Category: All Interviews
CMJ 2015: Quaildogs x Vinyl VIDEO
Atlanta six-piece Quaildogs just released their first LP, The Getting Old Factory, back in September, but they’d already made a name for themselves prior to the release. The alt-country band has opened for the likes of Moon Taxi, Roadkill Ghost Choir, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and they recently played multiple shows at New York’s CMJ Music Marathon. We caught up with them at their show at Leftfield NYC to chat about their record, studio time (shout-out to mutual friend and Glow in the Dark Studios audio engineer, Ben Etter), and how they unknowingly ended up in Counting Crows’ Adam Durtiz’ house.
Gretchen and the Pickpockets x Vinyl Mag: The New Soul of Music
Once in a while, a person will walk into a bar, hear a live band, and fall in love instantaneously. For the lucky crowd at New York City’s Parkside Lounge on October 24, this was exactly what happened when Gretchen and the Pickpockets stole their hearts.
The lights are present only on stage and a twinkling disco ball spins overhead, centering Gretchen perfectly at the microphone. She steps up and with a steady inhale, dives into the first phrase of “Sweet, Sweet Love,” a Gretchen and the Pickpockets original. Her voice is clear and rich with an alto tone that cuts through the center of the room. She glides from note to note and her sound bounces off the rat-a-tat-tat of the drums and swoon of the horn. The blend makes its way to the deep and full bodied sound of the base and rounds off with the metallic strum and pluck of the guitar.
The band of five – singer Gretchen Klempa, bassist and brother of Gretchen, Mike Klempa, Tom O’Connell on drums, Richie Smith on guitar, and Ryan O’Connell on trumpet – calls the New Hampshire seacoast their home base but have no problem taking the New York music scene by storm. Their sound is original, refreshing and – in the endless circling of synthetic pop songs in modern music – a welcome chance to revisit the real heart and soul of music.
Described by band members as “alternative rock with jazz” the G&P sound is one that leans heavily on the wails of smooth jazz trumpet paired perfectly with the pep of classic rock guitar. Their songs, such as the signature “Sweet, Sweet Love” and “Break a Sweat” offer lighthearted energetic beats while “Confident,” “Don’t Let Go,” and “Swimmin’ In The Sea” show a more mellow side of the group, treading in lower tones and building to mid-song breakout crescendos.
Kick-starting their music career three years ago, the then group of University of New Hampshire students found common ground in their dorm building’s common room where they would gather to cover their favorite songs. Eventually covering turned to writing and the common room turned into a stage.
“It kind of just happened,” said Gretchen. “It was me and Mike’s idea to start the band and then we kind of like rang in these hooligans,” motioning over to the rest of the guys.
“We wrote some crappy songs and then Ryan came in and fixed them,” added Mike.
There’s a playfulness and ease to the group that shows through in their presence on stage and can be heard directly influencing the sound they seem to so effortlessly create.
Their sound, something fans would be hard pressed to find anywhere else, is pulled from a smorgasbord of inspirations, ranging from punk rock, hip-hop (both 90s and modern) and jazz, to name a few. The proclaimed favorite as far as other bands are concerned is D’Angelo and the common ground for favorite genre is soul music and R&B.
“It’s just a culmination of everything that we like, you know, we all have different backgrounds,” said Richie. “It’s so hard to pinpoint exactly where this comes from because we all have so many different interests.”
“We even had a keyboard at one point,” he added.
“Yeah … for like a week,” Gretchen tacks on with a hint of wit.
Something that stuck a bit more permanently than the keyboard, however, is the band’s name. Keeping on track with originality Gretchen and the Pickpockets as a phrase is just as catchy and unforgettable as Gretchen and the Pickpockets as a tune. The name can be attributed to Gretchen and Mike’s upbringing on Pickpocket Road where they held band practice and their father’s persistence when he heard a good thing.
“For like a year their dad was like, ‘You should be The Pickpockets,’” said Ryan.
Three years later, and here they are.
The future of Gretchen and the Pickpockets is one that, just like the range of inspirations, fans and notes in their songs, has no limits. According to the band, their sound will continue to develop and their reach will continue to grow.
As for the sound, Ryan has high hopes to “experiment with bigger horns sections.”
“In some of our locals shows our friends will just jump up on stage with us and we’ll have like a six part horn section and it sounds really cool,” he said.
“We would just bring, at first cover songs we all liked then we kind of figured out what kind of music we wanted to play,” said Mike.
As for location, the group is hoping to do a Southern tour in the near future but for now is content with their native region of New England.
“I think you can make it big wherever you are if you have talent and know the right person. It doesn’t really matter where you are, to me. We want our hometown to be Boston,” said Gretchen.
The band currently holds the title for “Best Band in New Hampshire” and it’s inevitable that this is just the beginning.
“It’s like you know being in this band, I feel so lucky. Like, these are cool people, and they’re kick-ass musicians so like, you know, you couldn’t ask for a better way to be creative, said Richie, “I’m just happy to be in this group. I think what’s cool about being in this band is since we all really dig jazz and that sort of thing, there’s a lot of room to improvise but even though we have our set song forms, we can push it a little bit. If we want to change tempo a little bit, we go into a different harmony, everyone’s really good at listening and really goes with it.”
“We’ve all invested a lot of time the last few years and we’re all ready to invest a lot more time too,” added Mike.
The hard work is in no doubt paying off. With fans in New Hampshire, Boston, New York and even a “small cult following in Milwaukee” (Richie would like to give a shout-out to Reggie), there’s nowhere for this down to earth band to go but up.
“I think we sort of go by the mantra of, you know…don’t be a jerk” said, Mike. “Be nice and don’t suck.”
To top it all off, G&P are avid food lovers, with a specialty in tacos. As if it couldn’t get any better, fans can follow the band’s food escapades on their website and Instagram.
And so, tacos in tow, G&P left New York for the New England soundscapes once again. On Nov. 5, they will open for Low Cut Connie at Great Scott in Allston MA and plans for a full album are in the works.
For Gretchen and the Pickpockets, there are no signs of slowing down. We couldn’t be happier.
To catch Gretchen and the Pickpockets, check out their upcoming show dates and venues:
Nov. 6 – Thirsty Moose, Portsmouth NH
Nov. 7 – Blue Mermaid, Portsmouth NH
Nov. 25 – Zorba Room, Lowell MA
Nov. 27 – Press Room, Portsmouth NH
Marian Hill x Vinyl Mag
Marian Hill are a jazzy synthpop duo from Philly who introduced themselves to the world with their debut single “Whiskey” in 2013, leading up to the release of their excellent Sway EP earlier this year. Touring, writing, and recording all along the way, the band are picking up steam and readying their full-length for early 2016.
