1. Tell us about the band?

How goes?! The Law hail from the city of Dundee on Scotland’s’ east coast. We released our debut album in the autumn of last year and have been touring the UK & Germany since then. The record itself is a collection of songs to celebrate everyday life. Recorded in the Sawmills studio, Cornwall, the main objective was to capture the energy of our live shows on tape – the result is ‘A Measure Of Wealth’!

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?

This is the best job in the world – music has so many tangents and avenues, it would impossible for even the closed-minded among us to get bored! Band members are the opposite – they tend to have a multitude of deviations and vices so complex that without an open mind, most of them would be grossly misunderstood!

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

Yeah, I was 15 in the old Westport bar in Dundee. The band I was in at the time played a mixture of original material and Doors covers. When the gig was over, I stood in the audience to take the total number of bodies in the room up to 5!

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

We all found a certain sanctuary in music from an early age. Playing music is something we all love and making a record is just the next step up the ladder if you want to carry on writing and performing for a living!

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

Marti and Si’s (brothers Martin and Simon Donald, Drummer and Bassist) granddad played the spoons…

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

For the groove of the tune – Television Satellite from the record! Everyone has a vice, in one form or another, they should really just give up – we chose the squeaky clean subject of Television as apposed to relationships, drugs etc. for this number!

The Law – Don’t Stop Believe

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

Stella Artois!

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

A successful act always helps!

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

Our bass player and motivator is, as is every red-blooded male, partial to a drink. Simon isn’t biased, in fact he is quite open- minded when it comes to the type of said liquor. However, a drink by the name of vodka can cause this gem of a man to turn…  During these spells of madness, Simon is, and i quote “neither drunk nor wrong!” These are the scariest moments of my life…

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

We unload the van, set up the stage and sound check. After all that we usually check a local pub and chill until stage time.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

We are of the mindset that if they buy the record, they can look at us whatever way they bloody well want! It would actually be more fitting to ask our audiences, “Have you ever had member of The Law give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?”

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

Every time our old tour manager picked up the guitar it brought a tear to my eye. Having to watch someone disgrace such a beautiful instrument in that way is quite emotional. He was chronic!

The Law – Don’t Stop Believe

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

We put a lot of hard work into seeing that the tunes sounded the way we imagined them to. I don’t think any of the band has any desire to move backwards by revisiting old turf. Onwards and upwards!

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

Something this band has always been good at is making the best out of a bad situation… or is it, making a bad situation worse?! I forget! Anyway, sometimes the places that look the worst on the face of it all are turn out to be the landmark gigs for your band. It’s a combination of the band and the audience all knowing that things could be a hell of a lot better and just saying, ” F**k it, we’re here now, let’s get on with it!”

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

None. In a perfect world, commercial success and the cold grip of cash would hold no restraints over the wonders of music. You could pick up CD’s of your favourite groups or download them legitimately for free and gigs would be on a first come first served basis… “Who’s paying us again..?”

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

We’re currently rehearsing for a US tour that starts on the 15th March. There are a few showcases in New York & L.A. with a mini tour of SXSW in the middle of it all.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Bad days usually come up when I haven’t listened to music for a couple of days due to one reason or another. It’s just your body’s way of telling you that you need your fix. A heavy dose of Rubber Soul usually sets you on feet again!

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

Nothing. Ask me in another 40 years…
Thanks very much for your time. Hopefully you can make it to one of the shows soon enough.

Get to know The Law and check out their tour info!

http://www.thelawmusic.com/

1. Tell us about the band?
Hey battlefield is pretty much a rock band. Jason has a real bluesy approach. While Michael brings more of a jazz and rock attack. We don’t tailor the sound in any one way but I feel like we both give each other enough room to play our parts. We really try to focus on a guitar/vocals, drum, and bass lineup to keep it simple. We don’t believe in tons of effects, loops or what we would call noise. We try to keep it pure and simple with more subtle nuances that we hope come through in the songs.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
Being in a band is like any relationship. There are always issues about commitment and ego that are constantly popping up. Like being married but to 2 people instead of one!

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
Jane’s Addiction, I think it was at the Ritz, I was 14 and I was mesmerized, I needed to be up there!

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
I studied music from the time I was 7 with my grandfather who was a jazz trumpet player. Then I picked up the drums and guitar when I was around 11. It is something I have always done. Recording was a natural progression because it gives you the ability to control exactly how your sound is portrayed.

JR: I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember, and when I was very young I taught myself how to play the guitar and the piano. I don’t know how to read sheet music; I just play what sounds good to me, which gives me a lot of freedom to experiment. Being in the recording studio is always an education, I find it to be a hard process breaking down the songs like that into pieces, but its an important part of the journey, getting the music down and available for people to listen too.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?
MS: I’m not sure that one can be qualified to be in a band. I think if you enjoy it or you NEED to do it then you do. That’s the only prerequisite as far as I’m concerned.

JR: Playing music isn’t really a choice for me; it’s just something that I have to do.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
They go in and out of favor all the time. Sometimes we love certain songs and later we will hate them and not play them for a while. It’s really about what kind of mood we are in I think.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
This will sound cheesy but it might be that we take things very seriously. That has become a problem for Jason and I sometimes because we expect anyone we work with to have the same level of commitment. I think it can be hard for people when they come in to play with us though, feeling included can be an issue.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
They should be clever, beautiful and never take no for an answer (in a nice way) you can ask Maya our manager about that… she’s perfect for the job!

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
MS: I’ve had a few close calls. Probably surfing related for me.
JR: Being shot at one crazy night in Queens.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
Have a look around, put up flyers, find out where people are and promote the show if there’s time. Maybe see who else is playing or if there’s anything cool to check out. If we don’t have time, it’s straight to sound check and a beer.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
There is this one person who shall remain nameless that shows up sometimes who gives us the creeps and acts like they are Jason’s best friends. Usually they take off after the beginning, which is also weird, they don’t always stay for the show…. a bit stalker vibe really…

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
MS: Too many to count…. JR: Tom Waits gets me every time!

