The Walkmen Interview: Who does Ham have the hots for?

The Walkmen
Sun. March 09, 2008
The EARL
Atlanta, GA


We haven't heard much from The Walkmen since their prolific 2006 year when they released a note-for-note cover of the Harry Nilson/John Lennon record "Pussy Cats" AND original full-length "A Hundred Miles Off." But now the New York band is back on the road, and they've got a record in the works for a Spring release. We swapped e-mails with the band's singer and webmaster Hamilton Leithauser as the band makes its way down to Atlanta for a show at The EARL with Vampire Weekend.

TAlive: I love the "reviews" section on yours site! Who usually writes those, and what inspired you to post reviews of restaurants and movies? Any plans on expanding that section to include, for example, hotels or even other bands?
Hamilton: Thanks. I write a bunch of them, and Walt usually writes the rest. I once wrote a review of a jail. I've thought about hotels and books. I wrote some book reviews for my friend's website www.themillionsblog.com which was actually more fun than I'd imagined. Maybe I'll do music but that's probably not a good way to make friends.

TAlive: Speaking of hotels, what kind of accommodations do The Walkmen usually end up at? Are you crashing on couches and floors or booking rooms in hotels/motels? Have you ever been stuck somewhere particularly abysmal while on the road?
Hamilton: Walt has a knack for choosing the room with bed bugs. It's happened only to him, and maybe four times. One time we travelled from Beaumont, Texas to Austin...usually a three to four hour ride...in 27 hours because of the Hurricane Rita evacuation. On the radio people were crying, and they kept playing a version of The Beatles "Lovely Rita" with the chorus "Lovely Riiiiita Hurr-rricane." I slept on the roof of the van for about 4 hours.

TAlive: When you do have time to actually explore the city when you're on tour, how do you figure out where to go? Do you read up beforehand, stumble across things by accident, ask people around you?
Hamilton: Honestly, we usually ask each other, and we usually don't get very far, and we never seem to learn better.

TAlive: How did you prepare for the Pussy Cats recording? Was it just a lot of listening to the record over and over? Was a substantial amount of boozing necessary to get your mind in the right place?
Hamilton: Prepare? We didn't even know what the hell was going on at the time.

TAlive: Do you play any of the Pussycats covers live?
Hamilton: A few. Honestly our versions live are not very inspired so we avoid it.


TAlive: I've seen The Walkmen live twice, and I'm always impressed with how much more aggressive the vocals sound. Is this a sign of things to come for The Walkmen? Does your next album have more of a punk rock edge?
Hamilton: Actually I'd say the punk is sort of phasing out. We still have tons of juice up there, but it's a different flavor of juice. Like carrot juice.

TAlive: When I first heard Vampire Weekend a couple months ago, I immediately thought there was something Walkmen-esque in their music I couldn't quite put my finger on... now you're paired up for a few tour dates. How did your bands come together?
Hamilton: A guy in their band named "Ezra" used to be our intern at Marcata. I think what that meant was that Walt, Paul, and Matt interviewed and hired him as an intern and then realized they had absolutely no idea why, and they never got it together to work with him. They all talk fondly about him though. I've heard the name for years. I've never met the guy or heard the tunes though.

TAlive: If you could tour with any band out there now, who would you pick?
Hamilton: I'd like to tour with Neil Hamburger the comedian.

TAlive: We've got an Emma in the office, and she would like to know why exactly she should bring you a lemon...or any fruit for that matter. [note: see MP3 below...]
Hamilton: Because I have the hots for her.

TAlive: What is the story of Marcata? Is it just a studio space or do you have management based there?
Hamilton: It was just a studio. But man, what a studio!! We used to say "the hiss is free". It is gone now. I believe it's a Columbia art-student dorm. So now all those pampered pretentious pricks can rest their precious little heads on our dead dream. Ooooh wee!!

TAlive: Finally, the "FAQ" page on your site suggests to me that you're tired of dealing with the same questions over and over...and maybe you're not a big fan of interviews really at all. Was this a total pain in the ass? If so, how would you describe that pain? More of a throbbing pain or a sharp sting?
Hamilton: I didn't mean it that way at all. I just thought it was kind of funny to have a FAQ on our dumb little website. I think maybe I should put up more navigational questions. Like "How do I get from the "Music" section back to the "News" section...and the answer will be "Click on the "News" button, you will then see the "News" page displayed on your computer screen."

TAlive: Cheers! See you at The EARL! Have a meal there before your show...they have excellent food, and I’m sure it’ll get a 5-star review from the band.
Hamilton: Yeah, I do like the food there. Positive marks all around. See you there.

www.marcata.net/walkmen

Listen! "Emma, Get Me A Lemon"- The Walkmen

Liars latest experiment: Writing actual songs. Liars at The EARL Feb. 14th

You'd be hard pressed to find a t-shirt or bumper sticker declaring that "Liars are for Lovers," but that's what Atlanta is getting on Valentine's Day. Three-piece experimental rock outfit Liars are coming to The EARL in support of their latest, self-titled release. While Liars' previous records have been largely conceptional, "Liars" has shocked critics with its relatively straightforward approach.

TA live gave Liars singer Angus Andrew a ring in Los Angeles to learn more about his unique development as a songwriter and what we can expect on this upcoming tour.

TAlive: Hey Angus how are you?
Angus: I’m good. How are you?

TAlive: Excellent. Where are you right now?
Angus: I’m in downtown Los Angeles. Where are you?

TAlive: We’re in Atlanta, and we’re looking forward to having you back here soon.
Angus: Oh yeah! It’s going to be fun.

TAlive: Last time you came down here you ended up stealing away one of our bands. You grabbed Deerhunter and took them off on tour with you.
Angus: That’s right.

TAlive: Was that the first time you had seen them [opening for Liars at Drunken Unicorn] or had you heard them before? What drew you to their music? How did the tour go?
Angus: Oh it went awesome! I forget how we knew them. I think we knew them from them playing a show in L.A. But yeah, we took them on that tour of The States and then right after that we took them to Europe as well. That was really fun because they had never played Europe before.

TAlive: Right, I know they were really excited about that opportunity.
Angus: Yeah, man. It’s totally cool to see someone’s face when they see Europe for the first time.

TAlive: So, when you come back to Atlanta it’s going to Valentine’s Day!
Angus: No way!

TAlive: Do you think Liars would be a good date night show?
Angus: Oh well, I’m definitely going to try and make it now that I know it’s going to be Valentine’s Day. We’ll play only love songs. So, everyone should come with their dates.

TAlive: If you had to pick, do you think there is a Liars song that has a bit of romance in it? A little bit of love?
Angus: Yeah, it would probably “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack,” I guess.

TAlive: With this new record, “Liars,” you recorded your parts in Berlin. What drew you to Berlin?
Angus: It’s like escapism, really. When I first went to Berlin, it was mostly because I was freaked out about living in America. I wanted to go somewhere in Europe, and preferably where I didn’t speak the language, so that I would be like an alien and nobody would talk to me, and I could get some work done. The history of the place is amazing.Berlin particularly because they are so aware of their history there. They’re extremely on the other end now, you know. It’s all about individual’s rights, and I’m really down for that.

TAlive: Did you feel like the city inspired your song writing at all?
Angus: In a way. It’s kind of more to do with how much solitude I could get. In that way, it helped a lot. Because, like I said, I don’t speak German. It meant that just going to get the milk in the morning was a big ordeal. That makes it fun and interesting. And, Berlin is just so full of historical bits and pieces, you know? There’s still bullet holes in the walls. You can be inspired just by going out and getting the milk. I think it does help any kind of creativity, really, by putting yourself in a position that you’re not used to. It helps you to redefine yourself.

