Category: Interviews
Backstage interview with Anthony Green of Circa Survive
Pre-Show Treat
My friend, Marissa, and I were amongst the growing mass of fans that showed up early to hang outside of the Center Stage venue in downtown Atlanta to see the sold-out Circa Survive show (she and I were probably a little more giddy than the rest, because we were waiting for a one-on-one interview with Anthony Green himself). Everyone’s eagerness paid off- all of a sudden, on the front steps of the venue, there appeared all of the guys from Circa to play a mini acoustic set for a website called NervousEnergies.com. Some reward. They played “Sharp Practice” and “Suitcase” from their new album, Violent Waves, and everyone, including me, was taking videos and snapping pictures like mad. Shortly after this, their tour manager, Jeffery, called us in, and we waited to interview Anthony in a small room in the basement. More on that later.
The Show
The first to kick off the show was Balance and Composure, and they immediately got into it. The lead singer even got a little “over-animated” and knocked over a couple of the drummers’ symbols. If you haven’t listened to them before, you need to, and you need to see them live (side note: they remind me a lot of Brand New).
Next up was Touché Amoré, and they threw down a little harder than B&C. The lead singer was all over the place getting the crowd hyped up. For those who are unfamiliar with them, they sound a great deal like La Dispute (which might explain why they have a split record with them).
Bottom line: these bands are touring with Circa, so you know they have to be legit.
And finally, what everyone had been waiting for- Circa Survive. Anthony Green walked on stage. Everyone (including the men) started screaming like little schoolgirls. I was super lucky to have a photo pass, so I got to be right in the photo pit. The place was packed. Frantically crowd surfing, everyone hoping to get close enough for a handshake from Anthony, who was working the crowd as hard as he could (including some seductive gestures and comments that sent everyone into a frenzy).
Their set was beautifully lit with tall, rectangular boxes of light and mirrors backlighting the band. They played new material from Violent Waves, such as “Suitcase”, “Birth of the Economic Hit Man”, and “The Lottery”, as well as a few older favorites like “The Glorious Nosebleed”, “Strange Terrain”, “Stop the F*ckin’ Car””, and “The Great Golden Baby”. Right before Anthony got down, I raised my fist and got a fist bump from him (as if the interview wasn’t enough). They encored with “Get Out” and “Lazarus”, to the delight of the entire crowd.
The Interview
VM: Why did you choose to write the album [so quickly], then self produce it?
AG: It was written over a couple months, but it was definitely the fastest-written album that Circa’s ever done, and the self producing thing…whenever we write songs we just demo them ourselves, and it got to the point that the demos were sounding really, really good…so we just decided [to] try to find a studio in the area, and we have buddies of ours that work in this great studio…called Studio 4…all these legends have recorded there, and they let us get some really cheap time and we went in… they managed to do the record in like two and a half weeks. So it was like the best thing ever.
VM: I bet it was kind of hell trying to do that all [so quickly] though.
AG: I mean, it wasn’t that hard…We worked really long hours, just because of all of our attention spans. I felt like we had to do that. We enjoy it- it wasn’t like, hellish. Not doing this with a producer sort of gave us the freedom to try a bunch of different things, and we were on our own dime, so if we stayed real late, or if we needed to we didn’t feel reluctant to keep going.
VM: I’ve noticed that you guys are definitely trying to hone in on more of the raw sound, like how you would sound live versus studio-produced. Has there been any kind of fan reaction that you guys have noticed?
AG: Nobody’s really said anything about the quality of the record being bad. I’ve heard a lot of people just say that it sounds more like us than most of the other records. The other records were glossier. I feel a producer does a record, and they are almost more concerned about how it’s going to sound to their producer buddies than it’s going to sound to the artists’ fans. I think our fans are used to coming to the show, and they hear the vocals a little flat or a little sharp at times, because of whatever reason…that’s what makes it feel good, you know…that’s what makes it feel warm. It’s the same reason why people listen to vinyl, because it’s not a perfect sound.
VM: How do you feel about the sound on this album compared to your others?
AG: It’s hard to say, because I feel like every album is a different, newer chapter in your life, so you go back to the thing you were writing about when you were 22 or 23, and you were like…. ‘Yeah, I was 22 or 23. I love everything.’ There’s not one song that we’ve written that I can’t sing that I feel is not cool. Obviously this album feels closer because it’s dealing with stuff that’s going on right now. But then in a year’s time the songs will all take on a different meaning, and that’s just how it grows. It grows, and it changes.