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
All of them, recording are an ongoing process. I don’t think I ever listen to something we have done and think PERFECT! There are constantly changes happening in your head. It’s actually hard to settle in the end.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?
I think there are some terrible sound guys out there, wouldn’t blame it on the place. We’ve been pretty lucky.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
As many as it took so that we could all be comfortable and felt like people really liked the music we made… couldn’t give a number. If we did this for accolades we would’ve quit years ago.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
Just really to keep playing and writing songs… more touring and playing more shows. That’s what we love to do.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?
There’s actually a song that we do (Jason wrote it) that I listen to sometimes lately called “hell bent on you”, it’s actually very soothing to me. There are a couple though.

JR: Anything by The Pogues.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
I don’t believe in thinking that way… what would you change? If I lived thinking I wish I had or hadn’t I’d miss out on what was happening now. No regrets… what’s that line from the Butthole Surfers song? Its better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t done. And by the way….

Get To Know Hey Battlefield:
http://www.myspace.com/heybattlefield

IRR: Tell me a little bit about Nouvelle Vague.  How did it come about?

Marc Collin: It’s a long story.  It’s like… I was a fan of new wave when I was young.  And after I became a composer, and an artist myself.  So a long time after, I just went back to all these songs and just realized that they are really beautiful songs.  So I wanted to prove that by keeping only the skeletons of the songs, the lyrics and the melody, and remix it completely differently.  In order to prove that songs are timeless somehow.

Most of the time when you do a cover, it is something that is already known as a classic somehow.  So I thought it was interesting to cover something that is normally not covered.  Like Marian from Sisters of Mercy, Bela Lugosi’s Dead from Bauhaus, Friday Night Saturday Morning from The Specials.  Those bands are not covered really.  So I wanted to do a tribute to all of these bands in this era, because I wanted myself, to hear these songs differently.

IRR: What has been the biggest struggle with covering some of these groups?

MC: Most of the time it’s really easy because the songs are really good, even if you take I’ll Melt With You, with only two chords, it’s kind of easy.  Sometimes, the struggle is that there is a song that I really love, for example Bella Lugosi’s Dead, that it’s not really a song actually.  It’s just a little melody, almost no chords, so I have to struggle, and I have to really be imaginative and inspired to completely reinvent the song and try to find the different arrangement, or something completely different.

ça plane pour moi, performed by Jenia Lubitch

Nouvelle Vague | MySpace Music Videos

IRR: When you’re completely reinventing a song, what steps do you take to reach the goal you’re looking for?

MC: I’m trying always to start from something, like an idea.  For example, Bella Lugosi’s Dead, suddenly I just get in my mind ‘okay… let’s do this song that could have been recorded ten years before for a movie, maybe a sci-fi aura movie’.  And suddenly I get all of these images, the black and white screen… you know.  So I just took the song and put the arrangement like the soundtracks of the 70’s.

I just get things in my mind, and suddenly I’m doing it, because I have a lot of things in my studio.  It’s not that difficult to take the sound and attack one point, and it’s works like that.  And if it works, I start looking for a singer.

IRR: Do you have a favorite song that you want to do?

MC: I’m a big fan of Japan, and their song Ghosts.  But I don’t know exactly how to do it now.  I’ve tried one or two different times and I wasn’t really happy, so I failed.  I gave up.  Not too many songs.  It’s just a matter of an idea.  One day I think ‘Oh! I have to do it like that’.  I have to find some links between genres in many ways.

Ghosts, if it had been recorded before in the 20’s with a jazz singer, and we try it like that.  It’s just a matter of ideas.  There are a lot of bands that I like that are not on the album.  There is no Madness, and I’m a big fan of Madness.  I did a cover of Enola Gay from OMD that I didn’t put on the album.  Also Devo… a lot of songs.

IRR: Aside from the songs that you cover, which artists do you gain inspiration from?

MC: To do a cover, I have to gain influence by something else, otherwise I will do the music like the original.  The first album was really Bossa Nova, so I took my inspiration from Bossa Nova of the 60’s from Brazil.  The second album I did a lot of research of the Caribbean sound, the mento, the calypso, reggae, ska, all this stuff.  Also I’m a big fan of all the soundtracks, John Barry, Moriconi, etc.  This new album we’re more into south country and western sound, bluegrass, Johnny Cash, this kind of thing.  This is our reference.

Nouvelle Vague – Master & Servant (Depeche Mode Cover)

IRR: The tour is wrapping up tonight.  Do you have any memorable experiences this time around on tour?

MC: Probably the thing that happened that was incredible was Melanie, that is one of our singers, couldn’t come because she was pregnant.  She was supposed to have her baby at the end of March.  The bass player of the band is her husband.  He thought that he’d come do the tour and that it would be okay because it would end on time.

Finally, in the middle of the tour in Seattle, he got a call in the middle of the night saying that his wife will have the baby, so he just quit the tour. So we did two gigs without bass.  But it was nice, and went okay.

IRR: You’ve worked with various different artists for the songs on your albums.  Are there any favorite artists that you’ve paired with and learned from?

MC: For sure.  The members bring me inspiration for sure.  When we recorded with Phoebe on the second album, she was already into this bluesy and dark thing.  So I knew that she could perform Human Fly, and Bela Lugosi’s Dead, and this kind of track.  It brought me inspiration as I adapt my style for artists like this.

IRR: What’s your plan from now since the tour is wrapping up?

MC: The idea is to go back to France and record a new album.  We have now an idea to do a special album for America.  Telling a bit of the story of punk, from New York Dolls, and maybe even from Iggy Pop, through The Talking Heads, Black Flag, and all of this stuff.  We will start soon I think.  The idea is to release that next year.  So we’re going to tour with this album next year.  There are a lot of things to say about American music.