TAlive: It seems that that need to be challenged by new places and new things is reflected in your lifestyle as much as your music. You’re moving around constantly, and your albums each have their own identity.
Angus: Yeah, that’s just how I was brought up. We were always moving around. I was born in The Philippines and I lived in Australia for a while. I always got a sense that there were so many opportunities for different types of lifestyles around the world, and I guess I’m interested in trying as many of them as possible. I think that any time you make some sort of drastic change like that it gives you the rare chance for reevaluation. And, it helps to redefine yourself each time, I suppose. That’s what’s fun about it. I think the music can only benefit from that, in a sense. I find it difficult to imagine sort of staying in one spot forever just as I imagine it difficult making the same type of music for every record. It just comes naturally, I think.

TAlive: When you approach a new record, is the goal of the record premeditated or do you just start writing and end up piecing together the concept later?
Angus: Well, each of the records that we did before this album we would sit down and discuss it a lot and make sure that there was sort of a thread, at least, that we could tie up the whole album with and make it neat and have a bow on it.

But, this album was completely different in that way. We began writing without any kind of discussion and just went off and had fun with it, really; just going in any direction we wanted. Aaron [Hemphill] and I did end up coming together on one idea, which was that we just wanted to concentrate on writing songs rather than being concerned about the album as a whole. We began to think of songs in particular that we appreciate because of what they are and what they talk about. Particularly, what it’s like to be younger and to appreciate music and how, when we were younger, it was more about like, the guitar solo, rather than where the record was made or who made. So, we just tried to think about music as a more visceral thing rather than a conceptual, mental process. We were going for the gut rather than the head sort of thing.

TAlive: That’s interesting because it seems like the opposite direction of most bands’ growth. Usually they start out with a more straightforward, simple approach and then later in their career they feel they need to be more challenging and go for a concept record. Whereas, with Liars, you seem to have deconstructed instead.
Angus: Yeah, I know...I think we began with sound rather than notes and pieces rather than songs. It’s just been this sort of backward progression towards a more traditional approach and a more basic sort of appreciation of song. It’s interesting because it’s valid to say that this album is an extreme commercial album. In the end, it’s really our most experimental because we’ve never gone so far as to try and make real songs!

TAlive: It’s all relative, I guess, to the artist.
Angus: It’s all relative in a sort of reverse dynamic. (Laughs)

TAlivE: Along the same lines, you had said in a previous interview that you never felt like a songwriter until this album. How did you view yourself as a musician earlier?
Angus: Just piecing ideas together. I came into music on the backend of visual arts. It seemed like another medium, you know? Using sound and instruments together to create, I found it relatively easy to create pieces or songs with lyrics and things like that. And slowly I learned to make those things more and more cohesive. I never really ever felt I could, I don’t know, sit down and just play and sing a song to anyone. Like, a really musician guy. I think that’s where people start! But, that’s not where I began. So, it’s only recently that I’ve come to be able to do that sort of thing, and I have a real appreciation for being able to do that sort of thing.

TAlive: Do you still find time for photography?
Angus: No. When I finished art school and actually a bit earlier, I sort of stopped taking photographs all together. I came to some sort of theoretical crisis about how many photographs have been taken by so many people in the world. It’s just a point I reached at school where I found the limitations of a two-dimensional image to be too much. I first began to work with video and computer animation and sound. That was just the final link before I started making songs. So, no, I haven’t taken photographs in a long time. But, still video I love to make, and I still do computer graphic stuff.

TAlive: What can we expect as far as a set list for the upcoming tour?
Angus: It’s funny you should mention that. It’s been interesting to look and recognize that we have a bit of a back catalog. I love that statement, “back catalog.” Haha! So, there’s a lot of songs to choose from actually, and it’s a lot of fun to put together a set list in an interesting way. It won’t just be from our new album, but certainly the new album stuff is meant to be live and we do concentrate on that. It’s fun, though, to pull out some stuff from years past. You can expect a lot of….stuff.

TAlive: Is it too early to determine what’s next for Liars after this supporting tour?
Angus: We’re going to try to take a little bit of time, a little bit longer to make the next record. I intend to live in Los Angeles with the other guys, so I suppose one thing is we’re going to try to work together which we’ve never really done before.

TAlive: That makes me wonder if you ever compose while on tour since that’s one of those rare opportunities when you all have instruments and you’re all together.
Angus: It’s not from a lack of being together that we don’t write together. It’s more the idea that.. it just doesn’t work. We’ve certainly tried it; just stand together and play. But for some reason, it’s just not the most productive way for us. I just sort of think we can go around that somehow. But no, we don’t write anything on tour. I find it difficult enough to just… tour! (laughs)

TAlive: Well, from what you’ve said about your time in Berlin, it sounds like you are the kind of person who prefers to just work alone with your creativity.
Angus: Yeah, very much so. I appreciate any kind of solitude at all. It’s really good for me. I almost find that the process of writing together in a group is almost illogical. To me, it seems like if we’re going to do a painting, and we all decided to paint at the same time on a board as opposed to one of us taking initiative to map it all out. I think the latter always works for a better song, but I certainly am aware that the majority of great songs have been written in band format.. so there must be something to it!

TAlive: I guess if you are following the laws of music a little more closely as far as playing in a certain key, than you can improvise together more smoothly.
Angus: I know, but you gotta know notes and keys, don’t you?

TAlive: It’s a more technical approach, but maybe a little more boring because you become limited within that box.
Angus: That’s certainly the way I’ve been thinking…but as you know I’m slightly on this revised mode, leaning more and more towards the norm or traditional.. and whether or not I’ll allow that to happen is another question. It’s certainly something new for us, and, therefore, interesting and worth the challenge.

For the weird romantics and the dateless alike, Liars tickets are on sale now!

Interview with The Whigs! Athens' rising stars look forward to CD release and a big '08

I first stumbled across The Whigs at a packed show in Athens’ intimate Tasty World bar about five years ago. I was in awe of the frenzied crowd supporting this young band, and my first impression was that “damn, these guys must have a lot of friends in town.” I don’t know for sure if The Whigs had any formal fraternal connections, but it certainly felt that way at the show; a crowded room of drunk, dancing fanatics all raising their beers in appreciation of The Whigs’ rollicking, energetic performance. Sure, it’s a good time now, but where will these fans be in four years once everyone’s graduated?

Turns out, The Whigs had a lot more than a local following. Their debut release, “Give ‘Em All A Big Fat Lip” made a connection with listeners and media critics across the nation. The homemade recording was enough for Rolling Stone to herald The Whigs as one of the top artists to watch, and the accolades kept coming. Before long, they were picked up by the prestigious ATO label, and now the boys are gearing up for the release of “Mission Control,” their highly anticipated sophomore record.

TA live had a chat with singer Parker Gispert about the upcoming release and the band’s big plans for 2008.

TAlive: Hey Parker! So, this looks like a huge year for The Whigs. It’s amazing I saw you back at Tasty World and now… Letterman?
Parker: Yeah, Letterman is going to be insane! It’s going to be great.

TAlive: Is that something ATO hooked up for you? How did that happen?
Parker: I’m not really sure. Our manager Josh [Rifkind] just called us up and said, “Hey, you’re playing on Letterman in three weeks on January 28th.” And we’re like, “Hell yeah!”

TAlive: Do you feel like there was a specific turning point in your career when you knew that, yes, this band is going places? A time when you realized that things were really going to happen for this band?
Parker: Not really. Everything has been gradually positive for us since the beginning. Not in any crazy quick fashion. Just sort of slowly but surely been going well for us. We always had high hopes in terms of wanting to make a lot of records, and have this be what we do with our time.

TAlive: When did you first get connected with you manager Josh? Was it by winning his battle of the bands contest Open Mic Madness or did he know you before?
Parker: No no, we met him through Open Mic Madness. And, if you win his competition, you go on this cruise ship with him; play a show on it [The Rock Boat]. So, we drove down to Florida in a car with him for eight hours which was pretty eye opening if you've never met Josh before. Haha! But yeah, we just got along with him very well, and I think about a year later he started managing us.

