Tag: 2013
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REVIEW: Forecastle Festival Day Two
Saturday’s lineup packed in the most music and variety of the festival with acts from Shovels & Rope to Foxygen to Dawes to Matt & Kim to Jim James…the list goes on. So much to see and so little time to do it all in. The day started off with some cloud coverage, a light breeze, and a smoother entry into the festival grounds.
Needless to say, even though the day started without a hitch, the weather had a plan of its own. With the sun shining and not a dark cloud in sight the festival was evacuated around 4:40PM for about an hour after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunder storm warning cautioning wind gusts up to 60 MPH and hail. With neighboring Indiana close by and the 2011 Sugarland stage collapse still heavy in the heart of the music industry, the evacuation, although annoying to some, was an appropriate call on behalf of festival organizers.
The evacuation caused a shift in the schedule and sets were pushed back nearly 45 minutes to an hour past original start times. Conflict caused by this shift occurred for those hoping to catch headliner The Black Keys and make it to one of the late night shows as those had and maintained their original start time of midnight. Besides this minor hiccup, Saturday proved to be one full of impressive music and one of the best days of the weekend.
AMTRAC
While taking in the sights and sounds of the Forecastle grounds I came upon AMTRAC laying it down on the Red Bull Music Academy Ocean Stage, an afternoon party under the freeway if you will. Full of diverse remixes, and house with disco sounds, he set the tone for the Ocean Stage for the rest of the day. Acts to follow on this stage included MNDR, TOKiMONSTA, Nosaj Thing, and the festival favorite Matt & Kim.
Shovels & Rope
This South Carolina duo served up an afternoon set full of Southern rock, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll. The stage presence, charisma, and chemistry between was mesmerizing and sucked the crowd deeper into their songs- Then again they are husband and wife. Shovels & Rope kicked Saturday off on a high, toe tapping, southern note and treated us to set that left us pleasantly surprised and wanting more. (P.S. Please come to Athens, GA? Thanks!)
Foxygen
You must be doing something right if Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips) shows up to watch your set. Part musical experience and part theatrical performance, Foxygen delivered and the crowed enjoyed.
Alabama Shakes
“WE LOVE YOU BRITTANY!” resonated throughout the crowd before the Shakes even stepped on to the Mast (main) Stage that Saturday evening. A jam packed crowed stretched the entire width of the grassy field and far back past the soundboard. It seemed that this was the largest crowd the main stage had seen so far all weekend. As the Alabama Shakes took the stage a huge smile came over lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard. Throughout there set which consisted of, “Rise to the Sun,” “Hang Loose,” “Hold On,” I Found You,” “Boys and Girls,” “Be My Baby,” and “I Ain’t the Same,” Brittany conversed with the audience, not to fill, but to simply interact. Howard’s demeanor was that of appreciativeness and delight and the crowd fed off of her enthusiasm for her craft.
The Joy Formidable
I can always respect someone who can curse like a sailor and make it sound classy and fun. First impressions of The Joy Formidable were literally, “Shit, I’d love to be friends with these people.” Saturday was my first time being introduced to The Joy Formidable which was formed in North Wales in 2007. The energy produced by this trio was high and unexpected for that early in the evening. They performed their song “Whirring” and some others off of their The Big Roar (2011) album and a mixture of new material. This set was a highlight for me this past weekend and would absolutely loves to see The Joy Formidable again.
Jim James
Wearing his infamous purple suit, My Morning Jacket’s front man Jim James took the Mast (main) stage and started off the set with “State of the Art.” From twirling around stage, to head banging and shaking is flowing hair while shredding his guitar, to raising his golden bear to the heavens, and his backing band bringing absolute heat, his stage performance was complimented with the sounds of James’ debut highly acclaimed solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God. He closed out the set with a memorable “Let It Be Cover.” Leaving his set, and after seeing him in action for the very first time, I understand what all the hype is about, I totally get it now.