When I was young, punk was English for me.  It was in the British movement you know.  It was a long time after that I discovered that punk was born in America finally, and that Malcolm McLaren was the manager of the New York Dolls, and that took everything from Richard Hell and imported it to England, with all the science of marketing, invented punk.  But he just invented how to sell it in a way.  But the roots are really from America, from Iggly Pop and all these bands.  Nobody knows it.  But it would be nice to say that.

IRR: How come France produces so many brilliant artists?  It seems there is a huge influence from France by just the artists that come over here.

MC: We are a bit special, because we’re trying not to copy the English band and the American band, so we’re trying to have our own style.  I think we have the audacity, to dare to do things a new way.  Nouvelle Vague is a good example of that.  I don’t think an English band can do that in the same way.  If you think of Daft Punk, and Air, they have this ‘we’re going to do it!’ attitude ya know?  We’re going to put these rock beats, and the synth, and we’re going to invent something.

I think in England and here in America, there’s a style, like R&B, Blues, Country, Rock, and you follow something.  I think we are more open to try different things, because we don’t have these roots.  We don’t have blues and such… maybe just jazz and some things.  We don’t have the things to follow, so we just try our own new things and go after it like we have nothing to lose.

IRR: If you had one message to share with the world, what would it be?

MC: That’s difficult to say.  Try to keep inspired by music and everything around you somehow.  Keep on with inspiration.  Because the inspiration that music is bringing to you is really important, even when you’re really young.

Get to know Nouvelle Vague:
http://www.nouvellesvagues.com/

1. Tell us about the band?
Well, there’s a lot to tell. We’ve been doing this together for a while now. Going on 5 years I think. Let’s just say we are four relatively average, slightly eccentric, wildly excited guys that get together at least once a week to play rock songs. We also get in a Ford Van (by Ol Elegante) and drive to rock clubs all around the U.S. We record new songs when it’s time to do that. Then we call Travis at the record label. He helps us a lot.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
There was this guy in my band one time. He was a dick.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
Billy Idol. At the end of it I cried Monk.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
When I was ten, I put two boom boxes face to face, covered them with pillows and made a copy of my sister’s Billy Squier tape. That’s the first thing I ever tried to record. It was exciting.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?
I was the Captain of The Pinafore in 5th grade. Keelan was a great pitcher at Clanton high school. Lester had a mohawk and a reverse mohawk at the same time. Jake’s mom is originally from California.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
Country Roads by John Denver. John and I wrote that one after a long day of cross-country skiing. And there was a basset hound sleeping on the porch. I was talking to Yoko Ono the other day and she said sadly “I really miss John.” I know how she feels.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
Folk music. We are NOT an alt-country band godplamit!

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
A hard working, well intentioned, big tittied, people person who knows how to make things happen and believes in those he represents.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
Keelan had a near death experience one time due to anesthesia complications while having hand surgery. He said that he saw the light. Seriously.

Vulture Whale – The Pipe

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
Go to Ho Jo.

8:30 Leave HoJo to go to the club.

8:45-11:30 Standing around shooting the shit waiting for our turn to play.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
David Baker. Before I knew him. And Trey from 13 Ghost. After I knew him.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
I have cried during many movies. I feel that the emotion that the music adds to the scene is one of the main jerkers of tears of all the elements in a movie.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
I put out a solo album in 2003 called “Chandelier”. It was a “learning experience”.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?
There have been many shows that we’ve had to chalk up to paying our dues. But, what makes any bad show worse is a.) You’ve traveled a long way to get there and b.) If the people at the club are flatly unfriendly. There are certain places that we’ve really grown to love because the people at the club are so great to us: The Hummingbird in Macon Georgia, The White Water Tavern in Little Rock, Arkansas, and The Bottle Tree here in Birmingham, AL all come to mind.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
Happiness is complicated.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
SXSW parties in March, including the Birmingham party on Friday the 19th. We’re touring to Chicago at the end of March. New York in April. Then taking some time to record our 3rd full length.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
I would not have kicked that kid in the balls when I was in fourth grade. Wherever you are, I’m sorry.

Get To Know Vulture Whale:
http://www.vulturewhale.com/

1. Tell us about the band?
I write the songs. My brother and father are pretty much the main stays as the backing band. The other backing members change for each record and live.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
Surely. Bad show. Small crowd. Bad performance. If on tour, if someone becomes a liability it can be annoying.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
The first I remember was Weird Al and the Monkeys. Complete.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
My brother and I started our first band in 94. That’s when it really started.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?
Nothing

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
That’s like asking if you have a favorite child. Just kidding. I have three kids. Wish I could remake two of them. Again. Kidding.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
We don’t play the game.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
Depends on your definition of successful.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
Passed out drunk in the middle lane of the Verrazano Bridge. Driving.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
We have no routine

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
If I did, I don’t remember

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
Yes. Creed

Pablo – Hey Luci

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
I’m not a huge fan of re recording tracks.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
Enough to make a living

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
Keep recording. Keep playing.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?
Depends on what kind of bad day.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
I’ll figure that out next time.

Get to Know PABLO:
http://www.myspace.com/pablomusic

1. Tell us about the band?

Marching Band was started by Erik and Jacob when we met our first year in college. We called ourselves Second Language back then, and played more acoustic stuff, but the focus on melodies and arrangements were there from the start. We released three home made albums before we got signed in 2007. Right now we’re about to release our second album with U&L Records.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?

