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Interview: Cryptacize

By anikainlondon Monday March 22, 2010

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Interview: Cryptacize

I love Cryptacize! They are great. Listen to their songs (here!). They’re an all round wonderful band; their records are brilliant and they’re great live, go see them when you get the chance. Nedelle answered some questions below…

Photo by John Ringhofer

I saw something like 400 bands last year and you’re one of my most favourites; I love your live show. Did you enjoy touring here?

Wow, that’s rad, thanks. We loved touring there, I want to go there again soon!

What’s your favourite place to play?

The Windmill in London was great, “roof dog” being a big part of that. And in general there are too many places to name really! I love this place called the Echo Curio here in Los Angeles. It’s small and run by really nice people.

What’s been the most fun/rewarding experience you’ve had as Cryptacize?

There are so many, being in a band is a lot of fun, I recommend it to every one! My favorite part has always been writing songs. It’s super difficult and frustrating, but that’s also why it’s the most rewarding.

As well as loving your live show, Mythomania was one of my favourite records from last year. Have you got many new songs? How do they compare to the old ones?

We have a lot of new songs in the works, I think they’re way better than the old ones! Onwards and upwards!

What are some of your plans for 2010?

We’re about to start recording an EP. I hope it’ll come out around the summertime. Then we’ll start working on a full length.

Do you work day jobs back home?

No, but we need them! I’ve been looking for one lately. My goal is simply to find a job where I’m not being paid really badly to help rich people become richer, and sadly, I’m discovering these are pretty hard to find.

How did the three of you meet?

Right now we’re actually a four piece!

I met Chris in 2001 when we worked at a record store together in Berkeley, CA. Then a few years later we re-met at a music festival we were both playing at. I was playing solo at the time. Then I started playing guitar in his band The Curtains, and then we started writing songs together and made up a new band name (Cryptacize.)

I met Aaron (our bassist) in college in San Francisco around 2006, though we didn’t start playing together until last year. We know Corey, our current drummer, through miscellaneous musical circumstances, he’s played in a lot of great bands including Gowns and The Mae Shi. And he also has a rad solo drum project.

That’s the long-winded version!

Do you come from musical backgrounds?

Well, I guess so. Doesn’t everyone though?

Both my parents are musicians and I grew up playing the violin and performing in musicals. Chris started playing the drums at age three! Super baby! And he’s played guitar/drums/bass in bands all his life.

I like your mixes you post on the Cryptacize blog. What are some songs you’ve been digging lately?

Thank you! Chris and I do them together. We’re working on a new one right now. I’ve been loving this harpsichord/tack piano album of Lou Harrison compositions. Something about the timbre cleanses my brain.

As for modern tunes, my favorite band right now is Nodzzz. Their songs are top notch!

I really love your DIY music videos. Do you have fun making them?

YES! imovie is the best- and just the fact that the technology is so easy and comes free with your computer kind of blows me away. I mean, technology doesn’t really thrill me. But this does. I can’t wait to make more, maybe I’ll make one for our EP.

If you could make a music video and have anyone you want, dead or alive, star in it, who would it be and what would you make them do?

Maybe I’d choose to be in a silly “Annie Hall” type scenario opposite Woody Allen.

If you could give your other two band members super powers, what would they be?

If we could all fly I’m sure our live show would markedly improve!

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Interview: Clare and the Reasons

By anikainlondon Monday March 15, 2010

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Interview: Clare and the Reasons

Clare and the Reasons are playing The Allotment at The Luminaire on March 24th- grab yourself a ticket! Clare did a little interview quiz, below. Have a listen to their music on Myspace.

Can you make two sentences that rhyme to describe your band?

Strings and horns, kazoos and drums

Saws and washboards shake your bum!

You’ve toured so much, what are some of your favourite places to play?

LONDON, LONDON, LONDON, KYOTO

What are the best and worst things about touring?

Not being able to take care of “real life” things is nice… But I miss vegetables…

What’s your favourite track to play live and why?

“Our Team Is Grand” I think it’s a journey, each time, for us and the audience.

I love your Moon River/Ice Ice Baby cover with My Brightest Diamond, it’s brilliant. If you could cover any song and have it be even more amazing than the original, what would it be?

Ooh, well, most things we like, are brilliant, so I wouldn’t think we could do better.  Maybe “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot….We could probably do interesting things to that.

Have you got many new songs?

Just the ones on “Arrow” they still feel very fresh to us.

What are your plans for the coming year?

Tour, tour, tour! I would also like to learn to sew better.

What are some records you’ve particularly been enjoying lately?

Lotte Lenya singing Weill, Loney Dear, Wildbirds & Peace Drums…

Best live band you saw last year?

Loney Dear

Clare, if you could give all your band members a super power each, what would they be and why?

Bob, the ability to teleport us, instead of driving long distances.  Olivier, the ability to make cheese with his mind, because we need cheese. Jon, the ability to grow limbs, so he could play cello and snare drum on “you got time”.

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Interview: Caitlin Rose

By anikainlondon Saturday March 13, 2010

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Interview with Caitlin Rose

Hey Caitlin.

Hey Anika!

How did you end up signing with the wonderful Names Records?

I’m a little fuzzy on that (long year), but Billy Campbell emailed me at some point in ‘09 and was eventually redirected to Aaron at Theory8 records, the Nashville indie I’m signed to. Phone calls were made, attorneys were called and papers were signed over my first plate of raw oysters in London a few months later.

Are you a fan of any of the other acts on their roster in particular?

I’ve been listening to the She Keeps Bees record a little and really hope to catch them live soon. I hear Alela has a phenomenal voice so I look forward to hearing her too.

Did you enjoy your England trip? What happened with the prawn?

The trip was fantastic, but the prawn… not so much. I was traveling with a friend and piano player in my band, Skylar Wilson. We were doing a show in Brighton that night and the desk lady at our hotel mentioned a 30% discount for guests at a restaurant across the street. It was raining and we only had an hour before soundcheck so we went for it. It was a lovely place and I wouldn’t want to tarnish their reputation so I’ll just give them the benefit of the doubt and say that that’s the last time I ever order anything with prawns. It was a lovely dinner, but the next day I felt worse than ever before, especially on the hour long train ride back into London. I missed my instore at Pure Groove. It was a bummer.

