Tag: 2014
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SOHN x Vinyl Mag
SOHN, aka Christopher Taylor, is making moves on the charts. The singer, songwriter, producer and musician from England has just released his new record Tremors, along with a series of video sessions with his label, 4AD.
SOHN sounded absolutely thrilled about the new album. “I think a lot of people – especially in the States – a lot of people have an idea of me as a producer or a remixer,” he said during our Skype interview on his day off in Cologne, Germany, but this album features his vocals and songwriting on every track. “Actually, first, I’m very much a singer and a songwriter on the album.”
The release of the new record happens to coincide with the one year anniversary of SOHN joining up with 4AD records. What does he like most about being with the label? “With 4AD, they’re very much like, ‘we’ve signed you for whatever you decide to be, so it’s your call’ basically, which is great,” he said.
When asked about his songwriting process, SOHN revealed that inspiration often comes to him while on the go. He writes down these ideas on whatever is available—phone, notepad—and goes into the studio to turn those ideas into music. “It’s only at the end of the song where I really get to know what the song is about, or what it’s saying” he said.
The album is reaching early success in the UK and Australia, but SOHN is very humble. “I wasn’t prepared for and I didn’t really understand that there were people in these countries that even knew anything about me,” he said laughing, “So that’s been really mad.”
Vinyl Mag: Where are you off to next?
SOHN: We’ve got a show here tomorrow, and then I have no idea…I’m not really keeping on top of all that stuff right now, just doing what I’m told to do.
VM: It’s been about a year now that you’ve been with 4AD, right?
SOHN: Yeah, it is actually – if it’s April, it is a year.
VM: So how has that experience been? How has that influenced your art and music?
SOHN: The label trusts in the artist that they signed to do whatever they think is right…which is an amazing situation to be in with quite an international label. I see it a lot working with major labels for other people…that process can normally be quite difficult…but with 4AD, they’re very much like ‘we’ve signed you for whatever you decide to be, so it’s your call’ basically, which is great.
VM: So, what are we to expect from Tremors? How is this new and different?
SOHN: Every track on the album has my vocal on it…I think a lot of people, especially in the States, have an idea of me as a producer or a remixer…actually, first, I’m very much a singer and a songwriter on the album.
VM: Take me through the songwriting process – where do you begin, and what inspires you?
SOHN: I normally start while I’m moving. If I’m en route somewhere or walking around somewhere, or driving around somewhere, then a lot of the time, a melody, or some kind of musical motif will sort of come into my head. And I’ll just record that on anything I’ve got around me at the time – say my phone, or whatever – and then I sort of build up a small catalog of those – maybe about 10 – and then when I get the chance, I’ll go into the studio and just play with the ideas starting with the strongest motif first. And then I kind of go into a bit of a daze, basically…then whenever I sing, it starts to form words by accident, and then I try to construct the lines to make use of those words…it’s only at the end of the song where I really get to know what the song is about, or what it’s saying.
VM: I was watching your videos for “The Wheel” and your 4AD sessions, and I was reading about your friend, Andreas Waldsheutz – tell me about that relationship and those videos; I heard they were [Stanley] Kubrick inspired.
SOHN: [Andreas is] awesome. He’s a fashion photographer friend of mine in Vienna…we’ve just always been friends, and his work has continued to get better and better…I knew that whatever he would do would be amazing to look at. We worked very closely. We decided what we were going to do and came up with the concept…we had two days shooting, and all of the ideas [we originally had] just totally changed…and I’m absolutely delighted with the way that they’ve all come out…I think that it’s so strong visually.
VM: What are you looking forward to most on your upcoming tour, and in the future of releasing your album?
SOHN: I’m looking forward to the realization that people have actually been thinking about my stuff without me really realizing it, [laughing] because the album [just came out], and it’s started hitting charts everywhere, and I had no idea. I had no idea that there were people out there ready to buy this album, or that were interested in it, or that were talking about it. Since today, I’ve really started to see that happen. You know, you’re going straight to the top 20 of the iTunes charts in the UK, and all these things…I didn’t really understand that there were people in these countries that even knew anything about me, so that’s been really mad…this show in Cologne is nearly sold out, and I’ve never once been to Cologne.
VM: What about Spotify? What about these web streaming services? How have they affected your music?
SOHN: My feeling about that…especially when launching your career, is that the more your music is available, the better. I don’t really want any medium of listener to try to find my music and not be able to find it…you kind of have to realize that and get on board, or very much swim against the tide of how people are likely now to reach their music. I wouldn’t purposefully not put my stuff on those services just to stop those people being able to get it for cheaper or for free, because for me it’s just more important that those people can hear the music. I think that we start to learn that, in music, there are different revenue streams available, which don’t necessarily mean that people need to pay for music in the same way they used to anymore. You still have the touring and a million possibilities of other ways to keep afloat as a musician.
