indiePulse

Q&A with Chris Mulvey from Muy Cansado

Muy Cansado is a three-piece indie-pop band from Boston. They released a really great new record called Let It Go last week and I recently featured them as the Song of the Day on the site. I wanted to learn more about the band and I had an opportunity to ask Chris Mulvey [guitarist and primary vocalist] a few questions over email. Thanks, Chris for taking the time to do this and best of luck to all of you with the new record.

Your music has been described as “indie pop” and "effervescent pop rock". How do you describe your style and approach to making music?

I like the description "effervescent pop rock" - we are trying to create pop-oriented rock music.  I love the intersection of pop and rock: something with a rock aesthetic, but is catchy and sticks in your ear.  For us, music is all about satisfying your ears.  Our approach to music is to create songs we think sound as good as possible.  Naturally our taste and influences pepper the music.   Lisa and I come from a base of Pixies, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Radiohead and The Beatles.   However, when we get excited about contemporary artists, like Animal Collective or The Press, and they can be just as inspiring.

Growing up, did you want to be a musician? Did you come from a musical family?

I always found music fascinating and loved it from a young age, but there were no musicians in my immediate family.  My mother and grandfather sang a lot around the house, but neither were trained singers.  I loved to sing in elementary school music class; however, singing was not popular with young boys, so I used to pretend I wasn't into it.  I started playing guitar right before high school and that's when I knew I wanted to be a musician.  I actually avoided picking it up earlier because I feared if I started, I would never stop.  Turns out I was right.

One of my favorite songs is "Not For Nothing". Do you have a favorite song on the record? Why?

My two favorites are Not For Nothing and Predisposed.  Writing Not For Nothing marked a change in our sound.  We finished that song up just after writing the songs for our EP Love and Fear.  When Not For Nothing took form, it seemed like an exciting departure from everything we had written before and set the table for the rest of the songs on Let It Go. It was a watershed moment with regard to our songwriting, so it is definitely a favorite.  Predisposed is also a favorite, because it was a song that was born out of turmoil.  Someone close to me had a traumatic event and this song idea came out of it.  But that struggle continued in the songwriting process until one day we let go of our perception of the song we were trying to write and just played.  The result was the song you currently hear.  It was something we could only do with trust.

The record is called "Let It Go" and you have indicated that a theme of anxiety and release run through the lyrics.. Is anxiety something you have dealt with personally? Was there something going on during the writing that contributed to this?

Anxiety is something that everyone goes through.  I think it's part of being human.  A large part of people's lives is dealing with anxiety.  Do we let it consume us or enrage us, or are we able to let go of things, or even better channel them into something positive?  A lot of the songs invoke anxious imagery or wording, but there is release all around (if not just in the music).  On a personal basis, I have definitely dealt with anxiety, but I am not sure any more than the average person.  During the writing of these songs I definitely focused more on lyrics than I had in the past, so I suppose that means that they are more personal.   With regard to the title, "Let It Go," there are so many things that the term can mean.  It can be a positive and empowering thing and-or a deflating and defeating thing.  I love duality.

Your harmonies with Lisa sound really great. What's your process? Do you write these together?

Lisa and I write all of the songs together.  She has been my songwriting partner for years and she is great.  In terms of process:  the songs typically start with me in a room with an acoustic guitar.  Once I develop a chord progression and melodic idea that I am excited about, I bring it to Lisa.  She writes her own harmonies and-or counter melodies (as well as her own bass lines).  She has an incredible ear for harmonies, so the process is usually fun and exciting for me - I get to hear her open up the songs into a new space.

What is the best advice you ever got?

The best advice I ever got was to do things you love doing.  It sounds cheesy, but if you love what you're doing, then it becomes easy.

Top 5 things you have learned from being in this band?

I have learned so many things from being in this band, but here are five of them:

1.  To be patient and take my time to do something right.

2.  To collaborate with other people holistically.

3.  To stay focused.

4.  To win arguments.

5.  To lose arguments.

What's your favorite guitar to play and why?

Right now I play both a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Telecaster.  The Telecaster is new to me, so I am definitely more excited about it.  I did not own it during the recording of Let It Go, so that's not what you're hearing on the album.  Let It Go was recorded primarily with the Gibson and an Ibanez Artist.