I sat down with Jeremy and Samantha after their 12:00pm set on Sunday at ACL Weekend 2 in the Austin summer heat (shaded area, thankfully) and talked about pros and cons of big festivals, their roots as a band, and how far they’ve come in such a short time.
Michelle King: Thanks for taking the time to talk; I know you guys probably have a busy schedule this weekend. I also know you weren’t here last weekend, but did you come straight in from Philly?
Jeremy Lloyd: We’re in the middle of a tour, so we played Dallas last night and we’re playing Phoenix in a couple days with ACL right in the middle.
Samantha Gongol: We had to drive straight here, so we only got like two hours of sleep.
MK: And then a daytime show after that, that’s gotta be tough for you guys.
JL: Yeah it’s been a crazy day.
MK: Have you gotten to see anything since you finished your set?
JL: No, haha. We went straight to a radio set and then to eat some lunch, and now we’re here.
MK: So staying busy then!
(both): Yeah.
MK: Are you planning on seeing anything else while you’re here?
JL: Yeah, I’m very excited for a few bands later today. We’re going to try and catch Chance the Rapper, alt-j, The Decemberists.
SG: I’d like to catch Halsey.
MK: So you’re on tour right now; have there been any stand out shows?
JL: I mean the stand out for me on tour is just that every show has been such big, excited crowds.
SG: We’re playing to bigger rooms.
JL: We’re selling merch for the first time, and we’re just having a lot more fan interaction than we’re used to. Every show we’re out there for an hour after meeting people, taking pictures, signing autographs.
MK: That’s awesome! So the reaction has been significantly better than it was last time you toured?
JL: Yeah, it’s been another level. It’s really had an escalation from the last tour which is really cool.
MK: And you just put out your first EP this year; what were you doing before that? When did you start touring as a band?
JL: We put out our first song ‘Whiskey” in July 2013, and at that point it was the only song we had written together. And then people got excited about it on the internet, and were like “great, so what else are you guys working with?” and then we were sort of building everything else up. We played our first live show in February 2014, we put out a little independent EP around the same time, and since then we’ve been playing one-offs and writing more and more and we signed and put out the official EP, the Sway EP. We’ve been touring and writing our album since, and now the album’s ready to go and we’re just waiting on the release and everything.
MK: About your first song “Whiskey,” I read that the way you introduced it to the world was emailing cold-emailing 60 blogs… what did that email say?
JL: Haha! Ohhh, I was actually pretty careful about it. I got the blogs because I went on Hype Machine and looked at songs like ours and looked at blogs that posted them and found the contact info and made a big spreadsheet. And then in each email I found a song that each blog had posted that I liked, and personalized the email saying “I found this artist through you guys, so I wanted to share this song with you” and then there’s a little blurb about Marian Hill and the track.
MK: That’s smart, you should be a publicist!
JL: Noooo, but it worked! We got picked up by three amazing blogs and the rest is history.
MK: Have you guys played Austin before?
SG: We did SXSW.
MK: How do you feel that ACL compares to SXSW? I know they’re completely different animals, but…
SG: I’d have to say, I mean SXSW has a lot of shows, a lot of smaller shows. You know, it’s a city festival and this feels very much like Firefly, you know, just bigger stages. It’s great.
MK: What are some of the best things about playing a bigger festival like this?
JL: I think the opportunity to see other bands, because as a band we’re always playing shows, we never get to go to shows. It’s really cool to be like “oh wow, Chance the Rapper is playing today, I’ve been wanting to see him, let’s just go!”
SG: And also for a band like us that are still sort of up-and-coming, the stages are bigger, the crowds are bigger.
JL: You get a lot of walk-ups, you get a lot of people that haven’t heard of you and we were the only band playing at noon so we have a lot of people walking over as they hear it, and those are new fans.
MK: Great exposure, yeah. What are some challenges of playing the bigger shows?
SG: The heat.
JL: Playing in the daytime is always freaking gross, not only because we have very night-time vibes but because my controller uses a lot of light and if there’s sun shining on it I can’t read it, so we have to construct shade so that I can see what’s going on. Festivals, book us at night!
MK: I heard that you met in middle school doing a play together. How did you reconnect after all that time?
JL: I mean we were always kind of connected, we were always in the same friend group, and we both started writing songs on our own around the same time and we were kind of aware of each other and sharing stuff and trading tips and stuff like that. When we would catch up over breaks, as you would do with old friends, and in college we would write stuff, and that’s how “Whiskey” came around.
MK: And how do you guys share songwriting duties?
SG: Jeremy handles production, and we write melody and lyrics together.
MK: What would you say inspires your music?
SG: I’d say relationships are a big thing.
JL: I mean definitely other artists, and music in general. I always think that I’m making the music I want to hear, and I’ll get into the slumps where “I don’t like anything!” and that’s a lot of where the impulses are coming from. I also love Drake, and he’s a huge inspiration.
SG: And I grew up on jazz so…
MK: Yeah I can definitely hear a lot of that in your music. And you have a live sax on stage!
JL: I grew up on hip-hop and she grew up on pop and you kind of bring the two together.
MK: So you pull a whole lot of elements into your music.
JL: Yeah, a lot of it’s about bringing old and new together. Making electronic music still feel live and human and exciting. Because it’s easy now that everything’s so electronic to make stuff that’s just completely canned.
SG: And the nice thing about “Whiskey” is just that sort of organic, really simple evolution. We didn’t have any designs, we didn’t set out to make the song in a particular style.
JL: We aren’t trying to be anyone else. So when “Whiskey” worked, we were just like “Woah, what is this? Let’s be like this.”
MK: And you said you’re putting together a full-length now?
JL: Yeah, it’s together! I’ve got it on my phone!
MK: How would you say it compares to Sway?
JL: I think it’s a greater expansion. It’s like Sway we were defining our sound and on the new album we’re totally fleshing it out. It’s a lot broader, we explored the different places we can go emotionally, musically, sonically.
MK: When’s it coming out?
JL: Early next year.
SG: Early 2016!
MK: And you guys are just going to keep touring and hustling in the meantime?
SG: Yes! We finish at the end of October, and then we’ll have a couple one-off dates. And from there we’ll see! During the holidays things kind of shut down and then after the new year we’re back!