VM: If you could play a show with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be, and where would you perform?
SOHN: Bjork in the English National Opera, or otherwise Dr. John in New Orleans.
VM: Would you consider them some of your musical influences? Who else has influenced your music?
SOHN: Yeah, definitely. Like Tom York was a big influence on me when I was a bit younger, particularly. The Knife was a pretty big influence on me – a lot of things about them. And even down to Paul Simon, actually – I really like his way with words, and so that’s kind of something I grew up to know.
VM: What would you say is the hardest part about making electronic music nowadays?
SOHN: Probably people thinking that you’ve constantly got to be breaking some kind of barrier, which is not always possible, and not even always what you want to be doing…there’s definitely a snobbery in electronic music. It’s difficult to know when you’re going to fall on one side or the other of that snobbery [laughing], and there’s no real rule to it. From one source, you might be considered a really important electronic musician, and from the other side they might be like, ‘they’re not doing anything groundbreaking enough,’ so it’s difficult. I’ve noticed, in some quarters I’m seen as revolutionizing some sort of electronic music thing, and the other side, I’m just the opposite [laughing] so you just can’t tell. Basically, I’m just a singer who writes songs and makes music electronically. That’s more who I am. I wouldn’t say I’m an electronic scientist, in terms of the way of making music.
VM: What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?
SOHN: Probably walking somewhere [laughing].
VM: Walking somewhere? Is that one of your pastimes? Your favorite hobby, just walking?
SOHN: Well, it would be. If I ever had time, it would be. I mean, I haven’t done that for years and years and years. I like the idea of in some way like a pilgrimage, even if it’s not a religious pilgrimage, because I’m not religious, but this kind of idea of making a journey by yourself based on your own animimalistic possibilities. Like your actual body and your physical self, and just pushing yourself, just doing a sort of four-week hike over mountains and lakes, and arriving somewhere else.
SXSW 2014: Lily & the Parlour Tricks x Vinyl Mag
Lily & the Parlour Tricks is a soulful sextuplet based out of NYC. According to their bio – and evident in their sound – their influences range from The Andrews Sisters all the way to The White Stripes. During South by Southwest, we sat down with Lily, Brian, Terry, Morgane, Angelo, and Darah to see what they had been up to in the past and what they plan on getting into in the future. Read about all about it and more below, and check out their website for a stream of their latest release, Requiem, as well as upcoming tour dates.
Vinyl Mag: Is this your first SXSW?
Lily: It’s our second; the first was in 2012.
VM: Is there a reason you took a year off from it?
Lily: Yeah, actually, a label saw us at SXSW 2012, and we got into a development deal with them through 2013, so it made sense not to come- but now we’re back.
VM: What set have you had your heart on catching while down here?
Lily: Definitely St. Vincent.
VM: This question is for the guys- I watched a bit of your interview with Rock on Philly, and Lily mentioned how you were super into 90’s R&B; as a fellow R&B appreciator, what kind of 90’s R&B are your particular favorites?
Brian: Bone Thugs for sure, Montell Jordan, Brian McKnight…
VM: Oh snap, you guys are the real deal!
Brian: Well, the thing is that we did a run of shows once, and Angelo had found this Planet Groove: Best of 1997…
Lily: I think that was the first time we had ever gone out of town together, actually.
Brian: It was! So that was our soundtrack for about three straight days. And now it’s just a thing.
Terry: It started as a joke, and now we’re all into it.
VM: Being a larger group, how do you travel?
Lily: Well, now we have a van courtesy of Angelo. But usually, if we’re out of town, we rent a big SUV or something. Otherwise, we just split into two cars; usually, it’s just the “boys” car and the “girls” car.
VM: Here’s a question I’ve found relevant with this week: are you food truck people or BBQ joint people?
Lily: Both! We’ve done Iron Works already, but we’ve also done the food trucks. Really, we’re just food people.
VM: What has been your favorite so far?
Lily: Gus’s has been mine.
Darah: The best fast food truck at SXSW is Chilantro’s for sure.
Brian: We were discussing earlier how the food truck situation is really interesting and awesome, but I don’t know- I always leave hungry. It’s an experience more than it is a filling meal.
VM: You’ve mentioned how “Belle Gunness” was just a demo when it was picked up by BMW for their new commercial- have you since gone back and mastered it or left it as is?
Lily: We left it as is.
VM: And that wasn’t the plan originally, was it?
Lily: No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t the in the plan to release it all, necessarily, but we like it, and it sounds good. Now, we have all of these demos that we had done with this label, and we’re allowed to release them. We may or may not do that, but it’s kind of an amazing position to be in.
