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Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a band called Casual Sex?
So, honestly, we were originally drawn to them because of the shock value of their name (weren’t you?), but then we gave them a listen, and that’s where the real love affair began. This band is cool. That’s really all that I can say.
Their music is a bundle of seduction, fitting somewhere between Scissor Sisters and of Montreal on my party-time playlist (and with Sam’s Bowie-esque vocals thrown into the mix, seriously where has this band been all my life?). We caught up with them at South by Southwest this year to talk about their music, Southern hospitality, country walks, and their plans after the festival.
Vinyl Mag: So, tell me how your South By is going so far!
Sam [guitar/vocals]: It’s been very good, very great, very exciting. Very busy.
Ed [guitar]: It’s been amazing; people have been amazing, Austin locals have been so nice. We got picked up the other day by a complete random and taken to a show, ’cause we were carrying all our equipment along a long street. So yeah – it’s been amazing. The shows have been fantastic; we’ve had a great reception everywhere we’ve played, so it’s good.
VM: How many shows are you playing through South By this year?
Ed: Six. Is it six shows this year?
Peter [bass]: Yeah, I think we play about six shows. Our last one’s tonight at 10 o’clock.
Ed: We played at the British Embassy yesterday, and it was great. So that’s going to be a hoot.
VM: Can you tell me a little bit about how the band got together and your process?
Sam: Yeah, well it kind of started…I run a studio, and we were running courses. I knew Ed anyways, a friend. And I had a lot of work together already and kind of came on board to play an old catalog of songs, and then eventually, Peter kind of muscled in. And we asked Chris to play drums. And then we all found out we worked fairly well together. So we became more of a solid, democratic unit.
VM: Your music is very…I mean, you’re Casual Sex, how did you get into the –
Ed: Well, the platform of the music was already there, and the name kind of went along with the platform. Sam had already written a body of work, and then we started writing together after our first show. We got what we had down and played a show. We got a great reception from our friends, and then we started getting serious about it and writing together.
VM: How close are the lyrics to your real life [experiences]?
Sam: It’s all 100 percent right; it’s pretty honest stuff. [Laughing] yes, I think you try and write about what you know, so there are a few illustrious experiences documented in the lyrics about sex.
VM: [Laughing] like cheating on your girlfriend?
Sam: Yeah, on the floor of a local occultist, so the press quote goes [laughing], but no it’s true, it’s true. I don’t get up to that sort of thing anymore.
VM: Now you just dress like you’re in the Matrix.
Ed: I dunno. It’s not leather. I was just trying to pull off a more of a – I dunno – a semi-British-goth vibe or something.
VM: I like it. How would you all describe your music?
Chris [drums]: Music with guitars you can dance to would be the easiest way to say it. There are too many genres in music. It’s ridiculous. It’s pointless to try and quantify it, you know.
Ed: And Peter and Chris are an unbelievably tight – almost like soul rhythm section, and we just embellish that sound with guitars. Sam’s actually an accomplished musician, and I can just play what I can play so…
Sam: The sound of tomorrow, now.
Ed: [Laughing] the sound of tomorrow, now.
Chris: I like to think that me and Pete don’t necessarily sound like two skinny white guys from Glasglow – maybe something the opposite of that, but I’m not sure.
Peter: But I think a lot of times, when Chris and I are coming up with things when we’re playing, there’s a thing of getting your guilty pleasures out and playing things you maybe couldn’t find a place to play anywhere else – sort of reggae influence or funk influence kind of things, but we have fun playing as a unit. It’s good but also fun playing as a four-piece.
Ed: We’ve been writing the songs almost live…we’ll come up with an idea and really quickly structure it, and then we’ll record it. Sam has a lot of poetry that he can just put down, and we tend to actually write a track and record it in that one session. So we really really work quite well together. Not many bands can do that. We usually do it live as well. Almost everything we’ve done has live tapes.
Sam: We track as much as we can.
VM: You guys have a really busy year. What projects are you most excited about? And what events?