How did you find The Allotment?

I thought the Allotment found me? Like I said…long year. Everything is a little hazy. I love it though.

What are some key differences between English people and people from Nashville?

English people, or at least everyone I met that week, had such brilliant senses of humor. Not to imply my fellow Nashvillians are missing a funny bone, but the jokes were more my style. It’s just different is all.

To compensate, I will say that Nashville parties a little harder. I’m a sucker for a good last call at 3:00am… then a gas station beer-run for a party that never seems to end.

Are there any things you particularly want to do/see on your next visit?

I was sad to have missed the Beatles to Bowie exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery this time around and I hear it closes this month. I’m sure there will be something going on when I visit, but I’m a horrible tourist. You’ll have to keep me posted on what’s happening!

When did you record the Dead Flowers EP? Are you happy with how it turned out?

It was almost three years ago. Another record had been in the works before that and it never really made it to completion. It was pretty disheartening to spend so much time on something that never quite worked out. Dead Flowers took only three days and yes, I’m very happy with the way it turned out. For where I was in my life then it’s a perfect representation of what I was doing and the whole experience was very reviving.

How do you feel about recording your full length? Do you know how you want it to sound?

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about doing anything. We’ve got another two weeks before tracking, but we’ve been working up the old songs and the new ones in the practice space trying to piece them together sound wise. I think it’s going to make a lot of sense and I’m thrilled to be working with Mark Nevers at Beechhouse. He’s made some brilliant records and I’m a big fan of his. He also likes The Replacements so that’s a good sign.

Who are your favourite Tennessee bands? Do you have any tips?

The music scene here is really incredible. It’s so innovative. New people are showing up every day and adding to the mix of things and the musicians are the cream of the crop. You can’t do much better really. Some of my favorite writers in town or from town are Patty LeMay(Spiritual Family Reunion), Justin Townes Earle, Tristen and a guy I met recently named Rayland Baxter. He sings like Jackson Browne and is extremely tall. That’s a pretty good combination if you ask me. My roommates play in a band called And the Relatives that I’m very fond of and my bass player, Jordan Caress, plays in a band called Korean is Asian. They sound a little like The Band writing songs for Linda Ronstadt. There’s also the whole Infinity Cat(local label) scene for all the kids that like to rock out which I try to do from time to time. Especially for an almost-all-girl punk band named Heavy Cream. This new “Nashville sound” is incredibly diverse.

What’s an average day like for you in Nashville?

Thanks to the London trip, I wake up to tea with milk and sugar then at night I usually end up at a show/bar/both. The in-between changes daily. It really isn’t much worth talking about, but I have been doing a lot of these interviews lately. I need a computer desk. The amount of time I’ve been spending on the internet makes me feel bed-ridden.

Are there any albums coming out this year that you’re especially excited for?

Deer Tick is working on something here in town this month and their last record is one of my favorites so I’m sure that will be amazing. My friend, Jonny Corndawg, is recording his album here now as well and he’s gonna let me sing on it! Phosphorescent, another one of my favorites, is putting something out soon too. I’m not big on new music, but I’ll probably be buying a lot of records when spring rolls around. Hopefully everyone else will do the same. The UK is a lot better about that than the US though so I’ll keep my little lecture to myself.

I know you love Julie Doiron. Me too. What’s your favourite of her songs?

The first one I ever heard was “Dark Horse” and I completely fell for it. Most of my favorites are on “Woke Myself Up”. Songs like “Wrong Guy”, “No More” and “Me and My Friend” are hard hitting without being overly emotional or bitter sounding. “Wrong Guy” is an especially unique idea that comes from a strange place in the female mind, one of which I have been identifying heavily with these past few months. It’s devilish, but it’s honest as well.

What’s your favourite type of pudding? Mine is apple crumble with custard.

Pudding’s a little different over here in the states than where you are. I can’t say I’m much of a fan, though I’m not real big on sweets. The only kind of pudding I’ve ever eaten is the kind that Bill Cosby sells. I’ll just go with vanilla JELL-O pudding.

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Interview: Holly Miranda

By anikainlondon Wednesday February 24, 2010

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Interview originally published on The Line of Best Fit. The one posted there is not the full thing (I guess the full version is a wee bit long) and it’s all edited and chopped up. Here is the full, unedited interview, where we talk about comics, The Antlers, New York, Scary Mansion, collaboration and lots more.

Interview: Holly Miranda


I met Holly on a sunny Saturday in Camden before her set at the Barfly. We took a walk up to the Roundhouse and had a chat over a drink. She was a pleasure to talk to and thoroughly lovely. I can’t recommend her music enough, listen here.

I really really love your album.

H: Thank you.

Absolutely brilliant! I love it.

H: Thank you!

Did it turn out how you wanted it to sound?

H: Yeah. Well, I didn’t have that much of an idea of how I wanted it to sound really, Y’know, kind if just…. going along. But I love it.

Who did you work with making the album?

H: Dave Sitek, from TV on The Radio produced it.

How did you end up working with him?

H: He’s been an old friend of mine for a long time. It was just something that we talked about, trying to get our schedules to overlap so we both, y’know… had a month off together. Then we ended up working from like December 19th to January 19th, not this year, but… over Christmas. When no one was doing anything.

Do you have a favourite track on the album?

H: Errrm, I think it changes alot. Right now I think my favourite might be ‘Sweet Dreams’ because we haven’t really been playing it live (laughs).

Do you enjoy playing songs live? Do you change them around a bit?

H: Yeah, we change it alot. We just did a show in New York where we had a seven piece band. At one point we had thirteen people on stage, that’s not something I can do on a tour. I can’t bring that many people, I can’t afford to bring that many people out. So now we’re touring as a four piece. Y’know, we kind of lose horns and strings but then you kind of try to make it up, everyone’s playing and singing and doing as much as they can at one time.

Do you enjoy touring?

H: Yeah, I mean… ‘enjoy’. I do like it, it’s really fucking hard. It’s definately not a vacation, but it can be fun.

You went on that giant tour with The Antlers?

H: Yeah, we did an East Coast thing. We’re talking about coming back to Europe together too. We want to tour together again, we’re like ‘what haven’t we done?’…

I’d LOVE to see you tour together. One of my favourite bits on their album is the bits that Sharon Van Etten sings, would you ever do the bits she does, live?