VM: Are the lyrics a collaborative effort or do you [Lily] do all of the writing?
Lily: I do all of the writing; it’s just how it’s happened. I 100 percent look at it is as a collaborative effort; it just happens to start with me. I send them skeleton recordings, and then it’s formed from there.
VM: Last question- I read that you’ve been going back and forth from Nashville to work on a lot of recordings- are you still going back and forth, or has that wrapped? What can we expect musically in the near future for Lily & the Parlour Tricks?
Lily: We just went in February for a big session, and we got six songs out of it, so now we have a total of 13 to work with. We’ve just released the first single titled “Requiem,” and we plan to release another single. After that, it’s wide open with what we want to do with the rest of it.
HOLYCHILD x Vinyl Mag
There might not be a more fun genre than indie-pop. If you don’t believe me, then give HOLYCHILD a listen. With the uncanny ability to create catchy tracks with depth, it’s no surprise that the band has gained quite a following. After earning early success for their song “Happy With Me,” the LA-based duo recently signed with Glassnote Records and dropped an impressive debut project accompanied by a short film. HOLYCHILD is comprised of lead singer Liz Nistico’s sugary, poignant vocals and Louie Diller’s punchy, melodic, and always-catchy musical compositions. I recently got the chance to get with HOLYCHILD about their debut EP, their favorite dessert foods, and a slew of other sweet subjects…
Vinyl Mag: So, your first EP, Mindspeak, just dropped in March. Do you feel like there’s an overarching theme for the project?
Liz Nistico: Hey! Yeah, the EP just came out! The overarching theme is pretty much centering around me exploring my role as a female in our culture. However, to me it’s even more than that, and really commentary on who we all are, versus who we’re told we’re supposed to be, in relation to our culture and other humans.
VM: I saw that you also released a short film with the EP. What was it like to make that, and why did you feel like you wanted to pair the project with a short film?
Liz: I really wanted the message of the EP to be clear, and I thought that accompanying visuals would really enforce that. I also am a very visual person, so I didn’t really feel the art would be complete without it. I was so grateful to be able to write and direct my own videos, especially because it was my first time really directing! It was nice to be in control of all aspects of the film, from what styles the girls are wearing to what the location looks like to exactly how the actors are interacting. It’s really nice doing HOLYCHILD, because it really is all-encompassing artistic expression!
VM: What was your writing process like for Mindspeak?
Louie Diller: For Mindspeak, Liz and I wrote all the melodies and harmony together, but Liz was responsible for roughly 80 percent of the lyrics, whereas I was responsible for 80 percent of the music production. Our writing process, however, for each song tends to vary. Sometimes, I have a melody floating around in my head; other times, Liz will write using her vocal loop station, and we’ll go from there, and actually for a few songs on our album, Liz has woken up from a dream with songs fully fleshed out!
VM: A whole lot of sweets in the video, and you used a doughnut for the Mindspeak cover art. If you could only have one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Liz: Ha! I think cheesecake for me.
Louie: Hot fudge chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream on top!
VM: How does it feel to be signed to the same label [Glassnote Records] as artists such as CHVRCHES, Childish Gambino, The Temper Trap and Two Door Cinema Club just to name a few?
Louie: Right on – lest not we forget Phoenix, Mumford and Sons, Givers and a handful of other really inspiring artists! Money, hype and buzz aside, creatively it has been very validating to sign with such a reputable label like Glassnote and to now have all these amazingly privileged opportunities handed to us. After some years of the starving artist struggle, it is a privilege to to not only eat a little bit better, but more importantly, execute our vision on a level we have always dreamed of reaching.
VM: You guys, CHVRCHES and GIVERS are the only bands on the label that use all capital letters in your name. Do you guys get together and make fun of the non-caps nerds?
Liz: Haha, yeah obviously, all-caps fo life. Nah, just kidding, we’re pretty nerdy into all of the other Glassnote bands. I think Louie expressed this, too, but when we get together with the other bands, we’re pretty much like, geeking out on their songs, and live shows, and aesthetics. We’re big fans!
VM: I read that you met each other in a dance class at George Washington University. What did each of you study?
Liz: Yeah! I studied International Affairs, Italian Literature and Dance (mostly modern). I know I’m not directly employed in these careers, but I do feel like I’ve taken all this knowledge and applied it to what I’m doing now.
Louie: I studied International Affairs and Jazz Studies. Obviously, I am not doing the former professionally, but a secret ulterior motive Liz and I have had for pursuing HOLYCHILD is to use it as a vehicle to travel the world! Hehe, don’t tell anyone!
VM: You [had a show] on April 5th back in DC. [Did] it feel like a homecoming of sorts?
Louie: It did feel that way! But we were not there long enough! DC has always treated us really well, and we are fortunate to basically have a home away from home in DC.