MK: Looking forward to it! Is there anything else you guys want to add?
SG: First time at ACL and we loved it!
MK: Well we’re glad you’re here, it was an awesome show!
CMJ 2015: Slow Down Molasses x Vinyl Mag
Slow Down Molasses is a quintet hailing from Saskatoon, Canada. And I’m newly obsessed with them. Reminding me of another Vinyl favorite, PacificUV, SDM is a shoegaze pop dream, and their recent album, Burnt Black Cars, definitely can’t be listened to just once. The band is made up of members Tyson McShane, Jeanette Stewart, Chrix Morin, Levi Soulodre, and Aaron Scholz.
Post-CMJ madness, we grabbed a few minutes with Tyson to talk about the festival madness as well as future plans for the band. Read on, and then go listen immediately.
Vinyl Mag: How was your CMJ? Did you get to see any other shows?
Tyson McShane: We had fun. It’s always great to get a chance to get to New York City, and as we always do at these types of festivals, we definitely made sure to catch some other bands. A personal highlight for me was seeing Mercury Rev and Ezra Furman at the Bella Union showcase. The Rev were stunning as usual, and Ezra fantastically delivered on all the hype I’d be hearing for him and his band. Otherwise, we played four shows, a couple of which were really great fun. You never know who’s around at these festivals, so it’s always a bit of a mystery as to whether the shows were a success or not, but we love to play, so no matter what, we enjoy playing the shows, and people to seemed to appreciate them.
VM: What was your favorite moment of the week?
TM: The end of our last show of the festival, a 1:15am set at Arlene’s Grocery, was really fun. We’re all big Sonic Youth fans, so we figured we’re playing New York’s Lower East Side, let’s end the set with a nicely destructive cover of their song “100%.” It was a nice, cathartic way to end our time at the festival. We then went straight from the venue to the airport and flew home.
VM: What was your favorite show that you played?
TM: The first show we played was easily our favorite. It was a show for #ImagineOct20th, put on by a bunch of Canadians in New York to motivate people to get out and vote out (our then) Prime Minster, Stephen Harper. The Canadian federal election was October 19th, and unfortunately we’ve had a very cynical, mean-spirited man as a Prime Minster for the last decade, and we were really happy to get to play a show to do our small part to encourage Canadians to get out and vote him out. The show was wonderfully fun to play, and it was great to connect with some fellow Canadians right as soon as we landed in New York. Also, I’m happy to say Stephen Harper was voted out, and I’m cautiously optimistic about the new Prime Minister, so I’d say the show was a success!
VM: How did working with Jace Lasek come about for Burnt Black Cars?
TM: Working with Jace was fantastic. We couldn’t afford to fly out and mix it with him, but it was a very easy process. We love the way his records sound, so we basically told him to do what comes naturally, and as a result the mixing was quite painless. Some songs on the record are his first attempt at a mix, with no revisions from us. It’s sort of incredible to start to learn how much of specific sound and personality the person mixer can have, and Jace has a pretty specific sound that we quite love.
VM: Do you have a favorite track from the album?
TM: Overall I’m really happy with every track on the album, but for me personally, “Resurrection Blues” was really exciting to do. I had not played that song for the band, as I had a pretty specific vision for it and I had all the parts laid out, but I’m pretty useless with recording myself and demo’ing things, so I’d never actually heard all the parts played at the same time. I was a bit nervous that it would sound like utter crap and we’d end up having to re-write the song or cut it altogether. Fortunately that was not the case, other than some minor editing that Jace did and tiny bit of glockenspiel that Ryan [drummer] added, it’s all the parts I had bouncing around my head.
VM: What is the writing process like for you guys?
TM: This album was a big change for us. Previously I’d write most of the songs and bring them to the band in a fairly finished state. This album we collaborated a lot more, either with me bringing in more skeletal ideas, or all of us being in the same room improvising around little ideas. So in general it is much more a band album. As a result I spend much less time just playing rhythm guitar, instead of playing more interesting bits to support the songs. It also meant the songs were a lot more refined going into the studio, so we all played a lot less on each song, but I think ended up with much stronger songs and a much better sounding album.
VM: Are there any collaborations that you’re dying to do?
TM: Despite touring in support of Burnt Black Cars, we’ve been writing a lot lately, so we’ve been pretty inward focused on that side of things. That said, I always have the in the back of my mind that I want to take a lot of the songs in a noisier direction and leave opportunities for the songs to go more out there. For something like that it would be amazing to collaborate with someone like (Swedish saxophonist) Mats Gustafson or the Dirty Three’s Warren Ellis, or some of the guys from Oneida. I’ve been really indulging in my love of more avant garde, improv based music the last couple years, so I could see that creeping in to some of what we do in the next while.
VM: What is next for Slow Down Molasses?
TM: We are heading back into the studio soon. We have a bunch of new songs, and we started recording a few of them at the end of August at our friend Barrett Ross’s studio. As I mentioned, we’ve been writing a lot lately as well, so I’m excited to get working on arrangements and get a few songs tracked, then figure out what we are doing for mixing them. We’ve got a few ideas on that.
Cardiknox x Vinyl Mag
New York electro-pop duo Lonnie Angle and Thomas Dutton got their start in a pretty unusual way—they met while working on a musical. After dabbling with their sound in the studio on the side, they decided to really put all their effort into making music, and Cardiknox was born. We sat down with the duo as they returned to NYC to talk inspiration, songwriting and plans for the future.
Vinyl Mag: Tell us about your single, “Doors.” Where did you get the inspiration for this song?
Lonnie Angle: “Doors” actually started as a dream. All songwriters have had this happen. They wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming of what seems like the world’s greatest melody. They fumble for their iPhone and record a sleepy, mumbled version of the melody, and go back to sleep. Usually, though, when you listen back in the morning, it’s a horrible melody that makes no sense. Not with “Doors,” though!
The initial dream also saw the song as more of a hip-hop song. On the production side, Thomas is hugely inspired by the simplistic power carried by a Drake or Kanye beat. So we tried to keep the music really simple and anthemic. Lyrically, it’s all about perseverance. Not losing self-confidence in the face of adversity. Believing in the outcome.
VM: What is your greatest accomplishment as a band so far?
LA: We just finished a few weeks of touring in Europe, which was a dream come true. Belgium, Amsterdam, Paris, and all over England. We didn’t know quite was to expect, but the shows were incredible. The kids at these festivals go nuts! It was so fun to play for crowds who have so much energy. It makes the performance so easy, because you’re just feeding off them.
