Tag: vinyl
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Electric Forest 2014: The Revivalists x Vinyl Mag
As we get prepared to make the pilgrimage to Rothbury, MI, for, in our opinion, one of the best music festivals in the country, we called up George Gekas (bassist) of The Revivalists to hear what he had to say about their upcoming performance at this year’s Electric Forest and what he believes makes this, and so many other festivals and venues, so special and universally cherished by music fans and performers alike.
Vinyl Mag: What do you consider to be some of The Revivalists’ key elements to a live performance?
GEORGE GEKAS: I’d probably have to say energy. A lot of people say we give off a high level of energy, and it’s just because we love to do what we do. We’re the kind of band that, the more people we are in front of, the more energy we are going to give off. We love to have crowd participation at 100 percent if possible, and the best way to do that is to show that we’re up there having a good time and giving it our all.
VM: If you could describe The Revivalist’s music in one word, what would you use?
GG: One word is tough…soulful-rock. I know that sounds kind of generic, but we’re a rock band.
VM: Who/what would you say have been the band’s biggest influences?
GG: We all come from incredibly different musical backgrounds. Obviously, you have your standards – like some of the guys come from rock worlds, and guys that come from classical worlds, and jazz worlds, guys that grew up playing in church and stuff like that, but obviously bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and all kinds of classic rock. There are some people out there now doing stuff we like, but I guess it’s easy to say The Beatles and Led Zeppelin overall, as the two biggest influences. But we have so many guys that listen to so many different things. It’s actually really hard for all seven of us to genuinely enjoy.
VM: What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming performance at Electric Forest?
GG: I have been hearing about this place for years now. I remember when that first Rothbury lineup dropped, and after that happened people were just saying how amazing the festival grounds are. We are very fortunate that our booking agent has a stake in this, Electric Forest and Madison House, and a lot of people there told us that it’s worth it alone just to walk through the forest with all those crazy art instillations and the lighting rigs that are set up. It just seems like an amazing time. Not to mention, there are so many great bands, and there are so many of our friends that are playing, which is cool. It will be nice to have four days just to chill with people in a really cool setting with a lot of great music.
VM: Can we expect to see any collaborations or sit-ins?
GG: I would not be pressed to say there would be a high possibility of something like that happening.
VM: Are there any bands/artists you are particularly excited to see at EF this year?
GM: I’m excited to see Lauryn Hill. I’ve never seen her live before, which should be really cool. I’m familiar with Zeds Dead, but not a lot of Zeds’ solo stuff, and I’ve been listening to some of his acoustic stuff, and it sounds really cool. There are so many artists from so many genres. Umphrey’s should be fun…but definitely excited to see Lauryn Hill live, and I hope she brings a band.
VM: What do you believe makes this festival so unique and special? Is there any in particular about EF that makes you excited to just get there?
GM: Not to sound too earthy and hippity-dippity…there is a reason why people have these massive gatherings in certain places, almost like a certain vibration that pulls people in, and there’s kind of like this sixth sense going on where people can feel an energy surrounding a place – a place like [Electric Forest}, or Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL, or Red Rocks and the Gorge. There are certain places that people gather, and there’s no real reason why it starts happening, but everyone knows these places are special. We love that we are going to be a part of something like that, and there’s a really sick line-up. It’s a great four day festival.
Like I said before, the best part about doing this stuff is just getting to hang with your friends. We’re lucky enough to be Madison House artists, so we’re going to get to see all of those people from Colorado there, and I could go down the lineup, but there’s going to be at least 10 bands there who are our friends, and we rarely get to see for more than a day, and we’re going to get to all chill. Besides the fact we’re playing – playing is the obvious give in. Getting to play is awesome, but it’s all the little perks you don’t see once we get off the stage.
AJR x Vinyl Mag
New York based trio of the Met brothers, AJR, takes DIY to a new level. Adam, 23; Ryan, 19; and Jack, 16, produce, edit and mix all of their own music, including producing their music video for their single, “I’m Ready” (which now has over two million views on YouTube – see the video below).
AJR’s single is climbing the charts. They have already toured with the likes of Demi Lovato and Hoodie Allen. They just signed a joint venture with Warner Music Group and are gearing up for a summer tour and their album’s release later this summer.
I got the chance to talk to Jack about how they were able to go from busking in Central Park and Washington Square to getting their big break after successful singer-songwriter Sia reached out to them for a meeting over breakfast in Soho one morning.
Vinyl Mag: I’m the oldest of three girls, and I could barely share a room with them, let alone collaborate with them. What was it like growing up with your brothers and creating a unique and cohesive sound?
Jack: You know, a lot of people ask us that expecting us to fight and for it to be a difficult situation, but it really wasn’t. Growing up in the same room and in the same house, it gives us a chance to be completely honest with one another. We’ve been so close our whole lives, so when we are writing and producing together, I can be completely honest with Adam and Ryan and say, ‘no, I’m not feeling this tune,’ or ‘I’m not feeling this track.’ We really work together, so this has only brought us closer and able to be honest with each other.
VM: I know your songs are very eclectic; they have a lot of influences and sounds. Are the three of your creative forces similar, or do you each add your own twist to the songs?