VM: I know you alluded to it, but what was your motivation and inspiration for the album?
AG: So many things…my dad got real sick- that’s kinda what “The Lottery” is about… I kinda hate it when people are like ‘what inspires you?’, because there are so many things. It’s such a hard question to answer, because there are so many things that inspire me- like my relationships with the guys in the band, with my family, just with you guys, the people that come to the shows and stuff- that’s all what this record is really about.
VM: That’s awesome. I guess we will take it back a little bit- what kind of music did you grow up with?
AG: Bands like Touché [Amoré] and Balance [& Composure]- listening to music like that.
VM: Can you list a few?
AG: Aw man… Quicksand, Handsome, Burning Airlines, At the Drive In, Cave In… Cave In was a huge band… Braid, The Get Up Kids, Falling Forward, Code 7, This Day Forward. I loved Nirvana…loved Nirvana. The first album I actually got was a Metallica album. The second album I ever got was Nevermind. I was 15 when I got Nevermind; it was a music thrift shop, like a used CD was 15 bucks… so much money.
VM: So how did you become involved with music? Was it just through those bands/did you have any family members that were musically inclined?
AG: I was just hanging out in places as a kid. We would just go places to hang out, and I found this skate park near my house that bands would play out of every weekend, and we started going there…wherever there would be a show- a local show or local bands- I was there. And then [I] just tried starting a band. I met some people and put a band together and made, like, a grindcore band, where we just made noise. We wrote stuff- there were songs!
VM: What was it called?
AG: It was called Audience of One. Then that band started and sort of became like a grindcore, hardcore band until it had songs and singing and stuff. I don’t know how it shifted. It was never one thing. It was just like…we started out with this one drummer, and he was a crazy metal drummer. He couldn’t be in the band anymore, because he couldn’t go out like past 11. So we had this other guy come in that liked more of the music we liked- like indie rock and stuff, and we just started jamming. It was awesome.
VM: So from there, how did you transfer into Circa?
AG: I don’t know. I really don’t know. I just played music all the time with people I knew…Somebody in California had heard some of my stuff- the guys in Saosin had heard my stuff that I had done at home, and some buddies of mine that were out there were like, ‘Yo, you should come out and try out for our band.’ So I went out there and tried out, and then within the next four days recorded that EP that I did with them. Then, moved out there a couple months later to start touring. I was like, ‘this is great. These guys wanna start a band and go on tour, and there’s record labels, and there’s California and stardust.’ I just wanted to go out there and be a vagabond, and my parents were like, ‘the f*ck’s the matter with you? You can’t sing. You can’t do any of this. You don’t know what you’re doing.’ And I was like, ‘yeah, I know, but I’m gonna do it anyway…if you guys are really supportive, then I’m gonna go do this. You have to trust me.’… I was 20. And I moved out there, and ever since then I’ve been doing music.
VM: That’s awesome. [Marissa: That reminds me of us, just always going to local shows].
AG: Yeah, that’s the best. You just go…and… have you guys ever read The Celestine Prophecy?
VM: No, but we probably should.
AG: You ought to just follow your heart; follow your instincts that lead you down good paths of beautiful things and light and all the stuff you want. You’ll get it.
VM: It’s true. So what made you want to come outside and play a mini acoustic set for us? I know most bands don’t do that.
AG: Ryan [Russell] has a website where he has this thing called Nervous Energies…he films bands playing, and he asked where we wanted to do it, and we were like, ‘let’s just go outside and play for the kids.’ He was like, ‘no one’s ever done that on the site before,’ and I was like, ‘then we are definitely doing it now.’
VM: I think that is really awesome, because that breaks the barrier that some bands have with their fans. It’s kind of like ‘we are too good, too untouchable’. You guys playing outside made it personal.
AG: It’s weird. I think if there’s anything that we as a band have to people is that we are just working class dudes that are able to continue to play music for you…There’s not some difference between you and your favorite band… But they worked really hard and sacrificed whatever they had to get to where they are…you’re going to have to cut comforts or whatever. I know I slept on so many floors with so many weirdos and crashed in people’s houses and was such a pain in the ass to deal with…but it was worth it.
VM: So true. What do you enjoy besides music?