Who has influenced your playing style most?

The one person that most affected my guitar playing was Eric Kniffin, my guitar instructor throughout college.  I was already playing guitar for years when I met Eric, but he opened me up to the endless possibilities of music.

Any bands/friends in Boston that we should check out? What makes them so great?

Guillermo Sexo put out an EP last week and are one of my favorite local acts.  I want to describe them as post-punk, but their originality is their appeal and they have their own distinct edge.  Sarah Rabdau and Self-Employed Assassins are an awesome act that I love catching around town.  They are pop, but so much more.  Again - a wildly original act.  I am looking forward to the album they are currently working on.  Kingsley Flood is a phenomenal americana act that is releasing an album in the next few weeks.  They have made some waves over the years and put on a stellar live show.  There are so many great acts in Boston.  The city is overflowing with talent, which is a great source of inspiration.

Q&A with Paul Herring [RAMP Gallery]

Portland-based RAMP Gallery [www.rampgallery.com]has one of the most amazing gig poster and flyer collections around. It's a lot of fun to browse through the collection and flash back to a lot of good memories. Starting tomorrow, 12/6, RAMP gallery is hosting a show of Pat Graham's photography - which is nothing short of amazing.

I had a chance to find out more about the gallery and it's founder, Paul Herring over email.

* For those that aren't familiar, can you tell us a little bit about RAMP? What it is, where they can find you and what makes you different from other galleries?

Paul: RAMP (Rock,Alternative, Metal, Punk) specializes in what might be best referred to as an "up and coming" genre. Flyers have been collected, traded, bought and sold for many years; but it seems they are starting to be perceived as closer to fine art than they ever were in the past. So I don't mean to suggest that we are the first to collect and offer this material- we are most definitely not. That said, it does appear that we have one of the largest offerings of this often hard to find ephemera; particularly when one considers that we do not focus on pop and classic rock. Ramp tries to always lean in the direction of what was considered alternative music, at least what was considered alternative pre-Nirvana. We do have some classic and pop related material, but again, it's not our focus or passion. We currently host the website, but are looking for appropriate space and may have a physical store in early 2013. The hard part is that, on a certain level, I don't want to part with most of the flyers. The Silkscreen posters, which we also carry, I am far less attached to - They basically fund my flyer habit. In terms of art, they are beautiful and fun to look at, but I have such a passion for flyers, which dates back to the mid 1980's when I was using them (displayed on telephone poles) to determine where I was going to spend my evenings out. We also feature other forms of art that we feel is appropriate and of interest to our audience. For example, RAMP is hosting a gallery opening on Dec 6th for an amazing photographer by the name of Pat Graham. Pat has shot music related subject matter for 20+ years. We are really excited to be able to work with Pat on this showing. 

* How did you get here? Can you give us some background about yourself? Do you have a career in music or arts management? 

Paul: It's a hobby turned semi-profession. My background, from a career perspective, is in the corporate world; most recently at Fender Musical Instruments, and prior to that, apparel companies. I've always played and instrument (primarily guitar) and played in a few unmemorable bands when I was younger.

* The RAMP collection is just incredible. When did you start collecting? Is it all your personal collection? 

Paul: Well, as I sort of noted above, I began collecting a long time ago. I started pulling flyers from poles at the conclusion of the events they were promoting back in the mid 1980's. By the early 90's my walls were covered in flyers. Then in the late 90's I "got over it", only to find myself interested again a few years ago. But I got serious about it this time: archiving and creating a site to display and sell those which were/are not part of what I consider to be my personal collection.

* Some of my favorite Pac NW bands from the early-mid 90s are Hazel and Heatmiser. I love that La Luna print in your collection that features both bands. It also appeared in the CD packaging for Hazel's "Are You Going To Eat That?". What are some of your favorite bands and posters? 