Jack: We definitely all have the same vision, but we do have different aspects of the song that comes from each of the three of us. It’s a full collaboration, and Ryan actually writes and produces pretty much most of the music, but we each add our own different styles. We each have our own favorite genres of music; I’m more into singer/song-writer, hip-hop, and Ryan likes today’s pop music. So we take influence from each of those genres and put it into the music.
VM: Your video for your single “I’m Ready” now has two million views on YouTube, and I know you guys produce, edit, record and pretty much do everything. What is it like to be garnering this much success from your own efforts?
Jack: We’re all so thankful for it. Like I said, we started out street performing with absolutely nothing – just the band. We record, write everything from our own living room. For so long, it was just the fans supporting us. We did not have this record label. So, until a month ago when we signed this joint venture with Warner where we have creative control still, it’s just unbelievable that it’s 100 percent our work. We are just nothing but thankful, and just so surprised and shocked and happy every single day that this has happened to us.
VM: You’ve been compared to Imagine Dragons and fun. – you’re also being called “The Next Big Thing” and getting attention from Billboard and VH1, among others. Are you ready? Excited, nervous?
Jack: I am absolutely ready for this, but in the meantime, I have no idea what’s coming. We have no idea what could happen next. Right now, we’re watching the song climb the iTunes charts, and we never even imagined that could happen. So it’s just been a new surprise everyday, and it’s been nothing but enjoyable. So I’m so ready for this to happen.
VM: What do you feel like most influences your music now?
Jack: We try to include a bunch of different genres, ranging from music from the 50’s and 60’s to today’s pop music so anything from The Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel to today’s music such as fun., Imagine Dragons and even Kanye West. We try to include a bunch of different sounds.
VM: You hear stories about how bands get their big break, but what was it like when you heard back from Sia just from tweeting out your video. Did you think that that would be successful, or was it just a shot in the dark?
Jack: Well, for about seven years before that, we had been trying to make it with no success whatsoever. So, when Sia tweeted us, it was a huge surprise but at the same time we were [wondering if it was real]. So we actually didn’t know what to think of this, but a couple days later, we met up with her downtown, and she actually got things going for us. It was a real thing. It blew us away. Things started happening; she introduced us to people in the industry — it was just a shock to all of us, and it still is.
VM: On your previous tours, you got to open for Demi Lovato, Hoodie Allen and The Wanted, so I’m sure you got exposed to the stardom that you’ll most likely be receiving soon. Did you enjoy touring and being out on the road? I guess being out with your brothers makes it a little easier.
Jack: Yeah, I was homesick at times, but I’ll give you something; Hoodie Allen’s tour was unbelievable. We went onstage expecting to be booed off the stage, but we got on stage and we started playing, and they absolutely loved us. Hoodie Allen’s audience is 60 percent boys and 40 percent girls, and we just realized what a wide diverse audience we have. So it really opened our eyes and made us realize our age range and style is just incredibly diverse. So, touring has been a great experience for us.
VM: You’re also going on tour again this summer, with some already sold out dates.
Jack: We’re going on tour with Lindsey Stirling. We’re doing a bunch of dates starting with Montreal and going down the East Coast into Louisiana and Tennessee and then Texas. So I’m really excited; she’s incredibly talented. I’ve seen a bunch of her videos, and her style is so unique, so I’m very excited to see her show and to perform.
Jun 16 Metropolis w/ Lindsey Stirling Montreal, Canada
Jun 17 House Of Blues w/ Lindsey Stirling Boston, MA
Jun 18 Terminal 5 w/ Lindsey Stirling New York, NY
Jun 20 Starland Ballroom w/ Lindsey Stirling Sayreville, NJ
Jun 21 the Space w/ Lindsey Stirling Westbury, NY
Jun 24 Echo Stage w/ Lindsey Stirling Washington, DC
Jun 26 The NorVa w/ Lindsey Stirling Norfolk, VA
Jun 27 Fillmore w/ Lindsey Stirling Charlotte, NC
Jun 28 Ryman Auditorium w/ Lindsey Stirling Nashville, TN
Jun 30 Track 29 w/ Lindsey Stirling Chattanooga, TN
Jul 01 Masquerade Music Park w/ Lindsey Stirling Atlanta, GA
Jul 02 Jannus Landing w/ Lindsey Stirling Tampa, FL
Jul 03 Hard Rock Live w/ Lindsey Stirling Orlando, FL
Jul 05 Sunset Cove Ampitheatre w/ Lindsey Stirling Boca Raton, FL
Jul 07 Iron City w/ Lindsey Stirling Birmingham, AL
Jul 08 House of Blues (18+) w/ Lindsey Stirling New Orleans, LA
Jul 10 Bayou Music Center w/ Lindsey Stirling Houston, TX
Jul 11 Stubbs w/ Lindsey Stirling Austin, TX
Jul 12 Southside Ballroom w/ Lindsey Stirling Dallas, TX
Watch: Parquet Courts: “Black and White”
Look, it’s Parquet Courts‘ video for “Black and White.” And it’s in black. And white. Groundbreaking.
Watch: Charli XCX: “Boom Clap” from The Fault in Our Stars film and soundtrack
Watch pop darling Charli XCX‘s new music video for “Boom Clap” (her best song in our opinion) from The Fault in Our Stars film and soundtrack. Tear.