Music has been a natural part of our lives all our lives. Jacob had been playing in many bands before and had been recording stuff for several years. And we both have always liked, and still like, the process of making an album. When you get the final CD in your hand it always feels very rewarding and that it’s been worth the trouble of making it.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

Jacob went with his family to a Manhattan Transfer concert i Stockholm when he was about 4 years old. It was held at the big amusement park Gröna Lund and Jacob got lost. It took an hour for the family to find him by the police office because they couldn’t call out for his parents during the concert. He was reading black and white comic books when his family found him. It was probably his strongest experience of feeling rejected and had a deep impact on his personality; always wanting to make sure everyone’s happy and getting along…

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

See #1 and #2.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

Nothing. We just try hard being one. But we’re OK at dealing with conflicts at least. You have to be when it’s just the two of you.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

Our first song “Car” is a really sweet country ballad about a car crash. That first record it’s on will become a collectors item.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

We’re great at not allowing any weak parts in our songs. That’s how we made it this far. Our weakness is probably that our live band members have to tell us to rehearse.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

Be really, really good with people and no BS. You have to have a great music taste and business sense at the same time.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

We’ve both lived very comfortable lives. In South Africa we had to reverse our way away from a flock of elephants standing in the road. That’s the only scary thing we can think of right now. But it was more exciting than scary actually…

Marching Band – For Your Love

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

Feel confused. Grab whatever free food there is.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

No. Only pretty, nice, middle class, well behaved boys and girls at our shows…

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

In church when Jacob was about 5 years old he cried when an American gospel choir visited the church he grew up in. It might have been a spiritual experience or just the overwhelming atmosphere they managed to build up in the room.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

Jacob regrets he ever recorded a song called “Waiting” on our first demo. It’s a just a huge cliché.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

We played a night club in Sundsvall in northern Sweden once. There were 800 people in the building, 20 of them were staring at us 30 m away at the bar while the rest were dancing to “Cotton Eye Joe” in the basement.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

Just enough to make a living out of it. Real happiness comes from other things. Like friends. Or Swedes winning Olympic gold medals.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

The new release with the supporting tours.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Anything that doesn’t make it worse.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

We sing on our new album that we “have no regrets, it’s so hard to accept”. Maybe do some more things we’d regret? Just to know how it feels.

-Visit Marching Band

Interview By Thirst ‘N’ Howl

IRR – Sorry for interrupting your breakfast, what are you having by the way?

Krista – Oh, no problem. Well we were going to be having pancakes but the batter came out a little different so we turned it into savory crepes.

IRR – Wow, very impressed. Sounds slightly McGuyverish. Glad to hear that you didn’t require any gum or hairpins.

Krista – Nope, no hairpins or bomb detonators required.

IRR - Speaking of gum, hairpins and bomb detonators, YSP!WSD! is going on tour soon, right?

K – Yeah, we are starting on March 8th. First show is in Seattle. That tour is going to be about 5 weeks. Than we are home for a little bit and than we are off again. We are going to be on tour more or less for the rest of the year. But, we made some new rules for touring. We have to come home for 2 weeks after every 8 weeks of touring. That rule came about after a 4-month tour and we nearly lost our minds. We did a full Canada tour, than a month in England touring nonstop in a station wagon.

IRR – Wait, 5 people in a station wagon for a month?

K – Yeah, and we were touring with our friends, Los Campesinos! Than we went over to continental Europe for another month and than back to Canada and toured for 2 weeks back across Canada in the middle of Winter.

IRR – That is a long time on the road. What were some of the highs and lows from that period?

K – Well it became a blur so it’s kind of tough to remember all the highs but we had some great shows with Los Campesinos! And Sky Larkin. The lows would have to involve the fall out we had in Berlin. That was definitely a low point. That was the culmination of a lot of stress and we almost weren’t a band anymore. But we pulled it together for the rest of the tour.

IRR – Do you think that was due to the tight quarters and extensive tours or was it something that had been building up for a while?

K - It was a lot of things. We were pretty stressed from being on the road for so long and we were broke. I mean I had spent most of that month in Europe with wet feet because I couldn’t buy shoes. Being broke is pretty stressful. It was close quarters always and some personal issues got compounded in all that environmental stress. But after we worked it all out it has made things better. We are actually better friends and more like a family now.

IRR - So it actually became a positive thing than?

K – Yeah, we’ve come to a really positive place from it. And I think the whole driving force of this album is us coming through the hard times.

IRR – And with the release of the new album …… you are all embarking on a lengthy and huge tour.

K - Yeah, we are going to do the first 5 weeks in the US, than back home, than over to Europe, than over to Asia. Hopefully Australia. We are really excited to be going back to Asia though. We did a couple shows in China in 2008 and it was totally amazing. We spent about 2 weeks just in China. China has incredible excitement in the audience because it hasn’t been that long that bands have been coming over to China. I don’t think we were the first by any means but we were among them. The excitement and enthusiasm is so energizing and so incredible. And all the bands we played with were great. They were local Chinese bands.

Its not that often that all the bands you play with are great but they really were. It’s a totally different tour experience. You take trains everywhere. And every show involves borrowing whatever equipment you can to make it happen. It was a very renegade method. It was the experience of a lifetime. And I think we are headed back in spring.

You Say Party! We Say Die! – Dark Days

IRR – Are you taking any other bands back with you?

K – As of right now it looks like it’s going to be just us playing with the local Chinese bands.

IRR – And who are some of the bands that you are touring with in the States.

K – We aren’t really touring with a set band. It looks like we are playing with different bands every night.

IRR – And how does the music selection in the vehicle on tour work? Is it pretty democratic or totalitarian rule by the driver?

K – We are pretty democratic but the driver does have veto power. We listen to a lot of different stuff. Anything from SaltnPepa to Grizzly Bear to Neil Young to Metallica. Our tastes are pretty varied.

IRR – What new music out there right now are you into?

K – Well, I’m really really really into the new Beach House album. I love that song Gila. I can listen to it over and over again. I get like that with songs and albums. I think last summer I listened to Hounds of Love by Kate Bush for about 2 months straight. I get into them.

IRR – Well, let’s go even further back and talk about the formation of YSP!WSD!.

K – I think it was just before Christmas 2003 when we started jamming. That was just wintertime in Abbotsford. Super rainy and boring so we just started playing in Becky’s parent’s basement. Most of us had never been in a band before and didn’t know what we were doing. Stephen kind of led us through most of that. I had played piano before as a solo thing but being in a band was new to most of us. So we just played in basements and than played our first show the following April in Abbotsford where we all grew up.