The Flaming Lips
Lighted tentacle tubing flowing the length of the Boom Stage up to a raised platform, LED screens behind, white smoke filled the stage, and out of its depths Wayne Coyne emerged with a fake baby doll in his arms. Like a king of some weird alien alternate universe Wayne enchants the crowd with his spectacle from atop of his pedestal. From using a search light to shine onto the crowd to blowing bubbles The Lips’ set was a delight to the eyes, but also music to our ears. The set included “Look…The Sun Is Rising,” “The W.A.N.D.,” “Race for the Prize”, and the DEVO cover “Gates of Steel.” And for those not that big of fans, yes they played “Do You Realize??”
LATE NIGHT: The String Cheese Incident
Set 1: Drums > Howard, Can’t Wait Another Day > Orange Blossom Special, Cold on the Shoulder, Sometimes A River, iBam! > Minor Swing, Just One Story, Hotel Window, Impressions > Colliding > Restless Wind
Encore: Ramble On
Late night. Cheese. The Louisville Palace Theater…need I say more? It was hard to go to a show like this and not have high expectations or feel like you were about to experience something “special” Although there are mixed reviews from fans alike concerning the song selection, personally I was down to hear anything and was just ready for a good time, and apparently so was everyone else around me. Personal highlights included Orange Blossom Special and Just One Story. I could not have picked a better ending to day two at Forecastle than with e a Cheese show at the historic Louisville Palace Theater.
REVIEW: Forecastle Festival Day One
After taking a seven-hour trek and making it through the cluster of endless lines of eager festival goers, we were finally greeted by Louisville’s 85-acre Waterfront Park overlooking the Ohio River. With a lineup including headliners The Black Keys, The String Cheese Incident, The Avett Brothers, and Robert Plant, Forecastle Festival seemed to have something for everyone. Since its start in 2002, Forecastle has evolved from a homegrown local festival to a nationally recognized and flocked-to music experience.
In addition to the four stages pumping out nonstop music all weekend, the festival grounds were host to numerous live art displays, a Kentucky Bourbon Lodge, and a poster showcase of some of today’s most recognized poster makers. Food options were abundant with local offerings like the Holy Mole Taco Truck, Heine Brothers Coffee, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, festival favorites like Pie for the People and Grateful Burrito Brothers, and chain vendors Jim ‘N Nicks’s Bar-B-Q.
As a city fest, with noise ordinances stopping music around midnight, Forecastle kept the party going with three late night shows. Kentucky native Wick-It the Instigator and Eliot Lipp hit the stage on Lousiville’s own riverboat the Belle of Louisville Friday night. The String Cheese Incident took over The Louisville Palace Theater with a midnight show Saturday night, but if Cheese wasn’t your thing, the Belle of Louisville was host to the sold out late night Houndmouth show with Night Beds and The Wheeler Brothers.
Day One Recap
We can’t start talking about Friday without talking about the horrendous lines we were greeted with at both festival entrances. After arriving around 6:30 p.m., we finally made it in 45 minutes later just in time to catch Big Boi and kick off this Forecastle weekend. With the sun shining and a breeze coming off the Ohio River, we hit up the Boom Stage just as the crowd began to sing “Ah ha, hush that fuss, Everybody move to the back of the bus”.
Big Boi
The favorites and classic Outkast songs were played: “Rosa Parks,” “Ghetto Musick,” “The Whole World,” “Ms. Jackson,” “So Fresh, So Clean,” and “The Whole World”. Even with a “Bombs Over Baghdad” tease, the crowd still loved every minute of his set. Although still in recovery from a knee injury from earlier this year, Big Boi told the crowd he was not going to miss Forecastle and braved the stage on crutches and sang from a throne ornately decorated in red velvet and gold embellishments.
