The other day I had a lovely chat with the vivacious Grace of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. We chatted about the intentional sexy style of the bands last self-titled album and her musical curiosity. It was truly a pleasure speaking with someone so enthralled with the effects of music on humans. You know when she’s composing music, she’s really got her listeners interests at heart.
So how’s the tour going?
It’s been amazing. This is our first time as a band really gunning it, going for the bigger venues, and selling them out. It feels very fulfilling.
Does that fulfillment come from your sort of new found freedom based on the recent realization that you guys don’t fit neatly into a music genre so you might as well just let the songs happen without over-thinking them?
Absolutely. For years we felt we were being pushed into a corner; like the jam band or blues band scene. We’re none of that but all of that and it’s great to expand and add character. The road is wide open and it’s a great place to be.
How did you guys come to that realization? Did something in particular bring it to light?
There was never one moment. I think it’s just about growing up. You grow up and realize you don’t want to be one thing and luckily for us, we realized it before we hit anything big time. If you hit it big time as a pop princess, then you’re going to be a pop princess forever. If you hit it big time as a real deal rock ‘n’ roll band, then you have a lot more access and ability to take it in multiple directions.
So you said the fans are eating up the music. Can you tell me about the album?
We enjoyed making it so much. We really spent time getting comfortable in the studio and get visceral and human with our studio experience. So often the studio can be scientific, pragmatic, and linear; everything falls in line but not always in a good way. This time around we had so much fun making the record, writing the songs, collaborating. It was a good time and I think you can hear it in the music.
Robyn: a little, blonde doll with a soft, buttery voice laced with a Swedish accent, and with a pleasant aura about her that makes you want to linger around her…and possibly just hug her. Prior to her Vancouver show a few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit about a metre way from her to chat about her latest effort, Body Talk, the series it stems from, and her growth as an artist.
So how’s the tour going?
Very well. It’s really nice being here. We came out to Canada at the end of the summer for a tour with Kelis but we didn’t play the west coast. This is more like a traditional tour, in the sense that we’re not doing festivals and we’re playing cities where we haven’t been before. It’s the same audience everywhere which is really mixed: the gay crowd, people who knew me from 15 years ago, hipsters, ghetto kids, nerdy goth kids…it’s a really eclectic mix which I’m happy about.
Have you had any musical epiphanies while on the tour? Anything that will translate to new songs being recorded right away?
Maybe, I don’t know. Maybe something will stick. I collect memories and impressions but it’s hard to say what will become a song later on. I’m inspired by the audience. These people are responding to something simple: we don’t have fancy light shows and pyrotechnics. We have a simple plan which is to make people dance; it’s a club show. I’m inspired that people are responding to that, that what I’m doing naturally reaches people in the right way.
Well at the end of the day, it comes down to the music. You can have as many fireworks as you want, but if the music can’t stand on it’s own, you’re hooped right?
Exactly. There’s something interesting about the mechanics of how a good show happens because even if we do the same thing every night, the audience is always new, so if I don’t give it my all, the audience feels that and I don’t get as much back. Its that exchange that makes it a good show. It can be terrifying but there’s I also find security because I know if I go out there and give 100%, that’s probably what I’m going to get back. It reinforces my belief in people, music, and realness.
Over the years N*E*R*D has constantly evolved their sound, each album sounding slightly different from the last. With the new album, Nothing, that trend continues, going more in a hiphop/rnb/dance direction while still retaining some guitar sounds, but adding horns on some of the tracks. Overall it’s an interesting progression and in speaking with them they’re comfortable with not pleasing everybody, as they know their core fans will always support the band. On November 3rd we had a chance to sit down with Pharrell and Shay to talk about the album, and the state of our world. Shit got deep.
You guys are known for dipping into different genres and mixing it up. Now do you see your growth in music making as a destination or a journey? In other words are you guys getting closer to finding your true identity or are you guys happily free venturing into different directions.
Shay: I think we…well I know we love the fact that there is no boundaries. There’s no expectations, you know what I mean? Like our core fans understand that they’re gonna get something completely different with each album and I think you know that relieves a lot of stress off of us because it gives us the freedom to have fun and jam out. If it resonates with us then we know its earned a place on the album. That’s just my personal opinion.