VM: How was playing a festival like CMJ different than playing small clubs on a regular night?
LA: CMJ is always a whirlwind. In the best possible way. As long as you go in knowing that everything is going to be a bit of a mess, then you’ll be fine! There’s always twice as many bands on the bills, and there isn’t always a strong connection in the overall sound of the lineup — it’s a bit more random. But unlike playing a normal show, the whole city feels alive and electric (even more than normal). There’s this buzzing in the air, and you’re running around from show to show, not getting any sleep. It’s the best! Though I’m glad it’s only a few days every year…
VM: What was your favorite moment of your CMJ week?
LA: We haven’t played NYC in a hot second, so seeing all the familiar faces and all our friends come out was pure joy for us. We got to play some of our favorite spots, too — Webster and Brooklyn Bowl. Mmm their fried chicken… so good. Honestly I don’t know if there’s one singular moment that sticks out. It was just so great to be back in NYC, in full swing. Such a magical place.
VM: Any upcoming releases?
LA: Yes! Our next single, “On My Way” … [released October 30!] We’re really excited about releasing this song. We’re shooting the music video for it in a few weeks, too. We’ve been putting a ton of work and energy into the video, so we’re really stoked for that as well.
VM: If you could play any venue in the world, where would it be?
LA: Well, a few months ago I would have said The Gorge, up in Washington, but we got to play there at Sasquatch Festival. On second thought, that’s definitely up there on our list of biggest accomplishments. Thomas and I grew up in Seattle, so playing The Gorge has always been a dream.
Other venues on our bucket list are Red Rocks and Madison Square Garden. Hopefully someday soon!
VM: What is your songwriting process like? Do you draw inspiration from any other artists?
LA: We normally start with a certain lyric or concept that we want to write about. That’s often the hook and we’ll build a simple progression around it on the guitar. From there, sometimes we write the verse or pre-chorus and create a full skeleton of the song. Once the song is written, Thomas builds a beat around it, and starts creating the soundscape. Obviously it’s not always that linear. You never know when or where inspiration is going to strike.
VM: Do you prefer to play live shows or be in the studio working on something new?
LA: I love performing. It makes me feel completely alive and uninhibited. There’s something magic that happens when I step on stage—all my fears and anxieties about the world … all of the noise and chaos just falls away and it’s a kind of bliss.
VM: What artist would you most like to collaborate with?
LA: Thomas would probably say Drake. I’m pretty obsessed with Christine and the Queens. I’d love to collab with her in some way.
VM: If you could describe your sound in a single catchphrase, what would it be?
LA: As addictive as truffle fries.
VM: Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals?
LA: I always have a whiskey and jump up and down for about five minutes to get the blood moving. Thomas gets quiet and introspective … mapping out the show in his head.
VM: What is next for Cardiknox?
LA: World domination. J
VM: Anything else you want Vinyl Mag readers to know?
LA: We <3 u!
CMJ 2015: Tuff Sunshine x Vinyl Mag
Industrious post-punk band Tuff Sunshine sit down with us to talk answering a crowd’s call, making it in NYC and one trick bands. Brooklyn-based and unpretentious, band members John Leitera, Ani Cordero and Turner Stough took over Union Pool Oct. 17 at the CMJ Music Marathon Team Clermont showcase. Tuff Sunshine’s next record, Fire in the Hero Building LP, will be released Oct. 31 — a deal that was made mid-Vinyl Mag interview.
Vinyl Mag: Time Out New York described Tuff Sunshine as “emotive indie fare that skillfully fuses funky soul with wiry postpunk” in 2012. Would you say this is still an accurate description?
Turner Stough [bass]: It’s the first thing anyone’s ever written about us.
John Leitera guitar and vocals]: It’s an accurate blurb … we’ve definitely been writing newer stuff and growing. We all listen to a lot of different music; Turner and I used to be in a country band together, and I listen to a lot of soul music, and Ani does her own thing.
VM: Everyone has their hands in different projects. How do you all balance it while still doing kickass, wiry post punk shows in NYC?
JL: I really only have this and the country band. But Ani just recorded in North Carolina.
Ani Cordero [drums, percussion and vocals]: We’re all veteran musicians. It’s not so much about genre, it’s what the song calls for, and we try to provide it.
TS: Definitely.
VM: I’ve read Tuff Sunshine tries to send a specific message with music. Can you elaborate?
JL: There’s not a lot of attitude with this band. We like to do what we like to do. We play what we like to listen to – which doesn’t always mean just one type of music all the time.
VM: You play whatever the music calls for; what is something you’ll normally answer? What did tonight call for?
AC: A live performance is very different than arranging a song. Tonight called for rockin’ out. [laughs] So we did.
TS: Usually when musicians say that … [for example] if you’re a sideman playing for the song, it means you’re thinking of the big picture, and not just technicality of an instrument. It’s in the emotional vibe of the song, as opposed to putting in a hot lick or something to fill.
JL: I bring in the songs as a real rough sketch. Turner and Ani do a lot of the arranging. My songs are usually torn up and edited out a lot, which is good ‘cause I tend to go long.
VM: I know the feeling. I’m a writer.
JL: [Laughs] Oh yeah, very similar.
VM: That brings us to my next question – What’s the dynamic of Tuff Sunshine? You had a guest player tonight, Dave Rubin. Is that normal for y’all?
JL: This was a pretty big show for us. At CMJ, you never know who’s gonna be around. There’s a lot of parts on the record…Dave did a lot of the recording for our EP, and we thought it would be cool to have him cover some of the parts, like the organ.
VM: Would you say it’s tougher to be in a smaller band and cover all the parts?
JL: It’s actually a lot easier.
AC: Three is a great number, actually.
JL: Especially with the stuff we [recently] started writing. The whole goal of this band was to be pared down and raw. And not have a lot of ‘stuff.’ But I tend to like so many types of music … I don’t want to write a song like “Sliding Through My Hands,” the duet from tonight, and just have it be bass drum and guitar. There should be an organ. That’s the feel of it. So trying to cover that stuff live becomes more challenging.
VM: So then what’s your favorite song to perform live?
AC: That’s a three-part question. [laughs] You guys go first… I’m running through the songs, and I can’t pick.
JL: I like playing “I Complied” a lot. Live, Ani is right, we like to do rock…“Dynamite” is fun too.
AC: Come on, I mean it’s hard to pick. I can’t pick.