Old Crow Medicine Show
As the sun began to set over the river and barges floated by, the backdrop was set for a pluckin’ good time on the Mast (main) Stage. Although murmurs could be heard throughout the crowd just wanting and wishing to hear “Wagon Wheel”, Old Crow Medicine Show delivered a set that kept the crowds dancing and stomping their feet. With covers and easy sing-a-longs to “This Land is Your Land” and Tom Petty’s “American Girl” the scene was set in anticipation for Friday’s headliner The String Cheese Incident.
The String Cheese Incident
In the cool of the night, under the explosion of pre-show fireworks, a circus of sorts was about to start on the banks of the Ohio river. Those familiar with a String Cheese show had an inkling of the party that was about to erupt out of an otherwise typical festival incident, and those seeing Cheese for the first time were unprepared for the massive dose of fun that was in store. “Rosie” kicked off the set followed by “Best Feeling” into “On the Road.” A cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” really seemed to get the crowd going. The rest of the set included “Song In My Head,” “Sirens,” “Let’s Go Outside,” and “It Is What It Is.” “Valley of Jig” and a stellar “Colorado Bluebird Sky” closed out the night. Overall, Cheese delivered fun and heightened our anticipation for the late night Palace show.
Words with Andrew Cedermark
Andrew Cedermark has just released his sophomore album, Home Life, a follow-up to 2010’s major success Moon Deluxe. In celebration of his recent release (the album came out July 11), as well as his current tour, we decided to ask Andrew a couple of questions. Check out our conversation below!
Vinyl Mag: Why did you leave Titus Andronicus — when did you decide to do a solo project?
Andrew Cedermark: I left Titus more than four years ago for the same reason people leave a lot of touring bands: I wanted to try my luck living a life in one place, and not always in a car. We toured a lot, and it didn’t agree with me. It wasn’t my music. I was tired of my body smelling like yogurt and wanted to experiment with things like gardening and laundry. On this, my first tour supporting my own music, however, I find myself having a really good time
VM: Tell me about your new album, Home Life — there are some very personal, honest lyrics- what is your writing process? How long did it take you to write the LP?
AC: I suppose my process is to not simply go with the first, second or third idea that comes, but to compile all ideas that I perceive to be good into songs in whatever way seems most compelling. That obviously happens with varying degrees of success. Writing the lyrics, I spent a lot of time at the library trying to come up with things that I hoped would not be meaningless or pointless.
VM: What was the inspiration behind “Canis Minor” and “Canis Major”?
AC: Directly, these songs are named after a pair of constellations, and I suppose that’s a kind of inspiration. When writing lyrics, all you have to do is write down what you think or feel, make it more vague, then make it more grand, research when people have said something similar to what you are trying to say, incorporate that, and hope that that process offers each listener her own way into the life of that song. Given that, anyone’s guess is as good as mine.
VM: You got a solid review in Pitchfork for Moon Deluxe — they compared you to Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel – high praise! How do you feel about that comparison?
AC: The truth is that when I see a good review I tend to think about the better reviews some of my friends have received. As for Jeff Mangum, it is a far-too-generous comparison, probably one that the writer came up with when struggling against a deadline. That is the reality: you can say anything on the Internet. Overblown sentiments flourish where content is king. If I really had anything in common with Jeff Mangum, I’d likely be a beloved and famous rock-and-roller, but as things go we made $50 last night in Baltimore. To answer your question directly, of course it feels great to be compared to one of the indie rock’s genuine marquee talents. But is the indie-rock pantheon holding a place for me? No! As for reviews, all are welcome.
VM: I’m noticing a lot of bands releasing songs on cassette tapes now — what inspired you to release your split on cassette?
AC: Over the course of several years during which I was recording an enormous amount of music, it just happened that not having released any of it began to make me sad. So I wanted to handmake a product that reflected the care I believed I had put into the music. By this time in history it was coming to be widely agreed upon that CDs were just MP3s plus waste, and I couldn’t afford to press my own record, so … tapes. And I made a box to go with them and sold them over the Internet with color-printed booklets of photographs I had taken, with lyrics handwritten all around. That was really my first release, “Two EPs.” I realize now that this isn’t the tape release you asked about though. A label in Charlottesville run by some friends asked about the possibility of releasing a split tape with a band featuring some friends in the almighty Charlottesville revue Drunk Tigers, and I said yes. The same logic was at work here as above.
