LR: So how did the band originally come about?
Jay: Basically Phillip and I started playing together after OnLibrary!
broke up. They were touring with Interpol and it was kind of
unexpected. I’ve always been friends with them so we just started to
work on some songs.
LR: That’s funny you say that because I think that most people at that time were gravitating towards bands like OnLibrary!
because they were touring with Interpol. I also think that same crowd
has kept an ear out for what was going to happen next.
Jay: It
was weird because they had been playing together for like five or six
years I and have been friends with those guys. Phillip and I started
playing music together just to get the project off the ground, even
though we weren’t sure where it was going to go. We just had instant
chemistry from the first time we played together. We did “World’s Away”
and wrote all the music and arrangements and eventually made like six
songs. We kind of knew what we wanted to do from the whole experience
with OnLibrary!.
We got Claudia to start singing with us but we also kind of knew that
it might not be a permanent deal because we’re all kind of at that age,
like late twenties, and life events tend to come into the picture. We
always knew we’d be making a record with a bunch of people on it, but
we got really lucky with this band. We also had always talked about
getting Brad as a drummer. We basically started by writing songs and
recording without being completely sure who exactly would be in the
final lineup to play live. The first priority was to sort of get our
vision down and let it materialize before playing out in New York. Then
we put the myspace page together. “World’s Away” really seemed to get
some response and people were downloading it like crazy. And all these
blogs were emailing us, and that’s how we found out about blogs. We’re
like “where are all these people coming from?”
LR: Right, blogs really opened the door even wider for people to get exposed to good music. The music industry is changing so much because of them. You don’t even need a label anymore because a single blog will promote you based on the fact that they like you for what you’re doing.
Jay: Yeah that’s great. And because people used to listen to radio to get new music and now you just go to the blogs. And the banality of major radio is so bad anyway.
LR: The radio stations are more interested in forcing the music on you like you need to like it, where blogs and the internet offer an option that you can get into right away or ignore.
Jay: Yeah I have this long-standing joke I tell people about listening to radio in New York. If you dropped into New York from out of nowhere you’d think Alice in Chains is the most popular band in the city because they’re playing it all the time. It’s ridiculous.
LR: Hah! Yeah that’s exactly how it is over here with The White Stripes and The Ramones with popular radio. It’s like “I get it, you want me to like The White Stripes and The Ramones.”
Jay: Yeah Gorilla Vs. Bear were good to us too and seemed to really like it. We also went up to a studio in Cambridge to do the recordings for the album, some with Amanda on vocals and some with Claudia. Claudia sings most of the songs, Phillip sings one of them, and Amanda does a few. Amanda is our vocalist when we do live shows.
LR: How have the live shows been going?
Jay: The aesthetic is working well. Like we said earlier the whole thing with how life happens to people, with marriage and commitments, you don’t know if the same people in the recordings will be able to tour or travel so it makes it kind of hard. But in a real, random sort of way it worked out perfectly. And I think live it’s really great and the vocals sound really good.
LR: I wanted to ask about a few songs like “World’s Away” and “To No One”. They’re really atmospheric but there’s still that mix of organic instruments on top of the dreaminess. Is that something that was the idea in the beginning or did it just happen as a result of rehearsing?
Jay: A lot of the records that inspired us when we were writing are like David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Neutral Milk Hotel…they all have that kind of strumming, earthy quality while having a lot of good layers to it.
LR: Right, like achieving a big sound without using tons of effects to the point across.
Jay: Yeah definitely, right off the bat we wanted to be as intimate as possible. There were all these influences that came out from everyone during the recording sessions. When we had started there was more of an emotional and visceral kind of thing going. We didn’t want to get too caught up in the atmospherics because the intimacy can get lost. Like the acoustic guitar on “World’s away” it was like we wanted to Keep the vocals and acoustic guitars sounding like these big floaty clouds so it goes right to the heart. That’s the one thing we say when we are approaching is that we make sure the feeling is up front. The song should have an emotional pull to it.
LR: Are you guys planning on touring…the album comes out at the end of October?
Jay: Yeah we’re definitely planning on touring in 2007 and doing SXSW. We not exactly on the plan because it’s late in the year. Something could pop up in November but it’s doubtful because of the time in the year. And the album comes out on October 31st and I’m thinking yeah Halloween already. I was pretty excited about that.
LR: I bet there were a lot of bands trying to hit that release date.
Jay: But yeah I’m glad you like those songs and got that vibe from “World’s Away” and “To No One”.
LR: Yeah it’s like the mood is already there and you guys know exactly what to do from there. I think most people get that and are looking for something that is like you said “intimate” but also striking. The feeling and quality come first. So how’s the label situation?
Jay: With This Generation Tapes they are this up-and-coming label and they were really, really into the record. They’re also kind of at the level where we were; totally hands-on with everything. Like you were saying with the influence of blogs, it’s a weird time with the music industry and labels. You can make the music and go record something and have it out there from day one. We had some peripheral contacts with labels but really just wanted to avoid the bureaucratic stuff, it might have been like, “yeah we love the record”, but then not have gotten released until late 2007 or early 2008. Aesthetically, they also release a lot of good atmospheric, pretty guitar music. They respond to a lot of textural stuff we like and still listen to indie rock.
LR: Yeah there’s a label out here called Dangerbird and they too are totally hands on, passionate, and just promote the hell out of their bands like Silversun Pickups and Darker My Love. You can tell they really like what they’re bringing on to their label. Yeah the music industry is changing; going back to its roots of signing acts they’re really like instead of offering huge million dollar deals and dropping the artist the next year. Maybe you’ll be able to make some more money this way? It’s definitely the right avenue.
Jay: Yeah it’s cool I mean I can’t imagine not being a part of process every step of the way or having some guy telling us how we have to do songs differently and write a certain way.
LR: So what can you tell us about the new album?
Jay: It’s called Trouble Everywhere and comes out on Halloween, October 31st on This Generation Tapes. They’re based out of Santa Monica.
-Scott McDonald
LR: I guess my first question is what have you guys been doing since your last tour?
Carla: We’ve been collecting our thoughts and resetting our souls, trying to write, and writing. Preparing to make another record.
LR: That’s good, so have you actually gone into the studio?
Carla: No that’s in about a week.
LR: Ok, do you have any thoughts on a producer or just doing it yourselves this time?
Carla: We’re co-producing it with John Goodmanson. He did a lot of Blonde Redhead records and others. A great engineer and good guy.
LR: Is he located in Los Angeles or do you have to go somewhere else?