H: Yeah.

Have you done that?

H: Mmhmm.

I would actually…

H: [starts singing The Antlers' song 'Thirteen' (I do a big swoon)]

I would DIE to hear you do those bits.

H: (laughs).

I think that album is just so incredible. But…. that’s The Antlers.

H: (laughs)

How did you end up signing with XL?

H: I don’t really know. I was in negotiations with a couple of different labels, and it was taking really fucking long. It was getting really draining, and then XL came out of nowhere. I mean, Sitek, y’know, TV on the Radio is on Beggars, and I have alot of friends with Beggars. But I didn’t really know XL, except for like Elvis Perkins. But they kind of swooped in with the perfect equation and it just made sense.

Had you been to London before you came last year? Because you played that show at the Boogaloo club.

H: Yeah, I did something at Boogaloo in May, then I was back here on the 4th of July for an XL showcase. And then, I toured with the XX and played a show at The Social, just me and Timmy. So this is my 4th time to London, but no, I hadn’t been here before.

How do you like London?

H: I like it alot.

How does it compare to New York?

H: I mean, I haven’t had a ton of time to really explore the city on my own. I have friends here that take me around, to the whatever….

Would you ever consider living in another city besides New York?

H: Yeah. I think about it all the time. I mean, I’ve been in NY for 12 years now. But I’m kind of ready for a change, but I don’t know where. It’s hard, it’s hard to live somewhere else after being in NY for so long. But definately it would have to be a city. But I like the ocean alot.

Where did you live before you lived in NY?

H: Detroit. And I was in Nashville. I grew up between Detroit and Nashville. I moved to New York when I was 16.

Why did you move to NY?

H: My old sister lived there at the time. And I’d gone to visit her over the summer when I was 15, going on 16. I played an open mic night at this bar in the East Village. I just knew that it was what I wanted to do…

Do you have any favourite New York bands… besides The Antlers?

H: (laughs)

I’m a really giant fan of alot of Brooklyn bands. I love Scary Mansion, She Keeps Bees…

H: I don’t know them…. TV on the Radio. Y’know, my friends’ bands. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Scott Matthew, Kevin Devine, Abandoned Lighthouse… Pink Noise.

I’m actually a Scott Matthew fan as well. That’s how I came across some of your music… like a year ago, I saw your cover of Between The Bars together.

H: I toured in Europe with Scotty. We didn’t go to London, but Germany….

I saw him play when he came here. Have you been asked to sing on many albums, besides your own?

H: I sing on Scott’s. Both of his albums actually. Yeah. I can’t remember right now though… Kevin Devine. A band called Murder Baby. Like a stoner death metal band, I did some screeching. I don’t know, I used to sing on alot of records all the time, but maybe I haven’t been in one place for very long. So I haven’t done stuff recently, I’m having a hard time remembering what I did. I sing back up for alot of people, like Dirty on Purpose, TV on the Radio, live.

If you could sing with anyone, who would it be?

H: Leonard Cohen

Really? I want to see him.

H: I saw him at Coachella last year.

How was it?

H: Unbelievable! I cried the entire time. Like a life changing experience.

So, you’ve been getting alot of, very well deserved, attention lately. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had happen to you since all this started?

H: What started it all, what’s the weirdest thing to me, was the Kanye blog. I don’t know him, and I don’t really knew his music. A friend of mine wrote me and was like ‘How’d you do it?!’ and I hadn’t even seen it yet, I was like ‘What are you talking about? Did you meet him?’ and he was like angry at me that I hadn’t told him, this huge Kanye fan. I was like ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’, he’s like ‘you’re on Kanye’s blog. This is gonna be huge’. I was like ‘Ok. That’s weird’. Since then, every interview is like ‘how’d you meet Kanye?’.

Have you met him since?

H: No. He was at a TV on the Radio show I went to, but Dave was like, ‘Nah, I don’t think you want to meet him’. He didn’t want to introduce me, it was like, alright, whatever. I don’t really care…

I really like your Black Cab Session. How was that?

H: That was really really fun.

Would you like to do more stuff like that?

H: Yeah! We’ve done quite a bit. We just did something for Fader TV, we did a take away show with Vincent Moon. Something with a San Francisco blog, called Yours Truly. We’re doing some stuff while we’re here, some stuff in Paris… Canal Plus in Paris. With a full band. Trying to do stuff with a full band now, cos we’ve done alot of the duo/solo, y’know.

Do you get nervous before you play?

H: Erm… the only reason I get nervous before I play is if I’m not feeling great, y’know what I mean? If I’m feeling sick and I’m like ‘ohhh, I’m not gonna be able to sing’. But, I don’t really get nervous anymore. I don’t know… no (laughs). I did. I used to get horrible… when I started in New York, I used to get horrible stage fright. Like if I broke a sting, I was just like ‘ahhhhhhhhh’ (laughs), what’ do you do? Y’know.

How did the crowd react to that?

H: I don’t know… I mean, it’s always different. I’ve played some really really really bad shows. But I think you have to do that if you’re gonna be a performer. I’ve been talked over, played to like two people in a room in… Boston. Yeah….

I really like the ‘Forest Green’ 7″. I like the artwork on it, I think it’s really beautiful… who did that?

H: This artist, a really good friend of mine in New York, David Hochbaum. Who I actually stole this tattoo from, he has a little tiny black heart (shows a tattoo on her neck of a black heart). He’s one of my really good friends, and I stared at his little black heart forever… his is much smaller. I was like ‘can I steal that?’, so I stole it. And now whenever he comes to my shows he’s really self conscious about people thinking that he took it from me. And we’ve actually been talking about getting little temporary tattoos to give out at shows (laughs)… which I’m sure he would love. But he’s actually doing the artwork on the record too. He and I worked on a painting. You should look at his website, it’s davidhochbaum.com. He does like, alot of stuff, he did a series for a while… he takes photographs of girls, mostly topless or naked (I wasn’t), and he puts the photograph onto the canvas, he transfers it onto the canvas, and he paints a really magical, y’know, sometimes the girls are riding dolphins or, crazy oceans, y’know. Just really trippy. So, he took a photograph of me holding this cathedral he built, and I’m wearing this long dress, it’s really stoic, and we put it into a canvas. And he painted me in this gold leaf forrest where I’m taller than all the trees. So that’s originally what I thought might be the cover of the record, but I instead made it so that there’ll be a fold out poster of the artwork. And we also used his other artwork for the cover.