We’ve all known each other forever being from Abbotsford. I think Devin and Darrin have known each other since birth. Becky knew them in High School, and I knew Stephen in High School so…

IRR – That is quite a while. Now we have heard that a lot of Vancouver is having split feelings over the Olympics. How is the band reacting to the Olympics up there?

K – Well, like most bands we are quite a mix of opinions and thoughts. It’s pretty rare when all 5 of us feel the same way about something. But what we decided to do was play some Olympic events and give some of our earnings to a local downtown organization that is helping those that are not profiting from the Olympics. And we aren’t trying to toot our own horns about that; we just want people to see that the Olympics aren’t helping everyone.

IRR – That’s great to see that you are giving back to the community right there. Well I feel like I have eaten up all your time since breakfast so I will let you go but looking forward to seeing you guys soon on the tour. Thanks so much!

Get to know You Say Party! We Say Die!

Upcoming Tour Dates:
09-Mar – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
10-Mar – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
12-Mar – San Fran, CA – Bottom Of the Hill
13-Mar – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
15-Mar – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
17-Mar – Austin, TX – Canadian Blast Party @ SXSW
17-Mar – Austin, TX – Pure Volume Showcase @ SXSW
18-Mar – Austin, TX – Casablanca Publishing / Maggie Mae’s @ SXSW
18-Mar – Austin, TX – Paper Bag Records Party / Speakeasy @ SXSW
19-Mar – Austin, TX – Consequence of Sound Party / Black Sheep Lodge @ SXSW
19-Mar – Austin, TX – Lose Control 2010 Party / Vice @ SXSW
21-Mar – Memphis, TN – Hi Tone
22-Mar – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
23-Mar – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
24-Mar – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
26-Mar – New York, NY – Knitting Factory
27-Mar – Boston, MA – TT The Bears
29-Mar – New York, NY – Piano’s
30-Mar – Detroit, MI – Pike Room
31-Mar – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

1. Tell us about the band?

The band started as a recording experiment between Pierce and I. It was an exercise to explore our interests in ambient music. We never intended to turn it into a real band or play in front of other people etc. We would meet once a week at our practice space and record whatever we came up with that day. Usually sparking ideas around certain sounds or textures.

A lot of times nothing worked, although occasionally, great and unexpected moments would happen and we were always recording so we were able to catch them. We began to build songs around these parts. We tried bringing in a few other people before inviting Ryan (who I had played with in Manishevitz) into the project. He was a quick fit and added real foundation to the songs in progress. With Ryan involved, we also realized we could pull off a lot of our material live, which was exciting because we didn’t think that was an option.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?

I’ve been frustrated with both but never fed up. After Manishevitz folded, I knew I wanted some kind of a break. Breaks are great though, because when you’re really busy with music you don’t have a lot of time to think about music. You end up doing things a certain way because it’s efficient and you, your band mates and studio engineer etc. are used to working like that. I was really depressed after Manishevitz broke up, but I found I had a lot of new ideas once I had some distance from the music.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

It was Poison and David Lee Roth at the St. Louis Arena sometime during the late 1980’s. I don’t remember much except David Lee Roth descended from the top of the arena onto the stage on a giant yellow surfboard. I was proud of having gone to a rock concert for the first time. At the time, I could have seen anyone and I would have been equally excited.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

I bought a bass guitar when I was seventeen or eighteen and clumsily tried to play along to whatever songs I was into at the time. That was it for a few years. When I moved to Charlottesville VA in my early twenties, I rented a room in a house with a couple of guys who I eventually started a band with. We had no idea what we were doing, but it was a lot of fun. We would have shows in our living room for friends and eventually in other people’s living rooms and basements.

Not long after that, a Sushi Bar called Tokyo Rose began booking shows. We played there all the time with tons of great bands that were touring down the East Coast. Our friend Darius, who was booking Tokyo Rose started a record label and released our first album.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

If you had to be qualified to play in a band, I probably would have never had the chance to be in one. I think anyone is qualified as long as you’re willing to put in the work and risk making a fool of yourself in front of other people.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

I don’t see much point to listening back to my recordings once they’re finished. My enjoyment is in the making of these songs/records. After they’re finished I don’t get much pleasure revisiting them. So I guess the answer is no.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

Talking to the audience from stage. None of us are great at it. I worry we sometimes come off a little cold.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

Love music, have good intentions and promptly reply to emails.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

A couple of yeas ago I threw out my back on a Sunday morning as I was bending over to put a leash on my dog. I ended up paralyzed on the floor for nine hours. I couldn’t sit or stand up. Ever time I moved, my muscles seized and I was racked with pain. Eventually we called the paramedics and I was taken to the hospital. After a couple of muscle relaxers and shots I was fine. But losing control of my body for that period of time was terrifying.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

Have a beer. Wait for sound check, pretty boring.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

Fortunately not yet!

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

I recently heard a song by Lucinda Williams called Sharp Cutting Wings that knocked the wind out of me. There’s a line that goes “I could swear I knew your love before I knew your name”, which is a beautiful thought.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

I don’t see the point in re-recording or re-writing a song. If I have new ideas I’d rather put that energy into a new song.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

I played a show once in Charlottesville (this venue is no longer around thankfully) where we were instructed to begin out set before the doors were opened. By the time people got into the club we were almost done with our first song. Very degrading.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

I don’t have a figure in mind. It’s nice when people buy our records, but I’m happy to keep making them regardless of how many we sell.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

We’re about 1/2 way through a new record. More recording for certain, it would be nice to finish a new record by the end of this year.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Robert Wyatt.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

Hm.. not sure. I enjoy my life!

Get to know Sonoi

Josh Ottum is a funny and superb musician from Seattle. He is even better at answering questions. Learn more about him here.

1. Tell us about the band?

The band is me.  I play solo or with really good friends.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members and why?