AG: My kids… I hear guys with kids say, ‘oh, once you get married and have children, life’s over…you won’t have a life anymore. It’s all about their life,’ and I couldn’t disagree with them more. I feel like I never really had a life until them. I just love them so much. I miss them so much…When I’m here I don’t have to worry…about anyone but myself, and I’m pretty low maintenance. I’m smelly; I might not be clean for a couple days. I don’t have to clean anyone’s diaper or anything like that…. And I would rather be cleaning people’s diapers.
VM: I imagine you’re kinda tugged both ways. Like when you are touring, you miss them, but when you are home, do you miss traveling and playing shows?
AG: I love playing. It’s my favorite thing in the world. It’s the only thing I’ve ever really loved like that before I had the children. It gives you this insane high that I still haven’t found anywhere else. It’s way harder than any drug I’ve ever done, and I’ve done a LOT of drugs. I love it, and I feel no pain when I’m doing it…It’s awesome…I still get that adrenaline rush from it. I still feel incredible about it. Right now, today, I’m having a little bit of a rough time being away. My perspective on it is a little bit skewed, because I feel things with an intensity with a manic type of feel…You just have to not be a f*cking weirdo about it, and I’ve just been being a weirdo about it today. When I hear people complain about being on tour or missing people or whatever, my normal reaction has just been, ‘f*ck you. You can get out of the way and let like the thousands of millions of other people that wanna do it and have that commitment- you can let them do it’. I’m sure there’s a bunch of people that would leave their kids alone for six weeks to go out and do this.
VM: Well we are really stoked to see you play!
AG: I can’t wait. I f*cking can’t wait. I can’t believe I have to wait until 10 o’clock…
Backstage Beers with Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf just came to the Georgia Theatre (if you’re from Athens and you didn’t go, just…seriously?) on their tour with Tycho. And guess who got to interview them? Damn straight. Me. And it was awesome.
This was another big one for me. I have been a mad fan of TAL since some forgotten-but-much-appreciated friend of mine introduced me to In a Safe Place back when I was 14 years old.
The interview took place after their set (which was crazy good—they put so much into their shows, and experiencing it is extremely rewarding). My videographer and I headed backstage to wait for them immediately after they finished up. While we were waiting, we may have run into Scott Hansen (Tycho). NBD.
So, Jimmy LaValle- nicest, most patient guy. He was perfectly happy to let us wait around backstage and chat while Tycho and everyone got ready to go on. There was no sense of “let’s get this over with” from him, which would have been totally understandable considering that he had come straight from giving a killer performance.
I could seriously go on about this for another couple of pages, but I’m just going to let the interview speak for itself. Go ahead and check it out, and be sure to hit up The Album Leaf and Tycho on their tour if you haven’t already!
Being able to hear Tycho in the background during this interview really sets the mood
Photography/videography by Amy Anderson
Tour Dates
Sep 21 Black Cat Washington, DC
Sep 22 The Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
Sep 23 ATP “I’ll Be Your Mirror” New York, NY
Sep 25 The Waiting Room w/ Mono, Chris Brokaw Omaha, NE
Sep 26 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
Sep 28 Artiface * VENUE CHANGE w/ Drew Andrews Las Vegas, NV
Sep 29 The Satellite Los Angeles, CA
Sep 30 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, CA
Post-show chat with Nick Diener of The Swellers
Sundays for me are usually a day of an embarrassingly large amount of inactivity. Coffee, breakfast, and nothing- and that usually works just fine for me, but this past Sunday was a day full of music that brought me right back to the prime of my youth. Continue reading “Post-show chat with Nick Diener of The Swellers”
Dead Ellington Q&A
You’ve read our rave reviews of Dead Ellington‘s Refuse EP (I’m speaking to the Vinyl loyalists here). You know that they are on tour starting today (I’m speaking to the Dead Ellington loyalists here). Now, get pumped- I have a gift for you. A little chat with DE’s Jason Caira, Sal Medrano, and Brandon Phillips. I know, I know- I shouldn’t have. But here it is. Enjoy. And be sure to head over to one of their live shows if you are in the area (or the area adjacent to the area).
Vinyl Mag: Can I get a brief history of the band? You guys are from around Boston? And you recorded this EP in New Jersey- how did that happen?