TAlive: Athens is such a transient town with students coming and going all the time. Does it still feel like the hometown crowd when you return, even though many of the people that were there when you got started have since graduated or moved out?
Parker: Yeah, it’s actually really cool like that. It’s nice to go home, and, you know, it is home. You have your bedroom…But like you said, it’s just always a different town even six months later. It seems like all the time your friends will just be gone. Have you ever spent a summer in Athens? Like for summer school or something?

TAlive: Yeah, it’s pretty dead…it’s a totally different place.
Paker: Yeah, it’s kind of like you get home and there’s different people back home, and you kind of end up hanging out with people that you might not have hung out with if everybody always stayed in town. So, it’s kind of cool to be at home but to always be meeting new people. It’s a really cool place to live.

TAlive: On the last record you went over to L.A. to record. What was it like in that very professional studio environment? Did you feel uncomfortable at first, or was it just exciting
Parker: It actually felt really comfortable going from recording the first album in a house…Before, we were doing a lot of the micing ourselves and with a friend of ours. When you can just go into a place where they’ve made thousands of records and work with a producer whose made a bunch of albums you love, you can just relax and worry about playing guitar and singing. You know it’s going to sound really good. There was never a doubt about the quality of the producer or the studio we’re in. It just allows you to have your head in the right place and just focus on having a good performance and that kind of stuff. So it was really comfortable and really relaxing, actually.

TAlive: Besides the quality of the recording, what other differences do you see between this album and your first? Has your approach to songwriting changed at all?
Parker: Yeah, hopefully we’ve learned some things from the first record. You know, you always set those personal goals for yourself. Hopefully the lyrics are a little better and hopefully the songwriting is a little more focused. There’s definitely an effort to not really change a ton of the things that were important to us on the first go ‘round. It wasn’t like we set out to make a completely different record. We knew that sonically it was going to sound different. It being two years later, there were going to be changes that we probably couldn’t even see that were going to be happening to the music, you know?

TAlive: And as of fairly recently you have become labelmates with Radiohead!
Parker: That’s true. Pretty awesome!

TAlive: What was your reaction to the way they handled their last release?
Parker: They’re one of the only bands that really has the power to do that and to really make it work. I don’t really understand why a lot of bands that are where they are wouldn’t do that. For instance, Pearl Jam on their last record. They were in the same exact scenario and they actually signed with RCA, with J Records, and I thought they were going to do what Radiohead did, and they didn’t. It was cool to see Radiohead actually do it and then even cooler to see, once they did, decide to go with the label that they went with. The ATO guys, having worked with them, I know what they are all about it. It just made sense that Radiohead would see all the great things about the label and want to work with them.

TAlive: You guys were fairly selective in going with ATO. A lot of other labels had approached you before you finally settled with them.
Parker: Right.

TAlive: So, there must have been something special that you saw in ATO as well.
Parker: They were just straightforward people which is not always the case in this business. There wasn’t a lot of talk or, for lack of a better term, bullshit. They just said, “We really like your band. We like your album. We don’t want to re-record it. We don’t want to do anything weird. We just want to make it so more people can hear it, and we want to help you in any way we can for the next record.” There wasn’t really a lot of courting or anything. They said they were interested and they showed that they were interested by offering us a deal, which was much appreciated.

TAlive: I noticed that at the Flagpole Music Awards in Athens this past year, Of Montreal won a ton of stuff and the audience’s reaction a little…bitter? Cynical? I don’t know, it definitely didn’t feel like enthusiastic support for a local success story. The Whigs are another one of the few Athens bands that has really achieved a great deal of national exposure… have you felt any sense of resentment from the other bands in Athens?
Parker: That’s a good question. We’re not really home that much, so, I don’t know if we could really get a sense of that resentment if there was that kind of thing. Flagpole thrashed our first album pretty hard... I don’t know. It seems like people have been really supportive. I think it helps that we’ve toured a lot, and we’re known for being a hard working band; not just someone who just tours a little bit and got really lucky or something like that. So, I think that helps and I think Of Montreal is kind of the same way.

There are just so many bands in Athens and there are so many great bands, so it wouldn’t surprise me if people were feeling that way about us. You can’t help but identify with that mindset because there are probably lots of bands who are equally deserving of maybe some of the accolades that we’ve been given. For me personally, I can’t really worry about anybody’s resentment or any of that kind of stuff. We’re proud of what we’re doing and we’re working hard.

Tickets to The Whigs CD release at The EARL on Jan. 25th are almost sold out! Buy your tickets now.

Chris Corner: Brutal musical dictator and control freak. And we love him all the more for it.

IAMX
Sat. November 10, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA


America, prepare to be seduced. The dark, danceable, and erotic stylings of IAMX have reached our shores, and front man Chris Corner is prepared to captivate us all. With his highly theatrical performance and alluring persona, Corner is the quintessential front man. His gorgeous, soaring vocals tell stories of seedy glamour and deviance. The music of IAMX is intense and intoxicating, whether lilting gently over a romantic waltz or pounding fiercely with club rhythms and synth electricity.

TALive had the chance to tap into the mind of Corner who, as we mentioned in an earlier blog post, was also the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps.

TALive: I've been waiting for a year now for IAMX to make its Atlanta debut! We are thrilled to have you. How long has it been since you were last in Atlanta? Was it the Bloodsport tour about five years ago? Do you remember much about your last trip here?
Corner: Thank you so much. Any flattery is completely accepted. Unfortunately, no. I was in a kind of transitional haze at that time. I remember having a good tour but being anxious and tense. I knew that I needed something else outside that project. I think the seed of IAMX was sown around that time. I also had a strange love hate relationship with the US. My experiences of the States were always drug fueled and pretty destructive so I never really had the chance to enjoy it. It's obviously an amazing place, but I wasnt there in my head. The tour at the beginning of the year [with IAMX in the spring] was really refreshing because there was more clarity and simple enjoyment.

TALive: What inspired the fashion and look of IAMX? Was the makeup and style something that you created alone? Is it a look that you carry on off stage as well?
Corner: What you see is what you get. IAMX has become a lifestyle attitude. Independence, style, liberty. All of these things developed pretty naturally as I went along. There was no constructed vision but a feeling. On stage you get the extreme characters: losing it, sweating, working, lusting, pushing. Off stage there is a necessary calm and relaxed nature to the band, but still there is definitely a playfulness with image and strong IAMX attitude in day to day life.

TALive: You have worked hard to maintain artistic freedom with IAMX, staying away from major labels and utilizing a lot of grassroots sort of promotion with great success: sold out show across the U.S. earlier this year and so forth. With two records done, has the indie route proven more satisfying to you? Do you feel like the benefits of artistic freedom have outweighed the challenges of having limited distribution and financial support?
Corner: Yes, definitely. I had so many tortuous experiences with the commercial industry that having freedom is a blessing. You have to work harder and be more inventive, but that is good for the soul. We got this far with nobody backing us and I am proud of that and all the people involved in making this happen: the band, crew and management. I dont need to be rich or famous. I know those things won't improve my psychology or bring me closer to loving life. Being comfortable or getting what you want doesn't necessarily make you content. Reward comes from effort. I see this project like building a house. This tour is the ground floor. The last tour I gave the industry a chance to get involved with IAMX. I met people; they talked shit. I met more people; they talked more shit. This time there is no compromise. No industry guest lists, no fucking schmooze meet and greets, no time wasting. I am here for the fans and that's it. They support and keep this project alive.

TALive: A personal favorite track on The Alternative is "Song of Imaginary Beings." On the internet I found some heated debate about the lyrics with highly divergent hypothesis about the main character in the song…some guessing she was a nun others guessing she was transsexual…or maybe both! Can you provide some insight into our girl? Why is it that "she can't love the physical way a woman should?"
Corner: All interpretations are welcome. Sometimes I see that character as the sexually repressed, cantankerous girl in me; searching for an imaginary soulmate, confused and anxious about the prospect of never understanding or being loved; consumed by cynicism and twisted self-invented morals. But, it's also a place to escape to burn down my old life and to will the rise of a new one from the ashes. In fact, the whole album is a pretty bleak long look in the mirror.