I’ve gotten stressed more than fed up. I guess if I got fed up I wouldn’t be doing it anymore.  Its fun to play and I’m glad I’m still alive after that one show in that weird town in Germany.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

The first concert I can remember was Jan and Dean and Sha Na Na at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. I slept for most of it and remember feeling extremely cranky when we got home.  My dad carried me to bed and I was probably crying.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

I started recording songs with words towards the end of college. Everyone in college liked pop music and I wanted to popular.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

All my connections with people with money and power who are cousins of cousins of famous people. Kidding.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

I like a song called fool in the night.  It’ll be on my next record.  Its to the point and fun to play guitar solos on.

Josh Ottum – It’s Alright

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

Stage banter is too advanced for our place in the larger cosmic scope of things.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

They should really love their acts and be stoked on working hard.  They probably should own an iPhone as well.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

Wow.  Umm.  There was a possum on my bed when I was younger.  I almost had a heart attack.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

Walk the streets looking for a park to do yoga in.  No.  Just eat and sit.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

Yes.  Not into it.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

Shore.  Lots of slow church songs.  Randy Newman.  Jude Sill. Lots of stuff.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

“Like ourselves”

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

Near the lockers in high school during a hailstorm. We got wet and electrocuted.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

I will only be happy when I sell one million albums. If that never happens then I’ll never be happy. Kidding.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

Finish next record and put it out in the fall.  Write songs that pierce the heart, not the ears.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Pantera.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

I wouldn’t have let my sister make me watch “dirty dancing” so many times.  I would’ve watched the movie “Rad” more.

Visit Josh Ottum

1. Tell us about the band?
Winston audio are a rock band heavily influenced by 90s grunge, the blues, the South, GI Joe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogEtfIdgjpY), and Shane Lee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZsBL4d1Eus).

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
I’ve definitely been fed up with music before. Music and I have a complicated relationship. I love it but I don’t always love the things I have to do to be able to play it. Sometimes I fantasize about what it would be like to never play a note again. It would be simpler, and sometimes simple is very attractive to me. But life wouldn’t be as rewarding, as meaningful. So I always come back to it. At least so far.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
The first group I saw in concert was Newsong at Lakeside Baptist Church in Birmingham. That was the night I got saved so I felt pretty great. Not exactly a rock and roll answer is it?

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
I caught the music bug early in life. My brother started playing the trumpet when he was in the third or fourth grade and I thought that was the greatest thing ever. I loved to sing, my parents played in our church orchestra, and so I was around it all the time. I started playing the trombone in sixth grade. Guitar came in ninth grade. I can’t for the life of me remember exactly why I decided to start learning guitar. I guess I thought it was cool. I started a band with my friend Nick called Sevenfold Spirit. I sang and played the drums. We’d work on songs in between playing video games. We weren’t exactly what one would call “serious”.
Making albums and being serious about playing in a band came right at the end of high school when I joined the original incarnation of Winston Audio. We recorded an EP in some guy’s basement. I loved it. Even though that EP is barely listenable.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

1. My mom says I’m great at it.
2. I’m alive. Which is not to say that a zombie or vampire couldn’t form their own band. As long as their mothers think they’re great at it they should pursue it. Follow your cold, dead hearts guys.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
“Troubles” off of our record “The Red Rhythm” is up there. It’s such a simple song and it says exactly what I meant for it to say. I respect economy, temperance, and minimalism. It’s easy to put a lot of delay on a guitar over a wild drumbeat and create a song that people nod their heads to. But to make people think; to stop what they’re doing and think about something. That doesn’t come to everyone. And the only reason I think it comes to me at all is because it is given to me.

Winston Audio – Hey Ann

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
We are not good at covers. We have yet to agree on a song we all like, rehearse it enough that it sounds good, and then play it. We’ve tried. Many times. I will consider our band successful when we can play other peoples’ songs.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
I think their job should be easy to sum up: They need to allow their band to focus on writing and performing music. The more they can diminish a band’s other responsibilities (booking, promotion, business stuff) the better. To do that is a lot more complicated but I think that should be a label’s only goal and to make money. But don’t sign a band if you want to change their music.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
When I was in the second grade I was attacked by my best friend’s dog in his backyard. He grabbed my leg, knocked me to the ground and went for my throat. Thankfully he got my arm instead. I don’t think I’ve been more scared before or since.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
We pee. We always pee.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
No. The way I see it, if they’re looking at all, that is a very, very good thing. I don’t care if they’re thinking about how they are going to skin me alive and eat my heart later. I’ve got their attention.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
Yes. Most recently it has been “Amongst The Waves” off the new Pearl Jam record. “Vale Oso” on Jeremy Enigk’s new album has made me cry. “I will wait my whole life for your love”. How do you not get emotional over that line when you’re away from your loved ones on tour? Also the song “Glosoli” on Sigur Ros’ “Takk…” record. Yeah I guess I cry a lot.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
We have a song we kicked around right before our first drummer left the band called “Come Down”. We recorded a really cool demo but we never did it properly. The song has a very different sound from what we’re doing now so it doesn’t fit anymore, but all of us who were in the band during that time still feel really attached to it.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?
The Mad Hatter in Covington, KY. It was just dirty man. We have a high threshold for dirty, but this place was too much. The “backstage” area was the kitchen and it smelled like puke. It’s never good when the kitchen smells like puke. That’s not okay.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
Ten Bagajillion.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
We just made our record “The Red Rhythm” available for folks to download for free at http://www.winstonaudio.sundayent.com/WinstonAudio/RedRhythm.html. It’s the first anniversary of the album’s release so we wanted to celebrate. We’ll be touring a lot in the coming months with some stellar bands, playing Bamboozle in May, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll do some recording in May as well. Our goal is to have a new record out before the end of the year.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?
Sun Kil Moon’s “Ghosts Of The Great Highway” is the best melancholy record ever. Also anything by Elliot Smith.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
I would have never tried the Baconator from Wendy’s. I really opened Pandora’s Box on that one. If I’m on a long late-night drive and I pass a Wendy’s I have to stop and I have to get the Baconator. It’s so delicious. But it has to be the worst-for-me food I’ve ever eaten. And I eat some really horrible food whilst on the road.