Chris: I can’t wait to go back to France; we’ve been to France, and it treated us really well. I think it went down well there, and we’re going back in May for two weeks. France, and then the Netherlands, so another European tour. Touring there has been really fun.
Sam: I think we’re going Holland, Belgium, France, and I think our people been talking to Spanish promoters, so we’ll get us some nice food.
VM: What do you think about being in America?
Sam: I love it. I love being in the States. I mean, we were over here in October. And I lived here as a kid up in New Hampshire for a year, and I find something quietly reassuring about being back here with the signage. It kind of almost feels homey at times. But Austin – when you go further south – it’s got a stronger flavor; it’s very much its own identity. I think New York is kind of a bit like its own sort of thing really. I don’t really feel like going to New York is like being abroad; it’s just like being in New York.
Ed: Yeah, I’ve spent a bit of time in New York and the East Coast and California and Los Angeles, and this is the first time I’ve been in this part of the world, and there’s a complete contrast. Everyone is so nice here. And we’re not getting any fake vibes at all. Like everybody is being so nice.
Peter: It’s really quite sincere. The southern hospitality – the rumor of that, the stuff I’ve heard – is true.
Sam: It’s nice, and I love the accents. You always get, you know, the English people ‘ahh I love your accent.’ We do like southern accents. Texas accents. Amazing.
Peter: It’s really strange actually hearing people use the phrase ‘ya’ll’ in a sentence. I didn’t think that happened. ‘Ya’ll’ and people with Stetsons on.
VM: I’m a Tennessee girl, though.
Ed: Ah. Southern Belle.
VM: During your time in Austin, have you sampled any of the barbeque or tacos? It’s what they’re known for.
Sam: I’ve had the tacos. I’ve had burritos; it’s been great.
Ed: I’ve only had enchiladas, because I’ve recently turned vegetarian, so I’ve found it quite difficult. We need to have a nice vegetarian restaurant, because [laughing] I’m dying to have a steak. I’m craving a steak.
VM: So what’s next for you after South By? You’re touring Europe?
Sam: Well, we’ve got a month to finish an album, and kind of already in the process; a lot of it has been written. So just hit the studio, and then pretty much as soon as May comes around – by the third of May, we’re back out, over to Utrecht, and then all the way down to France.
Ed: Amsterdam. We’re playing the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Really looking forward to that one, and then yeah, back to Paris. We’ve got a couple of shows in Paris, and then we’re playing in and around Paris for ten days, so that’ll be great.
Chris: Hopefully we’ll have the album out…well, finished by April 16, 2014.
Sam: And then it’s the UK festival dates, they kind of start around then – in May – so when we get back, then there are various festivals. So the summer’s beginning to shape up, but it’s important for us now to get this record done, I think.
VM: Who’s the craziest member of Casual Sex?
Sam: In terms of crazy fun or crazy neurotic?
Peter: [Laughing] Crazy as in mentally ill?
VM: A little bit of each! We can have one for each. So crazy as in wild.
Sam: I go from two extremes, from being quite quiet most of the time. Occasionally, when I do go for it, I’m pretty nutty.
Ed: We’re all a bit crazy, and we all like to drink, and we all go out quite a lot. And we’re all… I’m past my crazy days now I think.
Sam: I’ve been there and done it. I quite like walking now.
VM: You’re the sheriff now.
Ed: Yes, I am the sheriff.
VM: You hold down the fort. You keep order.
Sam: I like fresh air and country walks now.
VM: Wow. Casual Sex likes fresh air and country walks.
Ed: We all like different things. I mean, we all do different things, socially. I go clubbing a lot. We drink in our local pub quite a lot. Chris, he goes to live shows all the time. I like to dance.
Sam: I like to spend most of my time in the studio. I’m usually in a cave, working. I’ve got a studio both at home, and I’ve got another studio, so I’m generally in front of machines.