TALive: Sue Denim is listed in the credits as contributing to a number of IAMX tracks. Does she ever join you on stage or tour with the band? Can we expect to see her during the upcoming tour dates in the States?
Corner: When I started IAMX I was experimenting with formats and lineups. I involved a lot of friends and people I had already worked with. I worked with Sue on her own project Robtos in Disguise doing the production. So then she got involved with IAMX...some vocals on the album and some live performances. This was great for a while. I had a lot of fun, but at some point everybody has their own careers to take care of. I moved to Berlin and became more focussed on getting a solid band together. Tight musicians but liberal and open minded. You won't see her on tour with IAMX

TALive: Did the other touring band members contribute in the writing process for any of these songs?
Corner: No . I am a brutal musical dictator and control freak.

TALive: Can we expect to hear any new or rare IAMX tracks that aren't on Kiss & Swallow or The Alternative?
Corner: There are a couple of songs we play from a soundrack that I did for a French movie. I had to reprogram and develop the tracks into the IAMX style as they were written for a different reason and sound much more traditional on the movie. Depending on the crowd enthusiasm, we sometimes play them. If they scream louder than the band noise then it's a deal. The audience has to work, too.

TALive: When you are writing new material, do you consider current trends in music or how your music will fit in to any "scene"? Do you feel that IAMX is a part of some greater movement or was it created completely independently?
Corner: I have never been involved with fashion. Not consciously anyway. I am a bit of a contemporary music retard, actually. I don't know what's going on and don't really want to . It only distracts me from the confidence in my own music. It's a defence mechanism, really, but it works for me. Saying that, if I stumble upon something I feel is not forced on me and I can appreciate outside the binds of fashion and hype then that's a nice feeling. Sometimes it feels like we do have our own little movement going, but then I switch on the TV and am reminded of the scale of the creative enemy. It's a shock, but we all need something to fight against and keep us busy.

TALive: In the late '70s Bowie and Iggy Pop moved out to then-divided Berlin to "dry out" and write new music. Obviously a lot has changed in the city since then, but it has a renewed reputation as a burgeoning music scene. What did you seek in Berlin and how has it influenced your songwriting?
Corner: I had to get out of London. If I am completely honest, I had to leave my old life behind. Everything was dragging and a confused struggle. Money, work, drugs, sexual relationships. I love that place and my friends. It is deeply a part of me, but Berlin was calling for a long time. I went there to work and escape. It's funny how suffocating an island like the UK can be. I always felt like a bit of an alien over there. Berlin is a beautiful, fucked and cheap city. It's full of freaks and creative nonsense. It gives a lot of input, but you can really breathe there. I dont think it has particularly influenced my writing, but then again, it's difficult to pin point what really does. I am a messy abstract writer. I respond very emotionally and usually to people.

TALive: In a previous interview you mentioned taking risks in the studio and doing things in a way that they aren't necessarily "supposed" to be done. Can you give some examples of your more unconventional recording techniques?
Corner: A great example was a something I learnt from a huge mistake. I had set up a whole room of expensive microphones to record a session. Spent a day recording and realised at the end only one cheap mike left on the floor in the corner of the room had captured the performance. It sounded incredible. In a professional studio that would be unacceptable or unthinkable. I love to work in this way.

TALive: Are there any new artists in the States that you are currently listening to?
Corner: See above.

TALive: Is the concept of being "X" the same as the initial vision you had when you came up with the title "Becoming X" with Sneaker Pimps?
Corner: No. My personal X is much more emotional and real to me. It is my art, love, holy grail. This project belongs to me. It is a statement of disconnecting and growing up. I became X. They didn't.

TALive: Finally, do you think of IAMX as a short-term project? Like a Ziggy Stardust sort of moment where you present what you want to say in this sort of stylized way, and then it's on to something new... or is this a band that you hope will continue to grow and evolve?
Corner: IAMX has taken on a life of its own. It's become an addictive monster. It is hard for me to say if it is a drug that should be kicked or embraced. My gut feeling is positive. Back to roots, hard work and doing something meaningful and creatively playful. As long as I am hungry I predict it will grow. Maybe 'progress' is a better word.

www.myspace.com/iamx : myspace
http://www.iamx.co.uk/ : official site
www.myspace.com/iamxatlanta : atlanta street team

Sea Wolf Interview: Leader of the Pack

Sea Wolf
Sun October 28, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA


TALive had the chance to swap e-mails with Sea Wolf star Alex Brown Church before he emarks on his nation-wide tour supporting his new release "Leaves in the River." With sweet, mesmerizing melodies and heartfelt delivery, Church is able to create a memorable sound that helps Sea Wolf stand out amongst all the "wolf" bands dominating the indie scene. We talked with Church about his growth as a musician, from his days playing bass in the band Irving to the current challenges of being part of the wolf pack.

TALive: Congrats on the new record release this week! For a debut record it’s really impressive how much exposure the band has already enjoyed, especially the track “You’re Wolf.” Of course whenever it seems like a band came out of nowhere, in reality there is usually a long back-story. When did your journey as a songwriter begin? How long did it take before you could make this “debut?”

ABC: I've been writing songs for over 10 years now. Started writing songs just before Irving started, and really cut my teeth writing in that band. Irving was a collective, with everyone writing and contributing songs, so I was always trying to write songs that those guys would like and want to do after the first listen, otherwise it wouldn't see the light of day. Eventually I realized I wasn't really happy with the songs I was writing for that band, as I felt like I was always trying to meet their approval and not my own. So I finally starting thinking about doing something else and allowed myself to write songs that I liked, that felt more like me. I think I wrote the first Sea Wolf song in 2002. I spent the next 4 years developing the band into what it became.

TALive: How is Sea Wolf’s sound and style different than what you pursued with Irving?
ABC: Pretty different. Irving was a real pop band, with a 60's rock tinge, lots of harmonies and hooks,. Sea Wolf is moody, brooding at times, and far more personal. Not 60's at all, it's more contemporary, it's been called chamber pop, because we have a cello, but I hesitate to call it that as it has a real dark side.

TALive:What is it like working with a rotating backing band? Is it hard to re-teach as new people come and go, or have you benefited from the fresh blood and new insight?
ABC:I prefer to not switch people out very much, as every time I do it causes the dynamic of the band to shift dramatically. Not just in a sonic sense, but in an inter-personal band relation sense as well. Right now the band that's been playing with me has been doing so since March, and I hope to keep it fairly consistent until we're done touring this record. Fresh blood can be a great great thing, but isn't always.

TALive:Besides the nuisance of having to answer these kind of questions (sorry…), what is it really like being part of the pack of wolf bands? Has the association been frustrating or beneficial? I could imagine some increased exposure when people stumble across your music and want to check it out because the “wolf” name registers some familiarity. At the same time, that could be a disadvantage when you are trying to build your own identity. What is your take? Does the name really have an impact?
ABC:I really have no idea what kind of impact the name has had. Not sure if there's anyway to measure that. But I did go through some stress when all those Wolf bands were coming out. I did think about all of those things, the negative vs. beneficial aspects (mostly I felt it was probably negative). The name for me is very personal, and I really didn't want to give it up, but I also didn't want to seem like I was latching onto any sort of bandwagon. So it was a struggle. In the end I opted to keep it as I felt like the music would hopefully speak for itself, and that hopefully people would just associate the name with the band, and not really think about it too much.

TALive: At what point did you realize you were one of many wolf bands around—were you aware when you decided on Sea Wolf, or was it something that emerged later?
ABC:Well, I think I was recording some stuff in Seattle with Phil Ek in 2005 when he told me about this new Sub Pop band called Wolf Parade. I think there were a couple of others that had just started coming about too, but I rememeber hearing about Wolf Parade really freaked me out. I was pretty bummed because Sea Wolf became Sea Wolf well before that, in early 2003. At that time I only knew about Wolf Colonel, Wolfie, and that did give me pause for about 2 seconds, I didn't feel it really mattered then as there would only be a couple of us, and it fit with me and the music so well, it was like a light bulb went on.

