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.

The Swellers: The Light Under Closed Doors

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Contrary to what their last album may have led you to believe, The Swellers have not, in fact, ran out of places to go. The band released their latest album, The Light Under Closed Doors, earlier this month, and Vinyl got a first listen. Were we impressed? Definitely. Surprised? Not in the least.

As a devoted Vinyl follower (you are, right?), you already know that Vinyl has a deep appreciation for these guys (see previous interview from 2012). This album has proven us right about The Swellers once again.

The first song on the album, simplistically titled “Should”, kicks the album off with a bang. This is where they catch my attention; this is where I begin to get excited for what my ears are in for throughout the rest of the album.

The second track, “Big Hearts”, picks up the pace a bit and gets back to the roots of the age-old “punk rock problems.” Perspective is easily lost when it comes to what any band trying to make it actually goes through, but this track reminds you of the heart that goes into the lifestyle. Carry on, you wayward souls, because you’re efforts are not going unnoticed.

“Got Social” is the third track, and one that I feel I (and probably you guys, too) could really relate to. You know that fairweather friend/ex/whatever that decided they were too cool and, essentially, forgot where they came from or the ones who were there for them along the way? Those guys suck- this song does not.

The next three songs kind of fell under the radar a bit in comparison to the album, but not nearly enough to sway my affection from what is really going under those closed doors.

Another song that really caught my attention was “Designated Driver”.  I again found myself relating to the lyrics “Last night proved to be an adjustment/ against my better judgment/ cleaning up for drunken friends/ I must have slipped your mind again.” This track is full of catchy symbolism, and yes, I’m a sucker for that kind of writing.

The Swellers cleverly cap the album off with “Call It A Night”, a track singing of knowing when to give up and when to just say when.

All in all, this album had me feeling like I was discovering The Swellers for the first time all over again. Like a fine wine, these guys just keep getting better with age. The Swellers are touring the states throughout the month of November, and if you value our Vinyl opinion as much as I think you do, catching their set wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The Swellers Tour Dates:
Oct 29 – Ybor City, FL – The Ritz (Pre-Fest)
Oct 30 – Pembroke Pines, FL – Talent Farm
Nov 1 – Gainesville, FL – 8 Seconds (The Fest)
Nov 2 – Orlando, FL – Capstan House
Nov 3 – Buford, GA – BlastHouse (w/On My Honor)
Nov 4 – Arab, AL – Roller Knights (w/On My Honor)
Nov 5 – Knoxville, TN – Longbranch Saloon (w/On My Honor)
Nov 6 – St. Louis, MO – The Demo
Nov 7 – Tulsa, OK – House
Nov 8 – Dallas, TX – TBA
Nov 9 – Austin, TX – Infest
Nov 10 – San Antonio – House
Nov 11 – Midland, TX – Pine Box
Nov 12 – Albuquerque, NM – Cat House
Nov 13 – Tempe, AZ – The Spot
Nov 14 – Henderson, NV – Eagle Aerie Hall
Nov 15 – Encinitas, CA – House
Nov 16 – Canoga Park, CA – Cobalt Cafe
Nov 17 – Pomona, CA – Montano’s House
Nov 18 – Ventura, CA – Zoeys Cafe
Nov 19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Redwood Bar & Grill
Nov 20 – Fresno, CA – Strummers
Nov 21 – Oakland, CA – 1234 Go! Records (w/Heartsounds)
Nov 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – TBA
Nov 23 – Cheyenne, WY – Lions Park Old Community House (Early Show)
Nov 23 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater (Later Show)
Nov 23 – Denver, CO – House (Even later show, yes 3 in one day)
Nov 24 – Omaha, NE – The Hideout
Nov 25 – Mankato, MN – The Cherry Pit
Nov 26 – Minneapolis, MN – Charlie Siren House
Nov 29 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Bunker (Cvlt Pizza)

 

of Montreal: Lousy with Sylvianbriar

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

If you have ever listened to of Montreal, you are aware of the psychedelic journey their tunes can take you on.  A fitting album cover photo, perhaps, for Lousy with Sylvianbriar, since you may find yourself ready to hop on that bike and ride off into lands of trippy new colors and skies.

With the more upbeat songs, such as the single “Fugitive Air”,  your hips may start developing minds of their own in response to the pleasurable beats. Tapping your feet or swaying to the beat, you’ll find that Kevin Barnes’ vocals create something different in each song. Barnes’ voice becomes intoxicatingly sweet, complimented by the female vocals alongside his in “Obsidian Currents”.  Little surprises like those are found throughout the album.

Further into the album, “She Ain’t Speaking Now” offers more drum action, which pairs well with Barnes’ vocals. The low roar of the electric guitar also finds its way into the mix of funky sounds here. The rise and fall of sweet melodies next to more upbeat tunes make this album a nice listen.