Purchase the song here.
Party in the Park 2014
Party in the Park took over Centennial Olympic Park this Saturday, May 17th to a huge crowd of flower headband adorned teens, hipster parents with well-dressed hipster children and drunken college students alike. The weather had cleared up perfectly, amidst horrid rumors of yet another rained out outdoor Atlanta event.
Aside from an already impressive lineup featuring the likes of Girl Talk, MGMT, The Joy Formidable, Minus the Bear and Stokeswood, Party in the Park featured a food village including vendors from Chick-fil-A and Papa Johns and an exclusive tent by the Party in the Park sponsors, the one of a kind Desperados tequila flavored beer.
The Desperados Tent, conveniently located in an ideal concert viewing space, was open strictly to those over 21 years old and featured a graffiti artist and various acts throughout the night – including sword swallowers, acrobatic dancers, and hula-hoopers in full body makeup.
Desperados, the new beer by Heineken, is blended with tequila barrel-aged lager. This mixture tones down the bitterness typically associated with beer and adds a smooth, sweet flavor because of its spirits influence. Desperados is perfect for a night out with its unique style, taste and dynamic packaging.
The crowd was enjoying themselves laying in the grass, in the Desperados tent or just arriving during Stokeswood high energy, easy-listening set that suited the mood instilled by the beautiful weather and environment of Atlanta’s day long festival in the park.
Desperados in hand, I joined the crowd seated on the grass and waited for Minus the Bear to take the stage. The crowd welcomed the Seattle, Washington natives with loud cheers. Starting their set off with “Summer Angel” off their 2010 album, Omni, Minus the Bear brought loud energy and a twangy guitar sound to re-energize the crowd. Mid-guitar change, Jake Snider welcomes the crowd and tells us how excited he is to be back in Atlanta—with a few references to the legality of pot in Washington with answering whoops and cheers thrown in—and proceeds to play a crowd favorite off of their 2005 album, Menos El Oso, “The Fix.”
Dave Knudson brought an amazing energy whenever he took center stage with an equally incredible response from the crowd, especially during his guitar solo in “The Fix.”
Minus the Bear ended their set with “Pachuca Sunrise,” which Jake Snider delivered beautifully.
Hailing from North Wales, The Joy Formidable was next to take the stage. With Ritzy Bryan as lead vocals and guitar and Rhydian Dafydd as bass and backup vocals, the two create a powerful force of energy and put on a fervent performance. Matthew James Thomas intense drum-banging added to the loud punch the band brought on. Overall, the Joy Formidable put on a powerful punch, playing crowd favorites like “Maw Maw Song” and “Whirring” and got me even more pumped to see one of my favorites, MGMT.
MGMT’s performance was everything I expected it to be – trippy visuals, a seemingly half-lucid Andrew Vanwyngarden and a performance that was exuded then filtered through a kaleidoscope of whimsical talent. Whether you were standing in the middle of the crowd in right by the stage or lying on the hill faraway watching MGMT’s performance as the sun set, both experiences would have been equally blissful.
By the time “Kids” came on, I had gotten to the lying down part of the show. When the first few notes were played though and recognition swept the crowd, everyone around me ran towards the crowd because of how infectious the energy was.
One of my favorite parts of MGMT’s performance only lasted a few seconds, but its simplicity and beauty was mind blowing. While some of the band members were changing out their instruments, Vanwyngarden began strumming the chords on an acoustic guitar to Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Dream” and sang a few lines of the timeless song.
Last to take the stage was Gregg Michael Gillis, better known as Girl Talk –and I say that loosely, because Girl Talk as well as about 50 festival-goers all took the stage together. Girl Talk was hidden behind two inflatable sneakers and a huge table, but his energy was explosive as the stage was filled with guys and girls dancing. The entire crowd was dancing and jumping along to the entire set – his first in three years.
Aside from the rambunctious, and sometimes inappropriate, ramblings of the hype man, British Nick, Party in the Park was one of the first outdoor Atlanta event in a while to deliver on all fronts – good drinks, an excited crowd, beautiful weather and amazing music all day.
The Stargazer Lilies: ‘We Are the Dreamers’
The Lilium ‘Stargazer’, or the Stargazer lily, is an oriental lily characterized by its vibrant pink color and very fragrant aroma. And as far as The Stargazer Lilies are concerned, it seems to be the musical equivalent of the poppies from the Wizard of Oz; once under their influence, you don’t feel like doing much of anything but laying staring at the sky, wafting gently along as if in a dream.
Previously of Soundpool, John Kep and Kim Field have left the faster tempo of their previous shoegaze tunes behind them while stripping and slowing down the sound to create The Stargazer Lilies, self-described as “butterfly wings, slowly beating guitars enveloping the listener, ethereal breathy female vocals floating on a melody, rocked out bossa nova beats and bad ass bass throwing down the rhythm.”
The We Are the Dreamers album cover is made up of lilies and leaves, with a misty, hazy gossamer filter. I spent a good amount of the time I was listening to the vinyl gazing at the cover itself. Inside is a similarly flowery page in bright pastels and organic hues overlaid with the whimsical and pensive song lyrics that make up the album. The record itself is a rich pastel-pink with the signature lilies in the center.