Do you do much of your own painting and stuff like that?

H: Yeah. I draw. I’m working on a graphic novel…

Oh! Really?

H: Yeah.

I love that stuff!

H: Me too. I’m obsessed with Jeffrey Brown… and I found this new one recently called ‘Three Storey Man’, have you read that one?

No…

H: I can’t remember who wrote it but it’s about this guy that grows to be three storeys tall. And it’s told in a few different chapters, it’s told from the viewpoint of his mother, his wife and his daughter. It’s like 3 different stories. It’s really really sad… but it’s really beautiful. So check it out.

The sad things always the most beautiful.

H: Y’know. I can’t really get into the super heroes, that’s why I love the real life stories.

My favourite is Leah Hayes, who’s the singer from Scary Mansion…

H: Leah Hayes? Oh I know her…

Yeah. I’m a massive fan…

H: Oh cool. I don’t know Scary Mansion. I just know her through Kyp Malone, I actually only know her artwork….

Her music is amazing.

H: Yeah?

I love it. I promote shows as well… she’s playing at our next show. I’m so excited.

H: That’s awesome!

I’m such a giant fan, that I went to Paris to see them because they didn’t play in London. I love her artwork too, her stories are so sad… if you’ve read her book….

H: Yeah, I did. Actually, that’s weird! Somehow I knew her name and then I was hanging out with Kyp Malone and he gave me a flyer for a show that she had coming up, and I couldn’t make it. But I went to the Brooklyn public library a few weeks later and ended up checking out one of her books, but I didn’t realise it was her until I got home. I was looking at the ‘thank yous’ and it said ‘Kyp Malone’ and I was like, wait, Leah Hayes… I like, put everything together. And then I went on her website, and was looking through quickly… but yeah, I’ll have to check out Scary Mansion. It’s strange when, y’know, the stars align and you’re meant to know about somebody, you do. Whether you’re pro-active or not.

Do you read your own reviews or do you stay away?

H: Yeah, I mean, it’s kind of inevitable. You just learn to not… to not let it affect what I do after that (laughs). Y’know what I mean? Cos…

Yeah, it’s just somebody’s opinion.

H: Yeah. And alot of people just have shit in their ears. (laughs). People just want to compare you to anyone… that has a vagina. Basically. Like, I’ve been compared from everything from, Joni Mitchell, to Juliana Hatfield. Y’know. I get the Feist and Cat Power thing all the time…. that’s the part of the reviews thing, like, somebody refereed to me as ‘the Ellie Goulding from Williamsburg’

That makes NO sense to me.

H: No! I’m just like, y’know what, it’s laughable. You just have to laugh at it now.

There’s so much of that just cos they’re girls, just being compared…

H: Always. C’mon… it’s like ‘I don’t need another…. chick’, how many rock reviews all look identical? Y’know…

Have you got many new songs ready?

H: I do, I have quite a few new songs. I haven’t had alot of time to teach them to the band, or to figure out full band arrangements. We’ve worked about 2 into our set, I don’t know if we’ll play them today. But I’m trying to find the time right now, to work out and stuff. I just kind of got a little portable… I actually plan on doing that today, I’m just gonna go back to the hotel, work on a little XX cover. I got a little portable studio, like the M-Box minis, have you seen those?

No.

H: You can plug a microphone into a computer… yeah, I love recording.

What instruments do you play besides guitar?

H: Piano, piano was my first instrument. The guitar. I can play some trumpet… y’know, anything piano related.

I literally just remembered, when I first found your music, I found… I’ve forgotten the name. There used to be that video website, that recorded stuff in Amsterdam….

H: Mhhmm.

I’ve forgotten what it’s called.

H: Yeah… it closed down.

Yeah, that’s the one.

H: That’s from the tour with Scott Matthew.

You played ‘Hallelujah’…

H: No, I played…

Well, that’s what it was labelled as…

H: Yeah, it’s not THE ‘Hallelujah’…

No, no, your own original song.

H: Yeah, yeah!

Your voice is absolutely incredible on that song.

H: Oh, thank you!

Absolutely amazing. Your voice just blew me away, that’s one of the first things of yours that I heard.

H: I forgot about that song.

I love it. It’s amazing.

H: I should try to record that (laughs). Maybe I’ll try to record it, and then I’ll send it to you. And you could post it with this…

That would be amazing. Special. That’s it! What are your plans for the coming year?

H: Lots of touring I hope. Maybe a new record at the end.

That’s all my questions. Thank you so much!

H: No, thank you!

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Interview: Andrew Vincent

By anikainlondon Monday January 25, 2010

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Andrew Vincent

I very much enjoyed catching a bit of Andrew Vincent’s set at Shh! He has a new album out via the very wonderful Kelp Records soon, you can hear his songs here. Make sure you catch him next time he’s over…

Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your sound?

An old room with fake wood panels,

A television with two fuzzy channels.

How long have you been playing music? Do you remember your first song?

If you include the recorder, I’ve been playing music for about 30 years. I started playing guitar and singing when I was fourteen after going to church camp and I probably wrote a bunch of songs based loosely on Tragically Hip numbers shortly after that. The first song that I wrote that I still remember is called “Brown bike” and is about a bike of mine that got stolen. I wrote that 14 years ago.

Your new album ‘Rotten Pear’ is out in just a couple of weeks, did it turn out how you wanted it to sound?

Yes, I’m really quite happy with it. I wanted it to sound a bit fragile, homemade, and loose around the edges. Jar Bartlett did a great job piecing all the bits and pieces together to make that happen.

What is your favourite song to play live?

It always depends on the show. We haven’t played it live yet but the Jesus and Mary Chain’s “The Hardest Walk” has been my favourite to play lately. I love playing covers even when I don’t remember all the words.

Your song about Jay Reatard is wonderful. How long did it take you to come up with that?

Thank you. That was one of those songs that happens in what seems like a few minutes. Jay was a new discovery for me last year and something about his songs just hit the right spot at the right moment. I was sitting with a ukulele and fooling around with the chorus to his song “There’s no sun” and the words to the verses fell into place. It’s been sad playing it since he passed away.