The same funk you’d expect from of Montreal is present in LwS, but this album presents more euphoric moods than the previous albums. If you dig what you hear, the band will be going on tour right around the corner!  Kicking off in their hometown, of Montreal will be playing in Athens, GA October 18th at the 40 Watt Club so don’t miss out.

of Montreal’s Upcoming Tour

Oct 18 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
Oct 22 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Oct 23 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Oct 24 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Oct 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Oct 26 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Oct 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
Oct 30 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Oct 31 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Nov 01 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Nov 02 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
Nov 03 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Nov 04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Nov 05 – Boise, ID @ Korah Shrine
Nov 06 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Nov 07 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Nov 09 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Nov 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet
Nov 12 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Nov 14 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
Nov 15 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Nov 16 – New Orleans, LA @ Howlin’ Wolf
Nov 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West

Q&A with District Attorneys

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

The District Attorneys, a band comprised of Atlanta and Athens natives, have quickly established themselves in the Athens music scene and is undeniably a musical force to be reckoned with.  Formed in 2009, these guys have made continuous strides in the right direction not only in making music that people want to hear, but also in being easily accessible at the click of a mouse. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and just months after releasing their first full length album in April of 2012, the band went on to win Best Album Artwork, Best Album, and Artist of the Year for the Flagpole Music Awards of Athens, GA. We recently spoke with Drew Beskin of the District Attorneys just days before the band was gearing up to play Athfest ’13, and this is what we found out….

Vinyl Mag:  How did the bond with This Is American Music form?

Drew Beskin: Ah, Payton Bradford of the Futurebirds is a good friend of mine and he is friends with Cory, who is one of the founders of This Is American Music.  After I moved to Atlanta and started working on our first full-length album, he suggested I reach out to him.

VM: Your music has frequented XM’s station “The Loft”; do you personally feel that is a fitting station for your sound?

DB: Well, I don’t really much listen to XM- not that I have anything against it- I just have my iPod, CD’s, and podcast’s that I listen to. I’ve heard The Loft tends to play a lot of really random stuff sometimes, but I’m friends with Mike Marrone [programming director for The Loft] on Facebook, and I see what he recommends all the time, and like his taste. I’m no authority on XM or anything, but it’s cool enough for me!

VM: How do you feel that your experience at SXSW this year differed from your last, and do you feel that it has been beneficial for the band?

DB: We’ve only gone two years; we toured up there last year which was a lot of fun. We really didn’t know what we were doing, and we kind of just said yes to anything we were offered. For a lot of the shows, they had paired us up with emo-punk bands, so some of them weren’t that great. One of the best parts of going two years in a row was that the first year we learned a lot about the area, but also just that we had been a band another year longer this time, so we had more fans to come out to the shows. This year we played a show every day, and each show was a really good time with some really cool guys.

VM: Who does the primary song writing?

DB: I do, for the most part. I write about 80 percent of the songs, and our keyboardist – and sometimes guitarist – write the remainder of the songs.

VM: Who runs your social media sources? Do you keep up with them yourselves?

DB: We are all owners of our Facebook page, but I would say that I maintain Facebook for the most part, and Frank [bassist] maintains Twitter, for the most part. We all have access whenever we want. We’re definitely in charge of it.

VM: Why was the decision made to release your first two EP’s for free via Bandcamp? 

DB: We knew what we were doing when we released them for free on Bandcamp; we wanted to go ahead and have it out there.  Now, all of our stuff is on iTunes and whatnot, but we put our first out for free just to get it out there for anyone to hear. We just generally wanted people to listen to it. We released our second EP on there, because we were working on our album and it was taking us a little longer than planned, so we decided to record a few songs on our own just to have something out to hold us over. You never want too much time to go by between releases.

VM: I noticed that the Gillian Welch cover of Wrecking Ball has a ton of plays; whose idea was it to cover that song?

DB: Well, it was my idea, because I love her; I take full credit for that. I’ve always loved her, so I was very excited to convince the band to do that, and I’m glad everyone took to it well.

VM: In a previous interview you did, you mentioned that “Cherry Glow” was your favorite off of the new album- what was it about that song that struck resonating chords with you?

DB: I think at the time what I loved about it was that the whole song was recorded live. Everything that you hear on that song was done live. Not necessarily in one take, but it was very natural and raw. Next time around, we want to leave space to do something cool like that again and make it more organic, I guess.

VM: What are your expectations for the upcoming Athfest?

DB: It’s going to be our fourth Athfest in a row, and I think the first year we were just this new band, and we played on like, the very last stage. Each year since we’ve played a different stage, and this year we will be playing the Pulaski stage which is really exciting. As far as expectations go, we’re just happy to continue being a band that’s invited to play. There are always a lot of fun things to do and a lot of cool shows so I know it’s going to be a good time.

 

REVIEW: Look Alive’s ‘Mistakes and Milestones’

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Look Alive, an up-and-coming band straight out of Atlanta, Georgia, is kind of like a manifestation of all of your favorite pop-punk bands from 2004. Intrigued? Well, rightfully so. These guys have been at it in some form or fashion for over 10 years now, and now the time has come for them to release their latest EP, Mistakes and Milestones, via Autumn + Color Records. Luckily, we got a little preview of the album; indulge in our thoughts:

The album’s intro, “Transitions”, essentially sets the theme for the EP in just 50 seconds.  The album then jumps into the second track, “Anchored”, which is an ode to the bad break-up that we all have been through at least once in our lives. Singer Jacob Causey’s aggressive vocals pair nicely with the direct lyrics and definitely strike a nostalgia chord for earlier pop-punk enthusiasts.