“We Are the Dreamers” starts the album off at a leisurely pace with an ambling melody and hypnotic vocals, singing “with stardust in our eyes, the clouds are at our feet, we are the dreamers, wide open are the skies.” The tune is soporific, as is the majority of the album, and feels like taking a trip to the land of the Elves in Middle Earth (hoping everyone gets my Lord of the Rings reference.)
“Del Rey Mar” continues the dream sequence of the album with a psychedelic, more acoustic number reminiscent of the 60s or Xanax daydream in a field of lilies.
The album doesn’t have much in the way of variety and is more like one long dream sequence than anything, with the exception of the slightly more upbeat “Light of Day,” which sees a slightly faster tempo and slightly heavier guitar.
Don’t make plans to be active while listening to “We Are the Dreamers;” you’ll more than likely end up laying on your couch thinking of some field somewhere in some hazy utopian forest clearing. It’s optimistic and introspective, and definitely soothing. Its angelic vibe rocks like a lullaby, gently soothing and warmly embracing the soul with some talented guitar work thrown in. Honestly, while it may not be the catchy music you get ready to on a Saturday night, it’s the perfect jam for a Sunday morning hangover.
“We Are the Dreamers” was released in late 2013 via Graveface Records, and you can catch it at your local vinyl store.
SXSW 2014: The Stargazer Lilies x Vinyl Video
On our last night of South by Southwest, we got a cleansing escape from the overwhelming crowd and bustle to head to the Graveface Records/Noisy Ghost PR showcase in the middle of nowhere in a secluded garden dreamland called Tillery Park.
It was there that we came across dreamy duo The Stargazer Lilies who just got off of a tour with Tobacco (and The Casket Girls before that). Naturally, we had to grab a quick interview in the “green room”/vintage Airstream on site. Check out our chat below (and excuse my appearance – vanity goes out the window on the last day of SX. I’m just lucky I was still able to stand)!
Shaky Knees 2014: Local Natives x Vinyl Mag
Local Natives graced us at Shaky Knees with their glorious presence on the final day of the fest, the last to play the Peachtree Stage before the day’s headliner, The Alabama Shakes. Luckily for us (and for you readers, actually), the band also graced us with an interview to discuss their too-short Shaky Knees experience, their favorite live song (and why they want to top it), as well as what’s coming for the band.
VM: I read that you said “Sun Hands” is the your favorite song to end every show. Why do you think that is? Do you think you will always end with that song?
Taylor Rice: “Sun Hands” is the song that we are able to completely let go and allow things to get completely unhinged. It’s a personal goal of mine to unseat it as our show closer as we’re writing our next album.
VM: Did you get anything good on Record Store Day this year?
Kelcey Ayer: We were in Charlotte, NC on Record Store Day, and we heard Lunch Box Records was a sweet little spot to check out. When we got there however, there was a line of about a hundred people going out the door and down the street. Apparently Bruce Springsteen tweeted that he might go (he had the rival show in town), so it was rammed, on top of all the normal RSD madness. We tried and failed, but we tried just the same! F*cking Bruce Springsteen, man.
VM: Who were you most excited to see at Shaky Knees in Atlanta this year? Did you stay the whole weekend?
TR: Alabama Shakes. I saw them play once at a German festival we played together last summer and was blown away by how great Brittany’s voice is live.
KA: I wish we had been there the whole weekend. Spoon played on Friday, and we’re all the biggest Spoon fans. We just got off a six-week tour, so we went on a little vacation afterwards that went right up until the Sunday we played.
VM: What do you like about playing at festivals, as opposed to playing regular shows? Which do you prefer?
TR: At a festival, you’re dealing with this huge mass of kids before you who did not necessarily buy a ticket to see you play. There’s a willingness there, but they won’t just give it up for you; you have to win them over. I like feeling that edge in and amongst a big crowd.
KA: Festivals give you a chance to play in front of bunch of new people, so that’s fun to bring your A-game and try to prove yourself. I prefer regular shows though, because you get to have your own lights, all your own equipment (if you’re flying into a festival, you have to rent amps/drums you’ve never used before), you can play whatever you want instead of cater to a crowd who has never heard you; you basically get to put on, what you think in your head is, the perfect show. Our fans are there and on our side, and it just doesn’t get better than when you feel in absolute unity with the audience, and everyone is going ape-sh*t.
VM: You have a little over a week between Shaky Knees and your next show in Santa Barbara – what are your plans during that time?
KA: We’re trying to get our practice space in Los Angeles up and running again so we can start writing for the third record. I’m not sure how far we’ll get this week, but it helps that the next show is in Santa Barbara, so that’s super close to us.
TR: We’re making music, getting ourselves ready to bring another album out of the mist.
VM: How has response been to Hummingbird in comparision to response to Gorilla Manor – how are the albums different? Some bands consider their new material to be a continuation of the same sound, while others are constantly trying to evolve/experiment/change their sound – which mindset do you relate more to, and what is your writing process like?
