Category: Interviews
SXSW with Murder By Death
I have serious fangirl love for Murder by Death. I jumped on the bandwagon a little late after discovering them when they opened for Say Anything at the 40 Watt Club last year. Since then, I’ve procured all of their albums, mildly YouTube-stalked them, and – now – gotten the chance to interview guitarist/vocalist Adam Turla at South by Southwest. Serious highlight of the week.
So enjoy! And be sure to catch them on their current tour this year! You’ll thank me -everyone should get a chance to see them live.
Vinyl Mag: You started in 2000, and you have six albums. So it’s been go, go, go. How do you keep coming up with new stuff that quickly?
Adam Turla: Six full-lengths, yeah. I’d say the albums come out every two to two and a half years, and we’ll work really hard on an album – writing and recording – and then we’ll tour for like a year and a half, and then we’ll go back and write again. It’s just sort of a system at this point. Part of that comes from [that] this is all we do – my friend, Will Whitmore, describes us – and him as well – as ‘blue collar musicians.’ We have to work. We can’t take the luxury to take some time off and spend the money that we make, because there is no money. Not enough at least. We have to keep that sort of system. I’m at that point now where I’m like, ‘alright, when I get home from tour in June, that’s when I have to start writing again.’…you have to stay organized and stay efficient. That means that I’ll never force an album out…unless I really want to put an album out.
VM: Are you the kind of person that sits down and has set hours for when you write, or just as it comes?
AT: I’m not the Ernest Hemingway, like the 10-2 thing or whatever. It’s the opposite. It’s more like a time where I don’t think about songs very much at all until I’m writing…and then I’m thinking about them all the time. I don’t even write with a guitar. I just write everything in my head. So a lot of it happens when I’m like camping or walking somewhere, and I get an idea and try to write it down before I forget it.
VM: So you said William Whitmore…I read that he did vocals for you on the phone?
AT: Oh yeah, yeah! He’s one of our oldest friends in the music world, and on our second album we wanted him to sing backup vocals on this song, and he was…I think he was here – at South By [Southwest]…He called me from a pay phone, and we just held a microphone up to the phone and recorded it, and it actually sounded pretty good.
VM: That’s crazy.
AT: Yeah. We couldn’t believe it worked.
VM: Do you have anymore stuff like that – that you just kind of improvised?
AT: The girl that just walked by is a great musician named Samantha Crain, and she actually sings two songs on the new album. That was sort of like…she lives in Oklahoma, and we were recording in Dallas, and we were like, ‘you should come down and sing on these songs.’ [And she said] ‘ok.’ And then on the new album, there’s a guy named Thor Harris from Swans. He makes his own instruments, and he’s friends with Scott, our keyboard player, and he happened to be in the Dallas area…and he just came one afternoon and put down all these weird sounds on the album. Had never heard the songs. Strange noises. That guy’s awesome. Swans are crazy.
VM: So you’ve been called a band without musical borders. Are you good with that definition?
AT: I don’t care whatever it’s called. I guess it’s pretty accurate. We try to implement elements of like…the world? Music where it’s like…this has an Irish melody, this has a Latin beat. I’m not here to name anything. People ask, ‘how do you describe your band?’ The whole point is that I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to just be a country band…I don’t want to be a rock band. I’m just gonna write some songs, and that’s it.
VM: It’s really cool because you’ve kind of come up with something new, which doesn’t happen very often. And there’s a really big variety in your sound. A lot of people just keep coming out with the same album over and over, [and you don’t]. But [at the same time] it all sounds like Murder by Death. That’s pretty impressive.
AT: Yeah. Thank you. You know, they say you can’t be everything to everyone. Like when you pick a band that is a genre-specific band, and they’re doing something that’s really modern Americana, a bunch of people are going to love it, and you’re gonna be the kings of that…you can be the king of that genre. But you’re also gonna have people that are like, ‘God, more of the same.’ So my philosophy is more like, you can be everything to some people, and I think a lot of people are attracted to the fact that our albums are different from each other, and there’s a lot of variety on the albums. We have really great, loyal fans, and they are often people who don’t like a lot of stuff out there. They’re like, ‘I don’t know why, but I like this.’ It’s how I am, too. I mean, I don’t like a lot of stuff, but when I like something, I love it.