Visit Winston Audio

1. Tell us about the band?

Woodhands is an electro-pop duo with a bit of an aggression problem.  We’re from Toronto and we like to party when we play.  We don’t use any computers so everything happens live and we push it as far as we possibly can every night. Think of the energy of a punk show mixed with hipsters losing their shit, all set to some serious bangers.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?

Definitely! Touring is not always the awesomest (but it is mostly the awesomest).  Paul and I get along great so we have no worries there, but sometimes it’s hard to try to manage relationships with people when you’re on the road all the time.  And being separated from your life, your friends, and your loved ones (in my case, the plants in my apartment) can really take a toll. You have to believe that you are the shit.  That’s the only way to keep it going.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

I was a late bloomer, musically (though I started playing piano when I was 5).  One of my first concerts was, unfortunately, a Dave Matthews concert.  I remember being SO INCREDIBLY INTO Dave Matthews and was freaking out at the concert.  Then, when it was over, I thought to myself, “I never need to hear Dave Matthews again”.  It was a weird moment, but for the best.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

Music was always a part of my life and will always be a part of my life.  I sidled up to making albums and playing live shows nonchalantly but it’s definitely taken over my life.  I can’t imagine what my life was like before I was touring and playing shows. I think I acted out a lot more.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

We are shit hot players.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

I have favorite parts. Paul and I both agree that the bass line from the song Breaking Up on our first album Heart Attack is the best one I’ve ever written.  It haunts me to this day cuz I still need to write a better bass line and haven’t yet!

Woodhands – P’iss
(Download this track now. It’s Amazing!!!!)

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

We are insanely busy with other projects and we love our families and friends.  It means that we can’t take every single opportunity that comes along.  It’s tough but you have to become philosophical about letting things go.  We’ve been offered some amazing opportunities that we’ve had to say bye bye to. Other than that, both Paul and I have very diverse interests and a whole range of fun projects can capture us.  It hasn’t negatively affected us yet but it just might.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

Love and grit and total lack of fear.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

Good question.  But honestly I can’t remember.  My earliest memory is a scary one.  I am four years old, sitting in my parents’ basement, and there is an earthworm on the ground.  I call up to my mom to ask her if I can touch it and she says yes. So I do.  AND IT’S A CENTIPEDE!!!! And it bites me.  So much pain and terror. And confusion and surprise…I have been terrified of centipedes ever since, which is terrible because they run Toronto.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

Sound check, because we are always late. Then we track down local beers and local food and local friends.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

Yeah, but she was crazy hot and took her shirt off, so while part of me was getting the willies, other parts of me were telling me to do terrible things.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

Yes! Yes! And yes! I was listening to Woodhands (joke).  Umm…Julie Doiron’s album Woke Myself Up has definitely made me cry.  My ex-girlfriend handed it to me when she broke up with me and was supposed to explain everything.  It didn’t, but damn if I didn’t listen to it on repeat.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

Breaking Up. I could’ve used another vocal take on the second verse.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

Ha…we played a hilarious show at some Canadian Embassy function in San Francisco once.  They had no idea what kind of music we made and wanted dinner music at some political buffet they were hosting.  So we played smooth fake jazz instrumental versions of all our songs.  It was a shitshow.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

20 million copies. We want to be bigger than Eminem.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

Touring touring touring touring touring touring.  Actually, we’re already starting to put together some songs for our next album and we have some b-sides from Remorsecapade that we want to clean up and release. Exciting stuff!

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

When I am sad against girls (because they have been mean to me) I listen to RZA’s Bobby Digital: Digital Bullet album. It is ridiculously, horribly offensive and I go to the squash courts alone, hit the ball against the wall, and get cathartic.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

That is a long, long story but it involves a girl and a breakup.  I shouldn’t have been a smarter dude and not fucked with a good thing.  Sticking around is sometimes the best policy.

Get To Know Woodhands

2010 Tour Dates

March 18 – SXSW Paper Bag Records Showcase at Speakeasy
March 20 – SXSW Rolling Stone Party at Peckerheads
March 25 – Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, CO
March 26 – Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO
March 27 – The Conspiracy Room – Kansas City, MO
March 28 – The Frequency – Madison, WI
March 29 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN (Presented by My Old Kentucky Blog)
March 30 – 2720 – St. Louis, MO
April 1 – the Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
April 3 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
April 17 – The Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO (w/ Lotus)
April 20 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR (w/ Lotus)
April 21 – House of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX (w/ Lotus)
April 22 – The Ballroom at Wired Live – Houston, TX (w/ Lotus)
April 23 – Emo’s – Austin, TX (w/ Lotus)
April 24 – Tipitina’s – New Orleans, LA (w/ Lotus)

1. Tell us about the band?
Gringo Star is made up of Pete and Nick Furgiuele, Pete DeLorenzo, and Chris Kaufmann. We all met in Atlanta, at a Braves game, in the concession line to get some peanuts, or at least my brother and I were. Pete D was hoping to get some crackerjacks but they were out and Chris was getting a hotdog.

We all had sort of known each other before. Got together after the game to hang out and play some music in the basement, and ended up writing the title track to our debut album all y’all.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
No.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
Bob Dylan at some big Gymnasium at a college in the 80’s maybe early 90’s. I was young. After the concert my ears rang for 4 days.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
Yep. Pretty much have been playing music with my brother and writing songs since we were 11 or 12. We’ve always been writing songs and singing.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?
It used to be my long hair. Now that I’ve cut it off, I’m not sure I’m still qualified to be in a band, but I can’t seem to find time to stop.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
Not really. It changes depending on my mood.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
I think we like songs more than noise. These days’ folks seem to like noise and computer beats.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
Good PR contacts and lots of money.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
I fell off a roof when I was 20. Landed on my head and was knocked out.
Still waiting to see what happens.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
We get Coffee and Mexican food but sometimes not in that order.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
Once in Portland, for some reason I made eye contact with this guy that looked like someone out of Lord of the Rings. He was short and had long hair, possible fan of dungeons and dragons. Once we made eye contact he started walking towards me.