TAlive: The wolf itself carries so much symbolism and imagery. What is it about the wolf that personally appealed to you—whether you relate more to the animal itself or the Jack London story?
ABC: Well, and this might sound a bit corny, but as a kid the wolf was always my favorite animal. I think I was aware of that symbolism, and imagery even at a young age. That sort of, mythology of the wolf. As an imaginative, only child that lived in the country and played in the woods alone a lot, I identified with the wolf. I always had a strong love of animals, and I think I felt like I connected with them more than a lot of the people around me at the time. I think the thing I always liked about them was how intelligent and beautiful they are, and also felt like I related to how misunderstood they were.. I was always a romantic kid, ha! And as for the Jack London thing, I did like that book a lot and Jack London is one of my favorite authors and is from the SF Bay Area, like me.

TAlive: You’ve lived and traveled all over the world…where would be your dream place to visit? To live?
ABC: I really want to visit Iceland and Japan. Those are next on my list of places to go. As for my dream place to live? Well, on the West Coast for sure, as I have close friends and family from L.A. to Vancouver, and I just feel most at home when I'm here. The one thing I've learned is that there is no perfect place, and I think the most important thing is having a strong group of friends and family near you. As long as you have that, it doesn't matter where you are.

TAlive: I first heard Sea Wolf through satellite radio—where do you go to find new music?
ABC:My local independent record store.

TALive: Who will be joining you on stage for the upcoming tour? Is it a set cast for all dates or a rotating lineup?
ABC: These folks will be joining me: Lisa Fendelander, keyboards. Ted Liscinski, Bass. Aniela Perry, Cello. Byron Reynolds, Drums. Aaron Robinson, Electric Guitar.

http://www.seawolfmusic.com/

Holly Golightly Interview and Podcast!

Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
October 21, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA

We had a chat with the delightful Holly Golightly as she relaxed at home in England with her dogs. This is the first time Holly has enjoyed home life for quite a while, as she has been on the road all over the world for months now. She only has four weeks before she picks up again, this time heading over to US with Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs.

If the name Holly Golightly doesn’t ring a bell right away (besides her namesake, Audrey Hepburn's character in "Breakfast at Tiffany’s"), think White Stripes. Her cameo on the track “It’s True That We Love One Another” was her first big break in the States, even though she had been in the biz for at least 10 years prior. Jack White is one of Holly’s many noted fans, as she gained some notoriety performing with British garage punk group Thee Headcoatees.

With The Brokeoffs she is honing in on her more organic side, with whiskey soaked ballads and moody folk blues. By the way, although the same suggests a larger ensemble, "The Brokeoffs" in this manifestation consists solely of band mate and collaborator Lawyer Dave.

Golightly was so charming and funny that we couldn’t resist putting the interview up in its entirety as a podcast. You can find it on our podcast player on the right side of the page or follow the link below. Just in case you can’t get to some speakers, we’ve transcribed a some of the highlights:

Holly on packing for an extensive international tour:
"I’m employing a different strategy this time because what happens is I bring over more than I need and then buy twice as much as I could ever manage to carry. So this time I am bringing a massive case with hardly anything in it."

Holly on working with Lawyer Dave:
TALive: What’s he like in the studio or on tour. There’s quite a few references to drinking in your bio and the songs. Is it a party every night?
Holly Golightly: "Haha, yeah, a party in our minds every night! We like a lot of the same stuff including stuff that we like to drink, I suppose. I don’t know what other people do when they come up with these collaborations. We had talked about doing this for years, and didn’t really have any idea what it would be like, but we thought it would be quite fun to do. When it came to writing the songs, we did it all in a very short space of time. The album was written and recorded and mixed in four days. So we had limited subject matter at the time!"

TALive: How do you collaborate together? Do you handle the lyrics and he writes music or is it a shared responsibility?
HG: "I’m a bit more picky than he is probably when it comes to lyrics. Then on the other hand, he is much more picky when it comes to the backing tracks than I am because I am not of the same technical ability that he is playing guitar. So we have to strike a happy middle ground where I can play without ruining it!"

Holly on British Americana:
"The stuff I listen to is probably not like the stuff I made at all, so I can’t really say I’m particularly influenced by any one so-called Americana artist or another because I don’t know any of them. I don’t know who the other people are that do this stuff. But, I am sure they are drawn to the same thing that both Dave and myself are... It’s a very familiar format. There is structure to it and it makes things simple from the get go. It isn’t going to be complicated music and how you sort of dress it up and make it individual all depends on what you bring to it. I think probably what I bring to it is being more British. As much as it is probably considered in that genre of Americana, I think it’s very British in a lot of ways."

Holly on taking album title, “You Can’t Buy a Gun When You’re Crying” from a Lord Carrett punch line:
"There was a little acrimony; I have to say. I think he felt like something has been stolen from him in some way. Unfortunately in the land of making records and writings songs, everything is stolen, I’m afraid. And I mean, I took it totally out of context. It wasn’t the punch line to any joke. I think it is a lure, and it is also a very funny punch line when you hear the joke. It actually was the only joke he told that made me laugh."

"Don’t get me wrong. It’s all in very good humor. But there was this misunderstanding whereby he thought one thing and I said. “You know what, I’m a punk rocker and where I come from you can get whatever you want for free!”

"...who gives a shit? It’s just a joke that no one is going to hear on a record that no one is going to fucking buy! So what difference does it make?"

(ED Note: The joke goes, "I learned a lot from my second marriage... I learned they won't sell you a hand gun if you're crying..."- http://www.lordoflaughs.com/)

Holly on record collecting:
"I think my biggest tip would be not to start...because it is an illness."

Holly on Amy Winehouse:
“I think it’s a real shame about her because I really like her. It’s on a much more personal level, I want her to be together! She’s influenced by really good stuff, she likes really good stuff, and she projects that really well. I think she is amazing! But, there is sort of an ugly side to it because she’s suddenly become dramatically successful and she’s having too many of the wrong drugs.”

"She’s ever so young. I didn’t realize how young she was until I read an interview by her, and then I was a bit disappointed, really. Because I wanted her to say something interesting and she just talks about drugs and drinking.”

Listen: Holly GoLightly Podcast!

Interview with Eisley!

Eisley
Sat August 11, 2007
The Loft
Atlanta, GA
Find Tickets!




The DuPree family is back on the road! Sisters Stacy, Sherri and Chauntelle along with brother Weston and cousin Garron make up the mesmerizing Texas quintet Eisley. After a string of successful dates opening up for The Fray, this family band will launch a headlining acoustic tour to support its upcoming release, “Combinations.” On its sophomore record, Eisley teamed up with noted composer and producer Richard Gibbs who seamlessly integrated his background in film scores to create a lush, sweeping record. With dramatic harmonies over layers of guitar, Eisley has created a work of art far beyond their years.

We had a talk with lead vocalist Stacy as she traveled through the deserts of Utah to their next gig. The phone reception wasn’t too great and the line cut out repeatedly, but we eventually got to piece together the amazing story of a tight knit band and a songstress that wrote her first tune at the age of eight!

TALive: What inspired you to do an acoustic tour for this record?
SD: We just wanted to introduce the songs in a way that's stripped down and really honest. It’s been really cool because we've had more of a chance to connect with our fans because the shows have been in such a little setting. There’s more of a human element, I think.

TALive: How does that compare coming from the tour with The Fray where you had more of a chance to gain exposure but maybe not in as intimate a setting?
SD: Well that was really great, too, because it’s always, obviously, really good to play for that many people every night. And, we hadn’t played bigger venues like that since we toured with Coldplay in 2003. It was a little bit nerve wracking of course, but it was really good and their crowd was really welcoming to us. It was a really good tour; a lot of fun! All The Fray guys were totally awesome, really nice. We connected really well with them.

