SXSW with The Staves

Posted on by Emily McBride

You can’t not love The Staves.  As someone who is prone to more than my share of girl crushes (I’m talking about you, Sarah Balliet, Alice Glass, Carrie Brownstein, Missy Gilbert…), I gotta say…these ladies are awesome.

The Staves gained popularity in the US through their tours with The Civil Wars and Bon Iver, and they recently released their debut full length Dead & Born & Grown in November.  And since it’s been on repeat on my iPod since it was introduced to me, I was super pumped for this interview.

I met up with Emily, Camilla, and Jessica Staveley-Taylor in the convention center in downtown Austin on the third day of SXSW.  I was greeted with genuine friendliness and free chips and salsa (give me food, I will love you).  After a little bit of chit-chat, we got our interview on.  So go ahead and live variously through my hangout session with The Staves.  Enjoy.

Vinyl Mag: I read that you grew up listening to Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Beatles, which is kinda what I grew up with, because my mom was always listening to it. So, how does that effect your writing? Does that have an influence on you?

Camilla: Yeah, it definitely does in terms of the structure, vocal arrangements and stuff of The Beatles and Crosby, Still & Nash. When you think harmonies, you think Crosby, Stills & Nash more than The Beatles. But The Beatles have amazing harmonies, amazing arrangements, backing vocals, lines…I think that influenced us a lot.

VM: So, this is just a pattern that I noticed. I don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but you’re playing St. David’s and then you’re playing St. Mary’s, and then you’re playing – what is it, St. James? Is that just me noticing a pattern or is that a thing?

Jessica: We are very holy people.  We like to think of ourselves as the Holy Trinity. We always try and play saintly locations.

Emily: I hadn’t realized that there were so many churches.

Camilla: We should do like a saints tour.

VM: I was like, that can’t be a coincidence, but apparently it is.

Jessica: St. David’s here we played last year, and it was like the highlight of the week for us, so we’re really excited to play there again. It was so cool.

VM: So, you’re all sisters?

Camilla, Jessica, Emily: Yes.

VM: So how does that [work for you]?

Jessica:  It’s definitely not [the normal sibling dynamic], but it works for us though. We get along really well; we always have.  We always hung out together at home and had a shared group of friends and shared tastes, so it was never like a question really. We work well as a band, so we always have so much fun together.

VM: So what are your ages?

Jessica: (Points to Emily) She’s the eldest, I’m the middle, and she’s the baby (points to Camilla). Can I just say that?

Camilla: We’re all 21.

Emily: Yeah, we’re all 21.

VM: So you’ve toured with bands like The Civil Wars; how was that?

Jessica, Camilla: Great!

Camilla: It was really fun. That was like our first US tour, so it was really cool…mostly in the south. We were on the tour bus with them, and that was like a whole experience in itself. It was like ‘ah it’s our bus’ it was so cool!

Emily: I don’t know; it really felt like one big family. We didn’t have anyone with us…like, we didn’t have a band; we didn’t have a manger or anything, so it was just like us in there – such a small little unit.

Jessica: We just kinda said, ‘do you have room in your bus? Can we come on with you?’ Otherwise we’d have to drive a car, and they were like, ‘yeah, come on with us!’.  Which is really nice of them…luckily for them we were really cool (laughs), and they were really cool.

Emily: It was lovely. We got to play some cool places.

Jessica: And we played here at the Paramount.

Emily: Yeah, it was crazy.

VM: So do you think crowds or fans are different here in the US than in the UK? What are the differences?

Emily: I don’t know. I think audiences are different, like [there are] ifferent audiences depending on who you are playing to…I don’t know if there is a huge cultural variety. Back in the UK, I guess our experience has been that Americans have been more instantly vocal with their reaction.

Jessica: On that tour with The Civil Wars…[the American audience] would just be like so friendly as we were on stage. They’d be like, ‘you guys are great!’

Camilla: ‘Welcome to Texas!’

Jessica: It was just so nice. I think maybe English crowds are a bit more reserved.

VM: So do y’all all write, or does one person do the writing?

Camilla: We kinda take turns.

Emily: Some songs will be more one person than the others, and some songs I couldn’t really remember who wrote which line. It’s just kind of all three of us. It depends on a lot of things.  When we first started, not living in the same place, there were quite a few miles between us, so we would write individually and then come together and as we learned the parts of each others songs, they’d change and become a ‘Staves’ song rather than like a ‘Jess’ song…it’s basically pretty collaborative.

VM: So you just released your debut album, Dead & Born & Grown. How did you come up with the name?

Jessica: Well it’s title track.  It’s one of the songs on the album, so we called the record that because that song was one of the first songs we’d ever written together years ago…so it was kinda the beginning of everything, so it’s got a really special place for us. It’s got a really nice..what’s the word…

Camilla: It’s got everything from the beginning to now…so it’s kind of like a compilation of everything – some of them were written knowing we would make an album and needed more songs, and some of them we’ve had written for ages, so it’s sort of like a ‘best of’…

Jessica: (Laughs) We were gonna call it like the ‘Greatest Hits’ but we thought maybe that wasn’t the best title for it.