As he got closer, he was mumbling or chanting to himself and making a weird gesture, almost like he was crossing himself (like a catholic), but not. As he walked within inches of me, every hair on my body stood up, and I half expected him to pull out a knife or something. But he didn’t. He never broke eye contact till he was past me.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
Yes. A song by Dave Davies, off Lola vs. the Powerman and the money-go-round, called “strangers”

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
I wouldn’t.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?
Some place in Kansas called Kirby’s.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
I reckon 20 million would do.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
We are getting ready to have our debut album released on a European label called Cargo, we have a bunch of tour dates around the US to SXSW and back, once back from the US dates, we are recording our follow-up album to “all y’all”, then we are going to do some festivals and tour in Europe for the rest of spring and into the summer.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?
Harry Nilsson

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
I would have been a girl.

Visit Gringo Star

1. Tell us about the band?

Let me tell you about a band from Transylvania.  This was no ordinary band from Transylvania.  This was a band with a plan, and the plan was to take…over…the world. HOW?! Do you say?  There’s no way of knowing now, because that part of the story has not….yet…been….written.  So stay tuned my friends, stay tuned.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?

My favorite food is sushi, but I sometimes get sick of it, even though it is my favorite food.

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?

My first concert was when I was 12 and my friend’s dad took us all to see Sugar Ray for my friend’s birthday.  This was before I was very opinionated about music, so it didn’t matter what band it was, the loud music and all the people cheering gave me goose bumps.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

We were born to be musicians and entertainers.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

Nothing.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?

Every song we write gets better and better. Usually our newest song at the time is my favorite until we write the next.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?

Interviews…

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?

They have to believe in you and get behind you.  If they don’t have that for your band then it wouldn’t be a very successful relationship.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?

I fought a bear once on the Appalachian Trail.  I won.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?

EAT!!

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?

No, we thrive on weird looks. It pushes us to play a crazier, better show.  Keep them coming.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?

Yes! This is one of my favorite things to do… there are tons of songs that do it to me, but I think the last song that made me cry was Van Morrison’s version of “Comfortably Numb”.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?

You don’t ever want to revisit things because it’ll just mess with the magic that was in that time.

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?

It was in Jacksonville Mississippi because the water was poisoned.

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?

Zero.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?

To be the biggest band in the world.

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Every person in the band has a different taste in music.  There is no one artist for those moments.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?

I don’t wanna think about that.

Get To Know Foxy Shazam

1. Tell us about the band?
We are from outer space and we have come to make all humans rock and roll. Surrender. There is no fighting our power.

2. Have you ever been fed up with playing music or with band members, why?
Nope. We are dedicated disciples of rock and our faith is unyielding. Who could get fed up with dancing and having a kickass time?

3. What was your first concert experience? Do you remember how you felt once the concert was over?
We all had different experiences, but it is safe to say that all of them were probably epic.

4. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?
It’s something that’s in your blood from day one. Whether you realize it immediately or not, the music is there, waiting like a hidden virus for the catalyst that lets it take over your body. It’s less of a choice and more of a compulsion.

5. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?
We are a group of two or more people, each of whom has the ability to play rhythms and/or melodies on a particular musical instrument, and we play these instruments in unison to create music. And we like good music. That’s all you need.

6. Do you have a favorite song you have ever written? Why?
Our best ones are the ones we create as we record them. Some of the ones we play live now started out as a single track in the studio that we each built around and formed into a composition on the fly.

7. What is your greatness weakness as a band?
That we can’t spend twenty-four hours a day making rock, but if we could, we’d write a hundred songs a month and that would be awesome.

8. What qualities should a successful label or manager have?
Our label is great in that they really listen and cater their process to what we like. A good label or manager finds the best way to promote what the artist wants to do, even if it might not be well-received immediately or in the mainstream; they don’t try to mold the artist into what’s popular.

9. What’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to you in your life?
We’ve seen ghosts. Lots of them. There are too many stories to relate, but they’re out there, and they’re going to get you.

10. What’s the first thing you do when the band arrives in a new town while on tour?
We get out, stretch, get all our gear out and loaded in, and then find the nearest delicious food.

11. Have you ever had an audience member give you the willies because they kept looking at you all weird?
All the time! You guys are creepy! And WE LOVE IT. Keep staring. And stalking! We love stalking.

12. Have you ever cried while listening to music? If so what were you listening too?
Oh, there has been many times. Sometimes we just group hug and cry at the end of our rehearsals because we’re overwhelmed by our own rock.

13. If you could re-record, or re-write any song of yours what would that song be?
None, really. We have a one-take mindset. What we write and lay down is what we make, and that’s that. Why not just move on to something new and different?

14. What’s the worst place you have ever played a show at, and why?
Thankfully we’ve been fortunate enough to have played pretty nice venues. But really, the crappier the bar, the better it is. We love tiny, cramped rooms because we’re very loud and we like to knock people over with our noise. Its kind of masochistic, but hey, aren’t we all?

15. In a perfect world how many albums would you have to sell to be happy?
Enough to break even on what we paid to make them. We don’t care about the money. We just like to play and have a good time.

16. What do you guys have planned for the future?
Who knows? We go where the whiskey river takes us. Round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows…

17. What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?
Depends. Are we just frustrated? Then probably something loud and angry. If we’re seriously pissed and about to murder, then we might be listening to classical and pretending to be calm or sitting and fuming in silence.

18. If you had your life to live over again, what one thing would you change?
That we were not born as four David Bowies or the Beatles or the Zombies, being zombies would be pretty cool.

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