TR: Hummingbird is a more intimate album. It was a very cathartic record to make for us, and deals with facing some existential crises we were going through; realizing that the music we make is now our full time job, long term relationships falling apart, and death. We relate more to feeling that our style and music is always evolving and changing. We have a constant need to push each other and ourselves to do something we’ve never done before. That’s all done within the small universe of who we are, so I’m sure there are lots of similarities between records.
KA: We definitely relate more to evolution. I think that’s pretty obvious when comparing the two albums; they were written in very different times in our lives, and we just look up to artists that don’t have a consistent sound. The Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead, Damon Albarn; guys like that, who find their genius by fucking with the formula. I love that. Comparing the responses between a debut record and a sophomore one seems like apples and oranges to me. On your first record, there is an excitement, because you’re a new band who no one has ever heard before, and they can’t compare it to anything you’ve done, because it’s the only thing you’ve done. But on the second album, everyone already has expectations and has the first record to compare it to. I think people weren’t expecting Hummingbird, so it threw some people off, since it’s a bit darker in content and sonically less ‘plug-in-and-play’ and more ‘plug-in-and-add-something-then-f*ck-with-it.’
VM: What is next for Local Natives?
KA: We’re doing a few smaller festivals over the summer, but the main focus is going to be trying to work on the third record. I’m over the moon about where we are in our career, in our heads, mentally, and just about overall life. I think that’s going to show on the record. It feels time to be happy again.
TR: It’s time to conjure another record out of ourselves, and we’re getting set up for that. We’ve already teased out a bunch of pieces.
Shaky Knees 2014: Blood Red Shoes x Vinyl Mag
After postponing our interview with Blood Red Shoes at Shaky Knees until after The Gaslight Anthem went on (none of us were willing to miss it), we finally met up with the band in the press tent.
The interview started off with Steven being in a bit of a “silly mood,” slow to take things seriously, but eventually (after a few “for f*ck’s sake” jabs from Laura) offering up some very insightful takes on the peculiarities of the industry. Ironically, while I was swooning over their accents, they declared that they love American accents, particularly the southern accent. After we wrapped up the interview, we moved to the artist bar, where Steven took over pouring drinks for a rather inebriated bartender and poured me a “proper English cocktail,” which in this case was a Newcastle tall boy.
VM: We heard that we delayed this interview so you all could see Gaslight Anthem, which I really appreciate, because I really didn’t want to miss Gaslight. I just went backstage illegally and met Brian Fallon, and it was the greatest moment of my life.
Steven Ansell: That’s the greatest moment of your life?
VM: Yes. I also met Glenn from Walking Dead when I was checking in.
SA: Have you ever sneezed four times in a row?
Laura-Mary Carter: You just met Glenn from Walking Dead? Is he here?!
VM: He’s here!
L-MC: What?!
VM: I was checking in at press, and I turned…
SA: Which one’s Glenn?
L-MC: You know, Glenn – the baseball guy.
SA: Aw, he’s a good guy. Can we get Glenn in the interview as well?
VM: He wouldn’t do it. I was like, ‘Can I get a picture?’ and he was like, ‘Really fast. Super secret.’
SA: Sorry, what are we doing? Who are you?
VM: I’m Emily from Vinyl Mag.
SA: Is it made out of vinyl? A magazine?
VM: Naw, it’s online.
SA: So, it’s not like a magazine, is it? You’re just a liar, really.
VM: It’s sort of an oxymoron –
SA: Don’t call me a f*cking moron…
VM: So, how was Gaslight?
L-MC: Yeah, it was great. We went on tour with them for couple of weeks, and we haven’t seen them since the tour.
VM: Have you met up and seen them?
L-MC: Yeah, we saw them earlier, but we were going to go say hey to them after this before we leave.
SA: I’m going to give them all a bit of a ‘noogie’ after this.
VM: A ‘noogie?’
SA: Yeah, where you get them in the headlock and then ‘err’ on the head.
VM: Are you going to do it to everybody?
L-MC: Definitely not the bassist, Alex.
SA: Definitely not Brian.
VM: Not Brian, why? Because he has perfect hair, and you don’t want to mess it up?
SA: Something like that. Also, last time I tried, he just got really upset. The rest of them could deal with it; he couldn’t. It’s obviously not his thing.
VM: How has response been to the album, Blood Red Shoes?
SA: So far, fairly bad.
VM: Fairly bad?
L-MC: No, Steve!
SA: Alright, sorry. I’m just in a really silly mood.
L-MC: I know!
SA: Can you ask [Laura]?
VM: [To Laura] Alright, how has response been?
L-MC: It’s been really good actually, because it’s kind of a raw record. It’s much heavier than our last ones, and it’s been cool. I think people really like it live, and it’s really nice. I think more younger people are coming to our shows.
VM: Why did you choose this one to be a self-titled, because I usually think of that as the first album? Did you feel like it was the most representative of your sound?
L-MC: Yeah, it’s basically that. Like, we’ve made three records, and this one was sort of like, we know what we’re doing; we know our sound, and we completely recorded it and self-produced it.
VM: Yeah, I read that you did it all yourself.
L-MC: We didn’t think of a name; we just didn’t really come up with a name, and we just thought that meant it should just be Blood Red Shoes, because it really is. It was just us in a concrete room in Berlin; we wrote and recorded it.