Ed: I live with Sam, and he lives in a studio. He actually lives and sleeps in a mastering studio, and then he works in the studio by day. He’s living and sleeping the dream.
[tps_header]
*All photos taken by Emily McBride at the Historic Scoot Inn in Austin, TX at SXSW 2014.
What’s up? We’re Diarrhea Planet, and we just woke up!!
It was the final day of South by Southwest, and the guys from Diarrhea Planet were taking the stage as I was waiting outside the gates of Austin’s Historic Scoot Inn. It was a rainy Saturday with an uncharacteristically long wait time for an early afternoon showcase. The line swelled with anxious concertgoers recovering from the night before as skateboard-wielding kids leaned against the chain link fence eagerly anticipating the impending shredfest. It has become a Vinyl Mag tradition to spend the last day of the festival with Diarrhea Planet. Last year, we literally bumped into them on the street before their final showcase at the Jackalope, which to this day remains one of my top five favorite shows of all time. I honestly can’t think of a better way to close out that epic week of music than to be drenched in sweat at the end of one of their sets.
The dudes were three songs in when I finally entered the yard, so I hustled to the bar, grabbed a Lone Star (you know, nothin’ snooty), and jumped over mud puddles to get closer to the action. I came in midway through “Lite Dream,” the first track off I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, as frontman Jordan knelt perched on the speaker platform at the front of the stage like a gargoyle – tongue out with each note of the solo seemingly pouring down from his open mouth past his fingertips before landing precisely on the fretboard. He was later joined on the platform by guitarists Brent, Evan, and Emmett, where back to back they formed a four-headed monster, aiming their guitars at the sky as if in tribute to the gods before turning them on the audience like AK’s of shred. Simply put, these guys play with impassioned stage presence and waste no time getting after it.
Meanwhile, Mike seems content to lurk in the shadows while chugging out underrated bass lines as drummer Casey powers the band with unrivaled heaviness in his sticks. Evan and Emmett sway back and forth periodically in choreographed fashion, with Evan sarcastically miming wiping sweat off of his forehead – a signature move that displays the band’s sense of humor. Crowd interaction is also a major component of Diarrhea Planet’s now legendary live shows. During their infectiously energizing performance, they awarded the first eight crowd surfers a free t-shirt that read “Diarrhea is the new F**k” – further displaying how seriously these guys take themselves. At one point, Evan had a girl photographer climb on top of his shoulders before parading her through the crowd while effortlessly fulfilling his guitar duties.
They roared through the remainder of their set, playing a nice mix of old and new. Two weeks later, I had the chance to see them again at New Earth Music Hall in Athens, Georgia when they were back to make up for a van-induced cancellation earlier in the year. They took the stage after midnight, sincerely apologizing for missing their previous date, and filled the room with over an hour of the catchy ear-ringing, shred-driven skate punk they do better than anyone.
As they broke down their gear after each one of these shows, it was clear that everyone was impressed with what they had just seen. Too many bands these days look like they’re just phoning it in – dialing up impossible to reproduce melodies and licks from their studio sessions in an effort to earn gas money to get from this city to the next. Diarrhea Planet is a rarity – their live show is actually better than any of their records, which is the highest compliment I can give a band. When they finish their set, you can be absolutely sure of one thing: these guys are having a blast.
After all, live shows are supposed to be a good time, and this seems to be the one thing Diarrhea Planet truly takes seriously. And for that, we should all be grateful.
Drenge, a post-grunge brotherly duo from England, sat down with us during the week of SXSW to talk about things like music, American culture, and their obsession with Game of Thrones (that’s the second one this year— we can’t stop talking about it!). If you’ve ever held conversations with a couple of English lads, you understand where I’m coming from when I say there’s nothing more endearing than an authentic English accent. Check out what the guys had to say to Vinyl Mag below (and try to read it in proper English vernacular if you’re feeling really wild)
Vinyl Mag: When did you guys get into town? Have you played any shows yet?
Eoin Loveless: We got in late last night and played a show this morning at Red 7.