VM: What are you currently listening to?
Liz: So much. I’m pretty into Sylvain Esso, Tune-Yards, Loch Lomond, Sam Smith. I am just starting to really to get into Sufjian Stevens which, WTF – why is this just now happening?!
Louie: St. Vincent, Andrew Bird, Battles, OutKast, Thelonoius Monk (always), and more.
VM: Who are some of your musical influences?
Louie: Our musical influences include everybody from Fiona Apple, to Dirty Projectors, to Katy Perry, No Doubt, Afro-Cuban Guaganco, and many more.
VM: If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?
Liz: I would definitely be making art in some way. I don’t know if it would be writing or dancing or making visual art, but I know myself well enough at this point to have realized that I fall apart when I’m not making art.
VM: I read that you guys used to make five-month plans and goals for the band. Do you still do that, and if so, what are you planning next for HOLYCHILD?
Liz: Yes! Haha, yeah we’re definitely systematic and still really organized with our approach to how we release things and why. That’s probably the biggest takeaway we have from GW [George Washington University]! The one thing that’s changed now is we have a team behind us, and our five-month plans have turned into 12-18 month plans. Things are just much more certain now (kind of)! So coming up for us, we’re mostly going to be touring for the rest of the year! We just dropped our EP, Mindspeak, and our album with be out in the fall.
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes x Vinyl Mag
Indie rock band Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes originates from Nashville, Tennessee. The band released their first album, Civilized Man, in 2011 and have just released their sophomore album, Kid Tiger, a mix of synthesizers and pop melodies. Kid Tiger was engineered by Vance Powell, who recorded big names like Jack White, The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. You may have watched their video “Sun Goes Out,” filmed by Joshua Black Wilkins (if not, get on it below). Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes follow in their footsteps with energy and optimism. The band has been recognized by Esquire as one of the 15 Bands to Watch in 2014. They’ve also received recognition for Amazon and Paste Magazine.
The band’s Facebook claims their influences as “Drawings of animals, good mustaches, moderately priced whiskey, and doughnuts,” but this interview got the real scoop. Keep an eye out for Kyle Andrews and Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes on their tour this summer!
Vinyl Mag: How did you guys come to form Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes?
Daniel Ellsworth: The drummer and I went to school together, so we’ve known each other for years. The other guys – we met through mutual friends, playing with other bands in Nashville. We’ve been together since 2011.
VM: How has your style evolved since your first album, Civilized Man?
Daniel: The new album, Kid Tiger, was written as a band. The first record was a mix of songs that I had written before the band had formed, so it was written a little differently, and Kid Tiger was a progression from that. We built everything from the ground up as a band.
VM: What is the inspiration behind your new album, Kid Tiger? Where does the name come from?
Daniel: We draw from a lot of different musical styles. Everyone in the band comes from significantly different backgrounds. Our drummer grew up playing metal; our guitarist grew up playing country and rockabilly; the bass player and I played straight jazz in college.
So, you get this mix, but all of us are big pop and big rock fans. It’s never an intentional thing, but we try and draw from all of those different backgrounds. I don’t know if it necessarily comes through in the music, but I think the music that we listen to and what we’ve grown up on is what inspires the music that we make.
The album name was a random story. It was the one thing we hadn’t quite agreed on yet as a band. Our guitar player had just picked up a copy of Tarantula, Bob Dylan’s first book. It’s like a series of free writing; none of it makes sense. He probably wrote it all when he was stoned out of his mind. We were in Portland, Oregon, and we were sitting in a park and decided to turn to a random page to find an album title. We flipped open to a page, and there were these fake letters from two drunk, fictional characters. One of the letters was signed, “Your fellow rebel, Kid Tiger.” We saw it and thought it was pretty cool. We liked how it sounded; we liked how it looked. Long story long, that’s where Kid Tiger came from.
VM: Are there any particular bands or artists that have helped shape your music?
Daniel: At any given point, we’re listening to all kinds of music. There’s never a band that we want to sound like, but some of the bands we commonly listen to would be Wilco – that’s a big one for us. We listen to a lot of Phil Collins, always Tom Petty, and always Paul Simon.
VM: What was it like working with Vance Powell for your video “Sun Goes Out?”
Daniel: Vance engineered Kid Tiger, and “Sun Goes Out” is the first single on the album. It was amazing working with Vance; he’s one of the best at what he does. It was an honor to get to work with him. He’s recorded some of our favorite records of all time. It was great; he’s a great guy. He was on top of things, and he’s so unbelievably good at what he does.
VM: What plans do you have in the future for the band?
Daniel: I hope that we continue to make records the way we want to with the people we want to make them with and continue to tour with them, if people want to keep listening. We’ll tour in the near future for Kid Tiger. We just got back from a tour, and now we’re working on some of our fall festival dates. We’re doing some touring in May with Kyle Andrews.