Carla: He’s going to come here, he’s located in Brooklyn. Greg does he live in Brooklyn?
Greg: Yeah, He lives in Brooklyn or in The Bronx, or maybe Seattle. He keeps going back to Seattle.
LR: So from all the touring you guys did was there ever like a point where you start making or discovering sounds on stage and think to yourself, “Wow it would be different to sort of record more this way”, because you found different sounds or, “let’s try this approach because we can get this kind of sound?"
Carla: I think…I don’t know if it was just based on touring, I think we’ve always been thinking like that.
Greg: Yeah, generally when you tour you’re lucky if the sound is listenable and you can hear each other well enough. We were opening for Nine Inch Nails and didn’t have a lot of time to sound check or really experiment.
Carla: We had one sound check on that whole tour.
LR: It seems like you guys have a lot of particular gear and that it would make a difference.
Greg: It’s fine because you get into a pattern and that’s good. But there’s really no time to experiment.
Carla: That was fine and we just got used to it.
LR: I guess I was thinking along the lines of like when you’re playing and you do the same song over and over and then all of the sudden you start hearing it a little bit differently and doing it and think, “Ohh that’s cool maybe we should try that on a new song”.
Greg: We would play certain parts of songs differently every night, it’s pretty free. I mean we toured for almost a year; it’s weird because you start off and feel kind of rusty and then you get into a rhythm and I think you have your best shows and then you just…kind of get lazy no matter what. I mean we’re playing the same songs every night; we only had like a 30 minute set.
LR: That’s not long at all because you guys have 4 to 5 minutes songs.
Carla: That was just on that one tour.
Greg: Yeah, on the Nine Inch Nails tour.
Carla: We also toured in a bus. But last year we toured all year, went to Europe a few times. We toured all year driving and that takes a lot out of you.
Greg: We drove around all of North America three times.
LR: Were there any special places or memories that you were surprised that you enjoyed or maybe you didn’t think you’d like it compared to when you got there?
Carla: Athens, Georgia I really liked.
Greg: Yeah Athens. LR: They have quite a good music scene there right?
Carla: Yeah it’s just really great. I’m from the South and I had never been there, I really liked it. I liked England. We played All Tomorrow’s Parties and that was incredible.
LR: It’s too bad because they used to do that here about two miles from where I live and I just don’t think they were making enough money that second time so they just abandoned it, now it’s primarily a UK festival. I really miss that good vibe with random bands that aren’t necessarily money-making acts that I love, like Deerhoof.
Greg: We saw Deerhoof opening for Radiohead.
LR: Yeah, I was there and that was great.
Carla: We talked about doing a tour with them, a west coast tour. We’re in a race to see whose record gets finished first.
LR: Those guys crank out like one record a year.
Greg: Yeah we like to do one a decade.
LR: Just like Kevin Shields, he doesn’t do records anymore.
Carla: You’re just in constant turmoil.
Greg: If you do one a decade it’s easier to have a life long career in music. Six records, I think that’s how many the Beatles made.
LR: So for the next album are there any older songs from the "silver demo" days that you still have lying around?
Greg: Let’s see what’s left, ‘Future Perfect’ and ’Under Orbit’.
LR: Would you guys consider going back to re-record them using a different approach?
Carla: No, we’re just on a different path. Once you’ve done something you don’t want to go back and keep re-doing it. It’s out there enough for people to find it.
LR: What’s sort of the..I don’t want to get too specific, but the idea or thoughts of the next album? Do you think you want it to have certain sounds or ideas?
Carla: We can’t even talk about, only because we can’t even talk about that with ourselves. It’s not that we don’t want to talk about it. When we go and record I think no matter what our thoughts are in our heads at the moment, or the preconceived notions, it will be totally different when we are actually recording and we will be on some crazy path right in the middle of it. I don’t know…just going in thinking about drums I can be saying I want everything sounding really tiny and small, but still loud and then it will turn out opposite and be huge, we’re constantly changing our minds a little bit on that. It’s hard to talk about exactly what you want a record to sound like.
LR: Right, or maybe you know you don’t want it to be a certain way or like this and maybe you just let it happen?
Greg: I mean we always have a lot of ideas and conceptual parameters and things going in.
Carla: Well, the one thing I do know that is at the top of our list is that we always want to have great songs. Songs are the most important thing, otherwise it comes over as just a bunch of noise and sounds. A great song could be anything. It doesn’t mean it has to be everybody’s idea of a great chorus or a commercial rock chorus. Maybe we’re just trying to reinvent what a good song is or something I don’t know.
LR: Right, ya know I usually go see lots of these bands and some of them have these big sounds and effects. And there are also these indie bands where it’s just about the effects and there’s absolutely no melody, but the bass sounds good and there’s rhythm sounding good, there has to be a song or it’s boring.
Carla: Yeah and that’s where we all come from first, that’s the main thing. Substance is just not about putting effects on guitars or vocals. Greg’s is going to be singing more on this record.
LR: Are you going to be singing more?
Carla: Yes.
LR: Very cool, ever considered doing some three-part harmonies.
Carla: Well we are going to do harmony stuff between the three of us, more background vocals and the touring has made us more confident.
LR: So in your mind how did you think the album did? Regardless of sales you kept going around and touring and you definitely had a crowd.
Carla: I didn’t really focus on how it did or how it was doing we were just always looking ahead. There were things about it we weren’t crazy about. We just wanted to keep playing shows and play live because we love playing together. I don’t really know how it did. We’re so out of touch with that I think. We all want to have a career and make some money but not at the expense of doing things we don’t want to do. Our last record, considering it wasn’t promoted at all really, I feel that word-of-mouth and people coming to see us live helped. I think we were surprised that a lot of kids and people found out about it.
LR: Yeah or the internet…blogs…etc., people love your record.
Carla: Yeah it’s great. We have a lot of people who support our music.
LR: As a band I would think it would be better to be like a Velvet Underground-influential type of a band you know? Where more people are coming to you instead of pushing a single on people over and over again.
Carla: Yeah that’s how it is, we all just want to make music we love. All of us individually are always trying to do something we haven’t heard before on some level, so it’s hard and difficult because there’s so much great underground music going on and now we’re in an era where it’s like…what haven’t you heard? But sometimes I think I know the answer to that.
LR: So as far as the L.A music scene goes when you’re not touring is there stuff you like that you’re really into?
Carla: I’m not sure I know what that is. We’ve been gone for a long time and don’t know what scene there is.