VM: Have you played South by Southwest before, or is this your first year?
EL: No, this is our first time.
VM: So, what are you excited for or hoping to take from this week?
EL: Well, the main reason we’re in town is to go to the Game of Thrones exhibition – really excited about that. All we really want is to find a way to be asked to do a song for the fifth series of Game of Thrones.
VM: Are there any completely American/Texan things you want to try or do while you’re in Austin?
EL: Well, I’m pretty into root beer right now, which seems to be American. We would like to have a proper barbecue, as well, but I’ve actually heard that Kansas is the place for that. Granted, I heard that while in California, and I had one of the worst burritos I’ve ever had there, so I’m not sure how much I can trust that statement. Also, I’ll be watching True Detective tonight, which seems pretty Texan.
VM: How old are you guys? Are you old enough drink or what?
EL: I’m 21, and Rory is 20, so he can’t drink, but he could probably out-drink the masses.
VM: How old were you when you started taking your music seriously?
Rory Loveless: I don’t know if that’s happened yet. Maybe one day. It would be nice to take it seriously.
VM: Do you feel like being not only a two-piece, but brothers as well, is an advantage or disadvantage?
RL: I don’t think it’s one way or the other, honestly. Maybe when we do start taking it seriously, we’ll get stand-in’s, or something.
VM: How much of a culture shock is it to play in the States versus playing in the UK?
EL: It’s fine. We’ve grown up on a lot of American culture with movies and television and whatnot, so it just feels like instead of it happening in a small box in front of us, it’s happening in real life.
VM: Were you excited to find out the lineup that you will be accompanying for the Reading and Leeds festival? There appear to be a good bit of acts playing that are actually playing SXSW this year as well.
RL: We played the festival last year on a smaller stage, but it was raining while we were playing, so everyone just came into the tent; there were about 4,000 people and two circle pits going, so it was a pretty intense show. People seem to really take to our music there.
VM: How much of an influence do you feel that Tom Watson was in the notoriety of Drenge?
EL: He kind of just introduced our music to a lot of people who didn’t really care, like political writers of national newspapers and whatnot. It does come up in every interview, so we do have that to thank him for. I don’t think him mentioning us boosted album sales or made people want to buy tickets to our shows, but in terms of the media, he did kind of put us in the spotlight.
VM: After this week, what’s going on for Drenge?
EL: Just a bunch of recording and writing and touring; nothing too different than normal.
We caught up with Portland-based Blouse at South by Southwest this year to talk about Debbie Harry, New Zealand, bassist Paul’s alter ego and their changing sound! Enjoy, and then stalk them for tour dates. They’re definitely a band to see live.
Vinyl Mag: How has Austin been? Have you done anything crazy yet for South By?
Charlie Hilton [guitar/vocals]: It’s been good, but we’ve just been here one day. We got here Tuesday night, so we sort of tried to do too much last night and ended up like not really doing anything.
VM: Yeah, that’s the way it always is.
CH: But our show yesterday was fun; we played an important showcase thing. The weather’s beautiful, so we’re happy.
VM: Are you excited to be down here from Portland? It’s pretty cold up there right now isn’t it?
CH: Yeah, so far we’ve been on tour with Dum Dum [Girls] for like a week, and the minute we got to California, it was beautiful and hot and sunny, and it’s been that way pretty much ever since, because we been to New Mexico, Vegas, Arizona…so we’re getting a little spoiled, but we’re eventually going to go back to the cold in the North.
VM: Could you tell me a little bit about the evolution that you took from kind of synth-y, electronic music…I think I read a quote where you said you had wanted an album with nothing plugged in. I think that’s really cool taking that leap.
Arian Gillali [guitar/keyboard]: You know, Patrick has a good way of explaining it.
Patrick Adams [bass]: Do I?
AG: Yeah, What did you say in the last one?
Paul Roper [drums]: You didn’t want there to be any established rules.