What have you been listening to lately?

Jay Reatard “Blood Visions”, The Banditas, and the radio.

What’s your favourite format to buy music? How do you feel about people downloading music for free?

My favourite format to listen to music is either in the car on cd or on vinyl, sitting at my folks’ cottage, drinking wine by the fire. Most of the records at the cottage are my brothers’. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to actually buying music. I usually just download mp3s from iTunes.

I don’t mind people downloading music for free as long as they do something to support the artists they like: come out to show, buy a t-shirt, give an album as a gift, etc. Musicians do need to make some money.

What are some goals for 2010?

I would like to read more and write more. To run a marathon and learn how to bake bread. And maybe to sell a few thousand copies of Rotten Pear wouldn’t be bad. It would help my credit card.

What’s your favourite type of cake? I like sponge cake.

This cake called Gateau Bretagne (I think that’s what it’s called) from a little bakery in Ottawa called the Three Tarts is one of my favourite foods, especially for breakfast. My old roommate Liz (from the Ottawa band The Banditas) used to work at the Tarts and would bring them home for me. So good.

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Interview: Bradley Banks (Scary Mansion)

By anikainlondon Friday January 22, 2010

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Bradley Banks

Photo by Vinciane Verguethen.

It’s no secret that I love Leah’s work; I think she’s great. But I also have lots of love for the epically wonderful parts the other band members, Ben, Vanessa and Brad, contribute to Scary Mansion’s sound and live show. Ben is an incredible drummer, his parts on the new Scary Mansion album are excellent. Vanessa has an amazing voice and her harmonies are perfect. Brad is a brilliant bassist and so fun to watch live. Scary Mansion are brilliant in every way.

They’ve got some London shows in late February/early March and I suggest you go to ALL OF THEM. Here are the dates:

28th February: The Allotment (!!!) at The Slaughtered Lamb

1st March: 1.15pm at Pure Groove

1st March: The Old Blue Last

2nd March: The Black Heart

Come along! You can get tickets for our Allotment show here. I can’t wait.

Brad has a new Twitter (@bradleybanks) and invites you to follow him and keep up to date with his thoughts and Scary Mansion-centric news. Brad kindly answered some questions:

Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe how Scary Mansion sound?

Wow, I love how you have approached this question….However, can I give you instead a Haiku?

A girl is sighing
The monster shudders
the city is in ruins

How did you end up playing bass in Scary Mansion?

Ben and Leah are good friends of mine.  We met when we were playing in another NYC band called La Laque.

Do you play/have you played in any other bands?

I’ve played in many bands.  Possibly one of the wildest was a Misfits cover band, where I played guitar and sang.  Mostly I’ve played drums and bass guitar in bands.  Right now, I’m enjoying playing in only one band…. At the peak, I was playing in 3 bands at once which is demanding.

The bass part in One Percent is brilliant. What’s your favourite Scary Mansion song to play?

Thank you. There is a good deal of rhythmic interplay that Ben and I have designed into that song.  We are as one; without Ben there is no Brad, without Brad there is no Ben.  It makes intimacy awkward. My favorite SM song to play live is Unwise.  I use a pedal that I built which sounds like a nightmare.  Unwise is tense and relentless and then ends with this heavy and oppressive outro.  It may not sound fun in print, but its a blast.

How was the tour in France last year?

Our tour in France was great.  All the shows we played were great and meeting our fans was really special.  Our tour manager, Siegfried really took good care of us.  He made sure most of our American vulgarity and aggression didn’t spill out of the tour van. I’m really interested in class and politics so I was really clued into these things when I was in France this last time.  We had this crazy situation where we were flying out of Corsica early in the morning before having to play in Bourges.  We were late and almost missed our flight.  People were cutting in line to get through security and I was amazed that no one was complaining.  That made me think about how the French may view the good of the collective versus the good of the individual and how that can be different in the US.  Subtle, but interesting.

What are some tour highlights?

1) Watching and then meeting Jim White (drummer from the Dirty Three) from the wings while he played with Will Oldham.  Jim is an incredible drummer who is so fluid and instinctual.  He took off his blazer in the middle of a song without missing a beat!  Check him out live.

2) We reached an unsustainable level of madness and delirium while on tour, one of the most crazy days was when our tour manager took us to his grandparents’ house.  They were really sweet to us and we spent the day eating and relaxing and drinking heavily and going crazy into the night.  Actually every night after the shows was complete craziness.

What’s your favourite place to play in New York?

I really don’t like playing much in clubs and bars.  It feels really predictable.  I prefer playing house parties or anyplace impromptu. Recently we played a party at Ben’s house and people were going crazy, dancing and yelling one foot away
from us.  Party shows are the best.  There should be no boundaries between myself and the audience.  No stages.  The very real possibility that an audience member can stab you at any moment adds a thrill.

Are you excited to play in London in February?

It was a surprise that we are going to be in London.  I’m excited to meet Londoners and go wild with them.  I’m thinking American Werewolf in London.

We’ve booked Scary Mansion to play at The Allotment, which is a night I run with my friend Lynn. We plan to feed you lots of cake and treats.

Ben is going to love that.  He will eat all of your cakes and treats.

Do you have a favourite type of cake?

I’m not much of a sweets person, but the most important cake element for me is sprinkles.  I need that texture.

Leah completely amazes me with how much brilliant stuff she draws and how great her voice is. If you could hear her duet with anyone ever, who would it be and why?

Leah is a true artist right down to the way she views and interacts with her world.  I really enjoy being in a band with her and being her friend.  As far as duets go, I like how Leah and her sister Vanessa complement each other vocally.  Really, there is nothing better than female harmonies.

What’s some stuff you’ve been listening to lately?

I’ve been producing records for two artists and their stuff is about all I listen to in the course of recording, editing and mixing They are Kelli Scarr and Rafe Stepto.  Kelli has been touring with Moby recently and Rafe plays in another band I’ve worked with called Borrowed Eyes.  They are different from each other stylistically, but each has a powerful voice, sincerity and great songs. Outside of that stuff I’ve been really focused on live, late 70’s, Iggy Pop backed by Hunt and Tony Sales, and Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden.

Thanks Anika!