VM: So is the name a reference to the movie?
AT: Yeah it’s a pretty silly movie.
VM: It’s a great movie.
AT: Yeah I love it…but yeah. I regret naming the band that.
VM: Really?
AT: Because we still get people that think we’re a metal band or something.
VM: Yeah…I saw y’all open for Say Anything, and I didn’t know who y’all were and I was like…’Murder by Death?’ And then I was totally surprised.
AT: We’ve also done so much cross-genre stuff. Like that tour was completely different than what we usually do. This is a country/rockabilly showcase [today], and tonight we’re playing with Clutch – stoner/metal/blues band or stoner blues and rock. And Monday, we played with all these hipster bands that were like dancing, so I mean, we jump around a lot. And the name – I hate it, because we get pre-judged a lot, but also it’s kind of memorable. Maybe it’s helped somewhat.
VM: So there’s a lot of whiskey and devil references. I mean, it makes me feel good when I listen to it, but there’s obviously some darkness. Are you mainly the writer?
AT: Yeah I write the lyrics. I’m just more attracted to dark stuff. A lot of our songs are sung really low and then work their way into sort of a sad and beautiful triumph. That’s one of the things I really like to do is twist what can happen in a song. Form a four-minute song that’s actually a book or a story.
VM: Who have a liked most so far at South by [Southwest]?
AT: Shovels & Rope. We went to this show at Willie Nelson’s ranch with this band, Shovels & Rope. Our tour manager has been listening to their CD a lot. They were just a great two piece. They’re definitely kind of the hot show right now, but I think it’s merited, and they’re good. The girl can sing. The dude can play. It’s simple. That was really good. I’m trying to think if there’s anything else I’ve seen that was awesome. A lot of stuff that I liked. That is the thing that I was most impressed by.
VM: So what’s next for you guys? I know you’re doing Shaky Knees.
AT: Yeah. Man, it seems like that festival…everybody’s talking about it. My friend, Tim is the guy who booked it. He’s been booking shows in Atlanta for like 10 years, and I just always liked the guy, and we’ve kept in touch. And he asked us like maybe six months ago to do that festival. I was like, ‘Sure man, I’d love to do it. If you’re doing a fest, I’m there.’ And then all of a sudden, he’s done with the lineup and I’m like, ‘sh*t.’
VM: I know. We’re from Athens, and it’s right there, so I’m definitely going.
AT: That’s cool. That band, Shovels & Rope is playing right before us or right after us. I don’t remember, but it’s gonna be cool. I was just thinking…I don’t think I’ve ever played a festival in Georgia or Florida. Never played a southern festival – I think it’s kind of weird.
VM: So what else is next?
AT: May is the weirdest tour we’ve ever done. We’ve got some club dates going up and down to Shaky Knees. Then we’re flying straight from Atlanta to Europe and doing two weeks in Europe. Then we’re flying straight to the West Coast for a combination of small clubs and small towns. And we’re playing Kickstarter. We did a Kickstarter, and we have to play private shows – we do two rounds in California. And then we have to fly to do some festivals and do a couple more club shows. And then it ends, we’re playing in an antique store for a Kickstarter event, and then we’re playing a Canadian barbeque contest. And that’s the last show of the tour. They sent me the schedule and it was like, ok…people start showing up around noon, and the feats of strength start around 2 p.m. They had me at barbeque and feats of strength.
SXSW with Sirah
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 Charli XCX
We’re hearing about her everywhere. She collaborated with Icona Pop on “I Love It” (which we became obsessed with after seeing it featured on that episode of Girls…you know the one we mean…). She has opened for Coldplay. She’s just finished up a handful of shows at South by Southwest, and now she’s gearing up for her tours with Ellie Goulding and Marina & the Diamonds.
Charli is a badass. I think that’s pretty apparent. And she’s absolutely a true pop artist – but not a manufactured, formulaic clone popster like the ones dominating the radio (too many names…I cannot pick). I got to see her twice at South by Southwest this year, and I can’t emphasize this enough- she’s the real deal.