TS: For me, [it depends on] the room and the night. Sometimes songs just slay, but some nights in certain rooms they’re just OK. There are little x-factors with playing live. Sometimes the magic is all set. And you just fucking hit it out of the park. And sometimes you don’t.
JL: “I Complied” and “Sliding” showcases the band a little bit. I like people knowing that we’re not just a one trick band, that we have depth.
VM: One trick band. Ugh.
AC: Yeah, that’s a thing.
VM: So you all met in Brooklyn – how did you all start playing together? I read that you came out with your EP very shortly after getting together.
TS: Yeah. Right out of the gate.
JL: Turner and I were together looking for a drummer, and we found Ani. I literally put up a Craigslist ad that said, ‘This is a hail mary, this is the last time I’m ever doing this, I know you’re out there.’ And she was the only person who wrote back…we had a rehearsal, and we thought, ‘Let’s do it.’
I started with playing guitar and some little over dubs that I had recorded, and we learned them; then Ani and Turner turned out to work really well together as arrangers, and we kind of just went from there.
I wanted to go into the studio really soon after and capture what was really going on in that moment. Our first record is still one of my favorite things we did … which you will be receiving a free copy of after this interview [laughs].
VM: What are some obstacles you have run into breaking in the NYC music scene?
JL: Finding a drummer wasn’t that hard actually, we just got lucky. [NYC is] tough, but it’s a great place to be, because it’s the center of everything. Going out of town to tour and play shows … you find that people don’t get back as quickly [as NYC], that there’s not as much of a professional element to it like there seems to be here. To me, that’s the good thing about it. I guess what’s not great is that there’s just so many people doing it.
VM: That’s why I love stuff like this – CMJ as opposed to something like Governor’s Ball. It gives musicians a chance to get their names out.
JL: We were really happy to be part of this tonight. Super stoked. I came last year to this showcase, actually, and wished I was playing it.
VM: And here you are.
John steps away.
TS: [At CMJ] you get to hear all these bands that you’d rarely see. Maybe some of them aren’t on the level yet to tour the world regularly, so they come over here. You definitely get some cool vibes with festivals like CMJ, SXSW.
VM: Does Tuff Sunshine have plans for more showcases on the upcoming tour?
TS: We’re not doing any festivals, but we do have a Daytrotter session, which is what we built the tour around. It’s all the way in Iowa, so there and back is a good run. Playing Pittsburgh [John’s hometown] and my hometown, Cincinnati. Some Midwestern action.
VM: Shows will be pretty different on that tour than here at Union Pool. I feel like audiences in NYC just aren’t as impressed as easily.
TS: Yeah, I love playing smaller markets. Some of the best shows I’ve had have been small towns.
AC: In a large market, there could be 20 amazing shows or events [in one night], and you just can’t do it all. But when it’s a smaller market, everyone goes to all the different kind of shows available. It’s less segmented. Everyone goes to see all the cool stuff … and they dance more.
TS: Not everyone in the room is a musician [laughs].
John returns.
JL: So a guy just came over here, and he runs Shorewave Records, and he’s going to release our record on cassette.
VM: It just happened? Congrats!
JL: I honestly don’t know anyone who has a cassette player. [laughs]
AC: I do!
JL: Well we’re going to your house to listen to it … a lot of bands are doing it. It’s a cool boutique label. He’s a good guy who’s been a fan of the band for a while and put out some other stuff. He asked if we’d want to do a cassette, and I said sure. The vinyl release is just us. We have a few people who are somewhat interested.
VM: What would you say is your most significant accomplishment as a band?
JL: Staying together. I mean that. I really mean it. I think it’s really hard to find the right people to work with, to get through all the bullshit that everyone has to put up with. And just be able to keep it together. I’m so thankful for these guys. Personally, the greatest accomplishment is being able to keep it going. If you don’t keep it going, nothing else matters. We’ve had a lot of great things happen here and there, with press and record people, all of that’s really nice, and I’m always flattered and honored to have people pay attention to what we’re doing. But to me, sticking together is the biggest accomplishment.
AC: That’s a great answer.
TS: I think so, too. Everyone here runs different bands, and it’s not easy to keep a project together for a multitude of reasons, most of it is pretty obvious, but it’s a real skill, and John is good at it.
VM: That’s refreshing.
JL: Well, it’s true. Were also very thankful for this as well. I never take for granted that people want to talk to us. It’s very important to say that.
CMJ 2015: Good Morning x Vinyl Mag
Upon first glance, you might think Good Morning hails from New York City, with Katz’s Delicatessen proudly displayed on Stefan Blair’s sweatshirt. But then they open their mouths, and their Australian heritage is obvious. Vinyl Mag spent a great afternoon bantering with Good Morning’s Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons, who met in high school but have only been collaborating as Good Morning for one year. It’s been a busy year for the band, with the release of their first EP, Shawcross, their first CMJ experience, and Liam’s first visit to NYC.
Vinyl Mag: What are the coolest things you’ve done in NYC this week? What else do you want to do while you’re here?
Liam Parsons: The city is good overwhelming. There’s so much going on.
Stefan Blair: We were on an amazing rooftop last night.
LP: Amazing view of uptown and downtown.
SB: We went to Best Pizza in Brooklyn the other night, that was pretty sweet. Katz’s was also awesome. Those are two highlights.
LP: I’ve really been enjoying the bagels.
VM: How long have you been together as Good Morning, and how did you name the band?
SB: About a year.
LP: This is the first thing we’ve decided to put out, and give it a name.
SB: We just play at home recording this stuff, because it’s interesting and fun to do, a good waste of your time. And then one day we had some songs, so we got a couple more friends to come; they play bass and drums when we play live.
LP: The name was meant to be a non-event, that makes you think of nothing at all. Just a common phrase. So that kind of worked, because now I’ve completely forgotten how we thought of it.
SB: There’s no terrific story behind it.
VM: When did you each get into music?
LP: I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I had a few bands in high school here and there. We were in another band in high school. It was pretty terrible.
SB: It was shit. I started playing piano when I was four.
LP: Your first song ever written was pretty good.
SB: I recorded a song, “Logic,” when I was six or seven years old. I still have the burned CD in my room, and it’s just basically a rip-off of Linkin Park’s “In the End.” It’s just me playing with a mini keyboard.
LP: Pretty forward-thinking for a child. It’s quite experimental.
SB: It’s just always been something we’ve messed around with, music and stuff.
VM: So, Linkin Park. Who else inspires you?
LP: Just anything, early 2000s.