VM: What is next for you?
AC: Cleveland!
REVIEW: of Montreal premiere first single off new album
of Montreal is the kind of band that wanders in and out of its time. At the height of fame for Kevin Barnes and crew, around the Hissing Fauna era, their sound was modern and fresh. By Paralytic Stalks, the band propelled into the future, prompting the loss of a few unprepared fans.
With the release of the single “fugitive air”, we expect that lousy with sylvianbriar – to be released October 8 – will force the listener into a time machine set to the 1960s. It’s even apparent in the album art, a psychedelic swirl of intense colors and type.
As much as we hate to make this cliché reference, it’s impossible not to hear the Beatles in this tune. The opening guitar riff screams Harrison, while the sweet ooh-ahhs at the chorus harken back to McCartney. And, much like a Lennon signature, the track feels entirely lyric-driven. This retro sound is no surprise though, considering of Montreal ditched digital embellishments in favor of a 24-track tape machine.
That’s not to say that today’s listener won’t adore this single, and, ultimately, lousy with sylvianbriar in its entirety. In fact, the track fits comfortably into 2013, considering the rise of surf-punk bands like Wavves, FIDLAR, and Bass Drum of Death. Finally, it seems, the past, present, and future have collided for of Montreal.
P.S. Pre-orders available NOW HERE!
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE: Tim & Adam’s “So Much More”
Pop duo Tim & Adam have come out with a brand new video, and we’re here to bring you the exclusive premiere! So stop what you’re doing and have a look!
Now that you’re a fan, head over to their Soundcloud for some more T&A tunes!
Q&A with District Attorneys
The District Attorneys, a band comprised of Atlanta and Athens natives, have quickly established themselves in the Athens music scene and is undeniably a musical force to be reckoned with. Formed in 2009, these guys have made continuous strides in the right direction not only in making music that people want to hear, but also in being easily accessible at the click of a mouse. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and just months after releasing their first full length album in April of 2012, the band went on to win Best Album Artwork, Best Album, and Artist of the Year for the Flagpole Music Awards of Athens, GA. We recently spoke with Drew Beskin of the District Attorneys just days before the band was gearing up to play Athfest ’13, and this is what we found out….
Vinyl Mag: How did the bond with This Is American Music form?
Drew Beskin: Ah, Payton Bradford of the Futurebirds is a good friend of mine and he is friends with Cory, who is one of the founders of This Is American Music. After I moved to Atlanta and started working on our first full-length album, he suggested I reach out to him.
VM: Your music has frequented XM’s station “The Loft”; do you personally feel that is a fitting station for your sound?
DB: Well, I don’t really much listen to XM- not that I have anything against it- I just have my iPod, CD’s, and podcast’s that I listen to. I’ve heard The Loft tends to play a lot of really random stuff sometimes, but I’m friends with Mike Marrone [programming director for The Loft] on Facebook, and I see what he recommends all the time, and like his taste. I’m no authority on XM or anything, but it’s cool enough for me!
VM: How do you feel that your experience at SXSW this year differed from your last, and do you feel that it has been beneficial for the band?
DB: We’ve only gone two years; we toured up there last year which was a lot of fun. We really didn’t know what we were doing, and we kind of just said yes to anything we were offered. For a lot of the shows, they had paired us up with emo-punk bands, so some of them weren’t that great. One of the best parts of going two years in a row was that the first year we learned a lot about the area, but also just that we had been a band another year longer this time, so we had more fans to come out to the shows. This year we played a show every day, and each show was a really good time with some really cool guys.
VM: Who does the primary song writing?
DB: I do, for the most part. I write about 80 percent of the songs, and our keyboardist – and sometimes guitarist – write the remainder of the songs.
VM: Who runs your social media sources? Do you keep up with them yourselves?