Jason Caira: The band actually started with just Sal and myself writing songs in his parents’ basement. At the time, Sal was drumming, and our friends Andrew and Greg were singing and playing bass. We only played about five or 10 shows before we had to make a lineup change, which put Sal on lead vocals and our friend Brian on drums. This was the real beginning of Dead Ellington. After a handful of lineup changes that brought us Brandon, James, and Craig, we have what you now know as Dead Ellington.
Sal Medrano: We’ve grown up around the Allston/Brighton/Cambridge area, which is really the core of the Boston music scene. As far as how New Jersey happened, I kinda just reached out to Pete [Steinkopf of the Bouncing Souls] through e-mail. One of my first shows ever growing up was the Bouncing Souls. I have always looked up to that band in terms of musicianship, management, and ethics. So when the opportunity to record with Pete came up, it was a dream come true. Over the years we had met each other in passing and have some friends in common. So I sent him some demos, and he was down for working with us, so we set sail for Asbury Park. Since the studio is in Jersey, we aimed at recording the record in a weekend. We had to work hard to get everything done, because driving back from Boston wasn’t really an option. In February, Asbury Park is completely dead, but it was kinda nice to see it that way. It’s almost how bands go out into remote areas of the wilderness to record a record, but for us it was in an urban environment.
Brandon Phillips: When I joined the band in 2004, I added another layer of raucous riffage, and things really turned up for the band… in the best way. I give much thanks to Sal for hooking us up with Pete Steinkopf. “Maniacal Laughter” was played the f*ck out on my discman when I was 13-14 and over a decade later, getting to work with one of the Souls (in K8’s basement!) was something of a lucid dream. We worked super hard the three days we had allotted, and Pete was really awesome to work with. Super nice guy and helped us GET SH*T DONE. We all have somewhat severe A.D.D.
VM: How did you end up working with Stephen Egerton? I completely geeked out when I read that.
SM: With Stephen it was a bit different [than it was with Pete]. I have worked for a number of bands and met people who worked for ALL/Descendents, and we have always been a huge, huge fan of both. I might be more of an ALL fan- people think I’m crazy for that, but I am. One Halloween I made an Allroy pumpkin that came out awesome…I e-mailed it to Stephen…He replied, and I mentioned I have a band. He told me to reach out if we ever wanted to record or master. Almost two years later, I saw an ad for another punk band’s record that said it was recorded by Pete and mastered by Stephen. I figured, ‘Why not do the same?’ So I reached out to him. I shot him an e-mail, and we talked on the phone. It kinda blew my mind a bit when we were talking, and the guy from two of my favorite bands said he would master our record. I feel it’s so important to work with people who have a similar sound and have been doing this for a long time.
JC: Pete is one of the most patient people I’ve ever met. He worked us to the bone, but he got what we consider to be the best record we could have made. He kept everything light-hearted, but was focused and on point the entire time. He also ate most of my cheese curls, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but I guess I know what to get him for his birthday now.
VM: Who designed the logo/how did you come up with it? Even that is reminiscent of old school/90s-ish punk to me. I really love it.
SM: One of the most creative and underrated artists I have ever worked with is Yosef Glushien at trashpop.com; he’s done the layouts for so many of the Asian Man records back in the day and currently has done bands like Larry and His Flask, Dropkick Murphys, Bosstones, The Drowning Men, etc. We have known him for a long time, and he’s a great friend. During the first record, I told him that I wanted Dead Ellington to have a logo that was similar to an old school hardcore logo. Everyone knows the logos of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and Bad Religion. They’re so simple that you can draw them in a second on a notebook. I also wanted to tie it into Boston somehow, so I said ‘What’s something that everyone has to use regardless of class, gender, sex, or race?’ He said ‘The Boston T, and it sucks.’ Next thing I know, he shows me an upside down MBTA logo with an arrow symbolizing progression. It was perfect, and since then he designs everything. He has a lot of freedom with us in terms of design, because he we just love his work and he gets it.
BP: Yosef rules. If you get to do one thing before you die- Meet Yosef.
JC: There really isn’t an adjective to describe Yosef. He’s very Larry David-like in the best possible way. He’s one of the most creative people I’ve ever met, and every time he shows me a logo for something he’s working on, im honestly blown away. Everybody needs to work with Yosef for at least one project.
VM: What was your Kickstarter project about?