Greg: I’m kind of like really retarded in that way, we don’t go out and see too much music.
Carla: We buy records and when a band comes to town we love we will all go see that band, like Deerhoof and Radiohead, you can’t beat that.
Greg: And also after a certain amount of disappointments you just kind of give up.
LR: Yeah, like someone will tell something is good and you’re like uhhhh???
Greg: There’s this band that rehearses right next to us and they’re really good, just absolutely brutal and truly intense called 400 Blows.
LR: I’ve seen them a few times and they’re just awesome.
Carla: In the grand scheme of scenes I don’t even think there is, in my opinion, a scene in L.A.
LR: No, you’re right. I’m thinking I guess there are certain places where you can go to for music and there are these people that are familiar and you see them at places, at least I do. Ok, I just have a few more questions. Was going to a major label everything you thought it would be because you were saying that they didn’t really promote the record and that seems to be everything these days.
Greg: We really didn’t go to a major label, it was DMZ. We were under the Cohen Brothers and protected under this umbrella of T-Bone, even though it was all the resources of Sony being used.
Carla: It was under DMZ. What happened was he started the label, wanted to sign us, and signed us. Because his deal was with Sony we technically had signed to Sony under DMZ. And then for whatever reason they finally heard our music after they signed us and they probably didn’t know where we fit in and T-Bone’s label…he just wanted to sign music he liked and I think they were expecting his label to meet it’s quota and that label ended. Luckily at Epic there was a younger A & R guy who actually really loves our band and he’s going to stay out of the way and let us do our thing. He’s totally supportive and we’re really lucky with that.
Greg: When people let us do our thing it means there are apparently people having nervous breakdowns in their house. Fearing for their jobs or not.
Carla: Whatever the case is he’s allowing us to do our thing. So we’ll see what happens with this record. We’re just going to make a record we love.
Greg: I mean we really are striving to try and make a record that's not just a sequel. We want it to have its own complete and different identity.
Carla: I think it’s easy because we’re in such a good place now. I don’t even think it’s hard, I just hear silence from my end…I don’t even want to play drums on it.
Greg: We’ll be playing music and Carla’s like, “I don’t know if there should be drums on it” and then, “I’m not sure if there should be any guitars either”. (Laughter)
Carla: It’s going to be a record of silence and sounds of the wind.
LR: Maybe a little bit of feedback? Kind of like a Sonic Boom record, “eeeeeeeeee”. Is there anything else you guys want to talk about?
Carla: You should read John Fante Do you know him? LR: No I don’t. I need to read more.
Greg: He was like a forerunner of Bukowski, he wrote very simply and directly. You can read it in a night.
Carla: If you live in L.A. this book puts you in a place…it feels like downtown L.A.
Greg: Well since we’re recommending authors, W.G. Sebald. Have you read him? He has a book called Rings of Saturn, it’s great.
LR: No, like I said I really haven’t read a single page in the last year. I’ve been so swamped with music, reviewing shows, and writing reviews. I really need to be reading more it’s so sad.
Carla: What about if we talked about the reassignment of planets? LR: Yeah Pluto.
Greg: Pluto’s not even a planet anymore.
Carla: I’m glad, I never really liked it. Pluto’s a scam.
LR: It’s on the b-squad now. I think they were debating Pluto for years and finally did something about it.
Greg: They thought they had found another planet beyond it right?
Carla: They did its called UB313.
LR: That’s easy to remember, sounds like birth control.
LR: Hi Mira, how are you?
Mira: Doing really good.
LR: Where are you located now?
Mira: We’re in New Orleans. We’ve just arrived after some flight delays. We’re really excited to be here because we’ve wanted to come to New Orleans for such a long time. Hopefully, we’re gonna go and check out some Voodoo museums.
LR: I’ve never been, but I hear New Orleans is a really exciting place, especially for the South.
Mira: Yeah, we’re also going to go on an Alligator tour tomorrow, should be good.
LR: So you guys have a huge tour coming up of the US, how does that feel?
Mira: We are really excited, especially because we can play bigger venues than we have before and different places that we’ve never gotten to play before like the here in the South, Texas, and Mexico as well.
LR: How does this tour seem different so far since the last tour earlier this year?
Mira: Well we’ve been playing a few different songs and changed a few things around and we’ve toured a bit more so hopefully we’re a bit better. They’ll be bigger shows than before.
LR: Well even at the last tour through Los Angeles the crowd at The Henry Fonda were really responding to it and getting into the show, like they knew most of the songs, people love Witching Hour.
Mira: We’re really excited about it and happy to be back in the states again.
LR: When you guys recording Witching Hour it came out as much more of an edgier record, how did that sound come about in the studio?
Mira: Well, I think a lot of it came out as a result of touring live for Light and Magic. Before when we would do shows we weren’t really happy with the way we were doing them. We were primarily a studio band then once Light and Magic was released we went on the road sort of properly and put a live band together as well, got together with a drummer and a bass player and that kind of really pushed us. And when you play live, instead of just playing with a backing track, you begin to notice that certain dynamics work and some don’t so it makes you push for certain sounds. And these were sounds that we were creating live and made us realize they were just more fun to play.
LR: It sounds loose compared to the last album, more natural and organic sounding.
Mira: Yeah, and that comes from playing live a lot more. You begin to notice what is natural and dynamic to you and we had a chance to learn that from touring. Basically we’ve grown up a bit and that helps with the songwriting, we’ve been pushing ourselves a lot more.
LR: So after this tour what are you planning to do?
Mira: We’re going back home for about a week, then to South America for 3 weeks so that’s going to take us up to Christmas. We’ve been writing a lot recently so at some point early next year we want to get into the studio and make the next record. But we still got a lot of touring to do, we haven’t properly toured Europe or gone to Australia.
LR: So how’s the American label thing going? Ryko kind of took over Emperor Norton and it seemed for a while that the Emperor Norton bands were going to disappear.
Mira: Ryko is really, really great and hasn’t been a problem at all; it’s what kind of kept us going. What goes on here in the US is a lot different than what goes on in the UK record label-wise.
LR: For the next album since you have so much of a more live sound are you going to approach the next one like that?
Mira: Yeah, but it’s not like we’re going to go in and jam. We’ll go and think things out, try new ideas and develop sounds. I think with Witching Hour we kind of arrived at this sound that we’re really happy with so it’s a good foundation, it’s the first album that we could say it sounded like we meant it to sound. Also pushing the songwriting a bit more as well.