So, in honor of my newfound Charli-love, I scored an interview with her so we could talk about her name, our mutual obsession with Girls, her collaboration with Icona Pop and her tour plans!
Enjoy, and then be sure to snag her upcoming album, True Romance (coming in April) and catch her on her upcoming tour!
CHARLI XCX
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2013
May 6th-29th w/Marina & The Diamonds
MAY
6 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
7 Santa Ana, CA Observatory
10 San Diego, CA House of Blues
11 Los Angeles, CA Shrine Exposition Center
13 Salt Lake City, UT Club Sound
14 Englewood, CO The Gothic Theatre
16 Lawrence, KS The Granada
17 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
19 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theater
20 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
22 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
23 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
24 Montreal, QC Metropolis
28 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
29 New York, NY Central Park SummerStage @ Rumsey Playfield
31 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands
JUNE
1 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
3 Washington, DC U Street Music Hall
4 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
6 Orlando, FL The Social
8 Miami, FL Grand Central Miami
10 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre
12 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe @ Old National Centre
13-16 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
SXSW with Allah Las
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
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).
SXSW with D E N A
“Cash, Diamond Rings, Swimming Pools.” It’s catchy. It’s fun. It’s been stuck in my head for about three weeks.
I got the chance to catch up with D E N A, Bulgarian (Berlin-based) vocalist/songwriter/pop/hip hop artist/badass at South by Southwest for a quick chat. Before we got to the official interview, we met up at a party at Icenhauer’s on Rainey Street (I may have creepy-fangirl approached her in the bathroom before meeting her professionally…it’s fine).
Once we met up, I went with her to grab a taco from one of the food trucks, followed by a cupcake and some coffee (thanks, Jonas!).
After geeking out for a little bit about going to see Icona Pop at their show at The Belmont later that night and how much we both love the show Girls, we got down to business. So check out our interview below, and be sure to become as obsessed with D E N A as we are.
Vinyl Mag: Are you excited to be playing SXSW?
DENA: Totally! I’m super looking forward to it. We already played a gig last night that was kind of a warm up, so yeah I’m looking forward to playing Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
VM: So, how was last night?
DENA: It was great. It started a little bit with technical complications, of course. Like we had a cable that had broken and stuff. It took us some time, but we found a substitute and rocked the show. It was cool.
VM: How was [audience] reception?
DENA: I was really, totally, stoked how it turned out, because it was a very short showcase, you know…twenty minutes, which is usually – for that time – crazy from the beginning. We played two tracks, and then from the third one everyone was super feeling it, and it was super crowded although it was super late already. It ended like a crazy cool party.
VM: What people are you most looking forward to seeing?
DENA: I’m looking forward to seeing Icona Pop tonight and Charli XCX. I’m going to see [Charli XCX] for the first time ever, so I’m excited.
VM:I know you’ve done some audiovisual work. What are some of your other creative outlets?
DENA: Audiovisual is a big term. I’ve done some animation, some motion graphics, and vector animations, drawings, and video editing and photos…everything. But parallel to that, I was always writing and making songs and composing.
VM: Do you ever implement that other creative stuff into your musical career?
DENA: Yeah, well that’s very interesting, because sometimes I have the feeling that it’s totally working separately. But in the end – always when I direct everything and have the last word and just create a vision and work with other people – I see that it’s a great mixture of everything I’ve done so far. The interesting part now is that I get to work with other people and just combine and join forces on projects and work together on ideas. It’s more exciting.
VM: Do you have any collaborations coming up or do you have any collaborations that you want to do?
DENA: I currently have collaborations going on. Just actually last week, there was a track that came out where I’m featuring my friends, they are called LCMDF – two sisters from Finland and based in Berlin – and the tune was actually having to premier one day before my last video on Friday. I don’t know if you saw it. And then I also try to write right now for other people. It’s super exciting and great because I love words…like, lyrics. And I just wrote a tune for a German producer called Robot Koch, which is going to be his next single now coming out like on a major German label. It’s very exciting, because a lot of cool people are remixing the track, and it’s just so interesting to work not only on my own with what my own head is producing, but placing content for other people that I like. It really is something that I want to develop and upgrade.
VM: So you were in a [band before this]. What made you decide to go solo?