Pharrell: I agree.
What was it about the original 25+ songs that the group ended up scraping that just didn’t feel right?
Shay: I feel like the sound. The sound on those particular records just didn’t feel like a true representation of what N*E*R*D is about. I thought a few of the records were good, a lot of them I didn’t really care for, I personally hated and we would literally have some cold heated battles with him (pointing at Pharrell) about how we should take a different direction and during that time it was really frustrating time for us. We weren’t necessarily in sync.
Interview by Allicia Tek
Photos by Patrick Chuong
We last spoke to Far East Movement (FM) in February 2009 after the release of Animal. We caught up with FM on tour in Washington, DC before their performance to discuss their new album, Free Wired, which comes out on October 12th. Their latest single, “Like a G6”, has landed on iTunes number one spot. The track is currently on Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts at number two this week. I had the opportunity to catch up with FM as they were on the road to promote Free Wired last weekend.
Atek: How is life on the road for FM right now?
FM: It’s been incredible. The reaction has been different on every tour. When you see people at markets you’ve never been to before knowing all the lyrics to your songs, it trips you out. It’s been a blessing as well. We have been getting crazy news while being on the road for this tour like, “You guys just hit iTunes”, and we’re like “What?” We will be in random cities when news comes out, one city at a time. It’s been cool and very surreal at the same time.
Atek: Do you get the opportunity to explore different cities?
FM: Once in a while. We’re usually at a radio station, and then we’ll head to sound check and will return back to the hotel to change. We’re back at the venue later in the evening and finally at the airport. Every once in a while, we will get to take in a city on tour. It’s important to get in the culture of the city.
Atek: Congratulations on topping Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart for the number two spot! How does the group feel about being the first Asian American group to break this barrier?
FM: We’ve always made our music to cater to everyone, not just a specific race. We’re very proud to represent our ethnicity but we’re also LA kids as well. It’s been a very proud moment for us in terms of being artists. Cherrytree Records and our A&R Martin Kierszenbaum gave us an opportunity. He said, “I signed you guys because you guys have a party that I want to go to”. For us to hear that from a label where we never imagined being at provided confidence to us. We were able to wild out as ourself, so “Free Wired” is acting as ourselves.
In case you hadn’t heard, the Street Sweeper Social Club is pretty damn epic. Made up of Boots Riley from The Coup and Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, the band has shit they want to get off their chests and they’re doing it their way instead of to the beat of the music label “let’s make stars” machine. They recently released their Ghetto Blaster EP featuring a bunch of covers you’ll be sure to love. I got to chat with Boots about the EP as well as what you can look forward to from him and the Street Sweeper Social Club.
What compelled you guys to cover M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”?
We were putting our show together and when we first started, we had a whole bunch of songs that no one knew so it’s an easy trick to play a song that everyone knows [in between the new songs]. We changed the force of “Paper Planes” so much that we started making it our own and people requested a studio version of it so we did it.
Can you tell me about the new EP Ghetto Blaster?
We knew we weren’t going to put out a whole album but that we wanted to put something out quick, something that was a snapshot of where we are now. We started jamming together more on tour and we wanted to make something a little bit rougher than the last album. Our last album was pretty put together and polished and overdubbed; Tom played bass and guitar and then I came in later to do vocals. For this album we basically did it in a smaller studio, live, everything at the same time, five of us sweating it out and rocking out hard.
Before their Vancouver show, I had the chance to chat with Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee of Naughty By Nature. Over licorice, we chatted about their soon to come album Anthem Inc., what they think about the current music scene and collaborations, and how it feels to be back.
So where you guys at? What’s it like to be back full-time as the orginal trio? Everyone’s stoked to see you guys tonight!
Treach: We back in business. Me and Vin we’re still touring when Kay wasn’t with us but now it’s like the original elements are back. The fans were asking for it so we had to do it. Fans were telling us they weren’t feeling much of the new music that’s out there and that they we wanted to hear our original sound. We felt like we owed it to our fans.