PA: Yeah, yeah. I mean it kind of opened us up to not necessarily being a synth-pop band and doing a second record that didn’t have synth pop in it. I guess it was kind of a big statement, but we just saw it as just continuing to make and craft songs that we enjoy.
CH: It started off kind of practical. One of the other guys in the band was like, ‘synths are annoying, and I don’t wanna tour with a synth.’ And then, as we got more serious, it felt really important to try something new on the second record.
VM: It definitely made a statement. People in the blogosphere were going crazy about it.
CH: I mean, people definitely latched onto that aspect of the record – like, what it’s not – which may or may not be a good thing. I’m not really sure at this point, but I’m happy with the record, and we all like really love the songs. I definitely don’t have any regrets.
MF: What would you say were some of your inspirations that lead to your second record?
CH: When we first started the band, we were geeking out over Galaxy 500 and The Dream Syndicate…
VM: And Portland has that alt-rock vibe going on there, too.
CH: I mean, there are so many things in Portland happening right now, it’s hard to keep track.
VM: How do you think [being based in Portland affects your sound?]
CH: Oh, I think it definitely does in a big way. I remember making the last record. I was going out into the forest – there are these beautiful forests in Portland – and I spent a lot of time in the mountains in this cabin. It was winter, and I just was going through a dark period, so some of the songs definitely came from that. But it’s beautiful. I’m from LA, so I feel like the seasons there are really beautiful, even when it’s depressing…like, all the trees are dead, and they almost have this purple-y color to them…[laughs] I don’t know. To me, that’s really fascinating – trees with no leaves – gorgeous…
VM: They’re always giving away so much free stuff here! How do you [work together as a group? What are each of your specific roles?]
CH: I feel like everyone in the band is justa really good musician, and more than not, energetically, we’re really good friends, and so we really enjoy playing together. It doesn’t feel like a business.
VM: It’s key, because a lot of bands out there are strictly business.
PA: Yeah, we never really got that deep into that part. It’s more just like, ‘let’s try to figure out how we can all have fun and make this thing happen.’ And a little bit deeper into that question of how we each [contribute] individually. Arian’s been in a bunch of more synth-y, darker bands, and Paul –
PR: A lot of techno.
PA: A lot of techno. Paul was in a band that he toured with for a long time in New Zealand.
MF: New Zealand? That’s so incredible.
PR: Well, it’s green. It’s down over there somewhere…I wanted to get away! I wanted to move out; I wanted to get off the island, so I moved to America and –
CH: And he almost got kicked out, and we saved him.
PR: They saved me!
CH: That is the one thing that we were able to do…we got him a visa.
VM: What’s the craziest thing that’s happened so far at South By?
PR: Yesterday, we were watching the Dum Dum Girls, and Debbie Harry came out…
CH: Yeah, that was the craziest thing.
VM: What kind of projects are you working on right now?
CH: I’ve been working on this solo record with the label – our label – that I’ve sort of been talking about with them for a couple of years, so I’m hoping to finish that in June. And we just want to get home and start working on more Blouse stuff, too.
VM: Do you find [performing without the synth is very different from with it]?
CH: It’s a lot more fun, actually. The set’s really dynamic, and there’s a lot of energy in the new songsin a different way than the first record, so we can get really loud, and it sounds good. We’re just louder, and I think it’s just more fun. The mood can change a little bit more throughout the set, which is cool…it’s not as dreamy anymore.
VM: Where are you performing again?
CH: At the Hotel Vegas tonight…[and tomorrow at] the Absolut vodka Bed Head thing…it’s kind of in a crazy studio. They’re doing people’s hair, and the updos look incredible.
VM: I have one more question. Who is the craziest member? I feel like you all are really chill right now, but who’s the secret crazy one?
CH: It depends on the day, really.
PR: I have this alter ego that comes out…
CH: Yeah, we don’t need to…it’s a secret, but it’s in him somewhere.