DENA: I was in a band a few years ago where…I played synth, and my friend played drums. We were like ‘do-it-yourself’ kind of. It was like trying to combine instruments with drums and synths. It was a little bit of a funky approach to disco or house music or music to dance to…[very] ‘do-it-yourself’ everything. And then, at some point there were different things like had kind of separated us from the duel thing. And then I started to program beats and work on my own ideas. I got this beat machine, MPC, and started learning how to sample and program and play chords and kind of produce home demos and bring them to a level where I knew that the structure was ready for it to be a pop song. It was kind of a natural process.
VM: So what are some of your major inspirations?
DENA: You mean music or life?
VM: Well, either one, you know. Music, but let’s get really deep and talk about life.
DENA: [Laughs] Life, love, beats, and happiness. Good vibes…I love definitely like hip hop, and I also like the way that hip hop was produced in the 90s…and I really adore everything that Neptunes has ever produced. Right now, I realize how significant [Neptunes] is for my way of thinking structure-wise, beats-wise, and production-wise.
VM: So what is next for you besides what you’ve already told me?
DENA: Well, I just put out my new video [last] Friday…I have a lot of new tracks coming out and new videos that are now in the process to be made…I really want to put out my album during 2013, probably Fall. And it’s very exciting now to collaborate and just put out singles first with different labels. I just had the Cash, Diamond Rings, Swimming Pools EP that came out in January…and basically I’m looking forward to putting all my music from the past three years out.
VM: So everything is already written and everything?
DENA: Yeah! Well, I mean I keep on writing and stuff, but there is a lot of new material to come.
SXSW with New Madrid
Upon first listen, I quickly realized that New Madrid would turn into one of my favorite SXSW finds. The music they make is powerful; it forces you into a trance-like state and transcends the boundaries of your mind far from worldly concerns. Each time I play Yardboat, I feel a little more free and lot closer to myself and the music. It’s definitely one of those experiential listens that you kind of want to share, but kind of want to keep to yourself all at the same time. Fear not, though, because we at Vinyl decided to share it with you. This four-piece Athens-based group has created something special, and we got the chance to meet with them during SXSW. Feast your eyes on what they had to say, and then I highly recommend you go listen to Yardboat, streaming now for free on their website.
Vinyl Mag: Is this your first year playing SXSW? If so, are you expecting it to affect your musical career?
New Madrid [Ben]: Yeah, it’s our first year. And I hope so. That’s the plan.
VM: What sets would you like to catch while you’re here?
NM [Ben]: I want to try to check out Dive today; they’re playing right off of Sixth at 5:00. Unknown Mortal Orchestra- I really want to see them. Hopefully we will catch Futurebirds play.
VM: You have actually played shows with Futurebirds, right?
NM [Ben]: Yeah, totally, we’ve played with them a couple of times.
VM: Did David Barbe and Joe Lambert approach the band to work on Yardboat or vice versa? How was that experience as a whole?
NM [Ben]: We hooked up with David in Athens just playing shows. We won a contest to get a session in the studio, and he saw us play a show and wanted to do some recording with us. So we set up three days and worked with him.
VM: Did you knock it out in three days?!
NM [Ben]: All of the instrumental tracking, yeah. We did the vocals later. Phil lived in Athens at the time, so he could just come in whenever David had a free hour or something. We mixed it over two weekends just trying to get it done.
VM: Phil- do you currently live in Athens?
NM [Phil]: I do, I live in Athens. The rest of them didn’t at the time.
VM: Was the move from Tennessee a professional or circumstantial move?
NM [Phil]: We had all wanted to move the year before. We had done these demo sessions, and we were all like, ‘let’s just do it. Let’s just move to Athens.’ But we decided we needed to get something together first. So we finished the record and had something to be proud of. We all moved together and we all live together. We live in a barn; it’s pretty awesome.
VM: What’s in store this year for New Madrid?
NM [Ben]: Keep on playing shows. Get back into the recording studio. After SXSW, we’re just going back home. We had about five or six shows down here, and we did a tour to get down here. When we get back to Athens, we’ve got a schedule for the last half of March and first half of April at this place called The Green Room.
VM: Who did the artwork for Summer Dream Sigh and Ghost and Fire?