“Sink or Swim” is the third track on the album, and by this point, a clear pattern in song placement has been formed. The album takes you through all of the emotions you inevitably go through in the throes of failed relationships, with “Sink or Swim” expressing the stage of self-loathing and reflection, heard loud in clear with the focal point of the song,  “Don’t let me hear your say I’m just some castaway sailing out towards the nothing I became”.

Track 4, “The Way I see It”, continues to follow suit with the reflective process- you know, that moment when you realize it’s time to live your life yourself without reservation?  That what this one’s about- that glorious realization that no ones opinion is going to deflect you from your dreams.

By Track 5, you’ve reached the song “Farewell” (may be my personal favorite). There’s a bitter tone to Causey’s lyrics, and the energy is slowed down just enough to give it the dramatic edge over the rest of the album. “You are reckless, and I’ve accepted this”- Hold tight listeners, because at this point we have reached acceptance, and what a glorious feeling that is.

Look Alive closes the EP with the track “Over Under”- the end of an era of sorts, moving forward is the name of the game with this track.

Bravo, Look Alive – you have taken us through a realistic depiction of the emotional rollercoaster ride relationships and life will throw your way. Furthermore, bravo for making a fan out of all of us at Vinyl Mag. Be sure to check out Mistakes and Milestones when it drops July 2nd .

Phone Chat with Lemuria

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

After catching their set at SXSW, Lemuria stuck in my head and grew as an unshakable interest in my mind. Lemuria was formed in Buffalo, NY and have since spread themselves around the country. With the release of their newest album The Distance Is So Big, we figured now we would be a good time chat about the past, the present, and the personal in regards to Lemuria. A big thank you is in order for Sheena Ozzella and Alex Kerns for being so gracious and forth-coming and making this happen. After checking out this super rad interview, head on over and have a listen to Lemuria’s “Oahu, Hawaii”, which can be streamed here.

Vinyl Mag:  Whose idea was it to name the band Lemuria, and is it directly related to the lost land theory?

Alex Kerns: It was my idea. At the time I was reading a lot of mythical books about lost continents like Atlantis and Lemuria. I kind of just picked the name, and Sheena liked it so it stuck.

Sheena Ozzella: We knew we wanted it to be a one-word band name.

AK: We were kind of hoping it would be a name that no other band had, but we later found out that there was a band from Belgium that had the same name and the same kind of idea that we had. We actually got to meet a couple of guys from the band, and they were wearing their Lemuria shirt for their band; they came up and talked to us and were super nice. We’ve kept in touch with them over the years.

VM: How was the connection made with Kind of Like Spitting for the split you did “Your Living Rooms All Over Me”?

AK: I just kind of randomly met Ben, and we became friends. When we put out our first demo, he got a hold of it and liked it a lot. We just stayed good friends ever since we first met, so we decided to do a split LP and a full U.S. Tour together. Still today we’re friends. We’ve been talking about doing some UK shows together and stuff like that.

SO: Kind Of Like Spitting was one of my favorite bands for a really long time before he met them, so when he met them, and I found out that he had met Ben I was really excited. One thing led to another, and when we decided to do the split together it was definitely one of the coolest things to make something with a band that was actually one of your favorite bands.

VM: As far as the lyrics go, is it a group effort? Who does the primary lyrical writing?

SO: I would say Alex writes most of the material for Lemuria. Alex is a man of many words; he’s really good at summing up what he’s trying to say. His lyrics are very straightforward and very simplistic, but they tell stories, and they do a lot more than you would think in just a small amount of words. Alex also tends to write a lot faster than I do. But yeah, I write maybe one third of the lyrics, but I don’t say sh*t as good as Alex.

AK: For the record, I love Sheena’s lyrics, and I wish she would write more, but I just write faster, I guess.

VM: [To Sheena] How does it feel to not only be in a band with such talented musicians, but to also be dating one [guitarist Chris Moore]?

SO: Ooooh, a question about my boyfriend! It’s awesome. I’ve known Chris for a very long time- maybe close to 10 years now? We started dating four years ago, and since then we’ve both been in full-time touring bands, him in four bands. It’s awesome because in so many ways understand each other, but in other ways it’s kind of sad, because we don’t get to see each other very often when we are actively touring.  But, I love him and I support him, and he does the same for me, so it’s working. We’re about to embark on three months without seeing each other, and that’s about the longest we’ve ever gone. But its good, and we’re both good and doing really exciting things. I’m very happy.

VM: Is the title of the new album The Distance Is So Big symbolic to the geographic location of the band members, or is it something bigger than that?