LR: That’s great to hear, is there any person here in Los Angeles you’d like to say “hello” to? Mira: Hi to Phil Spector.
LR: Thanks Mira, really looking forward to seeing you guys in October again.
Mira: Yeah we’re excited as well, cheers.
LR: What’s been the biggest difference in the L.A. music scene since the days of Further?
Darren: I don’t really think it’s all that much different except for little things. Like back in the days of further, there weren’t a lot of places to go out and listen to music (i.e. club nights or bars), but now there is and you run into a lot of other musicians from bands all over the place. At least in the circle we know, everybody is supportive of each other and interested in what you got going on.
LR: How did The Tyde initially come about? Did you feel that your previous bands weren’t necessarily the right vehicle for your songwriting?
Darren: After further and another brief project, I really wasn’t doing much with music, just writing a couple of songs here and there. I was going to play an acoustic show with Beachwood Sparks at the old Smell, and I just happened to ask Ben to play bass and Bob Fay to play drums and that’s kind of how The Tyde started. The one rule that I wanted to stick with in The Tyde is that unlike other bands I’ve been in, I wanted to write and sing all the songs, my own ideas.
LR: It seems like The Tyde have such a great California pop feel that people living in any city could relate to. Do you think this makes you stand out among today’s pop bands?
Darren: I don’t know if it makes us stand out but it’s pretty much the number one article in our manifesto – to represent my idea of modern day California. It’s not strictly all about retro; modern living is as important.
LR: There’s quite a bit of surfing imagery that comes up in your songs. How important is surfing to the band? Who’s got the best cutback?
Darren: We are just really into it. Surfing’s rad, you meet all sorts of people, from crusty old dudes to young rippers. We live in California; the beach is the place to be. There’s also that Hawaiian spiritual aloha vibe man. Best cutback? We’re into nose riding.
LR: Do you find that the surf culture is into your music because of these themes? I usually don’t see too many of those kids wandering around at L.A. shows searching for new music.
Darren: They are definitely coming now. I’m trying to make sure that happens. These kids are so stoked on music and listen to all sorts of stuff you wouldn’t expect. They surf and party all day long so it’s hard for them to make it to the city at night cuz’ they’re burnt. But look for them; they’re there, the tan ones.
LR: Over the years what are your fondest memories playing/touring?
Darren: I’d say one particular gig at The Monarch in CamdenTown after our first album came out and it was the last show of our UK tour. It was a perfect show for me. We just got back from Japan. That was pretty awesome too.
LR: What’s next for The Tyde after Three’s Co.? Any side projects on the horizon?
Darren: We are going on a west coast tour with BJM in September, then a full US tour with the Black Angels and a European tour later this fall. Record another album after that I guess. Side project? This is the side project, forever.
LR: Awesome.
LR: Where are you guys at? It’s 10:30 in the morning over here.
Christopher: Just got my coffee so I'm ready to go. We’re in Atlanta getting ready to do a set for radio session set. It’s strange because we have been going back and forth between states and even though it’s the afternoon over here I’m not quite sure it feels like the afternoon.
LR: It’s got to feel like a whole different routine since the album has dropped, with all the buzz and touring and time changes.
Christopher: Yeah it’s been surreal, thankfully our cellphones do the time changes for us. People have really responded to it and it’s a great feeling to be at all these different places and see kids who know the songs. We’ve been just so busy anf frantic, but it's a good kind of busy, doing interviews and performances like the session we’re about to do in a few hours.
LR: That’s got to feel good after all this time waiting for the debut to hit the market.
Christopher: It does, it feels really good. We’re just excited more than anything.
LR: How has the rest of the tour been going? I heard most shows are selling out.
Christopher: Yeah, that caught us off guard. There are all these people that seem to come from nowhere supporting us and buying the album.
LR: So the album just dropped in July, how has it been selling?
Christopher: Our label is really happy with it. Apparently it has exceeded their inital expectations, that’s what they’ve been telling us. I’m not sure on the exact numbers. I do know it's doing well on the college radio charts.
LR: That’s amazing for a debut and only being out for a month. That kind of success will hopefully lead to an even busier schedule.
Christopher: Yeah, I think for the most part the record has been getting around because of the word-of-mouth thing. I mean we’re not playing huge venues but the places we are playing at are great and everyone’s showing up. Sometimes I’m thinking where do these people come from?
LR: And you guys sold-out The Troubadour which is such a legendary place, and one of the best sounding venues to play at in Los Angeles. When I hear that a band is coming into town that I want to see I’m always hoping they’re going to get booked at The Troubadour.
Christopher: Yeah that was shocking when I first heard how it sold-out and it’ll be good feeling to be back at home where we get to see all our friends and fans. And it’s the best place we could have imagined doing that show when we get home because there’s so much history there. I’m still kind of in shock about it. It’s making me homesick just thinking about that show.
LR: So after this tour you’re going on the road again with Viva Voce, is that right?
Christopher: Yeah Viva Voce, who are really good. We are big fans of their music.
LR: I know this thinking far ahead but what’s in the works after that tour?
Christopher: Not sure right now. We’re just going to see how things progress and not worry about it. Other than that it’s fun just being busy right now and with the next Viva Voce tour that we just try and focus on what’s in front of us.
LR: Any interesting or crazy fans that you’ve encountered who just love you guys so much they’re pounding their fists and totally getting into it? Kind of like that super-fan guy who would always be in front at the Spaceland residency?
Christopher: Yeah I remeber that guy. No, nothing too crazy like that. It’s been more like we get to meet people after or before a show that ask us questions about our sound or know something technical that we thought people wouldn’t necessarily care to remember. For instance there are people who notice what kind of amps back we used back at CMJ and wanted to talk about specifics like that, which blew us away that he actually remembered. There are also more people that sing lyrics during some of the songs off Pikul so they really know a bit of our history which is great.
LR: Nothing Beatle-mania style?
Christopher: Noooo. There have been a few people that definitely want to party or find out where you’re staying after a show, but we have a schedule that requires us to get up early and we’re driving ourselves around so we don’t want anything to interfere with being on time and playing a good set. We’re just trying to be mellow and really focus on the tour because the next day we’ll have to wake up early and be somewhere, ready to do an interview, or meet up with people, which can be really tiring.
LR: So before you head back to L.A. what do you guys have planned?
Christopher: We’re going to play with Dirty On Purpose.
LR: They're a good band, I missed them out here but the album is strong. They remind me of a bunch of bands I already like mashed up together.