Camilla: ‘Best of the Staves!’ (laughs)

Emily: We just saw someone while we were trying to cross the road, and we were waiting for the lights and this guy in front of us just started walking, so I started following him, and he just turned around and said, ‘don’t follow me – I’m drunk!’  And sure enough cars just kept passing ahead, and I thought that would be a quite good album title.

Jessica: (laughs) ‘Don’t Follow Me, I’m Drunk.’

VM: So I’m getting an exclusive preview for your next album title.

Jessica: (jokingly) Oh, yeah- we’re always inspired by everything around us.

VM: So The Guardian compared you to Mumford & Sons. How do you feel about that?

Jessica: I think that Mumford & Sons fans would be very disappointed if they bought our album. Especially bangers. No bangers on there.

VM: I’m actually not a huge Mumford & Sons person, so that was kind of a surprising thing for me too. It just seemed a little random.

Emily: It’s strange, because then people put Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons in the same category.  They’re so different..like what?  I think it’s just because they come from the same time, and they are kind of in the same group of people, but musically, I don’t get it.

Jessica: I think because Mumford have done so well there is kind of like an umbrella term for those types of bands – which we’re happy to be under. They’re great, and it’s always great when there’s a band that gets the success it has, and it kind of opens the door for people that are doing harmonies and playing acoustic guitars…something that’s not super pop or R&B. We’ve been doing this for so long, we’ve always listened those records like The Beatles and Crosby, Still & Nash, and for a long time that wasn’t cool. We were just kind of rattling around at home loving that music, but no one else was really into it. It seems like now there’s a real awareness I think of that whole thing. So bands like that have done a really good job. It’s cool.

VM: So who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Camilla: Alt J. Really wanna see them.

Emily: Mikhael Paskalev.

Camilla: Mikhael Paskalev, yeah.  Make sure you get a chance to see him.

Jessica: I don’t know who else is playing!

Camilla: It’s so tricky when you’re playing.  You [know that there are] all those people that you want to see, but it’s quite hard to actually find time to get to the places.

VM: How many shows are you playing here?

Camilla: I think it’s three. Not like a horrendous amount.

Emily: And then there’s like a session or so.

VM: So what is next for you after SXSW?

Jessica: After this, we go home and we do some laundry, sleep for a bit, and then we’re going to go on a UK tour…so yeah, that short run around the UK and the rest of Europe, and then we’re going to come over here in May and do our first headline tour in the US, which is May into June, which is really exciting.

VM: Are you coming to Georgia?

Jessica: I hope so!

Camilla: I don’t think the routing is 100 percent finished yet.

Emily: Every time I see it, it’s changed.

Camilla: If not, we’ll probably be kind of close by. I think it’s going to be a short tour, like six weeks or something.

Jessica: Your country is massive. Touring at home is like two weeks, max. You scratch the surface each time in America, which is kinda the exciting thing about it.

SXSW with Parenthetical Girls

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

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

Vinyl Mag: How was the set?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Oh okay.  So where’s next?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SXSW with Ginger & The Ghost

Posted on by Emily McBride

Ginger & The Ghost is one of my absolute favorite South by Southwest finds.

Not only were they some of the most friendly, personable people I’ve gotten to talk to, but they are also enormously talented.  Seeing them perform live feels like a privilege, almost as if the audience is being granted an exclusive chance to view them in their natural habitat.  Usually I feel the overwhelming urge to sing along when I see a live show – this is one of the only ones I have seen that made me want to hush and unblinkingly observe the artists in front of me.

Missy (“Ginger”)’s voice is not of this world, and as you listen to her, you can’t help but think that she was made for this…actually hand crafted to be doing exactly what you see and hear.  Her talent is real.

Dan,  “The Ghost,” manifests himself in a way that perfectly befits his title.  He stands beside Missy with a ghostlike omnipresence, but that by no means implies that he fades into the background.  He seems to be haunting the stage as he plays, and he is undeniably felt.

Only Ginger & The Ghost could make an audience forget that they are in a small, unassuming bar in the middle of 6th Street in Austin, Texas and transport them into an otherworldly galaxy (one that I’m eager to return to).

So there you have it. Amazing band. Awesome people. So before you bolt off and scoop up their EP (which came out March 15!!), go ahead and check out this interview first!

SXSW with Murder By Death

Posted on by Emily McBride

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

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

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

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

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

VM: What was it like working with Skrillex?

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Oh, you haven’t gotten it yet?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Really? Did you just discover this recently?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: When do you plan on releasing it?

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Have you had a favorite so far?

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

VM: What is next for you?

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

SXSW with Charli XCX

Posted on by Emily McBride

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

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

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

Vinyl Mag: Have you ever played SXSW before?

Allah-Las: Yeah, we played last year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Who does the lyrical writing for the songs?

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

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

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

SXSW with Icky Blossoms

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

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

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

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

VM: Are all three of you Omaha natives?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: Who came up with the name Icky Blossoms?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VM: What is next for the Icky Blossoms?

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

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

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

SXSW with D E N A

Posted on by Emily McBride

“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

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

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.