AK: Kind of. It’s actually a lyric from one of our songs on the album called “Oahu, Hawaii”, and in that song it doesn’t really have to do anything with the band, but it’s more so something to do with a relationship. But overall, that line kind of sums up a lot for the band. Internally with the band, we’re all in different places.  But also, we all – in the past – and even in the present have been in long distance relationships. It just seems like it’s always been a big factor for our band.

VM: Leading into my next question- being that everyone in the band does live in different states, how do you feel that affects the writing and recording process?

SO: I think we’ve been more productive than we’ve ever been; it’s made the time we are around each other ‘go time.’ Whenever we would get together, we would have 8-hour long practices and were very much structured around writing an album. It feels a lot more focused now that we all live in separate places.

VM: How did you find your home at Bridge 9 records?

AK: We just heard that they were listening to our first album, Get Better, at their offices through mutual friends. So when we were recording Pebble we figured we should send them an e-mail and see if they were interested. It was an oddball signing, but I think that it really made sense mutually.

SO: I think it also opened up Bridge 9 to signing other bands that were like us. I know that from talking to Chris [Wrenn, starter of Bridge 9] that is has been a really positive thing for them in regards to him putting out things that he really enjoys, and that’s the point of a record label.

VM: Would you say that your first released track off of the new album, “Brilliant Dancer”, is a good depiction of the sound you’re going for with this record?

AK: Yeah. The album is pretty upbeat and optimistic. It’s a long album and little more epic of an album for us.

VM: How was your experience at SXSW this year?

AK: I thought it was a lot of fun. It was exhausting, because it’s one of those things where you can’t just drive your car up to the venue, unload, and play – you have to find parking and walk a mile and all of that. But overall, it was great and a fun festival, and we had a really great time. We played four shows altogether, and all four were worth the trip.

SO: We played for a lot of new people, which is always really exciting. I think we were one of the smaller bands who played SXSW, and I felt like at every show I really appreciated the amount of people who came out to see us. We felt welcomed, and it meant a lot.

VM: Last question- you’re noted for playing “The Fest” in Gainesville, FL every year; will you be playing again this year?

AK: Yeah, we’ll be there. If we didn’t play The Fest it would be a really bad year for us. It’s kind of the weekend we look forward to the most.

 

REVIEW: Lemuria’s “Oahu, Hawaii”

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Buffalo, New York’s own Lemuria is dropping their newest album The Distance Is So Big on June 18th, but prefacing that date, they have decided to release a few sneak-peaks from the album- the most recent being “Oahu, Hawaii”. Upon pressing play, I noticed Lemuria had strayed from the norm in certain aspects, but in other respects you still find the deadline Lemuria traits, such as the dramatic 15-second build to really get you amped on what your ears are in for. Alex Kerns takes on the lyrical lead for the song but is quickly met with Sheena’s bubblegum melodies.

In a recent interview [Vinyl Mag] conducted with Lemuria, Sheena spoke of Alex as a “man of many words”- this song being no different. That concept alone, paired with strategic lyrical repetition, make for the basis of almost the entire song. If you were already a fan though, the magnitude of their simplicity is probably something you’ve already come to love. As far as the intensity goes, “Oahu, Hawaii” tends to ricochet back in forth between about a 3 and 5- but don’t be fooled, these guys definitely have it in them (and will probably release that energy elsewhere in the album). It’s clear, though,  that this song in particular holds a lot of meaning to the members, having named the album from a direct lyric in this song.  Have a listen for yourself here, and be sure to check out the new album when it drops.

SXSW with Parenthetical Girls

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

On day three of SXSW, I was privileged (yes…Privilege-d…get it?) to be able to meet with Zac Pennington from Parenthetical Girls.  Play on words, yes, but no less a true statement.  Parenthetical Girls are an experimental-pop group from Oregon who have an eclectic style and dabble in everything from orchestral to electronic elements. After running into (and then conquering) my usual navigational challenges, I connected with after the band’s show at Old Emo’s, where I was able to get the scoop on important topics ranging from Taylor Swift to conceptual influences. Intrigued? Read on. Because you know you want to……

Vinyl Mag: How was the set?

Zac Pennington: It went really well; we had some technical problems, but that’s to be expected.

VM: Right on. How many shows have you played so far?

ZP: This is our third, and we have two more. Tomorrow [Friday] we have off, and then two on Saturday.

VM: Why the transition from Swastika Girls to Parenthetical Girls?

ZP:  That name was pretty short-lived. We had that name for a couple of months and essentially just decided against it. It was more of a burden to bear than I had liked to have. It was just difficult, because I didn’t care enough about it to have to defend it all the time.

VM: Have you been to/played a SXSW before?

ZP:  We came one other time a few years ago- I guess it was in 2008. We kind of took a long break from it- it was just too much.  I can imagine it would be really nice as a spectator.

VM: I can’t imagine how exhausting it must be- even just the drive from Oregon must have been brutal.

ZP:  SXSW landed in the middle of a little tour we’re doing throughout the US, so it’s been broken up, at least.

VM: Oh okay.  So where’s next?

ZP:  We’re going to Dallas and then heading northward to Birmingham and Atlanta, and then up the east coast.