The Silver Palms are a pretty unique band, and I’m not just talking about their sound (which is pretty damn rad – be sure to grab a listen below). The Camden, Georgia-based band sat down with us at South by Southwest this year to talk about their hatred of Subway, how good-looking they are and what’s up with their all-black uniform (all before our interview got broken up by the cops…yeah, we’re badasses). Just don’t tell them they look like The Beatles.
Vinyl Mag: So, how’s your South By [Southwest] going so far?
Dalton Drury [vocals/guitar]: Alright, I guess. Yesterday was a show with some…bad audience.
VM: What happened?
DD: Well, they seemed like it. The first show was good, but the second show…
VM: I hear that you don’t like Subway. Your Facebook said that.
DD: If you’re an artist, you’re supposed to be cool. Why are you getting branded by Subway?
VM: But you might have something sponsored by Kmart?
DD: Yeah, exactly. That’s a joke. It’s a joke on all those sell outs.
Wade Beahm [bass]: We love Target though.
DD: Yeah, we do love Target. Target’s the stuff.
VM: So, Target can be your sponsor, but you hate Subway.
Adam Drury [guitar]: It’s gross.
VM: So, you like non-branded subs.
Dalton: Non-branded subs.
AD: For bands! For normal people, go at it, you know?
Jordan Scott [drums]: We’re above that.
VM: Can you tell me a little bit more about this all-black look you’ve got going on here?
Wade: We’re The Beatles, man.
DD: At least five times a day we get, ‘Oh look, it’s The Beatles.’
AD: That’s very true, all the time.
DD: We don’t want to look like The Beatles.
WB: The Beatles are a good-looking band, and, obviously, we are too.
VM: I want to hear a little bit more about how you guys started playing together. Can I get a little more of the background?
WB: Jordan broke my hand in football. I thought we were best friends.
JS: Then, our senior year in high school we were like, ‘yo.’ We saw Muse playing a show and we were like, ‘Wouldn’t that be amazing if we could do that?’ Screw going to college; we were going to become a band.
VM: How many shows are you guys playing for South By?
[All]: Four
VM: Tell me a little bit more about your influences for getting into music.
JS: Johnny Cash. We’re southern boys, you know?
VM: What’s your favorite venue you’ve ever played at?
JS: Newcastle. I love you guys so much, because I know you love me.
Wade: Shout out to you guys.
VM: In terms of Austin, are you more of a taco band or more of a barbecue band?
AD: A taco band?
JS: Meat is murder. Be a vegetarian.
VM: Wow! I’m a vegetarian.
DD: I’m not, so don’t high five me.
VM: So, you’re not going to tell us anything about your upcoming shows?
AD: We have a show at the Madison tonight.
VM: Nothing after South By? It’s all secretive.
WB: If you want to know, go on our Facebook.
VM: Tell me about your craziest South By moment.
JS: Last night, I was on a Pedi cab, and this girl was blasting hip-hop music. I was standing around, just whipping my shirt around and partying on. I was dancing, and everyone was chasing us taking pictures, it was great.
DD: We met this cat named Miguel.
VM: Tell me more.
DD: Alright, he has a sex move and a drink named after him.
AD: He’s a stud.
VM: Where did you meet this character?
DD: He’s a bass player, and apparently he’s really good. He was behind the bar making drinks for everyone.
AD: For no reason.
VM: What are you guys excited about for after South By? I know you’re going to some different festivals.
DD: Yeah, but we haven’t announced anything. I don’t know if I’m allowed to.
VM: Super secretive!
Dalton: You shall see if you want to know so much.
AD: Keep your eyes peeled.
*We did as we were told and checked out their Facebook. Voilà! Tour dates below!