TALive: Some bands struggle in that opening slot. You know, the turnout isn’t always that great earlier in the night…
SD: Haha, yeah. It’s funny; like you said it’s hard to play an opening slot. People are skeptical of you. Especially a band like ours because we walk on stage and we’re like three blonde girls. And I can feel their thoughts: “Oh what is this? Some cheesy girl band, great.” But I think they warm up to us when they figure out we are just trying to be honest. We aren't trying to be sexy or crazy, you know? We are just trying to be ourselves.

TALive: That's an interesting point. It makes me wonder what your experience has been releasing two records on a major label having sort of that indie approach to music. Have you felt that pressure from them to go in a more pop direction?
SD: To be honest I think the label has really embraced our vision of being seen as more of an indie band. I think they are really helping that grow and doing whatever they can to help us along and to keep that, I guess, indie sort of feel. While also, they are trying to get us a bigger appeal to the rest of the industry.

TALive: I was really impressed with how big and lush your new record "Combinations" sounds. I know you had Richard Gibbs on board who has worked on film scores in the past. Is that a direction Eisley would like to work towards?
SD: That’s one of the reasons we worked with Richard because he is a film composer, and that’s just something we’ve looked up to; someone who is just so musically advanced. TALive: Have you been approached by the film industry to use your music in a movie yet? SD: Not yet! It was kind of random how we decided to work with [Gibbs]. He was our manager’s brother-in- law. So we met him that way, and we are such fans of soundtracks and movies and things like that. But I think it would be cool in the future to continue working with a composer. I think it’s a neat idea because they come from such a different place, obviously.

TALive: How was the making of this record different than your first one? I know this time you were able to sort of start from scratch... did that influence or change you approach to songwriting?
SD: Yeah for sure! Because like you said, we started from scratch totally. On the last album we had so many songs we wrote from when we were way young. And this time we got to start over, and we were working with one person where last time we were working with several producers, and I think that got chaotic at times. It was much more focused this time around, and more fun I think.

TALive: Have you noticed the themes changing as you are getting older, as far as what you or writing about or the tone of the songs?
SD: Umm… I think that this record is more…Well, it’s a combination of things. I think that’s where we pulled the title from. There’s a lot of romantic songs about love and obviously some of our more rootsy stuff from our old record, mystical stuff. We tried to keep it as close to home as we could. We pulled from life experiences, from books, from anything that really moves us at the time.

Read on to learn about the new record, what inspired Stacy's first song, and what it was like to interview Stevie Nicks!




TALive: I was especially intrigued by the opening track "Many Funerals." It almost has a Medieval, dirge quality about it...
SD: That one’s a little daunting, a little dark. That’s why we put that track first. I think it’s so dark that people almost won’t be expecting it. It’s a little bit morbid, but I love it. It’s real.

TALive: Did you hear something that inspired that melody or that tone?
SD: I don’t know! I think the song is about this person being held captive at sea and they lose someone while they are at sea. It’s just a really rigid riff. I like that riff a lot. It’s pretty dramatic in my opinion, but we like that. It has sort of a movie soundtrack feel.

TALive: So this has been a big year for Eisley both as a band and personally as well. Your sister Sherri just got married [to Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory] and Chauntelle is engaged [to Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday]. Your manager Boyd was joking on myspace that he is going to be look out for you as the only single DuPree girl…
SD: Yeah I know! He’s so funny. Because both of them met their husbands on tour, and now he is just very cautious of who we tour with. He wants to get all the information. Things have definitely changed, but in a good way. Our family is growing and getting bigger and bigger every day. But it’s really cool because we have the ability to grow closer I think.

TALive: Well with your family growing, especially since your sisters are both marrying musicians, maybe in a few years there will be a second generation of Eisley kids?
SD: I know, that would be amazing! I would love it!

TALive: Well would advice would you give either your kids or others who want to start a band with their siblings?
SD: That’s kind of hard because it was so natural for us because we were already best friends. I think I really it depends on your relationship with your brother or sister or whoever. Even in bands that aren’t related, you have to have a strong connection with them to be able to make it through the long haul. I think it’s just about persistence, not giving up, and really loving what you do.

TALive: What was it that first inspired you and your siblings to first pick up instruments? Do you come from a musical family?
SD: Yeah we were pretty much born into music. My parents were such music freaks. They had just grown up listening to all these great bands and they passed it along to us. That’s all we did, pretty much and we loved it! We lived a little ways out of the city in Tyler, Texas. As a family we just hung out and listened to old records all the time, and we got inspired. It was a part of the family already; and in the genes maybe.

My two older sisters, Chauntelle and Sherri, they started messing around, working on songs with their friends in their room while we were growing up; having fun playing around with music for the first time. That was the first time that anyone in our house had ever experimented with music before. I was really intrigued by it, and I would always go and listen by the door. I was like, “Man that sounds really great! Guys, can I come in?” I always wanted to go in and sing harmony with them. They were like, “No, Stacy. You’re too young. Which makes sense, I mean I was only 8. At the time it just seemed so unfair. I would cry and complain to my mom and she would say “Oh you’ll understand some day,” and I guess that wasn’t good enough for me. Haha!So I went and I wrote my first song and then I showed it Chauntelle, I think, and she liked it, and we started writing music all together. And then shortly after that Weston started playing drums and we wanted him to play for us, so we just started out like that.

TALive: When you wrote that first song, how did you present it? Did you just have some lyrics written down or a melody in your head?
SD: Well, Chauntelle had taught me a few chords on guitar. It was a pretty simplistic song, but definitely carried a lot of emotions that I was feeling then. It was a pretty depressing song, actually. It was about a friend of ours who had attempted suicide. It really affected me in a strong way, and I just remember feeling really sad and it sort of leaked out into a little song. So we built the song up and started playing it and writing more songs after that. I don’t really know, I can’t really explain. It’s this kind of overwhelming feeling that came out into music.

TALive: Wow, that’s amazingly intuitive for an 8-year-old to have that sense of emotion.
SD: Right…It was pretty weird. I think for all of us, everyone has always said, “Your kids are so mature.” I think for me I was never a certain age. It was pretty natural.

TALive: One thing I really liked reading about from your tour with The Fray was that you’re always out there after the shows, talking to fans, taking pictures, signing autographs. Is that something you really enjoy?
SD: Absolutely, it’s a big part of it, yeah. I think we live in a visual world where people need to see…they need to meet and feel and see something real. And that’s why we like talking to people and making them feel like we care about them. We want to connect them with our music anyway we can. We love doing that.

TALive: You also have appearance on Conan coming up soon, right?
SD: Yeah! That’s our first, I guess you’d call it, “television premiere.” And we are huge Conan fans so I am excited to at LEAST shake his hand. I’ve heard that the bands don’t really get a chance to hang out with him, but we’ll at least we’ll get to say “hi.” It’ll be cool. I am pretty excited and horrified at the same time

TALive: With all the harmonies in your music how do you prepare to go on tour? Do you just keep warm being on the road or is there something you have to do every night to get to that place?
SD: We’ve been singing together for so long now that we don’t have to think about it all. Sherri and I just have that, sort of, bonding within our vocals. It’s really weird. It’s like we don’t have to think about it all. It’s just a natural thing. We warm up before shows, but working at harmonies… We do that when we go into write a record or when we’re putting songs together. But other than that, no, we don’t keep up with it or practice. We should probably!

TALive: I wonder if that chemistry has something to do with your being related.
SD: I’m sure it does! It’s some sort of weird connection in our head.
TALive: Or even some similarity in vocal chords?
SD: Totally. I really think so.

TALive: You had the awesome opportunity to interview Stevie Nicks, for Foam Magazine. Are there any other idols that you would love to talk to?
SD: I’m also a very big fan of Bjork or Thom Yorke. Either one of them I think would be pretty cool to interview. Stevie was amazing! I mean, gosh, I cant even…She was so cool. She was so motherly to me.