A huge thanks to Brad, come see him play next month and follow his Twitter. I can’t wait to see them play again! Scary Mansion Myspace.

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Interview: Lissie

By anikainlondon Thursday January 14, 2010

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Interview: Lissie

Interview: Lissie

Lissie is a talented lady from California who recently released her debut EP via Fat Possum. She has an incredible voice and I can’t wait to hear more from her. Have a listen on Myspace. She played a few shows here last year and looks set to return soon; make sure you come catch her live! You can have a look at some questions she kindly answered here:

Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your sound?

Hmm… How about: Stomping my feet, edgy yet sweet.

I very much enjoy your EP, when and where did you record it? How was the recording process?

Thank you.  It was recorded in my apt. at the time in the Beachwood Canyon area of Hollywood, California, then a bit in Asheville, North Carolina, &  then at my new home in Ojai, California ( this was in chunks over the course of a year or so). It started with “Wedding Bells” just as a fun sort of experiment but because that song turned out so cool, Bill Reynolds, the producer and i just tried to meet up whenever we could to do more recording.  our style together is very natural , spontaneous and initially stripped down but would build and texturize a bit as we felt it.   After getting together 3 or 4 times (for a week at a time) we had a nice body of work… some of those songs became the EP!

How did you end up releasing via Fat Possum?

After the EP was finished, about August of ‘09,  someone i’d worked with who knew Matthew Johnson at Fat Possum sent him the tracks… He listened and liked it.  We then spoke on the phone and within a few weeks of that conversation I was putting together the art and mastering the songs to send to them for a November ‘09 release.  It was very natural and smooth, just like the recording process.

Have you got many new songs? Are you working on a record?

Yes… I have a lot of old songs too!  Lots of material gathered over the years!  Also, I have done quite a bit of recording and, fingers crossed, I will be putting out a full length of more songs I’ve done with Bill Reynolds in late March.

How long have you been playing music? Do you remember your first song? What was it about?

I have been singing for as long as I can recall. I have always found it soothing and have always had melodies in my head.  It wasn’t until high school that I taught myself guitar and began really writing songs… but my first song?  It’s funny, I think that when I was little I had this tape recorder and I remember being mad at my family for something… like I was the youngest and thought they were teasing me so I sang like an entire tape’s length of  ” go away, leave me alone, go away, I don’t wanna talk to you”… haha, that kind of stuff. I sort of put into sing song whatever it was that I was upset about and then set the tape recorder in front of my shut door, turned up the volume and pressed play to keep them out! I was probably sitting on the other side of the door hoping to get a reaction!

I also found some papers with lyrics on them in some boxes at my parents’ house a few years ago that must have been from when i was 7 or so. I was always writing and using melody to make myself feel better or to express myself. High school was the awkward angsty time though when I NEEDED to write songs so I wouldn’t go crazy!  Haha.

Your voice is amazing. Do you have a musical family/background?

Thank you.  Yes, my grandfather was an international barbershop quartet champion and my grandmother has a lovely voice and sang in church… pretty much everyone in my family though on both sides can sing pretty well. Aside from my grandfather though, I’m the only one to pursue it as a career. But my mom sang me to sleep and we’d go see my grandpa in musicals and my brother could play the piano pretty well by ear… so I was around music growing up.

Did you enjoy your trip to London? How were the shows?

Yes , very much.  It was probably like my 5th time there and this was my best trip so far. I stayed at the Hoxton Hotel which was great and that neighborhood is cool. I love Vietnamese food and found this great spot, Caytre that i ate at almost daily!  The shows went even better than I’d hoped.  The support and response was great. We got to be on BBC 4 which was a trip!  All very positive!

Also, my band and I went to Leicester Square and there was a winter festival happening so we rode the bumper cars.  That was pretty funny. I also got to catch a cool photo exhibit at the Portrait Gallery… photos of the British musicians of the 60’s. Very cool.

Have you played many live shows? What’s been your favourite show so far?

Yes… I’m not good at favorites questions : )  They’re all good.  The best usually happen when and where I least expect it!

What are some records you’ve been listening to recently?

I don’t listen to much new music… sorry to say. I want to get better at that.  I like to listen to the Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Bobbie Gentry, Bob Dylan… or whatever my ipod decides I need to hear when it shuffles.

What are some goals for 2010?

Stay healthy.  Work hard.  Have fun!  Sell lots of records.  Play lots of cool shows.  Maybe buy a house in Iowa.  Meet a hot guy.  : )

You list ‘pie’ as one of your influences. What is your favourite type of pie? I like apple pie best.

I moved to Ojai, CA. in June.  There’s a blackberry bush in my front yard that at that time was going off… blackberries everywhere! So I’d get some fresh strawberries and raspberries and mix those with blackberries to make a berry pie.  Delish! I’ve also tried peach, nectarine (which was kinda weird) and cherry.. but the berry combo is my best one.

Make sure you have a listen! Here is her Myspace.

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Interview: Matthew and the Arrogant Sea

By anikainlondon Tuesday December 29, 2009

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Matthew and the Arrogant Sea

Matthew and The Arrogant sea are a band from Denton, Texas. I came across their music a few weeks ago and really loved Pretty Purple Top Hat in particular. You can hear that songs and some more lovely ones on their Myspace. Matthew kindly answered a few questions:

A ‘challenge’! Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your band?

Energy-Synergy

The artwork for your record “Family, Family, Family Meets the Magic Christia“ is beautiful. Who designed it? Do you think in the age of music downloads that artwork is still important? 

My Good friend Sarah Wilson, she used to be a background singer in the early days of Matas. I Believe there is always a market for art, and album art especially, I don’t feel that everything being digital will pull away from that too much.

How did ‘the Arrogant Sea’ come about? 

Well, the Arrogant Sea started as a friends and family project, being my brother, myself,and my nephew, but we slowly evolved into something else. The current line up is still friends and family. I met David and Jonathan through a good friend of mine, Tony Ferarro, (of Eaton Lake Tonics) he also produced the Magic Christian record.

Have you played many shows?  Do you have a favourite venue to play?

We have played a ridiculous amount of shows, both local and otherwise. Favorite venue in Denton is certainly Dan’s Silverleaf, on the road so far: Chop Suey In Seattle.

What was the last record you bought?