VM: Do you prefer to be touring or is it just par for the course?

ZP:  I like it. It’s nice to tour; otherwise I often feel like I’m not doing enough. When you’re touring, its all that you can do, and you spend all of your time doing that one thing, so there’s no option to get distracted from it.

VM: Have you had any favorite sets that you’ve caught so far?

ZP:  To be honest, I haven’t seen a lot so far. Last night we played with the band Maserati; I didn’t catch it, but Paul (drummer) caught it and said it was one of the greatest shows he’s seen in years. There is this band called Austra that I’m a big fan of and really want to see. I would also love to see Nick Cave, but I think that’s probably not going to happen.

VM: So, Privilege Is Over released February 19th– how have the fans responded thus far?

ZP:  Fairly well.  It’s an interesting project; a lot of the material that’s on the album – I guess all of it – has been released in some form or another. We started this project by doing a series of 12” EPs. Its been interesting. For the people who follow us really closely, they’re kind of already familiar with the material.  It’s a condensed version of works as an individual piece for people, but also, ideally for people who maybe haven’t been involved with us so much. Its an easier thing to consume as a listener.

VM: How did the idea of Privilege the series come about?

ZP:  We made an album in 2008 called Entanglement that was an orchestral-pop album; we recorded it with an orchestra, and it took a really long time and was really labor-intensive. So, we decided that didn’t want to take that long to make another album, and we tend to take kind of a long time, and so the idea of making shorter statement was kind of pragmatic. Also, I feel it was a way for us to try a bunch of different thing that maybe we wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing if we were making a whole album.

VM:  Who or what influenced the idea of Privilege and the fictional-characteristic concept?

PG: The idea of Privilege is a vast and wide idea that means a lot of things. In the case of this album, most explicitly, the easiest way to relate it would be monetary privilege. Generally, though, class affects everything in our culture, whatever that fundamentally even means.

VM: Who do you draw your influences from musically; who are you into right now?

PG: A lot of the things that inspire us are not particularly contemporary, but I guess for contemporary stuff….I do really like that band Austra. My favorite current band is a band called Planningtorock. But a lot of the stuff that we listen to is less rock and more electronic-pop. I listen to a lot of contemporary radio-pop, though. I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift. Who doesn’t? She’s killing it everywhere.

VM: Explain the concept behind ‘Curtains’ (the video).

PG: Well, that song was the last song on the album of the entire series, and it’s kind of an epitaph for the whole project, so I really wanted to make a literal Viking-burial. Initially, I wanted to have a public hanging, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it cheaply. With this, all I had to do was buy a boat so we could set it on fire- it was a lot easier and less expensive than you’d think. It was just a nice farewell to the project, and in some ways it was like a eulogy to Parenthetical Girls as it was.

VM: How do you choose your album artwork and any artwork that represents the band?

PG: I’m a really big fan of commercial illustration, so for all of the records, I’ve commissioned pieces from illustrators that I really like. A lot of the stuff that we make is actually Amber who plays the keyboard; she hasn’t done one of our album covers yet, but she does a lot of the other illustrations.

VM: What are your plans for 2013 as a whole? What will you be working on next?

PG: We’re continuing to tour for the first half of the year. We’ve been working on some new material, but nothing that is really definable yet. We’re hoping to put out a new album much more quickly than we have [in the past]. We hope to have one out by next year, but we also take longer than we anticipate, so who knows.

SXSW with Sirah

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Grammy Award-winning Sirah describes herself on her Twitter as a “part time rapper, but a full time friend”, and after meeting with her during SXSW, I couldn’t agree more. Sirah is one of those rare breeds- you know, the kind that will schedule an interview with you and then invite you to eat cheeseburgers at the VH1 lounge first (which were incredible, by the way).  Upon the first five minutes of meeting Sirah, I realized that this petite fireball has a heart of gold and a genuine concern for people that you just don’t see much of these days. Because of this, and without putting all of my SXSouthwest eggs in one basket, I can easily say that meeting, eating, and speaking with Sirah was one of THE top experiences of my entire trip.  Thank you, Sirah, for being so gracious (and for having impeccable style and perfect hair). Without further ado, enjoy this post-cheeseburger/fat and happy interview we conducted with the lady of the hour, Sirah:

VM: Did you ever think you would gain this much attention from the music industry when you first got started?

SIRAH: I think I did on some level, but that was just me being young and all ‘I’m going to do this!’  But to be honest with you, it’s like an inner knowing; I knew that I was supposed to do this, and I knew this was supposed to happen. However, it actually being real is totally different.

VM: What was it like working with Skrillex?

SIRAH: It was awesome. He’s just fun, and it’s so easy and so natural working with him. He actually makes art and wants to create something, as opposed to people who do this to make money or whatever it is. It’s coming from such a genuine place, so I can just do whatever I want….that’s freedom. Every time we work together it’s really fast, easy, and it just flows. A lot of it is just free-styling.

VM: Tell me about your most recent album, C.U.L.T (Too Young To Die)– what were your major inspirations?