Christopher: Yeah, then we have the F* Yeah Fest this coming weekend on Saturday which is going to be so fun. We get to play with all these great bands and catch up with everyone; it’ll be a big party with our favorite bands.
-Scott McDonald
LR: So who was it in the band that got engaged on the stage at Coachella 2004 and how’s that going?
Charles: That was him (points to John).
John: Yep, that was me it’s going really great.
LR: How has the popularity of the band changed over the past couple of albums? Do you see bigger budgets and money from the time of You Forgot it in People to the latest self-titled album?
Charles: The popularity has been pretty steady; it wasn’t a huge jump but always gradually climbing. The general reaction to You Forgot it in People was really surprising. People who liked that album generally weren’t disappointed with the latest one so it kept the momentum going, we’ve been really happy with the response.
John: It has grown a bit too. We are playing larger venues and bigger crowds are coming to see us in certain places like the UK for example. There was initially some concern because the record is a little more dense and chaotic, even frenetic in a lot of ways. So in the UK it’s made a bigger impact than You Forgot it in People did. So it feels like we could breathe a sigh of relief, like we’ve earned our stripes.
Charles: Luckily we haven’t got the “hit single” over there (laughs), which is a big relief. John: Yeah we were just talking about this earlier; the difference between albums. The popularity is a little more diverse because people are generally into the entire record instead of just one song or single.
LR: On stage it seems like you guys are so tight and comfortable with each other. Does that feeling translate off stage and into your personal lives? I know there are so many people in the band but do you guys ever just hang out to go get a drink or get together after all the touring?
John: Yeah, we’re all very close on tour. We take turns hanging out in different combinations because the band is so large, and that’s a great thing about Broken Social Scene.
Charles: Sometimes you can see that different parties aren’t gelling and it’s big enough where you can divide it up. It’s a much different dynamic than say a typical four piece band.
LR: After a while I do see a lot of bands come through L.A. and the band dynamic seems distant like they feel trapped with each other. It certainly shows on and off stage when you just have a normal conversation them.
Charles: For us it’s really enjoyable because of the size of our band and it makes it more fun.
John: It also has a lot to do with how this band was formed. Initially, a lot of bands will worry about how things are going to work out, how they’ll be perceived, agendas, and booking. When we started we weren’t even concerned about how we were going to make it out of the city, there was no agenda.
Charles: It was a very sincere beginning; there wasn’t any agenda at all when we stared playing. Things just gradually took hold quite naturally. Every band is going to have their frustrations but that’s life. It’s been a lucky ride for us so far.
LR: And I think people are drawn to that kind of chemistry where there isn’t an agenda. Take a band like Yo La Tengo; they have always come across as relaxed and sincere on and off stage, like a small family. I think most people are drawn to that.
Charles: Right, they were big heroes of mine.
John: There’s a real sense in this band that there‘s an open, fluid membership and that helps as well. We all have other projects and everyone is fond of each other’s projects, you need to have something to kind of satisfy your need for more expression. And that in turn helps you gain perspective on the band and your own music. There’s always this massive movement of creative energy within the band. At it’s peak we’re at about 20 people and it’s great.
Charles: I’ve actually met people for the first time walking onto a stage, “hey it’s nice to meet you”. LR: I think the last time you guys were in town you had the largest combination of Broken Social Scene on an L.A stage, I counted about 16 people and it just sounded huge.
John: Yeah, we’re very fortunate that we have a band that can produce so much energy and we really never stress out about it. The band just works itself out.
Charles: And with that many people it becomes easier because there’s less ego involved. You couldn’t really do it otherwise because of the numbers. There’s just no competition in the band. And there’s a validating freedom where you feel comfortable.
John: It’s also about surrendering you ego, and all of us have strong egos and opinions about how things should sound. When I was younger I use to see these bands and I grew up watching Brendan Canning at clubs. So when I started I really felt honored. I also knew I was really going to have to surrender myself and any control in order to enjoy it. I think it makes you a better player and gives you a better experience.
Charles: No one has any clinging or controlling minds. We have projects to do the clinging (laughter). It’s naturally hard to have a lot of ideas and only let a few of them out.
LR: So when you go back into the studio after a tour how does that band dynamic work? Charles: Well, we never all go into the studio at once.
John: When we did You Forgot it in People we all had our roles and a good sense of what our parts were.
LR: Have you ever tried to actually record all at once?
John: Well, we did try that once. The way we record actually has more to do with someone coming up with a sound and you just invite people in to add something to it or try something different that might work. Kevin, Brendan, and Dave were more responsible for “massaging” the last album. LR: So when exactly do you plan to go back into the studio for the next record?
Charles: We are pretty much done touring in November and then after that it’s time to record again. We have a bunch of songs and sketches but it’s tough because at the same time you don’t know what pile it’s going to end up in. You don’t really want to think about what’s going to happen. You want to just go in and play music and allow it to happen.
LR: Like you might want to save you own songs for your own project.
Charles: Right, but we’re going to have a new record at some point, I’m not sure what the hell it’s going to sound like though.
Chris: Not that we have a system, but it’s kind of a loose version of what a system is. And since that works we don’t mess with the process of recording an album. There’s no definite procedure to follow for us.
LR: Any bands as of late that have totally blown your mind or influenced you?
Charles: Akron Family have completely won my heart, I love that band.
John: Man, there’s so many to list.
LR: Blame it on the internet, especially blogs, they have completely expanded the choice and idea of what’s “good”. It almost makes impossible to keep up sometimes unless you’re in that world. There’s so much to like.
John: There is no limit, the well is never going to run dry. I think we live in a pretty good time to be in music. There’s definitely noy going to be a shortage of great bands.
LR: The internet kind of redefined the magnitude of choices and how to get your music out there.
John: Right, I mean technology is great. Charles and I can just go and record on my computer whenever, on a bus or in any hotel room and lay down ideas. I think the first example of that was in the early nineties when people were saying “fuck it, I’m going to make an album on a 4-track” like Sebadoh and Flying Saucer Attack. There’s so many ways to get your music heard.
Charles: You don’t need the same kind of marketing or promotion anymore, or even a label for that matter.
LR: Before I go is there anyone you want to say hi to?
John: Hi Lisa, I hope I see you before I get to read this, and Greg Davis.
Charles: Marco Landini
-Scott McDonald
LR: Hi, thanks for doing this interview. Have you noticed a big change in the band’s popularity since 2005’s Feels? If so, does it bring forth more pressure for the next album?