SM: Anyone can release a record. It’s difficult to stand out, so we wanted to do something with a little more thought. All of us are computer nerds, and we’re always on our iPhones. I started using the Hipstamatic app and really enjoyed taking pictures with it. It gives your photos that retro look but with a lot of other options and filters. The cool thing with them is that you can order prints right from the phone in square sizes. They arrive in a cool cardboard package that opens into a frame. I ordered a seven-inch picture pack and had the idea of seeing if a record would fit. It expanded into wanting to put out a record in their packaging, with a different seven-inch picture in each one. We contacted them about giving us 300 packages for our idea. They said yes and gave us a discount on prints. It helped cut the cost for our packaging, but we still needed to pay for recording, mastering, distribution, and artwork. We decided that the idea was cool enough that we could probably just post a Kickstarter and make at least half of the total amount. Since we don’t have the support of a label, we’re forced to do everything ourselves. We made our goal and were very happy about that- and super thankful for everybody that helped!
VM: The Refuse EP dropped last May, and it is the first of a three-part series. I’m guessing that the next is going to be called Rethink? Where did you come up with the concept of “Refuse Rethink Rebuild”?
SM: The concept came about when we were going to record our first record. We needed artwork and I’ve always loved concept albums. Our songs have always had a message of doing things yourself and standing up for your beliefs. It was only natural for us to have a title that would incorporate that mentality. I was really into Rocket from the Crypt, at the time and their record was called Scream, Dracula, Scream. I wanted something simple like that. I don’t remember how I came up with the words “Refuse, Rethink, Rebuild”, but I kept thinking about it and saw how much power that movement could have. We don’t see it so much as a concept album, but more a life concept of Refusing the present, Rethinking the past, and Rebuilding the future. From that point, we realized that we can call any full-length Refuse Rethink Rebuild, because there will never be a point when that isn’t still important. The EP seemed like a good way to put out our songs as they are being written and keep the concept alive. We have a lot of future plans to spread the message.
VM: What was the inspiration behind “College Credit”? I love the gang-chant(ish) quality of the chorus.
SM: College Credit was written while I was going to Berklee College of Music. It’s a song about being kinda confused with the state of affairs. I was so surprised by the lack of interest in anything that wasn’t blues or jazz in the institution and by the musicians that went there. It was almost like you felt people looking down on you once they found out you play punk rock. It was even hard to find members when we need them, even though it was a music school. I spent so much time outside of school touring with other bands and playing shows. I felt like I was taking advantage of all the chances life was giving me, and all they did was act like each other. Living day in and day out with their noses in the air and just being content with how things are. After awhile, you start to question if maybe you’re wrong and you start to question what you’re doing.
VM: “Breaking Down” is a pretty intense video. But I have to ask, as someone who has smashed a few TVs before…how fun was that to make?
SM: So dangerous!
JC: Yes! So Dangerous! I had to do a lot of running, which, to begin with, is the most dangerous thing I’ve done in a while. But smashing those TVs? I don’t know what was worse- breaking the TVs, cleaning up the mess, or disposing of 20 shattered CRT televisions… Our lungs had seen better days.
BP: I think we all had the most fun smashing all those TVs. And we followed the proper procedure in regards to disposal. Promise.
VM: About the “Feed the Scene” project- it’s all over your Facebook, and I checked it out. It’s pretty awesome. Tell us about it.
SM: I met Rachel while working for the Bosstones. She brought them desserts after one of their shows. I later read on her Facebook page that she feeds any bands that come through her town, at no charge. It’s something she doesn’t have to do, and it’s very honorable of her to do that for people she doesn’t even know. We shared her page on our Facebook and have told a lot of people about it, because it’s good to spread the word about things like this. She was gracious enough to invite us to play her one-year anniversary a couple weeks ago, and were very happy that we were able to be a part of it.
VM: What is next for Dead Ellington?
SM: We want to start working on the Rethink EP before the year is over and release it sometime next year. We want to be on the road more and go to places we’ve never been. We have a small tour with our friends, Break Anchor, (Jay from Suicide Machines new band) in the next couple weeks, but we’d love to go to Europe and back to Canada. They have poutine, and that’s good enough for me.
JC: I’ve always set personal goals for me with this band. Venues that I wanted to play, cities I’ve wanted to travel to only to play music, and bands I wanted to share the stage with. I’ve met a lot of the goals, but there’s just one more- I want us to open for Nickleback. You hear me, Chad Kroeger?!