SIRAH: I actually ended up throwing it together in about two weeks, but a lot of it was just all of these ideas and feelings that I just needed to get out, because I was frustrated with how people were viewing me and things that were going on. Last year was such a weird and awesome year for me- I got signed.  Before that I got a publishing deal….but there was so much going on in my life, I just needed to expel all of these feelings. The reason I named it [C.U.L.T.] Too Young To Die was for really personals reasons; a lot of my friends had died the year before – about six of them – and so that’s sort of where that came from.

VM: Your song with Skrillex won a Grammy this year- were you in total awe?

SIRAH: Oh my gosh. I was SO excited, and I didn’t really feel worthy of it, because Skrillex definitely had made all of this happen. But I was so excited to be nominated and be a part of it. When we won and I went up there, everyone was like, ‘you didn’t look nervous’, and that’s because I wasn’t. I was still confused.  It’s such a surreal thing to be like, ‘yeah, I’m at the Grammy’s….and I won a Grammy’.  It didn’t ever connect, and I don’t think it has still. I’m just going to wear it on my necklace when I get it.

VM: Oh, you haven’t gotten it yet?

SIRAH: No, they send it to you in the mail. She had to pull it back from me. She literally had to uncurl my fingers.

VM: How was the entire experience of just being AT the Grammy’s?

SIRAH: It was amazing. I’m just so proud of Skrillex, so just to see what he’s done was amazing. I remember when we were younger being like, ‘yo, we’re going to make art, and we’re not going to let anyone tell us what to do’, and I was all for it, because I was so underground and fighting the revolution [in my mind].  But to see that he’s actually made something so brilliant is mind-boggling. I was just watching him at the Grammy’s, and I was just really proud.

VM: You have an edgy and unique look- do you think that your music inspired this?

SIRAH: No, poverty inspired that. When I was growing up, we were super poor. Even when we did have money, my parents never bought anything new. So all of my clothes were all hand-me-downs and eight sizes too big. Then when I lived with my mom after my dad died, we were really just scraping to get by, so I ended up learning how to sew when I was five years old. I started making my own clothes just because I didn’t have any options. And that’s sort of what happens now. I’ve never spent $500 on a pair of jeans, and I don’t think I ever will [on principle].

VM: That’s incredible- I can’t believe you were sewing at five years old!

ROB (MANAGER): She’s also a really good artist and never tells anybody!

VM: Really? Did you just discover this recently?

SIRAH: I haven’t painted in like seven years, but I just did this painting the other day, and it actually turned out pretty good. What’s funny is that when I lived in L.A., I used to do graffiti…I was a part of a weird subculture. But when I got an apartment and a job, well not a job….when I had rent and stopped selling drugs, I was like, ‘what do people do to be grown ups?’, so I  started airbrushing clothes and shoes and started selling paintings, and that’s how I made money.

VM: That’s amazing- you’re so resourceful!

SIRAH: Yeah, I got that hustle in my blood, but now I just use it towards positive things.

VM: You’ve recently played with acts like Macklemore and Icona Pop- do the musicians you tour with inspire you?

SIRAH: Absolutely. Throughout the years, there have been people I’ve toured with where I didn’t necessarily like their music before I got there, but when I got there I appreciated it. Being there changes everything. But yeah, Macklemore and Icona Pop are awesome; I was huge fan before I even got there. Icona Pop was so dope live, and they look so cool. Macklemore is dope, because he broke out of underground hip-hop, so that sh*t is awesome to me. He’s like living the hip-hop dream right now. He’s been grinding for mad long and literally broke out of a scene that, like, three people have broken out of.

VM: Speaking of touring, what’s your favorite part about being on the road?

SIRAH: I think it’s awesome, because you build these unbreakable relationships. Like even last night – I got home from doing some shows, and my band and my tour manager had surprised me with an Easter basket. It was really awesome. And on top of that, you just get so much better from watching other people and learning from it. Anytime I’ve toured, even if its been horrible, I’ve come out such a better person from it.

VM: What’s your favorite song to perform live?

SIRAH: “Where Do We Go”- it’s never been released, I just leaked it last week, but it’s my favorite song live.

VM: When do you plan on releasing it?

SIRAH: Well, I leaked it on my Tumblr, so holler at me.  My bad, Atlantic [Records], sorry about that!

VM: Why do you write? Is it to make people dance or more of a personal thing?

SIRAH: I know C.U.L.T. was classified as dance music, but I’ve never been like, ‘I want you to dance to this sh*t!’  I do it so that I don’t lose my marbles; I have to write.

VM: What has it been like being at SXSW? Are there any particular artists you’re excited about?

SIRAH: I was really excited before I got here, but it’s all just crazy now.

VM: Have you had a favorite so far?

SIRAH: Well, one my favorite bands was playing last night [WHY?], but they were also playing next to Ghostface and Iggy Pop, so there was no way of getting in to it.

VM: What is next for you?