Ryan Thomas Beckers “Neighborhoof”

What was the last band you saw that really blew you away?

Dharma

Can you give any tips on your favourite Texas bands that we might not know about yet?

You should check out This Old House. They are pretty goddamn stellar.

What are some goals for the band in 2010?

We are currently putting the finishing touches on our new record “You Can’t Tame a Wild Rabbit” which will be released this coming year and prepping a tour as well.

Photograph by Melanie Gomez. Now go visit Matthew and the Arrogant Sea here.

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Interview: Glass Ghost

By anikainlondon Friday December 4, 2009

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Glass Ghost

Glass Ghost is Eliot Krimsky and Mike Johnson, from Brooklyn. They play really beautiful music. It’s dreamy and warm, and Eliot has a wonderful voice that really hooks you in. They have an album out this year called Idol Omen, I’ve ordered my copy. Pay a visit to Western Vinyl to buy the record and go here to listen to Glass Ghost. Brilliant. Eliot kindly answered some questions:

A ‘challenge’! Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your band?

Its got keyboards, and drums like swords. The stars shimmer down, with the low rumble of the ground.

Your debut album ‘Idol Omen’ was recently released via Western Vinyl- congratulations! When and where did you record the album? Are you happy with how it turned out?

We recorded it last year in our friend/ producer Tyler Woods house in Forte Green, Brooklyn. It was an old beautiful house with tall ceilings and old wood.   I am really happy with how it turned out.  We worked really hard on it, and I feel like its complete with out feeling over done.  I think we really made the songs speak.  It took about a year from start to finish. I think next time we probably wont take so long.

Do you have a favourite track from on the record? And do you have a favourite track to play live?

I like ‘Time Saving Trick’.  For a while that was the track on the record that was the least developed.  We didn’t know what to do with it and it didn’t quite have a voice.  But it made a turn around when we recorded the bassoons and trumpets . It turned into this wooden, orchestrated story.  I also like all of the sounds blend together in that track. Live , I like playing ‘Mechanical Life’.  Its got a great beat,and its really fun to sing over.

When and how did Glass Ghost form?

Mike and I were both in the band Flying together for a few years. After Flying broke up we just started playing together the two of us. That was a little under 2 years ago.  I think both of us just needed to play together to stay healthy.  After we played together for a while, we realized that the band could work with just the two of us.

Have you played many shows? What’s been your favourite show so far? Do you have a favourite venue to play?

We have played a lot of shows since we started.  There was a while when we were playing in NY almost once a week.  We just came back from a month long tour in the US opening for the band White Rabbits. We played a show in Los Angeles at the El Rey theater that was really fun.  It was such a beautiful theater and the sound was unbelievable.

What was the last record you bought?

It has been so long since I have bought a physical record or cd.  This will take some thinking.  I think the last album I bought on i-tunes was Busta Rhymes -‘The Coming’.

What was the last band you saw that really blew you away?

We played a show a while back with Sharon Van Etten, Robert Stilliman and Kurt Weisman.  Seeing them all play blew me away.  When Sharon plays it’s like she leaves her body.  She has the most beautiful voice. It takes me to another place. Kurts music is so beautiful , it takes me to a place of longing.  And Roberts music is like an old machine that was brought back from the future. This machine tells us intimate storys about how things were and how they will be.

What are your favourite records from 2009?

Sharon Van Etten has a new album called ‘Because I was in Love’ which is crushing.  Robert Stillman also recently came out with an album called ‘Master Box’ which is also crushing.  By crushing , I mean heartbreakingly beautiful.

What are some goals for Glass Ghost in 2010?

We are going to record again.  I am really excited about the new batch of songs and I cant wait to get them down. We are going to work with Tyler Wood again and we are figuring out right now logistically and budget wise how we are going to do it.

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An Interview with The Antlers

By anikainlondon Friday October 30, 2009

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THE ANTLERS


Originally published on The Line Of Best Fit. 

Here is a transcription of a chat I had with The Antlers before their Macbeth show, back in September…

I never know how to tell people about your music. How would you describe the album?

Michael: We have trouble too.

I never know.

M: People make band comparisons, and inevitably… there’s so many, for some songs… so I’ve stopped doing that.  And, style, also. ‘Epic’ is a word that comes up, but it’s…. sort of pretentious, in a way, to say it.

Peter: Yeah, like… I feel weird saying that, because it has these positive connotations, it’s like saying ‘it sounds like it’s amazing’, and that’s not what we want to say! I think we want to say it sounds ‘big’

M: Yeah…

P: But a better word for big.

Darby: I think the goal with it.. was to make it really dynamic, like, being really intimate to loud, and almost aggressive, just to let it be a full range of sound, I guess. Highs are high, lows are low…

M: I also like ‘cinematic’ or ‘literary’, that almost captures a certain sense of some qualities of it…

Yeah! Well, when you read the lyrics it’s kind of like reading a book…

M: Yeah. I think so too…

Do you do any writing?

P: A little bit. I didn’t, really, for a long time. Then this summer I started to write some stuff,  and I haven’t quite finished… and I’m not really sure what, if anything, I’ll do with it. But, I started to enjoy it. I was trying to write lyrics, but wasn’t quite there yet… I just tried to write something, more like stories, I guess..

Is that anything you would consider doing in the future? Maybe writing a novel, or some short stories?

P: I think a novel would be REALLY hard, I’m really unbelievably impressed by anyone who can write a novel, because  I have no idea how that’s possible! But maybe some short stories or something….

So when people hear the album… because it’s so personal, it must be interesting for you guys (Darby + Michael) to play something that’s so personal to Peter, how do you guys connect with the songs?

M: After the initial interaction with the record personally, I don’t think of the lyrics… I don’t think of that perspective. It’s more… the sonic quality. It’s not like ‘oh, I’m thinking of this depressing hospital, cancer victim’ or something like that. Anybody is welcome, like, interpretation by others is great, it should be a variety. But for me, it’s not locked into what the words and the stories are explaining, it’s more the musical quality of it…

D: It definitely, it feels like…there’s portions of song,  like ‘Atrophy’, it’s the sound… I think it’s all part of the story, in a way. When I heard it the first time, the lyrics… I could only hear some of the lyrics because it was recorded really badly. Scratchy vocals, pieced together, and finally know… knowing the story, it means something different.