BP: Super psyched about our upcoming Midwest tour, doing a few dates with Break Anchor this month. Excited to be on the road. As for more long-term plans…personally, just to keep writing, touring and playing as constantly as possible. A lot of people don’t realize how much of a privilege it is to be able to play the music you love with people you love (kinda). We’ll be around for awhile.
Interview with MONKEY from The Adicts!
The Adicts have FINALLY released their new album, All the Young Droogs today. ATYD is their 10th studio album, and it has arrived just in time for the band’s 35th anniversary.
For any droog newbies out there, The Adicts are an extremely influential upbeat punk rock band who got their start in the 70s (which you should be able to deduce, since I’ve just told you this is their 35th anniversary). By some accident of fate, I got the chance to have some quick words with Adicts singer Keith “Monkey” Warren, Continue reading “Interview with MONKEY from The Adicts!”
Versus the World Q&A
SoCal rock band Versus The World have announced that will join MxPx Allstars and Unwritten Law on a fall U.S. tour in support of their new album, Drink. Sing. Live. Love., which was released on July 31 from Viking Funeral Records.
I got the chance to throw a couple of questions at vocalist/guitarist Donald Spence, and now you get the chance to read his answers. Congratulations, no need to thank me, and enjoy. Continue reading “Versus the World Q&A”
Quickfire Questions with Lowtalker
Lowtalker is made up of Stu Ross (vocalist/guitarist), Matt Keil (vocalist/bassist), Casey Hjelmberg (guitarist), and Branden Morgan (drummer). The band is made up of former members of such bands as Misery Signals, Living with Lions, and Comeback Kid (but if you’re assuming you know what they sound like from their resume, think again my friends).
I got the chance to catch up with bandmember Stu Ross, who was kind enough to answer my questions. Enjoy, and be sure to check out their upcoming release, Marathon EP, out September 18.
Vinyl Mag: First off, how old is everyone?
Stu Ross: I am 30 years old; Casey and Matt are both 27 and Brian, well, I’m not exactly sure. Judging by his moustache I’d say somewhere in his mid 40’s.
VM: Can I get a brief history of the band? How did you come together after your previous projects?
SR: Lowtalker started in 2008 with Casey and I trading “pop punk” demos. We both love the sound of bands like Saves The Day, Face To Face, and Lifetime. The first few demos that were traded were much poppier than the current sound of the band.
Misery Signals and Comeback Kid were on tour together when I was first introduced to Matt. He and I instantly got along really well; he and Casey were already great friends. So we had the three of us on board. We asked Branden from Misery Signals to drum for us; he accepted the position. From there we recorded People Worry About Everything and did some scattered touring in 2010.
When I left Misery Signals in 2010, I joined Vancouver punk band Living With Lions. My time in LWL put Lowtalker on the back burner. In late 2011 I left LWL. It opened up a lot more time for us all to work on Lowtalker. Later in 2011, Casey left CBK, then in 2012, oddly enough, I took on Casey’s old position playing guitar in CBK.
When it came time to start writing new Lowtalker material, we were up in the air about who we wanted to drum in the band. Casey and Matt’s good friend Brian Moen- who had played drums in their old band, Regret, and is currently drums for indie rockers, Peter Wolf Crier- jumped on board for the Marathon EP. Brian played a huge part in the project, not only playing drums, but also engineering the EP.
VM: Your music as Lowtalker is a big break away from that of each of your previous bands. Was that intentional/how did you end up with this sound?
SR: We wanted Lowtalker to be an outlet for us to play a style of music we all grew up on and still love to this day. Punk/pop punk/post hardcore- whatever you want to call it. We all listen to a wide array of music. Our influences are pretty obvious- all the 90’s punk and alternative bands you’d expect.
VM: I read that you do a lot of the artwork for the band, as well as a lot of songwriting (along with Matt). What other creative outlets/contributions does each member have/make?
SR: I do my best to do all the art-related things for the band. We all share a pretty similar idea of how we want the band to be aesthetically represented, so it’s pretty easy to agree on most things. Brian Moen, our new drummer, did the layout for the new EP. Everyone has a pretty equal hand in writing the music for the band. Matt also writes a good majority of the lyrics. All around, we all contribute pretty equally.
VM: What is your favorite song off of the Marathon EP? Why?