TOUR DATES:
Apr 11 Garden Bowl Detroit, MI
Apr 12 Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL Tickets
Apr 14 First Avenue Entry Minneapolis, MN
Apr 16 VFW Missoula, MT
Apr 17 El Corazon Seattle, WA
Apr 18 Hawthorne Lounge Portland, OR
Apr 20 Milk Bar San Francisco, CA
Apr 21 The Satellite Los Angeles, CA
Apr 22 The Hideout San Diego, CA
Apr 23 Pub Rock Scottsdale, AZ
Apr 25 City Tavern Dallas, TX
Apr 27 Lamberts Austin, TX
Apr 28 House of Blues Houston Houston, TX
Apr 29 Circle Bar New Orleans, LA
We here at Vinyl are not quite sure how to classify Hundred Waters. Are they indie? Are they electronic? Are they alternative? Perhaps their unclassifiable and refreshing sound is why we like them so much. Based out of Gainesville, Florida, all four members completed their self-titled album while attending the University of Florida (I guess we will let that slide this time. Go dawgs). This debut album garnered a significant amount of buzz, as producer and artist Sonny Moore (Skrillex) took notice and signed the up and coming group to his label, OWSLA. We met up with Nicole Miglis, Trayer Tryon, Paul Giese, and Zach Tetreault on the quiet third floor of the Austin Convention Center one sunny afternoon during SXSW to chat about their past year, their bucket list, and their evolving sound.
VM: 2013 was a big year for you guys, touring the US and the UK with acts such as Alt-J and The xx. How was that experience?
Nicole Miglis: It was a super incredible experience, and you learn a lot too, because you are opening for a band. And you are also like, this thing that you made in three months – this record that we made – we have had to stand behind for so long and learn how to adapt it to different situations. But meeting them was super inspiring, and they were really inspiring people to know and be around. It was incredible.
VM: You guys have a really unique sound that doesn’t really fit under a genre title. How would you guys describe your sound?
Trayer Tryon: Smart Dark.
VM: Has your sound evolved since the beginning?
Paul Giese: Yes, quite sufficiently. Our first album was made before we knew that this was going to be our everyday and before we knew we were going to be playing it live especially. This new stuff comes from two years of only thinking about music and only thinking about what it means to be doing this and meeting all of these inspiring people in music, instead of having to divide between school and work and what not.
NM: Yeah, it’s a full time thing now for sure.
PG: We are like 100 percent into it, whereas before the world was dividing us.
VM: How did the band form?
Zach Tetreault: We have all played music in different projects like for forever. Trayer and Paul were in a band in early high school, and I started playing with them at the end of high school.
PG: Awesomely, we were called Awesome.
ZT: Yeah, their band was called Awesome. Then we had a little project called We Are Trumpets, and then in college we met Nicole at university, and I would always go see her do solo shows, because she has an awesome solo project that no body knows about.
NM: Top secret.
ZT: Because she doesn’t let anybody know about it. And then we all joined this group together in college called Levek and toured with that, and then it sort of evolved into this. That’s the short of it, but yeah school and music bound us.
VM: So you guys have already performed here in Austin, TX for South by Southwest. How was that experience?
TT: Yesterday was great.
PG: Yeah, it was fun. We drove a long way and then flew and almost missed the flight. The show was all the people that were around most from where we drove. It was kind of funny, but it was good. It was a good beginning show, because it was really hard and rough, so it made us feel alive.
TT: It was our label showcase, which is OWSLA, which is like a lot of dance music mostly. And we don’t get to do a lot with them, because we aren’t really similar to most of the acts. This is one of the few things we have done with that family, so it was cool to be a part of it.
NG: Tonight, we are playing the Portal Showcase with Angel Olsen and Mark Kozelek, who I was obsessed with in high school, so I am super excited to play a show with him. He was like my first real music crush. I am super honored to be on that bill.
VM: Any particular show later in the week you are really looking forward to performing? Or anyone that you have already seen that really impressed you?
PG: Yeah, we really want to see Mark Kozelek.
NM: We are trying to see Empress Of, but she is playing right now.
TT: We wanted to see Ms. Gaga, but we just missed her. We are standing right where she was.
VM: If you guys could perform at any venue, what would it be?
NM: I don’t know. I don’t really know enough venues to be honest. I feel like the most exciting thing to do would be to play at your own venue, like set up your own thing somewhere. I don’t really have any venues that I idolize or anything like that.