VM: Did you already know how to do all that, like producing, or did you just decide you wanted to do it and learn?
L-MC: Well, early on, we recorded our first ever seven inches, and during that time we got more equipment. Steve was a sound guy – believe it or not – before this, so he’s quite technical.
VM: [To Steven] You’re a very professional guy?…we need liner notes for this interview, just to describe everything that’s happening [referring Steven’s antics].
VM: So, why Berlin?
L-MC: Because we play in Germany a lot; Berlin’s a cool place, and we wanted to get out of the UK. We wanted to get out of Brighton, and we just looked up places we could get, just rooms we could set up our gear and write and just be in a different environment. That was the one that came back; they still had space there that we could rent for cheap and make loud noises. It’s a cheap places and cool place to hang out, and there’s a lot of history of music that’s been made there. It just seemed right.
VM: This is just me wondering, because Record Store Day was recently- did you get anything cool for Record Store Day, or did you guys do anything?
L-MC: Did we do anything for Record Store Day?
SA: Yeah, I played at 4 p.m.
L-MC: We did something. When was it? I can’t remember now.
VM: It was a month ago, maybe not even a month.
SA: We were in Holland at a festival.
L-MC: That was it.
VM: Did you buy any records, like of the Record Store Day releases?
SA: No, absolutely not.
L-MC: I didn’t buy a record and, to be fair, I do buy a lot of records in general. Record Store Day – I feel like it’s every week…but I always support independent record shops.
SA: I feel like we should all be honest about Record Store Day, shouldn’t we? I like the idea of Record Store Day; I like the idea that it’s about supporting independent record shops. There are some really great ones that have died in Brighton, but what’s happening with Record Store Day is now it’s turned into this thing where our record label calls us and says, ‘what are we going to do for Record Store Day?’ At that point you’re saying to yourself, ‘am I putting a piece of music out because it’s a good piece of music and people need to hear it, or because it’s Record Store Day?’ Then every f*cking major label and every sh*t band that you don’t care about is making something, because it’s Record Store Day. Now it feels like it’s about product, and just throw out any old sh*t.
VM: Supply and demand and all that.
SA: It’s because everyone thinks Record Store Day is cool. I feel like, as a musician, you have to be really aware of the fact that what you put out needs to actually matter and need to be out. We write a lot; we jam all the time. We could throw out a tape of us rehearsing and jamming on a song and be like, ‘hey, Record Store Day. Here’s a half-finished piece of sh*t jam.’ But we put it on vinyl, so it’s cool on Record Store Day and makes people think it’s special, but it’s bullsh*t. So, Record Store Day is a weird thing. I think, on one hand I understand and want to support record shops that have been supportive of bands like us and actually do pretty good music, but on the other side, it’s been polluted massively by people just saying, ‘let’s throw any old crap, because people will buy it’…there’s something about it that doesn’t sit right.
L-MC: I think, for us, we always buy from independent record stores anyway, and if we’re going to buy something, make it right. We do our bit, but when it comes to Record Store Day, I don’t go out and buy records. I could do that anyway.
VM: How do you think American crowds differ from crowds in England? We interviewed Charli XCX and PEACE, and they both said British crowds were more subdued, and American crowds were much crazier.
L-MC: I think American crowds are very vocal. Even when we play here to 10 people at some shows, they’ll still be really loud. You would not get that back home; it would just be really awkward, and when you finish the song it just feels weird. Even with 10 people, I feel like people really appreciate it and are vocally loud. It’s a good feeling. You can’t deny that that makes a difference. If people are just there, they might enjoy it the same, but when they’re more vocal, it makes you feel up for it.
SA: There’s nothing worse than when you play your heart out, and – it might be a small show – everyone just stands there. We had that in England. We played for 15 people, and they sat there. They might have even really loved it, but they don’t really show it. They’re so reserved in England. Everywhere, so far, we’ve been in America and North America, if people like you, you f*cking know about it. You really know about it, because they’re going crazy already. They don’t care if no one else is dancing. You’ll get one guy that’s insane who will by himself, and he doesn’t care because he’s having a good time. For us, that’s amazing; to go to a place where no one knows us. We’re going to play better; the whole night will be better.
VM: I think that would be much more inspiring.
SA: It is much more inspiring. It sounds lame, like we’re trying to be like, ‘oh him, we’re in America, we love America,’ but it’s f*cking true. People are definitely less reserved, and if they like something or feel like you’re more comfortable with the show, I guess you’re less reserved about it. In England, unfortunately, people really hold themselves back. No one must be the first one to dance. No one must be the first to go, ‘actually, I really like this.’
VM: Are you like that at shows, or are you the dancing guys?
L-MC: I think we like to headbang and actually move. I wouldn’t say that I’m very vocal; I always cheer at the end loud, but it’s not like I shout stuff.
VM: Who did you get to see here?
L-MC: We went and saw Band of Skulls. We saw a bit of White Denim, Foals, and Gaslight Anthem.
SA: Cage the Elephant. We got to see a lot…where’d you guys get here from?
VM: Athens, Georgia. It’s like an hour and half…
SA: That’s where the B-52’s are from!