DB: We are all owners of our Facebook page, but I would say that I maintain Facebook for the most part, and Frank [bassist] maintains Twitter, for the most part. We all have access whenever we want. We’re definitely in charge of it.
VM: Why was the decision made to release your first two EP’s for free via Bandcamp?
DB: We knew what we were doing when we released them for free on Bandcamp; we wanted to go ahead and have it out there. Now, all of our stuff is on iTunes and whatnot, but we put our first out for free just to get it out there for anyone to hear. We just generally wanted people to listen to it. We released our second EP on there, because we were working on our album and it was taking us a little longer than planned, so we decided to record a few songs on our own just to have something out to hold us over. You never want too much time to go by between releases.
VM: I noticed that the Gillian Welch cover of Wrecking Ball has a ton of plays; whose idea was it to cover that song?
DB: Well, it was my idea, because I love her; I take full credit for that. I’ve always loved her, so I was very excited to convince the band to do that, and I’m glad everyone took to it well.
VM: In a previous interview you did, you mentioned that “Cherry Glow” was your favorite off of the new album- what was it about that song that struck resonating chords with you?
DB: I think at the time what I loved about it was that the whole song was recorded live. Everything that you hear on that song was done live. Not necessarily in one take, but it was very natural and raw. Next time around, we want to leave space to do something cool like that again and make it more organic, I guess.
VM: What are your expectations for the upcoming Athfest?
DB: It’s going to be our fourth Athfest in a row, and I think the first year we were just this new band, and we played on like, the very last stage. Each year since we’ve played a different stage, and this year we will be playing the Pulaski stage which is really exciting. As far as expectations go, we’re just happy to continue being a band that’s invited to play. There are always a lot of fun things to do and a lot of cool shows so I know it’s going to be a good time.
Dexter Season 8 – Lets Talk
*SPOILER ALERT if you’re not caught up. Don’t get pissed. I warned you.*
[youtube id=”6ckzE5vT0wc” width=”600″ height=”350″]June 30th is the night. And it’s going to happen again and again, every Sunday until September 15th.
It will all be over soon. Dexter’s fate will finally be unmasked, and viewers will see the series for what it is — but for now, we wait.
No longer is it taboo amongst Dexter fans — or should I say Dexter’s devoted until around season five and his frustrated followers thereafter — to believe that perhaps the series’ continuation better deserved to have been laid atop fifty yards of plastic wrap and cut into tiny pieces, wrapped tightly in Hefty garbage bags and tossed to the infinite blue than being dragged like deadweight through the past two seasons of soap opera-styled drama and implausible chaos.
For such a neat monster, Dexter hasn’t exactly been keeping things orderly.
It takes a certain kind of blindness to play along with the idea that Miami PD would inexplicably allow an unarmed forensics geek first entry to a crime scene or to have a police captain search for a former murderer in a shipping container without backup. Brother Sam may have tried to implant the virtue of faith into Dexter, but it was faith that killed Brother Sam. Call it miraculous, call it coincidence or luck, but that only goes so far — Deb isn’t the only one who’s stopped believing Dexter.
But while Dexter’s been getting caught, his character’s nature has been sneaking away.
For seven seasons he’s been grappling between monster and man — a Dark Passenger stalking and hunting for his identity amid a blood-red impulse. Now he’s a monster in love, letting mistakes collect like blood slides in his treasured box. Giving Deb a choice between ending his life and saving it — is that what it means to be human?
I suppose this was always Dexter’s destiny, to shift away from monster and closer to man as he finds his way to the light at the end. But as monsters disappear with the lights turned on, so are monsters created when everything dims.
Deb — caught between loyalties, she’s been the strongest element to the past couple of seasons, holding the show together with intense hysteria and a development from a workaholic cop, to murder accomplice, to a killer herself. Dexter may be on the way to finding himself as human, but Deb is caught wavering in a meltdown of a monster.