SIRAH: I don’t even know; I won a Grammy, I’m at SXSW….2013 has been pretty good to me already. I literally don’t know what will happen next, because if had to guess any of this I would have never believed it, but right now I’m working on my full-length album debut. I’m just making mad music. I’ve been getting beats from kids off of SoundCloud and rapping in my bedroom.  So I don’t know what will happen, but whatever it is, it’s cake at this point.

SXSW with Allah Las

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

By the time I stepped off of the plane and onto Austin soil for the first day of SXSW, I had about two hours (give or take) to unload, unwind, and head downtown to meet with Los Angeles natives Allah-las. Tucked away in the corner of Sixth and Rainey Street, sipping our peach berry lemonades and basking up some Texas-style sunshine, I sat down and got to mingle with and pick the brains of these four ridiculously talented guys. These modern-day Beach Boys not only exude California in their music, but their laid back mannerisms and welcoming demeanor perfectly lived up to the expectations I had set for them based on their music alone. After some pre-interview chatter (discussing subjects such as soup houses, the Maury Povich show, and bird phobias), we got down to business. So now, I will waste no time in presenting you with…THE BUSINESS.

Vinyl Mag: Have you ever played SXSW before?

Allah-Las: Yeah, we played last year.

VM: Who’s set are you interested in seeing this year?

AL: We’d like to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Blank Tapes, Foxygen…there are so many. I was just going through the pamphlet today to look into it.

VM: As a collective, where do you draw your musical influences from?

AL: Well, we draw from every decade- but a lot of 60’s stuff. The 60’s were a good decade, not just for rock and roll, but for lots of other genres, too, like folk, garage rock, and world music. But we tend to draw from all across the map. Sometimes we’ll like certain tracks just because of the way that the drums sound or if there is a flute- we’re always looking for a good flute part.

VM: How do you feel that social media outlets have helped you as a band?

AL: I guess social media helps everything, really. It’s an easy way to spread your name around and reach masses of people. We run ours ourselves- it’s not that overwhelming.

VM: For the 3 applicable members, what was the transition like from working with Amoeba Music to now touring and making your own music?

AL: We still spend a lot of time there. The biggest difference is just simply spending most of our time doing this as opposed to spending most of our time doing that. But of course, this is exponentially better.

VM: What was the reasoning behind switching from Pres Label to Innovative Leisure?

AL: It wasn’t really a switch- Pres Records was our friend Nick Waterhouse’s label, and then another label got interested in us and we just kind of went with that. It was very casual with Pres- it was more so just a name to put out the record. He had his own little label, but we both joined with Innovative Leisure.

VM: Where did the name Allah-Las come from?

AL: It started just as something that sounded good and we thought it was clever. We’ve found out that it has many other meanings that we weren’t even aware of. Like, it has L- A in it a bunch of times, and we’re from L.A. A lot of people shorten us down to “The La’s”, which was already a band, but I like that.

VM: Who does the lyrical writing for the songs?

AL: Mostly Miles does the lyrics, but we all have our contributions throughout the record.

VM: What are your plans for the band for 2013? What’s next?

AL: After this we’re going to do a small, mostly east coast tour with Black Angels, and then we’re going to go to Europe. We’re also planning on finishing and putting out an LP, which should be out sometime around early August or early fall.

SXSW with Icky Blossoms

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

During my last full day at SXSW, I was able to sit and talk with Omaha’s own dance-music extraordinaire group, Icky Blossoms.   Upon meeting with them, I was pleased (and quite intrigued) to realize that we all fluently spoke the same languages- English, sarcasm, and dry humor.

On top of being so charmingly witty, though, these guys are all EXTREMELY talented and each have their own genius contributions to bring to the table (not that I would expect anything less from anything that Saddle Creek backs). Often in life you need not question things like, for instance…what is it about Omaha that harbors and breeds creators of musical magic? Heed my advice and just…accept it.

With that being said, Icky Blossoms are no exception to this musical manifesto of Nebraskan talent. They’re taking off. They’re going places. They’re making records. And they’re Vining. What’s that, you may be wondering? Quell your concerns and read all about it below.

VM: Are all three of you Omaha natives?

(ICKY SARAH): Well, I grew up in Blair, which is a really small town like 25 minutes away. I moved to Omaha for school, which is where I met them.

(ICKY DEREK): I’m from Atlanta, but I consider Omaha home. I’ve been there over 10 years.

(ICKY NIK): I was born and raised in Omaha; grew up there as a kid and have been there ever since.

VM: In the beginning, how was the community’s response to The Icky Blossoms?

(ICKY NIK): It was good, because the community is so supportive there. It’s a great place to try to make art and be a musician because of that support. It’s not too big of a town, either, so the scene isn’t crazy huge, so any time a new band comes out everyone goes out and supports them. It’s a great town to try to do what you want to do.

VM: I got that vibe in regards to Saddle Creek Records, as well.  Are the label-mates as supportive of each other as it appears?

(ICKY NIK): Yeah, it’s definitely like a family. Also, too, it’s like you go out on a Friday night to have drinks with your friends, and all the people around you are people from the label or musicians- they’re just all our buddies. It makes it really comfortable and tight-knit.