Noah: Hello. No problem and thanks very much for talking with us. I have noticed a little bit of a change. The shows we play got a little bigger and more younger people were coming and I was really psyched about that. The last couple of albums though its been a steady increase each time. We get bored or restless pretty quickly so we tend to change what were doing and how we do it a little each album or period and I feel like that upsets some people. But it seems like we get more people excited than bummed each time so I suppose that’s good. I don’t really feel any more pressure than usual but that’s to say that (and I think I can speak for all of us) I always feel pressure from us to do something we feel really good about and something were excited about. I don’t think we feel any obligation to satisfy anyone besides ourselves even though that sounds a little self-centered.
LR: The energy on stage during your live shows is very refreshing, do you ever treat the performance more like an experiment?
Noah: Thanks very much. I know what you mean (about it feeling like an experiment) and I guess I do feel a little bit of that. Every room and every place and every crowd is different and in that sense you never know how things are going to go or if you’re going to feel good or not. I feel like maybe we think more along the lines of the way a dj thinks in that were trying to work with what were given as far as the crowd goes. And at least for me all I want to do is to have a good time and make (or let) everyone there have a good time. In the simplest way I just want something positive to happen. I feel like it’s difficult to really get a large crowd of people involved and connected somehow and I think our energy is our way of trying to make that happen. I suppose were trying intensely to connect with each other in the hopes of having that translate or transmit to everyone else there.
LR: Hi, thanks for doing this interview. Have you noticed a big change in the band’s popularity since 2005’s Feels? If so, does it bring forth more pressure for the next album?
Noah: Hello. No problem and thanks very much for talking with us. I have noticed a little bit of a change. The shows we play got a little bigger and more younger people were coming and I was really psyched about that. The last couple of albums though its been a steady increase each time. We get bored or restless pretty quickly so we tend to change what were doing and how we do it a little each album or period and I feel like that upsets some people. But it seems like we get more people excited than bummed each time so I suppose that’s good. I don’t really feel any more pressure than usual but that’s to say that (and I think I can speak for all of us) I always feel pressure from us to do something we feel really good about and something were excited about. I don’t think we feel any obligation to satisfy anyone besides ourselves even though that sounds a little self-centered.
LR: The energy on stage during your live shows is very refreshing, do you ever treat the performance more like an experiment?
Noah: Thanks very much. I know what you mean (about it feeling like an experiment) and I guess I do feel a little bit of that. Every room and every place and every crowd is different and in that sense you never know how things are going to go or if you’re going to feel good or not. I feel like maybe we think more along the lines of the way a dj thinks in that were trying to work with what were given as far as the crowd goes. And at least for me all I want to do is to have a good time and make (or let) everyone there have a good time. In the simplest way I just want something positive to happen. I feel like it’s difficult to really get a large crowd of people involved and connected somehow and I think our energy is our way of trying to make that happen. I suppose were trying intensely to connect with each other in the hopes of having that translate or transmit to everyone else there.
LR: Vocally, there are so many great sounds and layers on Feels. Is there a lot of spontaneity when you record the vocal tracks in the studio?
Noah: Yes at least for the last two records the vocals were the thing that we fooled around with the most. It was almost exclusively Davey on Feels but Sung Tongs was him and me both. But yes on both there was a lot of writing on the spot or one thing would lead to the next if you know what I mean. The voice is such a malleable instrument and it’s easy to get lots of different sounds and styles with it if you try a little and I guess that’s why we end up using it so much. Plus it usually sounds cooler or fresher at least.
LR: When I talk to musicians and friends here in Los Angeles they often bring up Animal Collective as a big inspiration. Are there any current bands that you guys get blown away by? If not, what are your main influences these days?
Noah: The Daft Punk show we saw at Coachella was my favorite I've ever seen. The sound was real good even way back and I couldn’t get my head around how they could get it to sound that good. And it looked epic. I feel influenced by lots of things but I haven’t been listening to much music lately. The things I do hear are usually recommended by a friend. I like Excepter's Alternation album. I like The Strokes a lot. Jay Dee’s Donut is my favorite thing I’ve heard in a long time. It changed me for sure. Or rather it made me feel like the way I was going made sense. I think I get most influenced by people and the relationships of all kinds that I have with them particularly my close friends and family. I stay home quite a bit but whenever I go out I find something that excites me or excites my mind.
LR: It seems like there’s a lot of child-like innocence and fun that naturally comes out on your records, is this accurate?
Noah: I hope so. I don’t want to play music or to write music if it isn’t fun or positive in some way. I know we all have good time writing and playing the songs especially live these days so I hope very much that it comes across. It’s important to keep an open mind and particularly in creative endeavors I feel like it’s advantageous to feel like you don’t know anything at all.
LR: What are your plans for getting back into the studio? Do you have any particular ideas that you want to accomplish on the next album?
Noah: I don’t know that well record until January at the earliest but I know were all excited about this one. Not to put down the last couple but I think were especially proud of these songs. I don’t want to do anything like wave done before but I suppose that’s not anything new. I don’t want it to be a very guitary record and I'm pretty sure we all feel that way. I have lots of ideas but I don’t want to give them away if that’s all right just because maybe it will be sweeter if it’s more of a surprise. Plus I don’t want to give anyone a picture in their head of what it should sound like or will sound like, I'd rather they make their own when they hear it.
LR: What’s it like being a member of Animal Collective? Who has the most interesting day job in the band?
Noah: It’s good at least for me. I can’t say its easy going no problems all the time. I suppose as with anything threes always difficulties to get over. I’ve been feeling recently like I have something to prove but I don’t know why and I like that very much. Being in a band is like being married to a bunch of people at the same time and you go on vacation a lot. It’s trying at times for sure and lots of work and effort but it’s always more than worth it once it’s over. We went over our days recently and all voted Bressons (geologist) as the best. It involved lots of tea and movies. My day is filled with diapers and toys not that that’s bad.
LR: Thanks again for your time, any last shout-outs?
Noah: Thanks very much for the interview and I hope you are very well. I would like to say hey to lots of bros but I’m afraid to leave someone out or to take up too much space. But thanks for the offer. Take good care.
-Scott McDonald
LR: First of all, congratulations on Serena Maneesh winning “Best album in Norway” in Dagbladet Newspaper. Were you surprised?
Emil: Thank you. Well most people outside of Norway probably don' t know who or what Dagbladet is, so… Well, of course, it is nice that those folks liked it and some more people got introduced to it. Anyway it is some time ago and you gotta move on.
LR: What a crazy year it’s been since your record came out. How have American audiences, and the rest of the world, been responding to Serena Maneesh during the tour?