This season, I’ll be watching. I’ll be watching Dexter out of investment and self-obligation, to see his fate unfold and conclude the Dark Passenger’s long journey. But I’ll be watching Deb, the way I used to watch Dexter — when he was careful and creepy.
After all, isn’t the making of a monster more interesting than the taming of one?
[youtube id=”dy6u5rXqN5o” width=”600″ height=”350″]
REVIEW: Look Alive’s ‘Mistakes and Milestones’
Look Alive, an up-and-coming band straight out of Atlanta, Georgia, is kind of like a manifestation of all of your favorite pop-punk bands from 2004. Intrigued? Well, rightfully so. These guys have been at it in some form or fashion for over 10 years now, and now the time has come for them to release their latest EP, Mistakes and Milestones, via Autumn + Color Records. Luckily, we got a little preview of the album; indulge in our thoughts:
The album’s intro, “Transitions”, essentially sets the theme for the EP in just 50 seconds. The album then jumps into the second track, “Anchored”, which is an ode to the bad break-up that we all have been through at least once in our lives. Singer Jacob Causey’s aggressive vocals pair nicely with the direct lyrics and definitely strike a nostalgia chord for earlier pop-punk enthusiasts.
“Sink or Swim” is the third track on the album, and by this point, a clear pattern in song placement has been formed. The album takes you through all of the emotions you inevitably go through in the throes of failed relationships, with “Sink or Swim” expressing the stage of self-loathing and reflection, heard loud in clear with the focal point of the song, “Don’t let me hear your say I’m just some castaway sailing out towards the nothing I became”.
Track 4, “The Way I see It”, continues to follow suit with the reflective process- you know, that moment when you realize it’s time to live your life yourself without reservation? That what this one’s about- that glorious realization that no ones opinion is going to deflect you from your dreams.
By Track 5, you’ve reached the song “Farewell” (may be my personal favorite). There’s a bitter tone to Causey’s lyrics, and the energy is slowed down just enough to give it the dramatic edge over the rest of the album. “You are reckless, and I’ve accepted this”- Hold tight listeners, because at this point we have reached acceptance, and what a glorious feeling that is.
Look Alive closes the EP with the track “Over Under”- the end of an era of sorts, moving forward is the name of the game with this track.
Bravo, Look Alive – you have taken us through a realistic depiction of the emotional rollercoaster ride relationships and life will throw your way. Furthermore, bravo for making a fan out of all of us at Vinyl Mag. Be sure to check out Mistakes and Milestones when it drops July 2nd .
Phone Chat with Lemuria
After catching their set at SXSW, Lemuria stuck in my head and grew as an unshakable interest in my mind. Lemuria was formed in Buffalo, NY and have since spread themselves around the country. With the release of their newest album The Distance Is So Big, we figured now we would be a good time chat about the past, the present, and the personal in regards to Lemuria. A big thank you is in order for Sheena Ozzella and Alex Kerns for being so gracious and forth-coming and making this happen. After checking out this super rad interview, head on over and have a listen to Lemuria’s “Oahu, Hawaii”, which can be streamed here.
Vinyl Mag: Whose idea was it to name the band Lemuria, and is it directly related to the lost land theory?
Alex Kerns: It was my idea. At the time I was reading a lot of mythical books about lost continents like Atlantis and Lemuria. I kind of just picked the name, and Sheena liked it so it stuck.
Sheena Ozzella: We knew we wanted it to be a one-word band name.
AK: We were kind of hoping it would be a name that no other band had, but we later found out that there was a band from Belgium that had the same name and the same kind of idea that we had. We actually got to meet a couple of guys from the band, and they were wearing their Lemuria shirt for their band; they came up and talked to us and were super nice. We’ve kept in touch with them over the years.
VM: How was the connection made with Kind of Like Spitting for the split you did “Your Living Rooms All Over Me”?