VM: Who came up with the name Icky Blossoms?

(ICKY SARAH): We stole it…from a man in Portland named Nicky Blossoms (ha!). No, we didn’t. But he sent us a Facebook message (and hopefully he will read this) that was like, ‘My name is John Blossoms, but I go by Nicky Blossoms, and I’ve been a band for five years and you guys stole my name.’

VM: Get out! Did you guys even respond to the message?

(ICKY SARAH): Yeah, we were like, ‘Sorry, we didn’t mean to steal your name…but they aren’t the same name…’

(ICKY DEREK): We actually did steal it, though. Our friends had a punk band that played one house show and called themselves the Icky Blossoms, and I was like, ‘Man, I love your guys’ band name!’ and when we were trying to pick our band name, I figured we could use theirs since they only ever played one show. So we called them and asked if we could steal their band name, and they were cool with it, so that’s where it came from.

(ICKY NIK): Just another example of the tight-knit community in Omaha, Nebraska…

(ICKY DEREK): Yeah, we were going to go with Bright Eyes, but we decided it against it (ha).

VM: How is this SXSW experience for you in comparison to your first time last year?

(ICKY SARAH): Well, SXSW last year was our first show outside of Omaha. We didn’t have a record out, and no one knew who we were, so now that we have a record out it’s a totally different experience.

(ICKY NIK): [Last year] was kind of our first time playing. I mean, we had just gotten out the studio and finished perfecting the songs, but didn’t really know how we would play them live. So looking back, SXSW last year gave us that fire to figure out how to do this thing live.

VM: What has been your favorite performance that you’ve seen this year at SXSW?

(ICKY NIK): We saw Black Lips last night, and that was great. We saw Azari & III which is like, house music and that was really cool.  Looking back on the week, though, my favorite act that I saw was probably Big Harp. They’re also on our label, but we’ve known Chris for a really long time from back in the house show days. Big Harp is awesome- he’s really found his voice.

(ICKY SARAH): I really wanted to see Empress Of, but I haven’t gotten the chance.

VM: Who mostly keeps up with your social media outlets, primarily your Tumblr?  And all the fancy GIF’s you’ve been posting?

(ICKY DEREK): It’s a collective effort.

(ICKY NIK): When we first started the band, we decided together that we needed to figure out social media and how it works, because none of us were really tumbl’ing or tweeting before the band. We all share the password and do what we can. We just started getting into Vine- it’s the jam!

VM: Yeah, I just discovered that one, too….I’m hooked.

(ICKY NIK): Follow us on Vine! Our SXSW ‘Vinings’ have been pretty entertaining!

VM: How was it to win Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for the Omaha Entertainment Awards?

(ICKY SARAH): Well, we didn’t expect it. It was really strange. It was this formal event, and we kind of wanted to freak everyone out.

(ICKY NIK): We brought like 30 people dressed in these amazingly wild costumes with us. It’s really a conservative event, so we just wanted to bring in a side of Omaha that normally wouldn’t go to an event like that.

(ICKY DEREK): We used it as a vehicle to show what was happening in the art community for people that maybe wouldn’t typically see it. We don’t really care about the actual awards ceremony, so it was a way to express ourselves to a greater audience that we don’t typically hang out with or see. It was good for that.

VM: How did the three of you meet/collaborate?

(ICKY NIK): I’ve known Derek for about 10 years; I directed music videos for his other band. Derek was actually really influential in getting me to start playing music and guitar. He was recording songs in a basement one day and asked me to play the guitar part for the song, and that was kind of the first time.  It really just all tumbled upon itself and turned into this.

VM: What was it about incorporating a light show to your sets that made it so important to you?

(ICKY SARAH): It adds another element for people to live on….or for us to perform to (laughs). I used to get really nervous, but now the lights are really fun because it’s like, I look like I’m looking at people, but really it’s just this blinding light. It’s like I’m in the fifth dimension, or something. It also really emphasizes the beats since it’s programmed to our tracks. It’s just another layer for people to like…..get it.

(ICKY NIK): It’s hypnotizing; having lights going to the beat of a song and shining on the audience and the band increases the opportunity for people to let go. It really helps with that part of the process, especially when you’re making dance music.

(ICKY DEREK): It really transforms the space, whatever it may be, into a dance club. It makes it so much easier to get lost in the moment. It subconsciously starts to pull you in more, and emphasizes parts of the song that maybe you weren’t even hearing. It’s an interesting approach to performing music.

VM: What is next for the Icky Blossoms?

(ICKY DEREK): A record. We’re writing songs right now, so just hopefully another record sometime this year. We’ve got a Record Store Day 7” coming out [April 20]- we’re doing a split with The Black Lips.

(ICKY NIK): Definitely enhancing our live show more. As we’re writing new songs, we’re also enhancing live shows. As we continue to take this next step everything gets….bigger.

(ICKY SARAH): We’re going to isolate ourselves in a cabin for two weeks…..and throw things off of each other…..idea-wise (laughs).