SB: Baby Bash. I wasn’t so into “Numb/Encore.” That is where I began to lose interest in Linkin Park.
LP: I don’t know, we have heaps of influences. I don’t really know what we’d say would be the influence for this. I think most of our influences we don’t sound anything like.
VM: How do you describe your sound?
LP: I just call it pop music. Call it like rock ‘n roll. Every time we have like a cab driver ask us what type of music we play—
SB: They sort of stare at you with a look of confusion when you say ‘pop music’ though like, how can you make pop music with those guitars? I just call it pop music as well, but it’s sort of a vague term I suppose. It’s our idea of pop music.
VM: What’s the writing process like? How often do you get together to rock out?
LP: There’s not really any one set way. Some of them are like little one-minute ideas that either Stefan or I have thought up and bring back to the other person to work on together. Or some of it’s on the spot, we make stuff up. We don’t write as much as we should I suppose.
SB: It depends on the time of the year really. I’ve been working full-time at university, so I haven’t really had a chance to get days at a time when we can sit and do it and it’s nice to have that time to sit down and do it if you want to write and record stuff.
LP: It’s nice to isolate yourself sometimes.
SB: The last time we did that we recorded an EP down at Liam’s beach house in June or Julyish. We spent a week down there and just spent every day doing 13 hours of recording, and then you go home and forget about it, and it’s all done.
LP: We play shows most weeks. And we just hang out, I suppose.
VM: What are you working on right now?
SB: We just finished that EP, and there’s nothing really being worked on at the moment. There’s always like demos and stuff floating around, and sort of a backlog of ideas, which I suppose the plan is to go back and record an album over summer, see what happens.
LP: Winter’s not as fun to record in.
VM: Is this your first CMJ experience?
LP: It’s our first anything like this experience.
SB: We weren’t even playing shows at this time last year.
VM: What do you want to be doing a year from now with the band?
LP: Making records that I like. Something I’m proud of I suppose.
SB: Maybe have some more recording gear.
LP: As long as we can keep playing shows it’s worthwhile. I mean, it’s worthwhile because it’s fun. By this time next year, I don’t want to just fade away.
SB: We’ll keep doing as we usually do in Melbourne, just play shows. Record some music.
VM: If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?
LP: I always wanted to be a homicide detective. I don’t like cops, but I’d like to be a homicide detective.
SB: I don’t think I’ve ever referred to myself as a musician. I don’t really think of myself as a musician; I call myself a university student right now. That would technically probably be my employment. Or sandwich master. One of the two. If I wasn’t one of those things, I’d probably be much happier, because I don’t want to be either of those things, but music’s not the way to make any money or whatever so you have to do real life things, sadly.
VM: What are the coolest or craziest things that you’ve experienced as a band?
SB: Probably coming to NYC is definitely the coolest thing we’ve experienced.
LP: Yeah. This. And the dude that plays deputy Andy on Twin Peaks started following us on Twitter. That was pretty crazy.
SB: We had an Uber driver yesterday come back to the venue and return our bag whilst we were playing. He’s like, ‘You guys forgot your bag in the car!’ So that was pretty crazy, because I wouldn’t have expected somebody to do that, which is pretty nice. Maybe it’s a shame that we find that crazy, that somebody would be that nice.
VM: Is there anything you want the Vinyl Mag audience to know?
LP: I feel like I thought of a good answer to this the other day.
SB: I feel like I’ve never had a good answer to this.
LP: Don’t be a dick.
SB: Be nice to people.
VM: What advice would you give to young musicians trying to make a name for themselves?
LP: Think less about trying to make a name for yourself.
SB: Just do it if you enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, fuck it.
LP: It’s weird to watch people try to get famous and stuff. It sort of corrupts people.
SB: It defeats the purpose of playing music.
LP: Don’t feel like you have to do shit that other people do just because other people do it.
VM: If there’s one more tourist thing you could do in the city, what would you pick?
LP: Probably go to the top of the Empire State. I’m just addicted to views at the moment. Anything that can get me a good skyline.
SB: I’d like to ride a bike over the Brooklyn Bridge. That would be exciting.
LP: I haven’t been to Central Park yet.
SB: Museum of Natural History as well.
LP: I want to go to MOMA.
CMJ 2015: Violent Mae x Vinyl Mag
Becky Kessler and Floyd Kellogg didn’t meet with the intention of becoming a band, but with their first album release in 2013 and another coming up next month, we’re glad Violent Mae found one another. The duo, who live five hours apart from one another—Floyd on an island off the coast of Massachusetts and Becky on an organic farm in Connecticut—met up with Vinyl Mag at Muchmore’s in Brooklyn during their one day in New York City for the CMJ festival to talk about their off the cuff creation and what’s coming up next for the band.
Vinyl Mag: How did you two become a band, and where did the name “Violent Mae” come from?
Floyd Kellogg: Becky moved up from Outer Banks, and we met right away because of a mutual friend that I have a studio with. We met kinda casually through that.
Becky Kessler: I wanted to record tunes, because he has a recording studio, and I had no ambition for it to go anywhere—just wanted to record these tunes so I didn’t forget them but wanted to do it in a nice, good way. I actually didn’t expect it to be as cool as it was. When we were in the studio recording, I was like if you’re inspired, drums, bass, whatever—he did that. When it came to release it, it was like well, we want to be a band now.
FK: We were thinking of having other members, but we just played duo off the cuff one night and thought, ‘Well that kind of works,’ and just kept working on it from there. The name came kind of from—we had a crazy year while we were recording that music—there were a lot of happy and darkish times, so it reflects the dichotomy of that feeling.
BK: It’s kind of inherent in the music itself, because it was some pretty moments and some kind of junky, punky moments, and I really like the contrast.
VM: When did you each individually get into music? Where do you get your inspiration for your collaborations?
FK: My uncle was a gear, techy person, and he had a bass he was fixing. I was like 11 and used to just be drawn toward it. I thought it was a guitar, so I started playing it, and he was like, ‘No, it’s a bass!’ Then I started playing bass, and that was that. I picked up some other instruments along the way.
BK: My mom played guitar and sang, and my dad played piano. My dad actually wrote songs too, but neither one were learned, educated musicians. I started playing my dad’s piano when I was eight, but didn’t get very far with that. I started playing my mom’s guitar when I was 11 and just loved something about the guitar. We share a lot of influences, but we definitely have different ones. Both of us are really obsessed with Morphine; that’s a major influence of both of ours. I think we actually had different style stuff that just blended together really cool—or at least we like it.