VM: What advice can you give to bands in the beginning?
Daniel: Make the music that you want to make. Don’t let anybody tell you what you should be making or what you should be doing. If you’re making music that you love to make and you believe in it, that’s the whole thing. If it’s something you like to play, and you can do it every single day of your life, do that. Don’t change for anyone.
SXSW 2014: Lime Cordiale x Vinyl Mag
Quintet Aussies Lime Cordiale came quite a long way from their home of the northern beaches of Sydney to play at the massive and chaotic live music scene of SXSW. With a voice and sound that can’t help but bring up comparisons to Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and The Kooks from us writers at Vinyl, this group is definitely deserving of your undivided attention with their up-beat indie rock distinctive of the land down under. We caught up with brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach midway through they week at SX to talk about their experience in the USA, working with Daniel Denholm, and their biggest influences.
VM: 2013 was a huge year for you guys, touring all across Australia to promote your second EP, Falling Up the Stairs. How was that experience for you guys?
Louis Leimbach: Amazing! We all felt solid about that EP and the shows went splendidly. We started the year with an amazing festival on the east coast, so that defiantly pushed us a lot, and we also supported some bands that we adored. We were super vibing on all of the shows out of our hometown, which had great turnouts.
VM: How did you come up with the band name Lime Cordiale?
LL: Our last name has ‘Lime’ in it, and we stole the ‘Cordiale’ from a French musical festival ‘Musique Cordiale’ we were attending when we first started playing together.
VM: How has it been performing and making music as brothers in the same band; does that ever cause tension or disagreements within the band?
LL: I can’t really imagine doing this without a sibling. There is never any backstabbing, and we can read each other perfectly. Sure, there is tension, but that makes for something good to write about.
Oli Leimbach: Despite being brothers, we get along really well. We have similar vision.
VM: How was the experience of having the EP produced by Daniel Denholm?
LL: Daniel is a strange guy. One of those wackos that would be naked under his trench-coat playing music all night long in the dark by himself. But a musical genius who totally gets us, and we fully respect him. We worked hard finding a sound that mimicked our personalities and presence for about six months. We put down about 20 tracks and picked out the best five.
VM: Being from Sydney Australia, how has that influenced your sound?
LL: There is definitely a distinct sound coming out of us at the moment – maybe that has something to do with it? We come from a surfy town that like to party and dance so we’ve definitely adapted our sound to its groovers.
VM: Are there any particular musicians or bands that shape your music?
LL: A lot of old soul, deep house, reggae and psychedelic music. Some of our favourites are Bonobo, Citizen Cope, Charles Bradley, Amy Winehouse, Tame Impala and Crowded House.
VM: How has your music evolved since the beginning?
OL: When we first started out we were playing much smaller venues and mainly just acoustically. But as we started playing bigger places, we had to adjust our sound to less of a sit down and listen and more of a stand up and dance type of feel. Its all about playing something that people can dance to.
VM: Anyone who you guys would love to play live with?
LL: Citizen Cope, Charles Bradley, The Growlers, The Strokes…
VM: Do you guys have a favorite song to play live?
LL: ‘Bullsh*t Aside’ is pretty fun the play live. It seems to get everyone grooving pretty hard.
VM: What bands were you most excited to see at SXSW this year?
LL: We had no plans, and that was the best plan. We just hopped from venue to venue, and because of that we now have a list of about 30 great bands we previously had never heard of. We made friends with a couple of them and now have some good U.S. connections and friends.
VM: How many shows did you play at SXSW? What was your favorite?
LL: At one showcase we played, the guitar amp blew up in the first song, so Oli just danced around for most of it. When you stuff up that hard at the start of your set, you just loosen up and stop worrying, because there’s nothing else to loose.
VM: What is next for Lime Cordiale?
LL: We’ve got a bunch of new songs we want to lay down when we return to [Australia]. Then head back over to hit the USA with some fresh new tracks.
Apr 08 ‘Play Us Your Hits’ Showcase @ MUSEXPO Los Angeles, CA
Apr 09 Casa Costa Mesa, CA
Apr 21 Bluesfest Byron Bay Nsw, Australia
Jun 11 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA
Jun 17 The Crocodile Seattle, WA
Literary Style Icons
I’m sick of drawing fashion inspiration from movies and TV. It’s just too easy! Watch your favorite show, choose a clothing item you like, look it up, and BAM! It’s in your closet in a few days, and suddenly you’re Hannah Horvath. As is probably obvious, I’m more into the written word and the imagination that accompanies it. So when I’m envisioning the style of some of my favorite characters from novels, I know their sense of fashion has a touch of mine in it as well. Be inspired by my three favorite fictional fashionistas below – trust me, their style definitely thickens the plot.