Paul: Ha! That's funny... That flyer was one that I gave to one of my college roommates who had it proudly displayed on his wall. I was a big fan of Heatmiser. I thought they wrote incredible music. Mic City Sons remains one of my favorite albums. That particular flyer was designed by a woman by the name of Chanda Helzer. Her art is, at least what I have seen of it, very recognizable. Mike King, who is a very prolific flyer designer here in PDX, always gives props to Chanda's work when we run across something she designed. That always counts for a lot - when a flyer designer digs your work. Oh, and I should add that I am assisting Mike on a book of his art, which will include a large number of his flyers and posters, that we are targeting for release in December 2013. Some of my fave's? Screaming Trees/Tad/Nirvana at Pine Street, Sprinkler/Heatmiser at x-ray, Poison Idea/Mudhoney/Napalm Beach at Pine Street, Poison Idea/Gits at the OK Hotel, Vomit Launch/Love Battery at Blue Gallery, Elliott Smith/Bird Dog at La Luna, Negativeland at Blue Gallery, Accused/Forced Entry at Oz, Redd Kross/Soundgarden at the Central... I'll stop myself, but I could keep going...

* I have a very small collection of posters but its growing. One of the challenging things with a growing collection is storage. What is some advice for beginner collectors for storing prints? Any specific materials you use? 

Paul: Well, anything is better than thrown in a box, which is what I most often see. Personally, I flatten, remove tape using some form of solvent, then stack, each poster stacked in reverse of the one below, in resealable mylar sleeves. I keep them stored in appropriate-sized brown "shipping" boxes alphabetized for effective access should I attempt to locate a specific flyer. I'm sure there may be others who go to more extremes, but I do try to treat them as the important works of art that I believe they are. I think the important things are to keep them clean, flat and unwrinkled, and stored in a relatively dry environment that is not subject to constant, dramatic, temperature swings.

Thanks a lot Paul for taking the time to do this Q&A..

For more information on the Pat Graham show and RAMP Gallery visit www.rampgallery.com

 

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Dreamers: Travis Morgan of Skybucket

 

Welcome to the first post of the "Dreamers" series. The goal of this series is to get to know [and introduce you to] some of my favorite music makers and folks making things happen in independent music. If you would like to be featured or have a suggestion of someone you'd like to see - please let me know. You can email me at indiepulse [at] gmail.com.

 

 

Today we get to know Travis Morgan a bit. I've been a fan of his Birmingham, AL-based label, Skybucket, for a while now and had a chance to ask him some questions. Skybucket has been really busy lately managing artists and releasing records. Thanks again Travis for taking the time to do this for me.

 

www.skybucket.com

* What was your first job in the music industry?

My first job actually was starting and running this label back in 2002 (our first release was in 2003).  I had no former knowledge and didn't work for any other music companies before starting Skybucket.  I have learned what to do by learning what not to do. In a way, it has been a pure and free experience.  Free from outside influence, so perhaps that's helped on the creative end.  That being said, if I were younger and able to work for a label (or another music company) before starting my own, I would.  This could've helped me cut to the chase on some issues and knowledge.  In my case, since there were no labels (oustide a DIY label or two) in Birmingham to learn from, I had to learn on my own. 

Editor's note: Travis also added that he worked "in a record store (3 different ones in fact) before starting a label."

* Where did the name Skybucket come from?

The label was born out of need rather than a sudden urge to start a label.  I started the record company with my friend Justin Lee (who left in 2004).  The story is: There was a literary magazine starting up in Bham (short for Birmingham) and they approached Justin or Justin approached them about doing a cd compilation with the magazine; I cannot remember now.  They wanted to do it. The compilation was supposed to accompany the magazine.  So, we set forth to create an Alabama music collection.  We dug around as much as we could for solid music coming out of Bham, Montevallo, Huntsville, Auburn, etc... When we had the collection ready, the literary guys were not ready to move forward.  We waited several months for them to get their act together and when they did not, we proceeded.  When we had the collection ready, we needed some kind of a way put it out.  We thought, let's do it ourselves and we should put a label name on it...what should we call it? We wrote possible label names on the front and back of legal pad sheets. We finally decided the name "Skybucket" fit the personality of the label. There's not a big story behind the name. Sky Buckets are things at theme parks that take you from one end to another. They simply bring to mind joy so we wanted our label to be associated with something that brought joy to people. We put the two words together and called it "Skybucket." Hopefully we can help bring joy to people with the music we release.