TT: You don’t really know venues until you play them.
VM: Who would you say your main influences are?
TT: John Petrucci, Quincy Adams, Michael J. Fox, Rick Wakeman.
VM: If you guys could perform with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
ZT: Nicole.
TT: Yeah, Nicole.
NM: I don’t know to be honest. The people that I know are the people I enjoy most being around and touring with and watching, because I know about their life. It means more to me when I see them perform.
PG: Let’s pick one. Let’s pick a dead fella. But how about watch instead of play. I think John Coltrane would be great, because it would be kind of sacrilegious to stop any time spent with him talking.
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.
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.
For the second year in a row thousands of rock & roll fans will flock to the heart of Atlanta for the Shaky Knees Festival. The weekend-long musical extravaganza kicks off Friday, May 9th and features plenty of must-see musicians. The anatomically unstable festival is not without its changes though. 2014 brings with it a new location and a new lineup. Coming off an extraordinary first year that featured performances from Band of Horses, Delta Spirit, and Drive-By Truckers, it was hard to imagine how the festival could improve upon itself. For Shaky Knees Festival founder Tim Sweetwood, the answers were easy: more bands, a bigger venue, and reasonably priced tickets. Recently, we got the chance to speak with the festival’s founder about this year’s lineup, the festival’s change of scenery, and whether or not he sold his soul to the Rock & Roll Devil.
Vinyl Mag: What initially inspired you to found Shaky Knees?
Tim Sweetwood: I’ve always wanted to produce a festival – they are my favorite kind of events to attend, and I just waited til the time was right.
VM: What do you feel that Shaky Knees offers that some of the other Atlanta music festivals might not?
TS: Real indie music and a chance to discover something new. The lineup is built on having bands you know and haven’t seen in a while but have always loved, and then newcomers in the same genre that will be the next “it” band, and you can see them before anyone else does.
VM: This year the festival is changing locations. How do you feel about the move from the Masquerade Music Park to Atlantic Station?
TS: We feel great. The festival is growing in size naturally, and the Music Park/Old 4th Ward park couldn’t hold what we wanted to do, and we are not big enough for Piedmont Park or something like that. Atlantic Station is very accessible, and still inside the city limits.
VM: What do you feel the biggest improvement will be from last year to this year’s festival?
TS: The chance to see more bands or a ticket price that is close to the lowest price of all the similar national festivals.
VM: How has Shaky Knees managed to deliver such impressive performers in its first two years? Did you sell your soul to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Devil?
TS: Yes, we are on the Highway to Hell. I’ll introduce you to him soon.
VM: Shaky Knees is only in its second year, but already it feels like a mainstay amongst the festivals. Do you feel like your initial expectations have already been met and exceeded?
TS: We have met many of our goals, but there are still many to achieve, and we hope by setting the bar so high with the lineup that from year to year it will keep people coming back and wanting more.
VM: I know that you’ve said you aren’t trying to create the next Bonnaroo, but do you see growth in the festival’s future in terms of number of acts, stages, and attendees?
TS: Yes, we know there will be growth, and although there is tremendous excitement and positive pressure, we don’t want to get too big too quick.
VM: Do you have any specific performers that you are most excited about this year?
TS: Honestly, excited to see them all – that is the joy of booking your own festival. I put on the acts that I truly love and I’m a fan of. We don’t just put anyone on there.
VM: What’s your most memorable festival moment, whether at Shaky Knees or another festival?
TS: Keeping that one to myself, but we truly hope people will have some of their favorite festival experiences at this year’s fest and for years to come.
VM: What advice do you have for Shaky Knees festival-goers?
TS: Get there early and stay late!!
VM: Since Shaky Knees is a Rock ‘n’ Roll fan’s dream come true, can you give us your top three rock bands of all time?
TS: It is really really hard to narrow it down to three, but I’ll throw three out there in no particular order….My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Buddy Holly.
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.