Lady Brett Ashley, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
“Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s. She started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a roaring yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool jersey.”
(Missoni skirt, Chanel jacket, Brooks Brothers hat, Accessorize Necklace, and Iro Staccia boots)
Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face… then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk.”
(Proenza Schouler skirt, Tibi top, Cocktails in Celebration headband, Paul Andrew shoes)
Sybill Trelawney, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
“…the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding towards them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversize dragonfly.”
(Jean Paul Gaultier skirt, Oscar de la Renta top, Chesca shawl, Betsey Johnson boots, Dolce & Gabbana clutch)
All collages made through Polyvore.
SXSW 2014: Blondfire x Vinyl Video
It’s no secret that we at Vinyl have love for Blondfire. It all started at South by Southwest 2013 when we saw them play a show at The Belmont with Sirah, Charli XCX, Icona Pop, Rockie Fresh, Action Bronson and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (um…best lineup ever?). Since then, we’ve been hooked.
We sat down with them at SXSW this year (after trying to meet up at a restaurant that no longer exists and getting super lost and confused), and they patiently held off eating a delicious-looking muffin to talk with us about their newest release Young Heart, finding band members through Craig’s List, what they love about South by Southwest and, of course, what’s next for them. Enjoy!
Apr 03 The Hoxton w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Toronto, Canada
Apr 04 Imperial De Quebec w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Quebec City, Canada
Apr 05 Corona Theatre w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Montreal, Canada
Apr 07 Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Brooklyn, NY
Apr 08 Union Transfer w/ The Sounds Philadelphia, PA
Apr 10 Webster Hall w/ The Sounds New York, NY
Apr 11 Fete Ballroom w/ The Sounds Providence, RI
Apr 12 9:30 Club w/ The Sounds Washington, DC
Apr 14 Terminal West w/ The Sounds Atlanta, GA
Apr 15 The State Theatre w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Tampa, FL
Apr 16 Grand Central w/ The Sounds Miami, FL
Apr 18 Granada Theater w/ The Sounds Dallas, TX
Apr 19 Emo’s w/ The Sounds, Ghos… Austin, TX
Apr 21 Fitzgerald’s w/ The Sounds Houston, TX
Jun 03 The Demo w/ Chain Gang of 1974 St Louis, MO
Jun 04 Woodland’s Tavern w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Columbus, OH
Jun 05 The Boot & Saddle Philadelphia, PA
Jun 08 Brighton Music Hall w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Boston, MA
Jun 09 The Drake Hotel w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Toronto, Canada
Jun 10 Magic Stick w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Detroit, MI
Jun 11 Empty Bottle w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Chicago, IL
Jun 12 7th St Entry w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Minneapolis, MN
Jun 14 Marquis Theater w/ Chain Gang of 1974 Denver, CO
SXSW 2014: Jagwar Ma x Vinyl Mag
Walking down historical Congress Street through the steady droves of Southby-goers to meet with the Australian band Jagwar Ma, I listened to the bands debut album, Howlin’. When an album can be defined as psychedelic dance rock while at the same time evoking a chill wave vibe (and somehow bringing some Beach Boys-esque melodies to the mix), you know you’ve got something unique.
Jagwar Ma was formed in 2011 by Gabriel Winterfield (lead vocalist/guitarist), Jono Ma (guitar, beats, synths, production), and bass guitarist/vocalist Jack Freeman. Howlin’ was released in 2013, and they have been touring the album internationally through Future Classics, Mom + Pop Music and Marathon Artists. I caught up with the band at the eclectic antique shop, Uncommon Objects, an Austin soho staple – very fitting for the band’s first SXSW.
VM: You guys just put out Howlin’ – are you ready to put out a second album?
Jono Ma: People ask us a lot about the second record, and we’ve definitely been looking at our crystal ball and [doing] a lot of sketching and things but, realistically, we’ve got a pretty hectic touring schedule coming up and want to stay focused on that for now.
VM: I saw that! You’re heading back to New York this summer, right? Plus playing Coachella?
JM: Oh yeah, and all over really – headed back to South America in a couple days, Chili, Columbia, Brazil and Argentina, all leading up to Coachella.
VM: Wow, how do you guys keep up with the pace?
JM: Picking our battles. Like, last night for example, it was 2 a.m., and I was standing in the middle of the road outside of The Mohawk with the band Warpaint debating: should I go party? I decided in the end to go home and get some rest.
VM: You definitely can burn out quickly I imagine. Now, how did you guys meet?
Gabriel Winterfield: We met in Sydney; we both played in other bands that would play the same venues and tour together. It’s not abnormal in Sydney for cross-pollination in bands.