FK: I think when you’re writing tunes, they were very intimate and quiet, and all my bands before were like jet-taking-off loud.
VM: How did you get involved with CMJ this year, and what other CMJ shows have you caught?
BK: We got on the CMJ charts with our last record.
FK: We were on the CMJ radio charts at 88 for a couple weeks, which was really nice, out of the blue. The record kind of stuck with them, so it seemed natural to come play the festival. We just caught a couple friends’ bands and a couple we don’t know.
BK: We caught Eternal Summers, and Terrible Roars, who are friends of ours. Then this other band that kind of blew us away, Toronto Weaves, and another band, Strange Kids.
VM: If you were in NYC for more time, what one thing would you want to do?
FK: I should be visiting friends. Hopefully I drag them out tonight; it would be nice to see them.
BK: I have one friend I haven’t seen in years coming tonight that I’m very excited about. I’m actually more nervous about that than playing the show. But I’d go see that new museum, The Whitney. I saw the building from the outside, and it looks really, really cool.
FK: I’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty. I’d really like to go.
VM: How do you handle the long-distance relationship?
BK: It’s tricky. This summer was hard, but we did alright. Every once in awhile it’s like, ‘We have to get massive amounts of stuff figured out and done in the next hour on the phone.’ And we do, usually.
FK: We have intense sessions of working on band music.
BK: When we’re not together, I’m always working on writing, like every day. When we get together, we work on making it better, tighter, with arrangements and how it’s going to go down performance-wise.
FK: Then we update social media.
VM: If you weren’t a musician, what would you do if you could be anything else?
FK: I would be a mountaineering guy or blast off avalanches. Something that has to do with being in the wilderness.
BK: I think I probably would actually be what I am some of the time—I work on an organic farm that my boyfriend and I have. I really get super attached to animals and love that part; I also love the growing part and learning more about it. It’s so hard, but I love watching the plants grow, and the animals are just amazing.
VM: What’s one of the most unexpected things that you’ve found in this process?
FK: Something that surprises me is when we’re recording or working really closely together on something, how much we don’t need to fully say to the other person, ‘That’s not working,’ and have a discussion about it. It seems like we’re in line with shit like that. We don’t do a load of talking.
BK: There’s not a lot of discussion. That’s right, that’s cool. And I was really stoked and surprised that Floyd wanted to make it a band and be in the band when he had a bunch of other stuff going on. That, and I’m also surprised how much more loud gear and guitar pedals I have. And I want a lot more. Floyd’s definitely been educating me on a lot of that stuff, and I’m really enjoying using it.
VM: Do you have a new album coming out this year? What is next for you guys and the band?
BK: It’s not technically released yet, but we have the actual physical thing. It releases November 20th. Right now you can hear “In the Sun.” We actually have a video coming out that this dude who lives here directed—it was such an awesome experience doing that. I think it’s really good, I really like it. We did a live video with the last record that is pretty cool.
FK: Big picture is playing more shows and making sure the album sees the light of day and people get to hear it. It’s fun to share music with people.
BK: I think both of us don’t think too much big picture too often. We just think what’s next, and things we want to do—like making more music videos is fun. And now it’s such a great way to share your music with people, because people have to be engaged in a million different ways. And playing more places; that’s what would be great if the music got known better it wouldn’t be so difficult finding shows in other places.
VM: Is there anything else you want the Vinyl Mag audience to know?
BK: We’re hoping to have vinyl of this album in 2016.
FK: We’re gonna be around for a minute. So stop by.
CMJ 2015: Acid Dad x Vinyl Mag
“We’re on the f*cking fast track.”
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Acid Dad shook the walls of Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn, New York at their second CMJ performance. The Brooklyn local band has only been together about a year, but their sound has an effortlessly seasoned blend that only comes with the most organic of connections. Merging band members from all areas of the nation and globe, Acid Dad is a touch of Los Angeles meets Nashville, meets Columbia, meets Minneapolis, all booming from inside the walls of one intimate Bushwick bar.
Lights fade between shades of blue, green, and red as they bounce off the walls of Our Wicked Lady in unison with the beat of Acid Dad’s “Grim.” Their set list is one that transitions from fast-paced, harder beats to mellow, rhythmic tones as the night goes on, running through a complete set list of band and fan favorites including: “Shoot Ya Down,” “The Digger,” “Master Blaster,” “Brain Body,” “Grim,” “Cinnamon Sky,” and “Worm.”
The band’s name was created just as it sounds with one part acid and one part alliteration. To its four members, Acid Dad “just felt right” and it sounds even better.
The ensemble is made up of four members: Vaughn Hunt of Nashville on vocals and guitar, Dany Gomez of Colombia also on guitar and vocals, Kevin Walker of Los Angeles on drums and Sean Fahey of Minneapolis, the newest band member, on bass.
Described as psych-punk, a term and genre coined by the band themselves, there’s a vintage electric hew in the vocals that’s parallelled in the guitar and balanced on a quick but steady bass line. Matched with upbeat drum hits for the unmistakeable punk influence, the sounds mesh to create an energetic original sound that’s all their own.
The sound inspiration, much like the band, is a melting pot of musical tastes, experiences and icons.
“We try to be very dynamic,” said Gomez, “If anything it’s a combination of all we’ve soaked in, and we kind of try to put it out in our own way.”
“I’ve been around music forever since I was a little kid, and it’s one of those things that you just like do, and you just kind of lose yourself in it. Everything you listen to just kind of gets ingrained in the back of your head, and when you’re writing it just kind of comes out whether you do it on purpose or not,” added Hunt, “Sometimes we’ll be like, ‘Oh, okay. Let’s write a fucking Black Sabbath breakdown here’ and sometimes it’s on purpose, but most of the time it’s pretty organic, pretty natural.”
And just as any new and thriving band does, Acid Dad is constantly evolving, and well aware of it.
“We have phases, too. We have writing phases. Like sometimes we write country, slower songs,” said Walker.
“Yeah, I’m in the country phase. We definitely like the country mood,” Hunt added, a statement which rang true through the sounds of his guitar only one hour ago as the set list slowed and the slightest hint of southern drawl weaved over the chords of “Brain Body.”
Three months after their official formation, the band saw its first big break in March of 2015, while opening for one of their friend and favorites Mystery Lights at Brooklyn’s Union Pool.
“That was a really good step forward for us, because that was when we started playing for people who weren’t just our friends, a little wider audience. Just because they’re big and they’re awesome. And we’ve played with them two or three times more since then,” said Walker. “The whole thing happened really fast,” he added.