AK: I just kind of randomly met Ben, and we became friends. When we put out our first demo, he got a hold of it and liked it a lot. We just stayed good friends ever since we first met, so we decided to do a split LP and a full U.S. Tour together. Still today we’re friends. We’ve been talking about doing some UK shows together and stuff like that.
SO: Kind Of Like Spitting was one of my favorite bands for a really long time before he met them, so when he met them, and I found out that he had met Ben I was really excited. One thing led to another, and when we decided to do the split together it was definitely one of the coolest things to make something with a band that was actually one of your favorite bands.
VM: As far as the lyrics go, is it a group effort? Who does the primary lyrical writing?
SO: I would say Alex writes most of the material for Lemuria. Alex is a man of many words; he’s really good at summing up what he’s trying to say. His lyrics are very straightforward and very simplistic, but they tell stories, and they do a lot more than you would think in just a small amount of words. Alex also tends to write a lot faster than I do. But yeah, I write maybe one third of the lyrics, but I don’t say sh*t as good as Alex.
AK: For the record, I love Sheena’s lyrics, and I wish she would write more, but I just write faster, I guess.
VM: [To Sheena] How does it feel to not only be in a band with such talented musicians, but to also be dating one [guitarist Chris Moore]?
SO: Ooooh, a question about my boyfriend! It’s awesome. I’ve known Chris for a very long time- maybe close to 10 years now? We started dating four years ago, and since then we’ve both been in full-time touring bands, him in four bands. It’s awesome because in so many ways understand each other, but in other ways it’s kind of sad, because we don’t get to see each other very often when we are actively touring. But, I love him and I support him, and he does the same for me, so it’s working. We’re about to embark on three months without seeing each other, and that’s about the longest we’ve ever gone. But its good, and we’re both good and doing really exciting things. I’m very happy.
VM: Is the title of the new album The Distance Is So Big symbolic to the geographic location of the band members, or is it something bigger than that?
AK: Kind of. It’s actually a lyric from one of our songs on the album called “Oahu, Hawaii”, and in that song it doesn’t really have to do anything with the band, but it’s more so something to do with a relationship. But overall, that line kind of sums up a lot for the band. Internally with the band, we’re all in different places. But also, we all – in the past – and even in the present have been in long distance relationships. It just seems like it’s always been a big factor for our band.
VM: Leading into my next question- being that everyone in the band does live in different states, how do you feel that affects the writing and recording process?
SO: I think we’ve been more productive than we’ve ever been; it’s made the time we are around each other ‘go time.’ Whenever we would get together, we would have 8-hour long practices and were very much structured around writing an album. It feels a lot more focused now that we all live in separate places.
VM: How did you find your home at Bridge 9 records?
AK: We just heard that they were listening to our first album, Get Better, at their offices through mutual friends. So when we were recording Pebble we figured we should send them an e-mail and see if they were interested. It was an oddball signing, but I think that it really made sense mutually.
SO: I think it also opened up Bridge 9 to signing other bands that were like us. I know that from talking to Chris [Wrenn, starter of Bridge 9] that is has been a really positive thing for them in regards to him putting out things that he really enjoys, and that’s the point of a record label.
VM: Would you say that your first released track off of the new album, “Brilliant Dancer”, is a good depiction of the sound you’re going for with this record?
AK: Yeah. The album is pretty upbeat and optimistic. It’s a long album and little more epic of an album for us.
VM: How was your experience at SXSW this year?
AK: I thought it was a lot of fun. It was exhausting, because it’s one of those things where you can’t just drive your car up to the venue, unload, and play – you have to find parking and walk a mile and all of that. But overall, it was great and a fun festival, and we had a really great time. We played four shows altogether, and all four were worth the trip.
SO: We played for a lot of new people, which is always really exciting. I think we were one of the smaller bands who played SXSW, and I felt like at every show I really appreciated the amount of people who came out to see us. We felt welcomed, and it meant a lot.
VM: Last question- you’re noted for playing “The Fest” in Gainesville, FL every year; will you be playing again this year?