TALive: Did you get to meet her in person or what it over the phone?
SD: No, it was just phone, but we talked for about 30 minutes. It was just crazy because I’m obviously a huge a super fan of her. So it was really rad. But there are tons of artists that I would like to talk to. I like building relationships with other artists for sure and connecting as many dots in the music world as I can.

TALive: If you had the opportunity to talk to like a Thom Yorke or Bjork, what would you ask them? SD: That’s a really good question. I don’t know to be honest. Anything, really. Bjork just almost seems like she’s on a different planet I would love to know where she draws her inspiration from and how she is able to stay in that always inpsired place.

Eisley’s new record “Combinations” is out August 14th!

http://www.eisley.com/

TALive wins approval of Horrors fans

Not that we are prone to googling oursevles (cough cough), but we were pleased to see two pages of accolades for our interview with Horrors frontman Faris Badwan.

Check out what they had to say in The Horum

Glad you enjoyed it! Next time just link to talive.com instead of copying and pasting in the Horum :) For the rest of you, if you want to browse our other interviews just click "interviews" on the right side of the page under "Browse This Site."

Hey, we are a new blog so we appreciate the exposure!

Tooting our own horn,

talive

Calla Interview

Calla
Aug 05, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
Find Tickets!

http://www.callamusic.com/

When we called Calla front man Aurelio Valle, he was driving over to the label to pick up merchandise for the band’s upcoming tour. They better stock up, as they will be on the road for the next four weeks. The first dates on this tour Calla will be opening for fellow New Yorkers Interpol; followed by a headlining jaunt down the East coast. If you aren’t familiar with Calla, think dark, whispered melodies and, um, “greasy” guitars. If we have to name drop, I’d say Calla combines the lush soundcapes of My Bloody Valentine with the seductive melancholy of Echo and the Bunnymen in a modern framework. In other words: a whole lot of awesome.

TALive: How did you get set up with Interpol? Are they friends of yours from New York or was it set up through the label?
Aurelio Valle: We’ve known those guys for a really long time. We were getting started around the same time they were. We’ve just always been supportive of each other’s bands like most bands…The Walkmen, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. We all just kind of know each other, so that support is always there.

TALive: Well sound-wise that seems like a good fit: you and Interpol.
AV: We’ve definitely done tours with them before and it definitely works.

TALive: Do you prepare differently for a supporting slot than when you headline? For example, do you consider what Interpol fans might respond to best or do you still present yourselves in the same way?
AV:I think for the most part we try to present ourselves in the same way, but because our time is more limited than headlining our show, we do anywhere from 35 to 40 minute sets. So, we have to choose from five records what songs are going to represent us the best. A lot of times we have fans that prefer that we play our earlier stuff, but we always lean toward playing stuff off of "Televise," "Scavengers," "Collisions," and "Strength in Numbers."

TALive: I've read about your interest and experience scoring films, and your music certainly lends itself to that. I thought it was interesting that Carlos D from Interpol had also announced his interest in scoring films. Have you heard anything about that?
AV:I know Jen Lancer from Beggars Banquet was representing him doing that for a while. Yeah, we were aware of that. It’s cool…I think a lot of times it’s the obvious step for certain musicians to go that route. If it’s something they’re interested that is, a lot of people do it… I mean, look at Danny Elfman. Although he broke up Oingo Boingo to do, it’s not unusual at all.

For us, when we did our first record, the intention was to sound cinematic. Our influences were coming from David Lynch, bands like Goblin…just a lot of people doing music that would lend itself to film. We immediately started getting a lot of requests to contribute music to films, and we’ve done it individually and collectively as Calla.

TALive: What kind of films can we hear Calla’s music in?
AV: We scored an indie film called “Satellite.” That was around the time we were doing the record “Collisions.” Let’s see, there’s a German film called “Ego Shooter” that I scored some music for and Calla contributed some music to. “Cinderdrift” is another idie film we did some musicfor…. there’s some music in the "Manchurian Candidate"...

TALive: You've been pretty busy then!
AV: Oh yeah…It’s always just these random indie films that always approach us about using our music. And a lot of time they use three or four songs. There was an Israeli director who used a lot of songs off "Scavengers" ‘cause he said that that record influenced his film. So, it’s interesting to have that come into play. When a director says you inspired his film that’s a huge compliment and very exciting.

TALive: Wow, and that seems different that how it usually happen. Usually when you are asked to score something you watch the film first and then write music inspired by the film.
AV: Every director has a different approach for sure. The stuff that is scored for “Ego Shooter” the director didn't send me the original film footage; he sent me footage from other films that inspired the making of his film.

TALive: Speaking of where inspiration comes from…I know "Collisions" was a reference to the relationships and conflicts you faced during the making of that record. Where did your inspiration come for the latest album, "Strength in Numbers?”
AV: Well, with this one there weren’t as many conflicts going on so we were able to concentrate more on what we actually wanted the record to sound like. Every record for us has been a progression and with this record we wanted to combine everything we’ve ever done. With every record we would make, we had fans saying it was too much of a departure or they were missing some of the more ambient stuff that we used to do. It was one of those things when we are like, 'well let’s just sum everything up.' In the end, the interesting result was that a lot of reviews were describing the record as so. So, we definitely felt very accomplished.

TALive: So they were able to distinguish sounds from all of your records.
AV: Yeah they could hear elements from all of our records there, which was really our goal.

Read the rest of our interview with Calla here!



TALive: Was "Collisions" the first opportunity you had to tour Europe?
AV: No, we had been out there before. We first started touring Europe on our first record, actually. We were on Sub Rosa and the record wasn’t released here so they basically brought us over to Europe first.

TAlive: Oh right, because it was a European label?
AV: Yeah, out of Belgium. So we went over there and basically played France and Italy. For "Scavengers" we kept touring Europe. We definitely concentrated on Europe a lot more. We didn’t really start touring the US until “Televise” which is our third record.

TALive: That’s pretty remarkable for an American band to go abroad first and come back three albums later.
AV: You know, a lot of it had to do with our label and the music we were playing. We had promoters and people a lot more interested in what we were doing over there. We do well in major cities in the US, but when we go to Europe it’s strange because we’re definitely embraced in a much broader sense. You can show up in small towns in Italy and you’re playing packed houses.

TALive: And of course the last two records were out on Beggars Banquet. What changes have you felt working with a larger label? Do you feel like you have more opportunities now or do you feel like you have less freedom because the label has more control?
AV: You know, I think all those things factor in regardless of what label you’re on. If you’re on an indie label you’re still dealing with people you’re still dealing with the industry. For Beggars I would imagine it’s probably a lot easier than being on a major label. I mean, we wouldn’t know that, but honestly if we were on a major we’d have other people dealing with the label instead of dealing with them directly, which is what we would prefer [dealing with them directly, that is].

TALive: I was reading review of the last record to gauge reactions, and one phrase that kept popping up was describing your guitar work as "greasy" or "oily." I have never heard that before! Do you have sense of what that could be a reference too?
AV:(laughing) I'm thinking about it. Greasy and oily? Really, wow. You know, I really don’t know. My inspiration comes from very twangy and ambient atmospheric guitarists. If oily and greasy fit into any of those elements then it makes sense. If you can find a description for Duane Eddy, Bo Diddly, Johnny Marr, and Jimmy Page... I guess if you had describe those guys you could say "greasy and oily. "

TALive: Well, now that we’ve touch on who’s influenced you I have to ask the standard "what are you listening to now? " question.
AV: As far as new stuff, I was recently turned on to Bat For Lashes and I really dig what she’s doing. It really reminds me of like Cat Power meets old school Portisehead. That is right up our alley. I like The Knife. I dig what they are doing, also. I like Justice, the new Boggs record, and I’ve been listening to Interpol’s new record.