* Who is your music icon?

Wow, that's a tough one.  I think of an icon as being someone that everyone knows, so that's not very interesting to me. I'd say one of my heros is Eddie Hinton.  Eddie did a lot of session work in Muscle Shoals in the late 60s/early 70s. He contributed to a lot of records/songs you've probably heard.  Look him up all All Music Guide.  It's pretty spectacular. What's even better is the music he made.  Although, he made only a handful of records, they're all very special, but especially to me Very Extremely Dangerous.  Buy that records now. He died in Birmingham in 1995.  Even in Bham, not many people know who he is, but he was considered a musicians musician.  More musicians know who he is and respect him than do the average listener.

* Do you have a favorite keepsake?

A recent one is a pin that my stepdaughter gave me which I wear or carry in my pocket of the character Carl from the Pixar film Up. 

* Tell us about where you go to get inspired..

When it's not summertime, I love to hike.  It's a great place to clear my head of life's frustrations and reset my brain.  A new park opened in the Bham area called Red Mountain Park which is really great for hiking.  It's full of interesting wildlife and the park displays the remains of abandoned iron ore mines (Bham made a lot of Steel)

* What is the big project(s) you are working on right now?

Currently, it's the new Delicate Cutters album Ring.  It's getting some buzz right now. I'm very excited.  I'm also preparing to put a lot of work into the new full length by Belle Adair from Muscle Shoals. 

* What qualities do you look for when deciding to work with artists?

Do I love this band? 

Do they write great songs? 

Could they make a great album? 

Would I listen to this band if they weren't from Birmingham or Alabama? 

Do I like the people in the band personally? 

Would they be making music regardless of success or being able to make a living?

* What's your favorite place to buy music?

I like both Renaissance Records and Charlemagne Record Exchange, both located in the Five Points South area of Bham. If you go in those shops without a list, you will be very happy because you'll discover something new every time.

* What's your favorite place to see live music?

Hands down, BottleTree in Bham.  It's one of my favorite venues anywhere.

* Who is your favorite industry person to follow on Twitter?

Honestly, I follow Bob Lefsetz [@lefsetz].   Other than that I don't pay attention to many people besides those I know.  I love following comedians like Marc Maron, Jim Gaffigan and Neil Hamburger.

* How would you describe your philosophy and approach to the label?

Although I love so many different styles of music, I feel like I've mainly been interested in songwriters.  Every band I work with tend to have at least one key songwriter that has been honing their craft for years, decades, even.  I love jazz, electronic, avant-garde, etc...but I'm more focused on songs.  That being said, I also tend to work with bands that have a dark side. Many acts on the roster write about dark subject matter.  Not always, but it can be very interesting to me for a writer to explore the shit people don't talk about.  My approach is very DIY.  I do mostly everything myself.  I have people that help from time to time, but it's mostly my vision.  I am interested in releasing records that many other labels wouldn't release due to a lack of that certain glossed over, overproduced sound.  Honestly, if someone recorded something on a four track recorder and it was beautiful I might take that for a stroll.  

* Top 3 things you've learned from running a label? 

1. Touring leads to so many opportunities a non-touring band will never see.
2. Physical distribution means very little for a new artist.  If you're an artist just starting out, make your music available for all to hear on the internet and don't worry about printing physical copies.  Create demand first.
3. Somedays a lot of buzz is happening and others you cannot pay someone to pay attention to you. Enjoy every good moment and don't let the bad ones get you down.  Remember why you're doing what you're doing.

* In what ways is artist mgmt the same or different than running the label? 

Again, you're probably asking the wrong guy.  I'm also learning management as I go.  In my case I manage bands that aren't on my label.  I'm not saying I wouldn't do manage artists I work with as a label, but right now, I'm not. On the small level that many of the bands I work with live, I tend to do everything I can to make things happen for them either way. They've got to get labels and booking agents interested, and between writing, rehearsing and playing shows, they need help to make those things happen. I really enjoy working with artists from the ground up, developing artists.  I want to help them achieve their goals. Being a label is only a piece of the puzzle.  A manager assists in so many details.  It's a really fun thing to be a part of.