Emil: We've been witnessing quite a few spectacular scenarios along the way, and you know we were thrown into the pit even when we still trying out different setups and all. We've made some crazy mistakes yet huge progressions in telling our story since the start.
LR: Who does all the recordings and writing for your album? Do you record with your live band?
Emil: I believe in discipline yet certain influence of each individual contributing. So look at Sun Ra. Little bit of idea. I write the songs and mostly arrange them. But the coloring and touch each individual character add to the sound kingdom. In the studio it has been a little different. I record a lot myself and bring in characters who have an interesting touch, but we'll see about next time. There are always new mistakes to be made and new things to be learnt.
LR: Going into the studio, what did you want to do differently on your latest album that you might not have achieved on 2002’s Fixxations?
Emil: New chapters, new sounds. On Fixxations we had limited recording resources. Anyway, I kinda wanted to check how much you could stuff into more of a conventional pop-rock formula of songwriting. Also, if not already done, check 'Oxygen, Please' from the B-side of the vinyl. Works on both 33 and 45rpm. It is probably my favorite from that area.
LR: You have such a big guitar sound on the record but it still maintains a great rock ‘n roll feel, who would you say are some of your most important influences?
Emil: Growing up you drag a long story more or less subsconsciously having an impact on what eventually spits out. I think it is important to acknowlegde your roots, your mothers & fathers. But move on from there… I grew up listening and playing a lof of basic blues and even more acdc. Then I got obsessed with Jobim. Then into really heavy metal stuff. I heard 'heroin' by the velvets at 13 and I got so scared but came to start to bring a change in me…our local rock club had some real enthusiastic people working it, so they brought in a lot of those amphetamine reptile bands like chokebore, guzzard and hammerhead and I got extremely curious. All along I had been exposed to a lot of folk, some medieval and even more classical music. Those things occasionally really brought to a different planet. Even though in my 20s I've been gasping on so much more i think it still speaks about the past leading into some kind of hazy, gutteral rock-n-roll symphony.
LR: You’ve recently signed to PlayLouder Recordings, what are their plans for you this year and the future? Do you get quit your day jobs yet?
Emil: Well, the record just got released in the States, coming here in June…so we' ll see. I think the sounds.. they need to be really listened to. And it might take some time…The first track on the record, 'Drain Cosmetics' will be released as a single June 12th I think…as 12'', 7'', cd maxi and digital.. Remixes by Oktopus (Dälek), Odd Nosdam (Anticon) as well one of our own.. and more to come.. hehe I have lived the least normal life for a long time now and you always wonder how you are gonna pay your bills.. but the rest of the guys. Hmm it is all a mystery how the eventually get paid.. worst case you just get thrown out and you have to stay with a generous friend for sometime.
LR: What’s the music scene like in Norway? Did you have to play a ton of gigs over the years before getting some serious attention?
Emil: Well the center circle is quite small, so if you wanna make your name branded through the myriadsof business and band people it is pretty simple in norway if your stuff is good. At least most music nerds eventually pick it up. To play a lot around in the districts really 'helps' a lot in the districts to certain bands who appeal to more of a general crowd here at home. But I mean, 'serious attention', our country is a pretty small one and we are happy about those people who really dig into it, I think most of these people eventually will get it.
LR: What’s your favorite guitar of choice? It seems like you are an avid guitar/effects collector with lots of options on stage.
Emil: Ha…well with tunings, character in sound and all, then it is pretty obvious…I have my dear jazzmaster and some nice mosrites. The classic 335' s from the 60s and 70s are wonderful for lots of purposes. Øystein (guitarist) loves his silvertone. He sits around with it every night, polishing and hugging it. A little too far to my taste. All my guitars a broken at the moment so I hope to have them sown together for the next performance. I tend to look at them as nice pieces of art but then in the middle of inspired crossfire I always tend to loose any concept.
LR: What’s your lasting impression of the United States? Any people, cities, or stories that really made your tour memorable?
Emil: Well I can' t really compare San Fran to New York, or Portland to Texas. Those places were all stunning in their own behavior, of course. Interesting looking venues (you guys have such much more interesting caves of venues than we have here in our stiff little minimalist country), absolutely spaced-out hippies along the way! So many inspiring people. Even those gigs with few people ended up becoming our favorites.. incredible people at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, great time after logistics madness at NYC' s Bowery Ballroom.. Bottom Of The Hill, San Fran, yankees at the Spaceland in La (wow you know who you are), then there was SXSW, friends in Portland, 7th st entry in Minneapolis lovelee's, you madmen at the Empty Bottle in Chicago… Not to forget a stopover we had in Billings, Montana, where we went into an absolute 'redneck' bar with bull's scull and railroad tracks on the outside. An incredible night all because of some people who went out of their way to make some very strange strangers feel comfortable…Argh I have to stop, what a journey!
-Scott McDonald
LR: How was your tour with Stephen Malkmus last year? Are you guys fans of his music?
Paik: The tour was really great, we are pavement fans from back when, Stephen and the Jicks are really great, funny people.
LR: During that tour did it help Paik get some much needed recognition? Are there any plans to do a US tour this summer/fall?
Paik: It definitely helped acquaint a different slice of people to our sound. We probably won’t be touring anytime soon due to huge gas prices, and the like… it’s going to be the toughest year yet for that….We’ll see.
LR: How was Terrastock this year? What were your highlights of the festival?
Paik: GREAT! Bardo Pond, Kinski, Thoughtforms, Ghost , Cul de Sac, and Salamander. We’d never heard of them before, and quite enjoyed them.
LR: Your last album Satin Black is super-heavy and amazing. Were you guys going for a different approach/feeling with Monster of the Absolute?
Paik: Yes, it was a natural progression. We had different types of songs to work with and thus needed a different approach to the sound of the record.
LR: When you play live there’s a visual element (film) that fits perfectly with your songs. What do you want the audience to walk away with after experiencing your show?
Paik: We want them to have an experience, to be taken out of their normal way of thinking for a while, be taken over… remember it.
LR: Who does the songwriting, or is it a democratic process?
Paik: Rob has come up with the majority of them. Ali our old bass player made up a bunch too. Then there are the times when we all just come together at once to form something.
LR: Is there any music out there right now that brings you inspiration with your songwriting or sound development?
Paik: Yes, but nothing in particular. We both listen to music constantly, and find that usually something always seems to pop up where someone (or group) really means what they do, genuine, that is inspiring.