AK: Yeah, we’ll be there. If we didn’t play The Fest it would be a really bad year for us. It’s kind of the weekend we look forward to the most.
Phone Chat with Flobots
Flobots emcee and vocalist Jamie Laurie recently agreed to spend a little phone time with me to talk about their new release, their tour, and their plans to record. I’ve generously embedded the video for the track below so that you can listen while you read our interview. Immerse yourself and enjoy.
VM: Where are y’all?
Jamie Laurie: We were just [in Georgia]. We are in Chicago.
VM: How is the tour going?
JL: It’s going good so far. We are getting close to done.
VM: You’ve got like a week left?
JL: Yeah. Five more shows and a lot of driving.
VM: Do you have a show tonight?
JL: Yeah. A show tonight in Chicago and tomorrow night in Cleveland. Then a day off in Milwaukee, Minneapolis. Then a day off in Kansas City.
VM: What are you doing on your day off? Just driving?
JL: Probably sleeping…it’s the best time to sleep.
VM: Have you had any sight-seeing chances?
JL: Yeah actually. We get a few hours each place to walk around for a little bit, but sometimes we go way out of the ordinary. Like we actually went to an oyster farm outside of New Haven. A friend of mine runs a sustainable seaweed and oyster farm. So we went out on a boat on the Thimble Islands and like ate oysters, had some tequila in the sunlight. It was pretty nice.
VM: Yeah that’s pretty cool. So is that the highlight?
JL: You know, the highlight may have been that. The rest of the tour, I forget. It’s just too long ago…I am sure I did something in California, but I can’t remember it. It’s all a blur.
VM: So what were you doing between [this tour and your previous tour]?
JL: We did a little bit of songwriting. Then we got back and pretty soon afterwards, and then it was the holidays.
VM: The line up has evolved a lot since formation…
JL: Well…I use to be in a solo thing called Onomatopoeia, but it wasn’t really a Flobots thing. We just used the Flobots website. Really the band started in 2005, and then Brer Rabbit and I were both in it then. Then pretty soon after that, it came to be Mackenzie, Jesse, and Kenny in it. It’s changed a little since then, but [it’s pretty much the same].
VM: So do you prefer touring to recording?
JL: I like them both a lot…we recorded a song that we just released called “Bradley Manning”. Personally I love songwriting, but I still love performing. They both are just really different experiences there. One of them is a lot of alone time, and the other one…you are with crowds of people every day. One can be social, and one is anti-social.
So, do you have anyone that you would really want to collaborate with?
JL: You know, I think the thing with collaborations is that you want to make sure you do them because the song calls for it. I actually…kinda had the experience where all these people you love are doing a song together, and you listen to the song and it sucks. And you’re like, ‘Man, I waited my whole life for them to collaborate, and the song is not good.’ And so I think it is important to make sure that first and foremost it is about what the song calls for. So, for us, yeah I am a hip hop guy but, when we were making that song ‘White Flag Warrior’ it was like the song asked for Jim from Rise Against, and we reached out to him, and he really brought the missing piece to the song, and so I know that collaboration was the right thing to do. So I think there are tons of artists I love that would be fun for me to collaborate with, but I think we try to put the song first.
VM: So I heard your van broke down?
JL: Yeah! How did you hear that?
VM: Just through coordinating this interview.
JL: Yeah, the transmission is no good. So now they are fixing it, and it just so happens that our tour schedule was really weird and has us going back to Cleveland today after Chicago. After we have already come that way, but it actually ended up being perfect, because we are basically backtracking, and we will be three hours away from where our van broke down.
VM: So how are you getting around now?
JL: We rented a minivan and a truck.
VM: So after this tour wraps up, what is next for y’all?
JL: Record songs.
VM: Have you written them already?
JL: We have a lot of ideas on the whole themes of the songs, and we just have to water them and give them the proper sunlight and let them grow into beautiful new plants.
VM: Sweet! Well thank you for talking to me!
JL: Absolutely, thank you for taking the time. Thanks for caring!