Are you enjoying playing it live?

All: Oh yeah!

M: Very much so. We’re getting to explore some musical territory… we take it to different places. It keeps it interesting for us, we can inject some spontaneous creativity from night to night, really keeps it fresh.. keeps it fun.

P: It really keeps us on our toes, and keeps us really enjoying it. We can tell the difference between a good set and a bad set… and we’re enjoying ourselves on stage, so, hopefully… that’ll be more enjoyable to watch too. And maybe it’s unexpected… you don’t know what to expect when you go into it each night. Venue to venue, the sound is different, the crowds are different… everything is different, every night, in a way. We learn how to roll with that, bring something out of that…

Were you nervous about the show at 229? Was it your first show outside of America?

M: Well, Canada…

P: Yeah, Canada, but we haven’t gone overseas yet

D: I was nervous for soundcheck…. Primarily we were all pretty wiped out by the journey, 1 hours sleep… nerves kind of get over powered by the tiredness.

M: There’s an adrenalin rush…

P: I think we did okay with it.

M: After a very warm crowd reaction it wipes away anything to be nervous about. It’s like being with a bunch of friends, you know?

What’s been your best show so far?

M: One show?

Yeah, if there’s one show you could go back and re-live…

M: I would play the Pitchfork show just because of the massive crowd. It was our biggest show by far.

P: Yeah, that was a big, big surprise. We knew there would be a lot of people, but the reality didn’t hit us until then. We got on stage and were like… oh! We were totally, so shocked. We’ve started playing bigger shows and opening for bigger bands, but that was a huge shock. It’s not like we’re playing shows like that every day. It’s like it came out of nowhere. We had no idea how to react to it.

M: It sounds counter intuitive but once you’re there and it begins, it’s really relaxing! You start looking at the sky… (laughs)

Is there anything you’d like to change about the live show? Ever consider to get more members? I was thinking about how epic it would be to play with an orchestra…

P: For certain, it would be hard to tour with that many people…

One thing that’s really cool is Grizzly Bear are doing a one off show in London with the London Symphony Orchestra…

M: Right! They did a similar thing in Brooklyn. That would be amazing.

P: That’s awesome, yeah.

M: I would love to do that.

P: I think we’re a little less open to adding members to the band, like, full time members, the way we’re most comfortable is the three of us. But, definitely, we’ve had Sharon [Van Etten] sing with us a couple of times…

M: Like when Sharon sang with us, I love her voice, such a great voice,  so… you can’t not like that.

One of my favourite parts of the album is the bit where she comes in at the end of Thirteen…

M: So good!

P: Yeah! I actually wish we had more of her…

More Sharon!

M: Yeah!

She’s brilliant.

P: She’s on a lot of places in the record actually. She pops up in places where it doesn’t necessarily sound like her. Like, she’s in Kettering, Thirteen, Shiva…

She sang on the Forest Fire record.

P: Oh cool. I haven’t heard that record. I saw that…

She sings on Sunshine City, but I didn’t recognise it was her voice. I thought it sounded like her but I just missed that it WAS her, and then when I found out it made it even more brilliant…

P: Yeah. She sings on a lot of records actually.

M: Did you see her play over here?

Yeah! She did a few shows in May. And she was brilliant. Completely brilliant.

M: Yep. She is.

So, obviously there are loads of brilliant New York bands. Are there any you would recommend in particular?

M: Well, you mentioned Grizzly Bear, they’re one of my favourite bands. Dirty Projectors, got a lot of play on tour for us this summer.

Do you go to many shows when you’re at home?

M: Yeah, we all live in Brooklyn, but we haven’t really been home that much lately. They do these free shows in the summer time in Brooklyn, but we get to see a lot of great bands on tour… now I feel less inclined to go see live music… I like to do other things besides live music.

So you all live in New York, are you all from New York?

M: Peter and I grew up in New York, and Darby’s a transplant…

D: I’m from Alabama.

M: Most people in New York didn’t grow up in New York.

Yeah, it’s the same as London. Everyone’s from all over the place.

M: People say that if you grew up in Manhattan, specifically, it kind of… breeds strange people. You kind of grow up too quickly… nobody knows how to drive….

I don’t know how to drive.

M: I’ll teach you.

Good! That’ll be amazing. How does living in the city inspire you?

P: Brooklyn especially, right now is breeding a lot of bands doing interesting things. Experimenting with textures. It encourages bands to work really hard… and be themselves, and be unafraid. Also, just New York, aside from music, has a really interesting cultural history. It has a personality of a person. A city has these things you love about it, things you hate about it. I find myself thinking about it a lot, as if it were a person. It’s got all these characteristics… a way of existing.

Could you live anywhere else?

M: Yeah. It would have to be outside of the US for me. New York… it gets in your system. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else, but perhaps a lot of European places can do that…

D: I used to live in a small town, I would never live in a town that small….

P: Yeah, I feel like I could either live in a big city like New York or London, or I could live in the absolute middle of nowhere.

M: I think it’s the dream for a lot of New Yorkers to have that getaway where you don’t check your email…

Have you had a chance to look around London much?

M: A little bit, we got to run around a bit today. It’s a great town, we feel really comfortable here.

Have you been to Rough Trade yet?

M: I have been in the past but we haven’t got a chance yet

It’s not far from here, 20 minutes walk…

M: Nice! We’re going to be at Pure Groove tomorrow….

Yeah, that’s a funny place. It used to be a record shop and now it’s like a café…

M: Yeah, it has like 6 records on the wall…

D: It’s like Cake Shop in New York

M: But it’s cool over there…

Yeah, it’s a nice place. They get a lot of good bands doing instores…

M: Yeah! I heard that.

I wanted to ask you why you’re called The Antlers. Because… I don’t know why you’re called The Antlers!

P: I don’t think there’s… well, I didn’t want to be a singer/songwriter, I wanted to be in a band. I was like ‘I need a band name’, it could be 20 people, or 6 people… it turned out to be 3. I think, at the time I just really liked the word ‘Antlers’. There’s a song by the Microphones called Antlers, which contributed to it. It’s not a great story (laugh).

You could make one up!

P: I know!

M: Great. We all like to hunt and kill…

P: (laughs).

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