NM [Phil]:Two different people; Summer Dream Sigh I did, and our friend Anna Dewitt, who lives in Nashville, did Ghost and Fire.
VM: How did the album writing process go for Yardboat? Was it instrumentals first or were the songs created around the lyrics?
NM [Phil]: It’s really all over the board, but some of the songs on Yardboat were songs that I had written in high school, and I matched the words and the guitar parts together. With other stuff the instrumentals come and in a stream of consciousness, the words just come.
SXSW with Wax Idols
One thing I came to realize after being at SXSW was that my life-long battle with having no sense of direction (in navigational terms, of course) was going to be an issue. Growing up on a 10-mile long island has definitely spoiled me, as I have become accustomed to knowing every in, out, and shortcut to anywhere I needed to go; Austin definitely threw me for a loop in that sense. I quickly realized that knowing where you need to be is one thing, but getting there is the real battle.
Finally I stumbled upon Red 7, where Heather Fedewa (aka Hether Fortune) from Wax Idols, in all of her hot –leopard-pants glory, greeted me. I grabbed a beer, and we headed outside to conduct what I considered one of my most personable interviews of the entire experience. This girl keeps it really real. How real, you might wonder? THIS REAL:
Vinyl Mag: How do you feel the show went?
Heather Fedewa: It was good; I’m really sick, so I was pretty like…’bleh,’ but it was good!
VM: How did you collaborate with Shaun Durkan (The Weekend) to do the album artwork for your past three releases?
HF: Well, that’s a great question; I’m glad you asked about that. Shaun and I have been friends for a long time, and when I was about to put out my first 7” I just wanted to work with him, because I knew that he was a really talented artist and graphic designer. We figured out quickly that we worked together really well, so we decided to create a ‘thing’ as partners, art-wise. So then he did the full-length record with me, No Future. He also used some of my collage work for their last EP, Red, and we just kind of went from there. Every time we do something, it gets a little crazier and crazier- it’s cool. He’s one of my best friends. I’m really excited to see him at SXSW, actually. He moved last year, and I never get to see him anymore, so I’m really excited to see them later.
VM: Are your musical influences actually drawn from the musicians that you seem to be constantly compared to?
HF: Yeah, I mean, sometimes they get it right. The thing is, I think it’s really easy for listeners and writers to kind of pigeonhole bands, because it triggers stuff that they’ve heard before, which is okay. Do I love The Cure and Joy Division, and have I listened to them since I was 14? Yes, absolutely. But, I don’t know. I don’t listen to The Cure and Joy Division all the time. I think I listen to Nick Cave probably more than anything else. He influences me in different ways, though, because I don’t write the same way that he does. He influences me to think differently lyrically.
VM: Is this your first SXSW?
HF: With this band, yeah.
VM: Who are you interested in seeing while you’re here?
HF: We’re trying to find Nick Cave. We won’t be able to get into his show, because we opted for the money over the wristbands, because we’re broke. But it’s cool, because he’s playing in San Francisco soon, and I’ve already got tickets. We’re going to try to find him, though. I also wish I could see Prince, but we won’t be able to get into that one, either. I’m excited to see The Weekend at the Slumblerland Showcase, and Girls Names, as well.
VM: Do you personally keep up with your own social media? Who runs it?
HF: I do. I run all of it. I’m an internet whore. When it comes to how the band is represented visually and online, it’s definitely my thing. I totally push it- my Twitter is outrageous. I’m pretty outspoken, and people get mad at me a lot, but I feel like so many bands and artists are so pre-packaged with their responses; they’re trying to put on a façade of being a certain way. So with us and with me, what you see is what you get. That’s it. I don’t apologize for any of it.
VM: Do you find it helpful, hurtful, or irrelevant to be an up-and-coming band from California, being that California seems to just breed musicians?
HF: I don’t know. I don’t pay attention. I don’t care or think about it. I would be doing what I’m doing no matter where I was; California is just where I kind of ended up. I grew up in the Midwest, so I grew up always being like ‘f*ck Californians, spoiled brats!’ Blah, blah, blah. But it’s home, now. Well, Oakland is. Not L.A, not San Francisco – definitely Oakland. It reminds me of Detroit. I’m not sure whether it hurts or helps, but I think probably my attitude and my big mouth hurt us more than anything at times. But can’t do anything about that!