You guys haven’t really taken a break because you’ve all still been dabbling in music, etc. What’s different this time around?
Treach: We’ve matured. Before, we didn’t know how to make hit records. We thought we were hot shit. Now, we’re like ninjas. No more karate kids, we’re Mr. Miyagi’s up in here.
You thought you were hot shit? You guys were hot shit! You guys are hip hop legends!
Treach: Yeah hearing that is beautiful but we had to build to that.
Vin Rock: It’s crazy. I remember us doing high school talent shows, competing at Club 88, putting out records, etc. Everything’s been a blur. It’s when we slowed down that the “legend” accolades starting coming. We never knew we were building what people call a legend. Getting the accolades is…wow, especially when we started as kids up on Kay’s second floor balcony fucking around. Next thing we know we’re a global legend.
Must be cool to see people still lose their shit when they hear OPP.
Vin Rock: It’s crazy when you get random texts, emails, phone calls from people saying, “Hey! I’m in Atlanta and the Dj just threw on a Naughty set and the crowd went crazy!”
How’s the music making process different?
DJ Kay Gee: It’s slightly different because times have changed. We have standards and certain things we want to do. You don’t want people to say why they doing this or why aren’t they doing this so you have to be cautious. You also don’t want to sound like your dated but you also don’t want to sound like you’re doing something out of the norm as well. So yeah, there’s been a slight change but not too much.
Melissa Auf der Maur, where do I begin. She is this energy that fills our universe with the pure essence of what an artist is in all forms. She is organic, humble, and hauntingly moving.
Most of us know her as the bassist from Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins but she has made her own name. Created a self-made project called MAdM that is filled with magical darkness. Out of Our Minds the title of the album, comic and short film is absolutely grand and visually delicious.
I was thrilled to be able to interview someone with such a musical background and history. Enjoy!
For all things MAdM click here.
Where are you right now?
Melissa: I’m in my home in upstate New York. I got home last night from not being home for most of the last three months. I have my cat on my lap and I’m so excited to be home.
Where are you?
I’m from Washington, DC
MAdM: Oh I thought you were in Virginia because of the 703 numbers. I use to live in Virginia in Alexandria for half a second.
What is your first musical memory? The first time you heard of music in your life?
MAdM: Basically I owe it all to my mother and her record collection. My mother was the first female rock disc jockey in Montreal. She was from Boston but she went to Montreal to study French literature at McGill University. And she got in with the music crowd in the late 60s so she was a disc jockey. And she had all the best records of her generation. So my earliest memories was always having music in the house and then looking at the album covers and then her telling me the stories about the people.
She was way ahead of her time. In terms of the cool ladies not becoming housewives like their mothers did. She was a journalist too so she interviewed a whole bunch of musicians that would come through town.
What was your first tape or record?
MAdM: Well definitely there was so much when I was young. Like everything from the Stones to The Beatles to Zappa, and Leonard Cohen.
The first two albums I bought with my money were The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs. When I was 12 or something. She bought me my first Blondie album. So Parallel Lines was the sort of beginning of me having my own sense of my records and not hers.
I think most of us that listen to electronic music have been waiting quite sometime for Holy Ghost! to release there Static On the Wire EP and it’s finally here! Another fantastic piece of news is that there on tour at the moment. If you’re not familiar with Holy Ghost! you can check them out here, I guarantee once you do, you’ll be hooked. Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel the pulsating duo behind Holy Ghost! gave us a chance to become somewhat acquainted with them.
SpeakerBoxxx: Where are you right now? Describe your surroundings?
Alex: I’m at a recording studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Eric Broucek (Babytalk/stickydisk) mixing a new song for our full-length album. Its 11am. I’m on my blackberry, as usual.
Nick: I’m next to Alex. He’s still on his Blueberry, as usual.
SpeakerBoxxx: Why the name Holy Ghost! And what relevance does your name have to do with your sound?
Alex: Nick and I took the name from a Barkays’ song we both love. It has a nasty drum break on it with awesome bass stabs.