VM: I know!
SA: We were talking about this. We were like, ‘what’s in Georgia?’ The only thing we heard of was some specific type of barbecue food. It’s different regionally, yeah?
VM: We’re very proud of our barbecue.
SA: You have more of a vinegar sauce. Is that right?
VM: It’s sort of like ketchup and vinegar. South Carolina has mustard. North Carolina has straight vinegar.
SA: Yeah, right. There’s a regional thing for barbecue sauce. I knew that, and then Athens, Georgia has the B-52’s. I like REM, but B-52’s!
VM: We’re proud. What do you like about playing festivals as opposed to regular shows?
L-MC: I think just the atmosphere is cool, getting to see other bands, and when you tour all the time, you don’t get to see many friends, and you get to know lots of bands. So, it’s a nice kind of community when you come to play festivals, because you can play a show. You can try and cover people – it’s like your band as well, because it’s new people, so that’s a challenge. Then you can hang out with your friends that you haven’t seen since last year’s festival, and you get to see other music, which is inspiring. You kind of need to see other stuff.
SA: Yeah, it’s healthy to be in a place where you’re not just dealing with your own band.
L-MC: Yeah, it gets you more inspired, and you learn something.
VM: Tell us more about your current tour.
L-MC: Well, we’re at day three.
SA: Day three. So far, what’s happened? I am going to go to the hospital in the morning – liver failure, acute liver failure. I’ve had too many shots.
VM: But you’re waiting until tomorrow, though?
SA: Well, you know, always try to sleep it off. I don’t like to unnecessarily cause a fuss and call the doctor.
VM: But you’re anticipating that you will have to.
SA: Probably, yes.
L-MC: I’m not taking you there, so you can get there on your own.
SA: Well, you do everything bigger and harder in the states, don’t you? Those shots I’ve been doing – much bigger than the UK. You have big everything here. Really, freaking me out.
L-MC: It’s been so cool so far. We get to go to places we’ve never been, like we’re going to Salt Lake City. Tomorrow we’re going to Richmond, Virginia.
SA: Yeah, we’ve never been this far south.
VM: Really, do you like it?
SA: Actually, yeah.
VM: We’re friendly.
L-MC: Really like the accent.
SA: We played Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday, and at that point it was the furthest south we had ever been. Everyone was really friendly there; I’m noticing a tendency.
VM: Southern hospitality.
SA: Yeah, people are really warm.
VM: Besides the tour, what is next for you guys afterwards? Are you writing on tour?
L-MC: We do a little bit, but not so much. It’s hard on this tour, because there’s so much driving. We are going back home, and then we’re going straight into festivals basically, all in Europe.
VM: You’re doing Reading and Leeds, right?
L-MC: Yes.
VM: [You’re playing] a couple slots away from Jimmy Eat World, and that’s awesome.
SA: Touch my hand, and I’ll touch one of those guys’ hands for you.
VM: Oh, I’ve met them twice. I’m a stalker.
SA: I was going to try and be nice and say, ‘you touch my hand, and I’ll touch their hand, and then it’s connected.’
VM: Well, you touch my hand, and I’ve already touched their hand, so I have connected them to you. You didn’t even get to meet them though. You should. They’re cool.
SA: That’s cool, because now I don’t have to put in the effort. I don’t have to go knock on their door and say hello or any of that stuff.
VM: You don’t even have to go. You can just say, ‘dude, I’ve done it.’
SA: ‘I met a girl in Georgia; it’s fine.’
VM: Yeah, don’t tell them that. I think I freaked them out.
SA: Did you…???
VM: I did! And I don’t do that very often, but there are like two bands that I would [lose my cool with]. Yeah, I was not cool at all.
SA: The only person I ever got weird with that we’ve ever met as a band was one of the guys in Smashing Pumpkins. We met in New York once, and Laura was totally cool as f*ck.
L-MC: He just came into our dressing room.
SA: He just showed up in our dressing room.
VM: Oh, really?! So he came to you.
L-MC: Yeah, he was at our show, and he just came in the dressing room. I turned around, and it was him.
VM: [To Laura] And you were totally cool?
SA: It was James Iha, the guitar player.
L-MC: I’ve been emailing him ever since. Actually, I haven’t in a while, but we were.
SA: But he showed up; Laura’s super cool.
L-MC: Yeah, I love that band, but I never got obsessed.
SA: I like that band, too. Usually, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m just being a little c*cky d*ckhead to anyone who helps me, even if they’re in a band I love. Smashing Pumpkins, I really loved when I was a teenager. I literally looked at him and was just like, ‘you’re in the Smashing Pumpkins band!’
VM: That’s exactly what I do.
L-MC: I would do that if it was someone like Courtney Love. I’ve had three chances to say something to her.
SA: You could’ve. She had a dressing room almost next door to us.
L-MC: Yeah I went in, but she wasn’t in there.
SA: Physically she was, but mentally, there’s nothing in there.
L-MC: I just thought sometimes you just shouldn’t meet your f*cking heroes.
VM: I agree with you on that.
L-MC: I think she might be one of those.
SA: Yeah, I’d be scared to meet Iggy Pop, because he’d probably break my heart. He’d probably just be like, ‘have you seen today’s papers?’ He might be really boring.