VM: What do you see in store for Wax Idols in 2013?
HF: We’re going to be touring a lot. My plan is to make two back-to-back EP’s that like, everyone will hate. And I really enjoy doing that. I don’t like to repeat myself. I’m really looking forward to making some records that a lot of people will really not like at all- I’m excited about that. I’m excited to tour and play. We have this new drummer, Rachel, who is phenomenal so I’m excited to grow with her in a live setting because it gets cooler and cooler every time we play together.
Q&A with A Rocket To The Moon
A Rocket To The Moon has been around since 2006, and the band is only just now dropping its second album. A little taken aback? We were too, until we gave the new album, Wild & Free, a listen. This band has matured a lot in their seven years, developing a very folksy angle to their usual pop punk sound – it’s no wonder that they needed a little more time to unleash their potential.
We caught up with ARTTM’s lead singer, guitarist, and founding member, Nick Santino, about everything from the group’s inspiration for the new album to touring with bands like fun. and Motion City Soundtrack. Check it out below!
VM: So, you guys have been a band for about seven years now. Where do you think you’re at right now in your musical career?
NS: I think we are still learning and still growing. There’ve been some changes over the last four years in our band, and I don’t think I could have predicted them if you asked me then. I think that’s the most exciting thing about music – and the most frightening. It’s always changing. You never know what’s happening next.
VM: Who are your major musical influences?
NS: Anyone from Tom Petty to Katy Perry. A good song is a good song no matter how it’s performed. I like to keep an open mind when it comes to music and try to not discriminate against certain types.
VM: What do you guys typically write about?
NS: We write songs about real-life situations. We want our music to be relatable to anyone who listens. We’re big on musical storytelling.
VM: You’ve played with some pretty big bands, such as the Maine, the Cab, Motion City Soundtrack, and fun.. What has that been like?
NS: It’s always great touring with people that enjoy what they do. Touring’s half of the band’s existence so you need to have fun with it. Every so often you’re on a tour where you don’t see eye to eye with another band or band member. But I always look at it like we are all here doing the same thing for the same reasons. And if you’re here for a different reason, go home.
VM: Your next album, Wild & Free, is set to drop March 26. How’d you choose the album title?
NS: Wild & Free was something that I typed into my notes app on my iPhone three years ago in the middle of the night while sleeping in the van on tour. I wanted our album to be very youthful and fun while keeping a mature side. When it came to writing songs for the album I remember digging through my notes and finding “Wild & Free” from a couple hundred days before. We wrote that song and it later ended up becoming the title of the record. I guess I kind of knew in the back of my head that it would be the title of the record before we even wrote it. The record reflects the title pretty well.
VM: To me, the new album has a more mature, almost country sound. What do you think caused such a shift?
NS: Natural growth and touring. We’ve been on the road for four years straight now. Our musical influences have changed and expanded. Our live playing has improved. We never set out to write a country album. I don’t think that is what we have here. But we just played from our hearts and what you hear on this record is the sound of live hearts beating.
VM: What do you think are the standout tracks on the album?
NS: They are all so different. That’s what makes our band “A Rocket To The Moon”. We will play a few pop rock songs then jump into a Garth Brooks cover. You never know what you’re going to get with our band and I think that’s what sets us apart. There’s a track called “Wherever You Go” that stands out most because it’s the most country-sounding song. But it’s also my favorite song on the record, both because of the story and because of the music.
VM: What are your touring plans concerning Wild & Free?
NS: We’re gonna hopefully be on the road all year. I can’t wait to play more of these songs.
VM: In your wildest dreams, which bands would you want to tour with?
NS: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for sure.
VM: Where do you guys see this album taking you?
NS: Hopefully, somewhere that I can’t even begin to predict. Fingers crossed.
Backstage with The Used
So I just got to chill backstage at Tabernacle in Atlanta with Jeph Howard from The Used. Jealous?
Don’t fret. I filmed our little hang out session for you, so you get to listen to us talk about the evolution of The Used, the Take Action Tour, and what’s next for the band. Have at it.