With no agents, producers or public relations set ups, Walker handles all of the band’s publicity, booking, and promoting shows and interviews as often as possible. The tactic is clearly working.
“Saturday, we’re opening for Shannon and the Clams, and literally all these bands we were listening to in high school we’re opening up for. That’s honestly our biggest break. That hasn’t happened yet,” said Hunt. “We’re on the fucking fast track.”
By the end of this year, Acid Dad will have played 50 shows, according to Walker.
Big breaks aren’t the only thing Acid Dad can look forward to in the coming year. This winter, the band plans to release their first EP, I/II, which will be written, recorded, produced, and promoted entirely on their own with Hunt handling the EP’s production.
“I’m a producer, and I engineer and write lots of stuff and record all of it,” said Hunt.
“We’re really, like, autonomous, a well oiled machine,” Walker added.
To follow their run of CMJ showings, Acid Dad plans to retreat to their recording studio in Brewster, New York for a few days of writing for the new EP. Together, over the span of a few days, the band will run through their creative Rolodex, pulling from the likes of Neil Young, to the Brazilian psych rock band Os Mutantes. Big fans of 90s hip hop, there may even be some Biggie influence in there, too.
“We practice a lot. We practice at least twice a week, and I’m working on it every day. It is a lot of fuckin’ work, but it’s really fun,” said Hunt, “That’s what Eddie Van Halen talked about. He said, ‘we’re all fucking nerds; we’re all nerds just chilling in my garage learning all this crazy shit.’ You just gotta be into it.”
“So,” said Hunt, “I guess my advice would be to know music history and know music theory. Advice he and his band mates clearly follow as their banter is sprinkled with quotes and facts of legendary musicians, including the Van Halen and the Rolling Stones. They know their stuff.
For this young, up-and-coming band, sights are set on a sound and career they can carry with them long into the future. With role models and passions for a timeless, quality sound blazing the way, there’s no doubt Acid Dad will keep on the fast track for years to come, establishing themselves in ears and minds far and wide.
“Just to play music is the goal,” said Gomez, and play they will, because after all, they’re Acid Dad, and they’re here to stay.
CMJ 2015: Malia Grace x Vinyl Mag
Soulful pop singer Malia Grace is heading to New York this week to perform at CMJ Music Marathon. The Austin-based singer-songwriter has already made a name for herself in her hometown, between playing local weddings and being invited to perform at South by Southwest. Now, Malia is set to drop her debut EP on October 29. We grabbed a few minutes with Malia to talk about the release, having her song shared on Jimmy Fallon, and her week at CMJ.
Vinyl Mag: Your debut EP is dropping in a few weeks (October 29th) – can you tell us a little about that?
It is! I’ve been working on this EP for a year and a half and am very excited to finally get it out. The release is going to be at One2One Bar in Austin, TX and it will be a “Spook-tacular Release!” I figured since it was so close to Halloween, I might as well tell people to wear their costumes and celebrate that too. Who doesn’t love Halloween, right?!
VM: You did crowdfunding through Indiegogo for this album. What made you take that route, and how was the response? Was it surprising at all?
I took this route, because I’d seen my peers do it and be successful with it and I didn’t have the money to fund the album. I was concerned we wouldn’t reach the goal, which is why I made the funding “flexible.” I was very pleasantly and humbly surprised by the response. We hit the goal and even exceeded it!
VM: Your single “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool” was just shared on Fallon (so cool!) – how did that feel?
Oh, my goodness! It was thrilling. I still get butterflies thinking about it. When I got the notification on my phone, my heart started racing. I had to go play a four-hour gig that night, and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking due to the excitement. It really made me feel like my music was worth it and all this time and effort wasn’t wasted. It validated my passion.
VM: You were a Music Business major, and I read in your bio that you turned down other opportunities on the business side of the industry to pursue your music full time. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What led you to decide to take that path?
I was actually interested in becoming an entertainment/copyright attorney. When I graduated college, I planned on taking a gap year, working in a law firm, and studying for the LSATs. My absolutely amazing, supportive parents talked me out of it and encouraged me to follow my passion. It was an interesting juxtaposition of roles. I decided to still work in a law firm as my day job to get to know the field while recording. Nowadays, my music is my day job, which is a blessing in itself. I still may follow the law path later in life, but I hope my music works out and I can continue on this route.
VM: Being a full-time musician is really hard in this day and age. Even huge musicians sometimes have to have a day job when they’re not on the road to pay the bills. How do you make that work?
I have a fabulous 3x/week four to five-hour gig at Truluck’s, an upscale restaurant in Austin, Tx as well as church gigs I play. Having a consistent paying gig helps me to sustain.
VM: Do you have a favorite song to play live?
It changes depending on the gig and my mood. I do always love to play, “Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool,” because it changes the energy in the room and people start to dance more. My favorite thing to do is sing my wedding song, “The One,” which is not on this EP, for bride/groom first dances. Watching two people dance while you play them your song to celebrate coming together in union is…well, there are no words.
VM: What can people expect from your live shows?
They can expect a good bit of fun and a little bit of song-therapy. I want my gigs to be cathartic for them. They can also expect to get a good dose of my personality and dry humor. I don’t really change on stage, so what you see up there is pretty much exactly what you’ll get if you talk to me in a grocery store.
VM: Who are you most excited to see at CMJ?
Honestly, I’m most excited to see a bunch of new bands I’ve never seen before. The great thing about CMJ is you can discover new artists you may have never heard of previously. The amount of talent is insane!
VM: Got any advice for attendees?
Sneakers, water, and protein bars. Keep yourself healthy, because a fest like this will take it out of you. Also important: Have fun! Go see some great bands, relax, and find some new music you dig.
VM: Where can we catch your shows this week?
I have an I Heart Radio session at the Z100 Dunkin Donuts on Friday, the 16th at 4pm, a show at Postcrypt Coffeehouse at Columbia University that same day at 9:30pm, and my official CMJ Showcase at the Big Picture Media Showcase Saturday, the 17th at 9:30pm. It’ll be a fun mix.
VM: What is next for Malia Grace?
Releasing the EP at the end of the month and getting my tour together! The Tonight Show activity generated a lot of new interest and we’re thinking through a range of fresh options. Between gigs and private events, the schedule is pretty hectic through the New Year, but I have a lot of energy and am looking for more. Other than that, only time will tell and I can’t wait to find out.
VM: Anything else you want readers to know?
I want to meet all of you!