TALive: Have you seen any bands that have followed you, Or seen any bands that have cited Calla as an influence?
AV: You know that’s interesting. Whenever we go to Europe there’s always kids emailing us and sending us messages saying we’re a huge influence on them. And we see them and it’s funny to see they definitely have elements of Calla in there. I don’t know. We never intended anything like that. It’s not like it’s going to be some movement or anything at all. It’s interesting to see these kids that dig your music. And whenever there’s a band that says “oh we wrote a slow song the other day and it totally sounds like calla.” Well, basically if you write slow depressing music and you know who we are you are probably going to say we’re an influence.

Tokyo Police Club Interview

Tokyo Police Club
ON TOUR NOW!
Find Tickets for D.C. and Atlanta
http://www.tokyopoliceclub.com
MP3: "Citizens of Tomorrow"

Tokyo Police Club has proven that you can get more than 15 minutes of fame with just 16 minutes of music. These young Canadian rockers have taken their EP “A Lesson in Crime” all around the world. They’ve played Coachella, Letterman, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza is lined up next. After a few stints around the country with Cold War Kids and Art Brut, TPC is finally ready for its first headlining tour in the US. We had a chat with guitarist Josh Hook as the band prepares to invade America.

TALive: Hey Josh! How are you? What are you up to now?
Josh Hook: Hey, not too bad. Right now we just pulled up…. We are doing a Sirius satellite radio session in I think it's called Pendleton, Indiana. And right now the band Dappled Cities is doing one before us so we are just waiting outside. Some of us are reading, unloading equipment.

TALive: Oh, very cool that’s actually how I first heard your music. We have Sirius in the office and your music pops up quite a bit.
JH: Oh, sweet. That's good to know!

TALive: So you’ve got a pretty insane tour coming up. Is this your first headlining tour?
JH: This is our first headlining tour of the States, yeah. So we’re really looking forward to it. We’ve done a couple tours like, a few days with Art Brut, a big tour with Cold War Kids. Although it's great sometimes to support bands, nothing is like headlining your show. You get to (it sounds boring but) connect to YOUR fans instead of being swept off the stage right after you play.

TALive: How do you prepare for a headlining tour differently than an opening slot?
JH: We don’t have that many songs. Normally it would be a question of length, but our opening set is normally, your given half an hour 40 minutes, and our headlining set is somewhere in the range of 45, maybe 50 if we talk a lot.

TALive: I’ve spent a lot of time in Toronto actually, and something that really struck me was that Canada has a government-enforced policy to ensure that a certain percentage of programming on radio and TV is Canadian in origin.
JH: Right, CANCON.

TALive: How do you feel about that policy as a Canadian artist? Do you feel like it helps you gain exposure? Do even notice the regulation in effect?
JH: Yeah, you can definitely notice it. There’s a radio station here called The EDGE, and on their Thursday 30 countdown, if you see it on their Web site, you can see all the Canadian flags. Most of the time, it’s about 30 per cent that you’re supposed to play, and most of the time it’s almost exactly 10 artists on there. Luckily we are one of those most of the time. As a Canadian artist, it’s always great, getting a little extra help. I can totally understand, too, “oh they don’t work as hard” or whatever because they have these Canadian content laws. I don’t know. I think it’s a matter of, and not sounding arrogant, but just making good music. If you make good music it will find its fans regardless of how much the government says to play on the radio.

TALive: Right, well you don’t get played on the radio just because you are Canadian. There are still certain standards you have to achieve.
JH: Yeah, there’s a lot of terrible Canadian music, and just because we have to play 30 per cent we don’t play that!

Click to read the rest of our interview!

TALive: Back to the tour you have lined up, it looks like a lot of hours on the road. You are still young guys, I am sure you get bored easily. What do you do to entertain yourselves when you’re stuck in a van for hours?
JH: When we’re stuck in a van, normally one of us always has to drive. In the States two of us are able to drive. So, one of us is always doing that which can be a little entertaining. The rest of us we all have laptops so you’ll normally see three of us shut off in the back watching TV shows or something. It’s pretty anti-social when we’re in the van. But when we get out at a rest stop or whatever to fill up on gas, we like to try to keep ourselves in tip-top shape. So we have a hackeysack that we normally kick around and that’s about it.

TALive: I saw on your blog that you were planning on bringing some hockey sticks along on this tour. JH: Yeah, I think that blog was premature. We’re still very rusty, and challenging other people to come play us isn’t a great idea at this point.

TALive: Oh, I don’t know about that. In the States anyway you might still have an edge.
JH: Yeah, that’s true. We’ll just intimidate them with our…um…nothing. I don’t know where that was going.

TALive: Ha, your Canadian heritage.
JH: Yeah! Haha, we have hockey on our five-dollar bill that should be good enough.

TALive: You guys have already accomplished so much in terms of festivals, and Letterman…all those landmark events that bands work toward. What do you still hope to accomplish?
JH: I think we just hope to keep up with the pace we’ve set for ourselves. I don’t think anybody is planning to be huge or the biggest band in the world or anything. This is just sort of a step-by-step thing and we’ll take thing things as they are given to us and we’ll work really hard. And whatever comes of our hard work we’ll do. Personally, I hope we get to play Conan because I’ve been a huge fan for so long. That would make my career. I could quit then and be happy.

TALive: As a band coming out of the Myspace generation, how have you utilized those online networks to help promote your music and get it out there?
JH: Well actually, a lot of us were kind of oblivious to the whole Myspace thing when it first started. We just heard the words thrown around at school. Eventually we decided to get one, not really as a joke, but a “let’s just see what this is. Maybe it’ll be fun.” Then it just really took off on its own. I guess we really underestimated at the beginning how powerful that tool could be. It has definitely become our most…and I think for any band that has a Myspace, even though it’s just a user community it’s still a huge market and a huge promotional tool. We get infinitely more hits on our Myspace, and more questions coming through our Myspace than we do through our Web site.

TALive: Are there certain dates you are especially looking forward to this summer?
JH: This summer I’m really looking forward to playing lollapalooza. That should be fun.

TALive: Very cool, any other bands playing Lollapalooza you want to check out?
JH: Um, actually this is kind of weird one, but I was watching TV and I saw this girl, I think she’s called Kid Sister. It’s really cool kind of rap-ish stuff. Anyway, I’m going to go check her out I don’t know how many people are going to come with me. Besides that, I think we are playing before Silverchair. We all grew up with “Frogstomp,” so that might be cool to see.

TALive: Well, you mention growing up with Silverchair and your bio talks about how you grew up, like so many kids, dreaming of one day being in a band. When you were young playing air guitar or whatever, what were you listening to? What inspired you start playing?
JH: We all lived in Newmarket, so whenever there’s a concert it always goes to Toronto. So we’d always have giant fieldtrips together. And our first concert with Radiohead… and that was a really dumb move because every concert was nowhere near as good. But that was really a turning point: August 3, 2001. We just kind of left that we didn’t even talk on the hour drive home. Nobody talked. And the next day we’re just like “alright, let’s do this,” and we formed a band before anybody knew how to play instruments just based on that.

TALive: There was a lot of talk in your early interviews about parents being frustrated that you had to quit school to do the band thing. Now that you are touring the world and playing Letterman, has the disapproval diminished?
JH: Yeah, it was different for everybody’s parents. My parents were always really supportive. I guess the most opposed were Greg’s parents just because he was two years older and he was half-way through University, so he had a little bit more to drop out of. I had just come out of high school. I’m the young one. But it’s interesting, when we played Letterman his parents actually made the drive down one day to see it. So that was a reassurance that they know it’s not a complete waste of time…. that their son is actually doing something.

TALive: Maybe you were finally playing a medium that they were familiar with.
Yeah! We can say things like “we’re playing Coachella” and nothing. But then when you say “Letterman” it’s like “oh yeah, funny man on TV.”

TALive: Well good luck on the tour and we are looking forward to having you back this summer!
JH: Yeah we are looking forward to coming back! We were there with ENON two times before and it was much fun so we are looking forward to it.>