Shaky Knees 2014: The Whigs x Vinyl Mag
If you follow us on social media, you already know we pretty much had a blast of a time at Shaky Knees this past weekend. But aside from seeing an impressive amount of impressively talented artists, we also got to talk to a few of them (impressed?).
Fellow Athens natives, The Whigs, played the festival Friday afternoon at the Ponce de Leon stage at Atlantic Station and then turned around the next day and played beloved East Atlanta venue/bar The EARL. In April, the band released their fifth studio album, Modern Creation, and is currently touring the album. See them. After you read this interview, duh.
VM: You recently played the Late Show with David Letterman and also had a video on Conan – awesome. How do you get those gigs/how was it?!
Parker: We’ve been fortunate to have some sweet opportunities with the release of our new album, Modern Creation. Conan debuted the “Hit Me” music video, and the Late Show had us on to perform the song live. Both were thrilling and an honor.
VM: Did you get anything good on Record Store Day this year?
Parker: Yeah!!! Purchased Duke Ellington, James Brown, Andre Previn piano records and a sealed Phil Spector Collection vinyl at Wuxtry Records in Athens.
VM: Who were you most excited to see at Shaky Knees in Atlanta this year? Did you stay the whole weekend?
Parker: I got to see a little bit of Charles Bradley and Band Of Skulls on Friday. I stayed in Atlanta the whole weekend and was super excited to see The Replacements and Modest Mouse but didn’t get to see either unfortunately.
VM: Why didn’t you get to see [them]?
Parker: I missed their sets, because I was loading in equipment and sound checking for our late night show at the Earl in East Atlanta.
VM: What do you like about playing at festivals, as opposed to playing regular shows? Which do you prefer?
Parker: It’s fun to see buddies from other bands at festivals. It’s also a nice setting to get turned on to a new group. I wouldn’t say I prefer either to the other.
VM: You are playing Shaky Knees Friday and then The EARL, also in ATL, on Saturday. Two very different Atlanta experiences two nights in a row. Was there a reason you wanted to play the festival there and then a smaller venue?
Parker: The opportunity arose for us to rock both occasions, and we were psyched. Definitely an opportunity to tailor a performance to two radically different environments.
VM: What was different about the performances?
Parker: The EARL show was definitely more intimate, and we began and ended the set with different songs than at the festival performance. Showcased a few more songs from Modern Creation and got back to our roots with some older Whigs songs. We also did an encore at the EARL which featured a slight costume change to coincide with a David Bowie cover.
VM: As a fellow Athenian, how would you say that Athens has influenced your sound?
Parker: The Glands, R.E.M, Elephant Six Collective, and later the Drive By Truckers were some of our biggest models on and off stage. The Athens scene inspired us to want to create instantly entertaining music with conceptual depth.
VM: Compare the Athens music scene to the Atlanta music scene. How is the Athens music scene unique from any other?
Parker: I’d say they’re both eclectic with Atlanta’s being understandably larger. I’m personally more in tune with the eclecticism of Athens’ bands over Atlanta’s, with a few exceptions. I haven’t spent a substantial amount of local time in all the other scenes, so I can’t speculate on what differentiates Athens from everywhere else.
VM: How has response been to Modern Creation?
Parker: I’d say it’s been generally positive.
VM: I LOVE the album cover – can you tell me about it? Who came up with it?
Parker: We were doing an photo shoot, and I asked someone on the set to snap a photo of us with my iPhone. The image was cool, and when we were brainstorming album cover ideas, I sent the photo to the band. Tim relayed his idea of framing the photo with a skull to Julian, who made the vision a reality.
VM: Who does most of the writing/what is the process like?
Parker: I’ll write song ideas and bring them into band practice where we’ll jam and see which ones gel. As we hone arrangements and structures, we’ll see which songs survive over the course of an album cycle. The most durable jams get the anointed finished lyrics, which I write with guidance from Tim and Julian if I get stuck or have questions on direction, clarity, etc.
VM: In three words, describe your sound to someone who has never heard you.
Parker: Raw, real, rock.
VM: What is next for The Whigs?
Parker: Tour!
Tour Dates:
MAY 15 RADIO RADIO INDIANAPOLIS, IN
MAY 16 DOUBLE DOOR CHICAGO, IL
MAY 17 OFF BROADWAY ST LOUIS, MO
MAY 24 16TH STREET MALL DENVER, CO
JUN 12 FITZGERALD’S (DOWNSTAIRS) HOUSTON, TX
JUN 13 RED 7 AUSTIN, TX
JUN 14 ELM STREET MUSIC AND TATTOO FESTIVAL DALLAS, TX
JUN 15 STICKYZ ROCK’N’ROLL CHICKEN SHACK LITTLE ROCK, AR
JUN 18 DULING HALL JACKSON, MS
JUN 19 WORKPLAY THEATRE BIRMINGHAM, AL
JUN 20 HI-TONE CAFE MEMPHIS, TN
JUN 21 MERCY LOUNGE NASHVILLE, TN
JUN 25 WFPK WATERFRONT WEDNESDAY LOUISVILLE, KY
JUL 26 BRAGG JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL MACON, GA