VM: Is Sydney a good culture for that?
GW: Yeah, it certainly was, and I think it still is, It’s got a really good vibe for bands. I was renting an office that I turned into a little studio, and Jono actually had a professional studio to work from.
VM: Did you produce all of your music yourself?
GW: Yeah, Jono produced this record; I sort of dabbled in demo recordings, but the fact is, we had the opportunity to make our own sh*t, and people would come to jam. It was a pretty good time.
VM: It seems that’s one of the best ways to create new music, so that’s really fortunate. Are there any new artists that you feel you would like to work with in the future or are inspired by?
JM: We’re quite comfortable, musically, just the two of us, because we can really cover a lot of ground. I can do a lot of technical stuff – we can both play guitar and keyboards, but we’re excited about the prospects of working with great visual directors and artists like Chris Cunningham and maybe Spike Jonze, because that’s not our forte’. As pretentious as it might sound, I would like to work with a lot of designers.
VM: Why do you think that sounds pretentious? Are you afraid of coming across as pretentious?
JM: Well, I don’t know. I guess, ‘what does physical clothing have to do with it?’ maybe…
VM: This is your first SXSW right? How has it been so far?
JM: Yeah, our first time – it’s good… quite chaotic, but we haven’t smashed Southby yet. We’ve only been here two days. I’ve seen some tired looking heads.
VM: You must get used to travelling a lot. You’re now based in the UK, right?
GW: Yeah, we’re based in North East London. There’s a bit of a vibe there. We’re not there too often, but when we are, we love it. It’s a place that makes the most sense for us at the moment.
VM: Right, because you are signed to a couple of labels right? I know you work with Future Classic in Australia, Marathon in the UK and Mom+Pop here in the US. How does that all work out?
JM: With great difficulty.
VM: Do they all get along? For instance, who handles the tour to South America?
JM: Yeah, but they just work on their territories separately; it’s not that unusual of a structure. South America is the wild west – we’re just gonna wing it down there. God, I don’t even know, but we have really great management that takes care of it all for us.
VM: Who do you wanna see at Southby? I know you guys are friends with Cut Copy [who are] playing tonight.
JM: Yes! We need to get a hold of them; it would be great to see what they are doing at the moment. I also really wanna see Danny Brown. We just did the Laneway tour, and he was on it.
SXSW 2014: Night Riots x Vinyl Mag
What would you get if U2 and The Killers had a baby? Night Riots – that’s what. Hailing from central California, this rock band has such an infectious sound that both MTV and Rolling Stone have taken notice. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with them during their stint in Austin during SXSW, so read on to hear about how the band formed, their influences, one band member’s premonitions, and what’s in store for Night Riots down the road.
Vinyl Mag: So you guys have playing together since you were teenagers, how did the band form?
Travis Hawley: Well Matt and I met in middle school, and then the rest of us started playing together when we were little kids. We grew up playing music together and it has just been that way ever since.
VM: Comparisons have been drawn between Night Riots and big names such as The Killers, The Clash, and U2. How would you define your sound?
Nick Fotinakes: Sort of like a mix between The Killers and U2. I don’t know; I like it. I think it has the nostalgia of U2 or maybe some 80’s stuff. But, we also grew up listening to a lot of punk music, so it still has a lot of angst and darkness. I don’t know; it’s just rock with a listenability.
VM:You guys had to change your band name due to copyright infringements. How did you guys settle on the name Night Riots?
TH: It came to Mikel in a dream.
NF: Mikel has a lot of premonitions. Like on the flight over here, he thought we were all going to crash.
Matt DePauw: No, he saw a ring of light, and it was hopeful. He grabbed my wrist and was shaking, and then his eyes went completely white, and he saw a vision…
VM: You raised the money to put out your EP Young Lore independently. How was that experience?
TH: It was fun; it was a actually a cool way to give back to our fans. You know, they would donate surprising amount of money, and then we just tried our best to make worthwhile things to give back to them. So, we just had a bunch of cool little perks.
VM: Who would you guys say are your biggest musical influences?
TH: I like INXS.
NF: Travis.
MD: Dr. Dre, 2001. I mean it, it’s a great album. It inspired me a lot.
VM: So, welcome to the heaven that is South by Southwest! Any really cool experiences yet? Or anything you guys are really looking forward to?
Rico Rodriguez: South by Southwest is just pure chaos. You have people throwing up on people, Lady Gaga flying around on meat, barbeques.
MD: Pretty much in the streets, too. She’s throwing up on stage, then you walk outside. Mikel saw that one in a premonition. He saw us eating gyros later, too…
VM: What is your favorite venue you guys have played?
TH: I like the Great American Music Hall in San Fransico; that’s pretty awesome.
