VM: Right on! If you want to come to Georgia I’m sure we could make something available for you.

LA: Yeah, totally. If we do the house tour it’s going to be a nationwide thing, we just don’t have it in the works right now. I’m glad you brought that up, though, because I’m going to bring that up again.

VM: What’s your favorite venue that you’ve ever played?

LA:  We played it on this tour, but in general it’s the House of Blues in Chicago. It’s just really cool. It’s like this three-tiered thing and its right on this river that goes right through downtown Chicago. It’s really old, but not in a bad way.  It may not be my absolute favorite, but it’s definitely one of them.

VM: What’s the next plan of action for Lydia when tour wraps?

LA: We’re probably just going to take a month or so off, and then we’re doing another headlining tour in April.

VM: Will that be in the states or no?

LA: Yeah, in the states, and probably the UK, as well. It’s all still in the works, but we’ll definitely be back through the states in the spring.

Less Than Jake: See The Light

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

For the first time in five years, Less Than Jake is dropping a full-length album (THIS MONTH), and to say that there’s much anticipation as to what to kind of musical magic these guys have created wouldn’t even scratch the surface.  Less Than Jake has become a timeless staple in the punk/ska scene, with a fan base literally ranging for multiples of generations. The new album, titled See The Light, is without a doubt a back-to-the-basics project that worked in all the right ways. Vinyl Mag got a first listen to the album, and we decided to share our thoughts with you guys…

The 13-track album kicks off with “Good Enough”, a track deeply seeded in Less Than Jake’s ska roots, setting the tone for – presumably – a feel good album.

“The Loudest Songs” is the fourth track on the album and what I would consider the anthem of the album. “Do you really think summer can save us?  Do you think the loudest songs can be the cure?  I believe it’s possible that words and chords can make us strong and make you feel alive- the loudest songs.”

By the time “Bless The Cracks” comes on, the one thing that really comes to mind is that this album is shaping up to be a reflection – almost a tribute – of the past two decades of LTJ’s sound; not a whole lot of the “now,” but ample amounts of “then.” And we’re not complaining.

As I’m making my way through this album, another fact I’ve found noteworthy is the distinction between each of the songs. Each is either predominantly ska-based, punk-based, etc., and the fact that you can pinpoint these influences in each song makes it a really fun listen.

With that said, track 10, “Give Me Something To Believe In” really embodies their ska sound, and the very next song, “Sunstroke”, goes in the complete opposite direction and takes on the punk rock sound.

“Weekends All Year Long” is the last track on the album, hyping the energy back up to level 10 one last time before the album is over, and you inevitably play it again…I certainly did.

As a product of the later generation of the punk-rock days, I can honestly say I missed out on a good bit of the Less Than Jake glory days; but I can say that I truly appreciate what’s happening in See The Light, no to mention the blood, sweat, tears, and years these guys have put into the making of this.  The album drops November 12th, and the band will be touring the states through December- act accordingly, Vinyl viewers!

*Vinyl Mag will also be INTERVIEWING these guys at their show at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA on November 6, so get ready – and Athenians, we better see you there!