SR: My favorite song on the EP would either be “Tension” or “Barstow”. I say “Tension” because, in the demo version, Matt was the main vocalist; when we recorded it for the EP, I ended up singing the lead for the song. I was super stoked to do it, because I love the song, and I like it even more because I get to sing it [laughs].
My other choice is “Barstow”. It’s a really cool song. It’s much darker than any other material on the EP. Matt wrote the music and the lyrics. I think it has a really cool vibe to it. Definitely stands out from the rest of the songs in a cool way.
VM: Is there an overall theme for this album? If so, what is it? What is the song Prescriptions about?
SR: There isn’t really a re-occurring theme on the EP. 100% of the lyrics stem from personal experience. So I guess that would be it. The song “Prescriptions” is written about a family member of mine who has dealt with prescription drug abuse for the better part of the last 20 years. It’s a struggle to watch someone you love miss out on regular day-to-day experiences because of drug abuse. I feel like they have given up and fallen into a routine that will continue ‘til the end of their life. It’s a bummer. However, I feel like it’s something a lot of people can relate to these days.
VM: If you were a salesman, how would you sell your EP to someone who hasn’t heard you?
SR: Hmm, I guess I could say, ‘if you like rocking tunes, you’ll like this EP’ [laughs]. That’s all I got.
VM: What can people expect from your live shows?
SR: Well, you can expect to hear the majority of the songs from our two EPs. You can expect me to talk too much and for Matt to do his best to stop me from talking too much. You can also expect Casey to rock hard and look good, and also Brian will play the drums- he’s the drummer.
VM: What is next for the band?
SR: Ideally we’d like to do more touring in 2013. We’d also like to record our first full-length record in 2013. A lot of our productivity depends on our other band’s schedule. So, fingers crossed we’ll reach those goals next year.
Josiah Wolf of WHY? exclusive interview
Just got off the phone with Josiah Wolf, drummer from alternative (not to mention damn awesome) hip hop band WHY?. For those of you who are living under a rock, WHY? just released their Sod in the Seed EP on August 14, and they are set to release a full-length entitled Mumps, Etc. on October 8/9th. In the meantime, while you’re sitting around crossing days off of your calendar for Mumps, be sure to a) check out this loverly interview with Josiah below and b) head out to see the gents on their tour. And…go!
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Vinyl Mag: What has everyone been up to since Eskimo Snow?
Josiah Wolf: Liz [Hodson] and I have been working on music ourselves, so we did a bunch of touring. Yoni [Wolf] and I were working on putting together the new record and recording the new demos, and then recording this record. Basically just music- the business and the pleasure side.
VM: What is your favorite song on the Sod in the Seed EP?
JW: Personally, [“Sod in the Seed”] is not my favorite song. On the EP, I would say I like “The Plan” and “Twenty Seven.” But the EP songs are all kind of B-sides- they are whatever songs didn’t make it on the full-length.
VM: So would you say that Sod in the Seed is a pretty good taste of what to expect on Mumps, Etc.?
JW: I mean, yeah. We were originally going release the EP later, but then the album release date got pushed back, so we released Sod to have something to tour on. Mumps is the same style and everything, but – in my opinion – just better songs.
VM: How did you decide on “Jonathan’s Hope” as the single? Is it a good representation of Mumps, Etc.?
JW: I actually didn’t know that “Jonathan’s Hope” was going to be the single, but I’m glad it is. I originally thought that it was going to be “Strawberries.” Sean and Anthony made that decision. I was doing so much other stuff with the tour, etc. that it was a surprise to me. My personal favorite on Mumps is “Waterlines.”
VM: Are you planning on releasing more solo material?
JW: Yeah, eventually. This year, Liz and I have been working on some stuff. Liz has [also been working] by herself. It might be awhile, but as long as I get inspired I’ll keep doing it. I obviously identify more with my solo stuff because it is myself. As for which one I enjoy more? It varies.
VM: This is just something that I have always wondered- as an artist, are you able to listen to your own music recreationally, without critiquing it?
JW: When there is something new, I listen to it a lot. I can’t remove myself from it, no. Sometimes I go back and listen to an older [WHY?] record, because I’m not listening critically anymore. I don’t do that very often. But I always enjoy it. I listen to my record all the time.
VM: What is next for you and for WHY? What can we expect from this tour?