Kanine's Kay Quartararo on Bleeding Rainbow

 

In June I posted about Kanine signing Bleeding Rainbow. I was interested in learing a little bit about the label and the band and had a chance to send over a few questions to the owner, Kay Quartararo. Thanks for taking time out for this, Kay. For more on Bleeding Rainbow and Kanine Records visit the Kanine site.

 

Can you tell us a little bit about Bleeding Rainbow and how they got here? Though we are highlighting the fact that Bleeding Rainbow is now a four piece instead of the duo of Sarah and Rob, they've known Al since the beginning as his label helped release their first album Mystical Participation. And Greg was playing drums in another Philly band - but they've know him for 4 years. Sarah and Rob still possess the first mix CD he gave them before embarking on their first US tour. I don' t know what was on it, but it must have been good.  Maybe it was the constant comparisons to other two piece bands or just the general need to add more layers but I guess when you have long time friends that you can collaborate with right in your backyard, it probably seems more of a natural progression than a lot of changes. What's this thing about Carrie Brownstein saying their name was weak? Carrie did an interview with the band  - then going by Reading Rainbow - and them she didn't like it! Obviously there were other problems with the name which ultimately made the decision to change it much easier. How would you describe the band's sound? Well, something sort of evolved in writing the release about the album to the effect of the Mamas and the Papas backed by the Smashing Pumpkins - which I really like. But since I also really like ice cream and it's summer, I am going to describe them as Rocky Road. Dark, crunchy, sweet, with bits of fluff thrown in. A satisfying mouthful in one bowl. What was it about the band that made you think they were a good fit for the label? Well, they are "besties" with Eternal Summers. So we would hear about what they were up to a lot.  But we heard the new album, we thought it was just awesome - a nice progression from previous work, good timing for us and not too similar to anything else we were working on. Best of luck with this record.                         Are there any other Kanine releases planned for this year? We've got new singles by a Florida band called Beach Day.

 

Q&A with Disappears

Disappears is a Chicago-based band that started out in 2008 as a recording project. Much has happened over the past several years and the band is currently touring in support of it's latest record "Guider". Recently, I had a chjance to ask founding member, Brain case, a few questions. Thanks, Brian, for taking time out of your busy schedule.. I started by asking about "Guider":

The new record, "Guider", came out earlier this year and is really starting to gain momentum. It sounds incredible.. Critics and fans are really digging it.. What was the overall tone you were shooting for on this record?

We wanted to do something a little darker than our first album LUX, take some of the ideas that were at the core of that (repetition, momentum) and expand on them. We also wanted to experiment a bit as well, which is how we ended up with the b side being one whole piece or song.

So, Graeme Gibson played drums in the band up until last Fall. He had to leave the band and Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth joined as his replacement.. That's pretty amazing. How did that come about?  Has Steve been able to contribute creatively or what have his contributions been?

A mutual friend brought Steve to see us play and he really liked the show. We ended up collaborating on a still in progress project and kept in touch. When Graeme decided he was moving to Portland we asked Steve if he'd be interested in playing, not thinking it was going to work out. Fortunately it did and here we are. Creatively we've tweaked the older songs a little bit but mostly we've been working on new material we'll be recording in October.

There has been a lot of discussion about how the new mayor can make the city a better place for the arts. What's your take on being a band in Chicago? What is right and what can be improved?

Chicago has always been a great place for musicians - it's relatively inexpensive for a large city and is right in the middle of the country so it's easy to get to either coast. It's got a really strong community of like minded musicians that doesn't really focus on genre as much as shared experiences. I think the city does a lot for musicians now - the series' in Millenium Park during July and August always pairs local bands with national acts and there are a million street festivals here. As far as improvements go I'm not really sure - it seems like as long as you have an underground scene of bands and alternative venues that can sit along side the established bigger clubs things will continue to grow. 

You've spent a lot of time on the road and the the band is set to embark on a large tour this summer. It kicks off in Grand Rapids, MI on 7/20 and includes a stop in Chicago for Lollapalooza. Are you looking forward to hitting the road for a while? What's the touring experience been for you? Has it been rewarding? 