NF: I like this place called Humphrey’s by the Bay in San Diego. It’s like a big outdoor amphitheater. You saw people on their boats pull up and watch the show.
VM: You were featured on Rolling Stone and on MTV Buzzworthy in 2011 and 2012. How did that feel to get that exposure?
NF: Pretty cool – like surreal. It’s something you never really think is going to happen, but then it does, and I don’t know. It doesn’t really click in until someone tells you it’s cool, and then you think it’s cool. I am really peer-pressure-influenced.
VM: How would you say your music has evolved since the beginning of the band?
TH: Since the beginning of time. It has just evolved. It has all been pretty organic, and I think recently we have been exploring a lot more textures and sounds and rhythm, so I think that’s the biggest thing. But also, just pushing ourselves to be a little bit more outside of the box.
VM: If you could play a live show or collaborate with any band or artist dead or alive, who would it be?
MD: Freddy Mercury. Or that guy Death Grips.
VM: What can we expect from Night Riots after SXSW?
Mikel Van Kranenburg: Lots of gold, gold rings. That’s what I saw.
TH: We are going to come home, and then we are actually just spending a couple of months just writing music, get[ting] a couple of music videos done. A bit of touring, and then we are going to start it all over again.
SXSW 2014: Bert McCracken x Vinyl Mag
As frontman of the well-known rock band The Used hailing from Orem, Utah, Bert McCracken is far from inexperienced in both performing and interviewing. During SXSW, we were lucky enough to sit down and talk with the veteran rocker for a few minutes of his jam-packed schedule. Despite his experience, we chatted about how he still gets nervous to perform, his fondness of Australia and the new The Used record that’s coming out this month.
VM: The Used manages to combine heavy rock and roll with strong, catchy melodies. [What is] your main focus when writing a song?
Bert McCracken: My main focus is the lyrics first, then melody second. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Neil Diamond, and so I appreciate pop melody and pop sensibility. I want to write a song that I want to hear.
VM: You have a new album, Imaginary Enemy, coming out in April. What can we expect from your sixth studio album?
BM: It’s really a more selfless record than we have ever written. We wanted to ask some big questions about some really serious issues facing the world, inequality, and love and humanity, and what are we all doing not treating each other with respect…these kinds of things. So, we really keep the writing general enough so you can take it for what it means in your own personal life. But this record is going a bit deeper than we have before, and just like your typical Used record, I think there are a lot of colors that paint this canvas. So you have your heavier songs and your lighter songs and your more experimental stuff, but I think the focus is more on the consciousness of the message.
VM: How do you feel like you have evolved as a band and stayed relevant since starting out 13 years ago?
BM: I think the relevance is in part to do with our passion, and also directly a product of honest, pure love of music…there are a lot of bands out there like The Used that are just truly passionate about what they do, because they love music. And I think that is the most important thing for us – status aside, money aside, attention aside, everything else aside – other than this unadulterated love for music.
VM: Let’s talk about the heaven that is SXSW. What’s your favorite part of the Austin festival?
BM: My favorite part of SXSW is just the camaraderie and the freedom of music. There is a band here, there’s a band there, there’s a band there, there’s a band there – how great is that? Purely for the music.
VM: What’s the coolest venue or event that you’ve ever played?
BM: The Gorge in Washington is really awesome. It’s this outdoor venue that’s right in front of this cliff.
VM: What has been your most outrageous experience with a fan?
BM: There is a fan that has this fake leg that he always throws up on stage, and we always talk about it. He’s got a beer keg in his leg, so there’s a tap, and he’s got drawers, adult cigarettes and all. But we also had a Make a Wish Foundation cancer victim who chose to come spend a day with the Used in 2005, and we became super close. We talked on the phone all the time. His name was David Smith, and he lost his battle with cancer about a year ago. But that was the most outrageous fan experience.
VM: Do you still get nervous before you perform live?
BM: Very nervous. And if I didn’t, maybe I would need to re-evaluate my passion a little bit. I care a lot about what I do, and I want everyone to have a really amazing time. I want that healthy escape to be as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
VM: How have you managed to preserve your voice after years of recording and performing?
BM: I don’t know. I don’t think I have. I just take it easy, really really easy.
VM: Who are some of your biggest influences?
BM: I would say a Brazilian Revolutionary named Paolo Freire is one on my major influences. Noam Chomsky, T.S. Elliot, Umberto Eco, Charles Dickens…George Orwell is one of my main influences. I would say authors influence me a lot more than other artists. I am a writer first.
VM: If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?
BM: Writing.
VM: So you have a pretty sweet set-up living in Australia. What is your favorite part about living in the land down under?
BM: I love the Australian way of kind of protected market systems. They have really strong protection for family-owned independent business. I think the whole world should feel that out.