LR: Tell us how the music scene is in Detroit right now?
Paik: There’s lots of nice kids, and some cool bands, we don’t really participate in a “scene”: though, so I guess… no comment.
LR: What are your musical goals at this point? Is there anything you specifically want to achieve?
Paik: We need to play Europe, and Japan.
LR: Any people or bands you want to give a shout-out to?
Paik: Lilys, Bardo Pond, Kinski, E-Zee Tiger, Subarachnoid Space, BRMC, Mark Gardner, Thoughtforms, Phil McMullen, Windy & Carl, Blk Tyger, Tanakh , Film School, Chris Scofield. Shit…If you know us HEY!
-Scott McDonald
Interview: Division Day
LR: First off I’d like to know when and where you guys met, how Division
Day formed, and if either of you played in bands before? Were there any
earlier Division Day lineups that didn’t quite work out?
Rohner: Kevin and seb grew up together. They jammed on casios and toy drums
when they were like 3. I met them in middle school. We used to get
together and play crappy grunge covers and even crappier original
material. We played with this drummer guy whose mom would get us pizza
and we'd jump off the roof into his pool. It ruled. Kevin met ryan at
school, and then ryan moved into a house with the rest of us in the
summer of '01. Thus commenced our reign of blood and terror.
LR: Who writes the music? Is it a democratic process?
Rohner:
We all write the music, and it happens differently every time. This is
a bad idea because it takes forever. I advise developing a simple
formula like: TimJim, you think of words that rhyme with "corn."
MattCatt, you build a spotlight shaped like a game hen. Hoolihan, you
take care of "sonics." And Keith-Chad, make sure your eyeliner is
toppest meats. Viola: song done.
Ryan: It happens differently every time, which is sort of frustrating-
sometimes
I wish we had a simple formula, but we don't! We ultimately end up
creating songs that seem to be totally different from one another.
Sometimes I think that's really cool and sometimes I imagine it can be
frustrating for the listener, but ultimately I think we manage to sound
enough like us in order to pull it off.
LR: Your sound is pretty
hard to pin down because of all the balanced instrumentation and great
songwriting on the record, who or what would you say are some of your
most important influences?
Rohner: These are different for all of us, I'm sure…for me it's a house
that was always full of art and music when I was growing up, and a
piano
teacher who encouraged me to write my own weird songs. Black Sabbath,
Pink Floyd and Talking Heads knocked my head onto my ass when I was a
wee one. Lungfish scared me in 8th grade. Richard Buckner took me to
the hills. Boards of Canada quite literally rescued me from
psychochemical peril. It's all in there!
Ryan: For me, lately it's been a lot of Jesus and Mary Chain (Darklands esp), Bark Psychosis, and MBV
– I love how all of those artists know how to make something beautiful
out of waves of feedback and noise – they've definitely inspired me to
get a little but more loose on this record and explore some new guitar
tones. I just said "guitar tone" -yikes.
LR: What’s been you’re
interpretation in dealing with record labels and the music industry in
regards to getting this album out to the people?
Ryan: We
really started the process of recording Beartrap Island with the
intention of having a finished product that would be good enough for a
label to just pick up and put out – once we finished it, we were kind
of stuck in this place where we wanted people to hear it, but we didn't
want to go for a full self-release. These days, with bands like Tapes
n' Tapes, Birdmonster, and Clap Your Hands… self releasing their
records, I think the ante has definitely been raised for what a label
can expect a band to bring to the table in terms of gaining
self-exposure, touring, radio play etc. on their own.
LR: The
L.A. Music scene seems pretty segregated into smaller collectives of
bands that hang out together or consistently play gigs on the same
bill. Describe what the music scene is like for Division Day in Los
Angeles?
Rohner: Los Angeles has taken some serious getting
used to for me. At its worst, it's painfully style-conscious and
dilletantish, but at its best, it's an awesome network of cool folks
making cool shit, and all of them helping each other do it. We've met
and played with some amazing artists, and felt the camaraderie of
sloggin' away in the trenches with lots of other bands…most
importantly, we've made some great friends.
Ryan: I think as far as the band is concerned, we're definitely not
identifiably linked to any particular scene – we kind of just go where
the shows are. Personally, I'm really thankful to be in LA right now -
I think it's a pretty exciting time for music and it's only going to
get better.
LR: Beartrap Island was just recently released, how are people reacting to your album so far?
Rohner: The response has been great. It seems like peoples' reactions are
often multi-tiered, like "hey, cool! This is good!" and then later
"wow, I really like this song," and then "this has been in my car for
10 days!" or whatever. I think it takes a little time to sink in, the
whole thing. Or maybe it's just so way too long that people are like
"jeez…"
Ryan: My mom and dad like it! I think people have been
generally really positive about it – the blogosphere seems to dig it,
which is great. other than that, I think we'll just have to wait and
see once people realize that their cd's will self destruct after 10
plays.
LR: In the past 5 years or so there’s been a strong
tendency with bands blending genres and different eras of music. Where
do you see your music going after this record?
Rohner: Yeah…there is a lot of that going on. Before we know it kids will be
making nostalgic ought-rock. None of us can stop the stuff we grew up
on from coloring what we make, but some of the shameless aping I hear
these days sounds less like homage and more like opportunism. I just
want to keep looking for a way to write what naturally wants to come
out, but still push myself. The next D-Day record should be a
black-metal/dancehall record.
Ryan: Probably to vacation in the Bahamas.
LR: What have you guys been listening to lately?
Rohner: I've been listening to not nearly enough, mostly. Every few months I
go through a phase where my brain sort of needs a rest. I did cook to
the Pet Shop Boys recently, which was rad. The new National record is
pretty stellar. That Gnarls Barkley single is the best song of the year.
Ryan: Unrest, Walker Brothers, Clarence Carter, Liars, Sabbath, OMD, Lots of Gary Numan (!).
LR: Division Day have some of the coolest and most original flyers I’ve ever come across. Who comes up with these ideas?
Ryan: Thanks so much! That's awesome! I don't really know – Kevin, Rohner,
and I used to take turns doing designs, but now it's mostly Rohner –
any time you see what looks like Wade Boggs or Kyle McLachlan, that's
Rohner. If you see a rocket-duck or a duck running really quickly,
that's Kevin. I haven't done a flier in a long time, but mine are
usually hand drawn since I don't know how to use the computer.
LR: Any last shout-outs?
Rohner: PRIMOS!
Ryan: Think Sea Level – think Primos – Go Padres!
-Scott McDonald
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