Tour has been going well for us with this record. We've been getting great turn outs and response. It's a lot of work and tough to be away from home but I think we're helping out situation a lot with these gigs. Right now we're testing out a lot of the material that will be on our next album so it's been really fun every night. The response has been great so we're excited to get working on it.

 

 

This is the band's entire set from La Route du Rock Festival in Saint-Malo, France.

Q&A with JEFF the Brotherhood

Nashville-based duo, JEFF the Brotherhood [Jake and Jamin Orall] released their self-produced record "We Are The Champions" this week. The band is known for stripped down songs and relentless touring schedule. I recently had a chance to ask Jake a few questions. Thanks, Jake..

>> Your music has been described as "psych-rock" and "garage rock". How do you describe your style and approach to making music?
We try and make good music for having fun and partying with your friends.

>> Did you guys grow up in Nashville?

Kinda, we relly grew up in Williamson County, but moved to Nashville when I was in high school.

>> What's your favorite place in Nashville to play shows?

Fav venue is the End, but we like doing houseshows (every once in a while).

>> One of the things I love about your band is Jake's big guitar sound. Can you tell us about your favorite guitar? What is it that makes it so enjoyable to play? Do we hear this guitar throughout the record?
I only have one guitar.  I got it from Guitar Center for 200 bucks when i was like 17, its a piece of junk. And ya its on the record.  My friend is gonna make me a new one soon. 

>> I hear sitar at various points throughout this record but don't remember hearing it on "Heavy Days"? Was this your playing Jake?
No thats our friend, Ryan, from the Paperhead! 

>> The new record is self-produced.. Do you both love to work in the studio or which one of you is studio-wiz?
Neither of us are really good at doing studio stuff, we always have an engineer, but we like producing.  We produce all our records 

>> What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in making this record?
Scheduling.  We are on tour all the time and it was hard to find time to mix and stuff.

>> Any last words?
Come check us out, it will be a fun show!!

 

Q&A with California Wives

This week I had a chance to ask Chicago-based band California Wives some questions. The four-piece band formed in 2009 after the three original members brought Jayson Kramer in to help them realize a new direction. The band released its latest record in September of last year; a 5-track EP called "Affair" that they recorded in Chicago with Brett Mohr at Gravity Studios. The EP has drawn a considerable amount of attention over the past several months from music blogs and magazines.  Thanks a lot to Jayson for taking the time to do this Q&A..

For more on the band check out http://californiawives.net

I started by asking Jayson about the band's style and approach to making music:

>> The new EP sounds really great. I've listened to it a bunch over the past week. Your music has been described as “new wave pop”. How do you describe your style and approach to making music?

 

First and foremost, we like to think of our music as "pop music." We'd probably be a little more open with using that term if it didn't have such a negative connotation in many of today's music circles. But we really look to the pop genre to solve many of the songwriting issues we encounter. Brevity is important when writing pop music, so we're not trying to take too much time to get our ideas across. I also enjoy the way pop music makes me feel, that feeling you get when you come across a great hook. The brain forces you to sing those catchy melodies to yourself. Those melodies can get you to look past who is singing the song, why they wrote it, or what they look like. It gets to the heart of why we listen to music in the first place. 

>> Jayson, I understand you share songwriting duties with Dan. What does your songwriting pocess look like? Is it a collaborative process? How is Dan's process different from yours?

Most of the songs I write come from demos that I send the band. Each song will have a drum part, a few guitar parts, a bass line, synth parts, and a vocal line. Dan's songs also start out very similarly. But I'm always clear that I want each member to take the song and make whatever changes necessary to make it better. I really feel that as a whole, it's a very collaborative process. Sure, Dan and I start the process off, but it takes many practices with all four of us before we get a product we feel comfortable recording or playing live. Each one of us has a hand in making sure those songs sound the way they do. 

>> Was there a specific tone or vibe you were going for on this record? Were you inspired by anything specific while making the record?