JW: A lot of touring the new record, through next year. We now have 6 people on stage, which is the most we have ever had. It’s a different sound than we had before…This is our best live set yet- people have responded really well.
Chatting it up with Nate Bergman of Lionize
Lionize is a reggae-rock group hailing from Silver Spring, Maryland. In the last year they have released not one, but two full-length albums- Destruction Manual followed by Superczar and the Vulture. Both of these albums evoke influences from rock gods such as Jimi Hendrix, classic chillage like Bob Marley, and some bluesy vocals like Ronnie Wood. Nate Bergman, frontman of the band, graciously agreed to a phone interview to discuss the band and their newest albums, and he also let me in on a little secret! Read on to find out more!
JF: Why did you choose this genre to play? Did you grow up around it?
NB: We didn’t really choose it; it just kind of evolved. We are big fans of jazz of reggae and funk and classic rock, and some border metal stuff. That’s where it comes from, and it’s just how it came out. Yes, absolutely- I grew up around lot of hip hop, reggae, funk, and go-go music. Once that infiltrates your system, it goes with you for sure.
JF: What’s your writing style?
NB: We generally get in a room and jam; not much more to it. We write lyrics and riffs and just jam for a few hours, and usually nothing happens. [Laughs] but sometimes it resonates with us, and we turn it into a song. For us, it’s really about jamming, and if it’s fun to play and if it sounds good.
JF: How difficult was it to write two albums in one year? Why did you do it?
NB: They took 1.5 years to write, but we put them out in a one-year period. We rehearse a lot when we are home: 11-4 Monday-Friday practice. Writing a record to us is about setting a goal for when we want to have it written. Writing both back to back was not specific- we just had the chance to do it, so why not? Why not put out more music? Some bands put out records 6-8 years apart. It’s nice to hear growth, especially if it’s a quick growth.
JF: Are the two albums you wrote back to back connected to each other in any way?
NB: Yes and no. Because they are so close together, there are writing and lyrical styles that are connected, but they were recorded differently; yet they compliment each other well, but are not necessarily paired.
JF: You listed Clutch as a musical influence- how has the tour been with Clutch? (any crazy story from a show?)
NB: It’s awesome. Touring with those guys is the best; we’ve been on seven or eight tours with them. They are probably the best touring rock band in the world, and are really nice guys. People associate them with us, and we’ve had their guitar player, Tim, record with us. It’s like family, and they have the best fans in the world. [Laughs] No, nothing really too crazy. The shows generally go smoothly. We are just there to work, have a few beers, and play music with our friends. We are simple and are more interested in good after-show food and reliving the college days [Laughs]. It’s crazy in general to drive 70mph down the highway for several weeks and go to different places. That’s crazy on it’s own.
JF: How’s fan feedback for the newest album, Superczar and the Vulture?
NB: It’s been awesome and overwhelmingly cool. People are digging the direction we are taking. They are very open-minded about it.
JF: Any other creative outlets besides music?
NB: We are generally interested in art and cinema, and we have our TV shows, but art turns us on as a group. We enjoy shows and comedy- we like stand up, and seeing other bands perform…stuff like that.
JF: What is next for you and the band?
NB: Rest and relaxation! We are taking two weeks off now. We have these shows with The Company Band and Clutch in August, then we are going on another huge two-month tour in November.
Ahhh, but with whom you may ask? Well that’s a tidbit of information that stays sealed behind my lips. You guys will find out soon enough!
Hanging out poolside with Astronautalis
Charles Andrew Bothwell- a.k.a. Astronautalis- is one of the most interesting people in the world (right up there with the Dos Equis guy). He is one of those people that always has something to say, and it is always something you want to listen to and know more about. Really makes interviewing him effortless and downright enjoyable.
Andy was in Athens this past weekend performing and MC-ing for the Team Clermont 15th Anniversary Summer Showcase & Prom. While he was in town, I got the chance to reunite with him for the first time since our first interview.
After meeting up at his hotel and getting hooked watching Olympic women’s archery (really intense stuff, people), we headed over to the pool to chill out and get our interview on.
So here it is! Astronautalis talking about what’s been going on since our last interview, new collaborations, musings on Eastern Europe, getting robbed in Atlanta, and his upcoming tour and album (I also think it’s important to note that this is his first ever shirtless interview. Proud.). Enjoy! I know I did…