Well, all of us have been huge fans of New Order for quite some time now, so we really wanted the record to have this verbed-out, echoey kind of sound. There's something mysterious about those New Order records, many of the sounds are given a lot of space to move around and we wanted that feel to carry over into Affair. We also really appreciate the pop mentality of bands like Phoenix, they way they get ideas across so quickly. Lastly, I was going through a huge shoegaze phase at that time. Bands like Chapterhouse really grabbed my attention because I loved they way they incorporated shoegaze with pop melodies. When people write about the record, they usually use a combination of those three influences. That's really interesting to me, because we didn't go into the studio saying "let's make a record that sounds like New Order, Phoenix, and shoegaze." But those bands were probably more active in our subconscious at the time than we realized.

>> The band formed in 2009 when the three original members of the band brought you in to the mix. How did you meet the guys?

I had just moved back from Boston University and was living with a friend from high school. Hans had gone to school with my roommate, so the guys would always be at my apartment. We went to a lot of shows and hung out quite a bit before we started the band. Our musical interests were pretty identical and they knew I played keyboards and guitar, so that's why they asked me to join. I convinced them to take a listen to some of the music I had written and eventually we started sharing the songwriting responsibilities. It felt like a natural progression, adding new instruments and sounds to our mix only when we needed them. It took us a while to get the sound right, but I'm glad we kept growing as a band. 

>> Growing up, did you want to be a musician? Did you come from a musical family?

My parents started me on piano when I was very, very young. To be honest, I can't remember a time when I wasn't practicing piano. None of my family members have any real musical training, so I'm not sure why they decided to enroll me in piano lessons. I was very serious about it, playing for 12 years or so. I picked up the guitar around the age of 12 and also played percussion throughout high school. Some of my friends gave me Aphex Twin when I was a sophomore in high school and I was hooked on electronic music from then on. I would sit in front of a computer for hours, trying to make the sounds he made on those earlier records. So by the time I entered college, I had already had made some music of my own. In college, I studied music theory and composition for a while, before choosing to major in biology. I continued to make electronic music on my own, primarily just for myself until I moved back home to Chicago. Then I joined California Wives. 

>> You guys are from Chicago. Do you have a favorite local venue to play shows?

First off, Chicago is a great place for young indie bands. All the venues we have worked with so far have been very kind to us. I think Schuba's holds a special place in our hearts so far, as they helped us put together a great EP-release party and have since added us to the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival 2011. But we have yet to play some other great venues, like the Empty Bottle. Bottom line is that they are all great and we are seriously lucky to start our career in Chicago. 

>> I know it's impossible to pick a favorite song, but if you could play one song from the record for us right now what would it be and why?

For me it's a split between "Blood Red Youth" and "Twenty Three." "Blood Red Youth" was such a great collaborative experience. We really constructed that song as a group and some of the parts the other guys added are so awesome. "Twenty Three" is special to me because it really reminds me of the way I was feeling a year ago. Every time we play that song, I get a chance to feel that way again. 

>> You worked with producer Brett Mohr on this record. How was that experience? What do you feel is Brett's biggest contribution to the record?

Brett has a great working attitude in the studio. When we started the recording, we were way too analytical. It was our first time in a real studio and I think we must have looked crazy during those first days. But Brett kind of roped us back to reality and made sure we didn't go overboard. You don't want the songs to lose that driving force that makes them special, and he is really great at keeping the songs focused. We also just started recording two new singles with him last weekend and his confidence in the songs is always contagious. He focuses on the task at hand, does great work, and is a great source of positivity. We are seriously lucky to have him on our team. 

>> The reaction to the record seems to be largely positive. Have the crowds been growing atshows? What would you say have been the biggest challenges in building an audience so far?

The crowds have been really great and supportive of us. It's really awesome to see new faces in the crowd and we are always taken by surprise. It's a totally new thing for us...seeing our name getting out there. Our only expectations with this record were to make the best songs we could make at the time. So anything beyond that always takes us by surprise. It can be difficult getting the record into new hands and the process can be slow for newer, unsigned bands. But we're pretty confident that people can find something to like in our music if they give it  a chance...and people seem to be doing that. 

>> Anything else you would like everyone to know?

We're going to release a new single and b-side later this winter for SXSW. These songs have some new ideas that we've been eager to try out. We also want to thank everyone for the support they've given us...the facebook posts, messages, tweets, reviews, whatever it is. Never hesitate to send us messages or e-mails and we'll do our best to get back to everyone. It means a lot to us.