Quick Hit Band Interview: Sleep Still

Sleep Still at The Satellite

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how the band started? Scott Whelan of metalcore band Haste of Day and Mariam McCarthy of dream pop project Silent Violet met in LA a couple of years ago and decided to start writing together. They onboarded bassist/Multi-instrumentalist Kelly Ehrenberg, also originally from Detroit, and native LA drummer John Chong.

How would you describe you sound? Sleep Still describes their sound as a Dream Rock/Shoegaze project, with a familiar and nostalgic feel. The content of their first album is centered around the idea of rest and the subconscious.

Teragram Ballroom: The Fontaines with SWIMM and The Honeysticks

Back in April, I ran across Hank from The Fontaines after a Livingmore's set at The Satellite. I mentioned that I noticed they were playing a set at the Teragram Ballroom and would love to shoot their set. He said, "No problem." I didn't realize at the time, that I was going to be photographing their last show ever. I first came across The Fontaines in January 2015. They were doing a residency at the Silverlake Lounge. I loved them so much that I went twice.

Of interest, perhaps, is that this was my first time at the Teragram Ballroom. So this night was my last time catching The Fontaines and first time going to the Teragram Ballroom.

It was a solid night of music and what I noticed most, actually, was how the crowd switched out between bands.

The Honeysticks opened up the night and had the teen crowd hanging. I went up to the stage and felt like I was surrounded by 16 year-olds. I kept looking around, hoping to see folks that might be older. Their pop sounds had the teenagers singing along to most of their songs.

The Honeysticks

As soon as they ended their set, the teenagers took off and in came the young and beautiful. SWIMM brought meditative melodies to the stage. Individuals could be seen swaying to the music. For one song, the lead singer asked for soft purple lights and then asked the fans to come close to the stage. Fans got as exaggeratedly close to the stage as possible.

SWIMM

The Fontaines brought a whole new group of individuals up close to the stage. There was a nice mix of young and old, all wishing them well. So I believe Charlotte brought this up in an Instagram post, of all the bands playing, she was the only female gracing the stage. Her vocals brought a soulful sound to the night. To end the night, Hank and Charlotte played a song without their backing band. During the time, Charlotte mentioned that she was trying not to cry. I think one could say the same for their fans. It was a solid four years.

The Fontaines

What did I notice as The Honeysticks came off stage: One of the members accidentally spilled water on the stage. He was so apologetic to the stage guy that it was amusing to watch.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Broken Baby

Broken Baby at the Redwood Bar

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? I’d say our sound is in-your-face rock n roll music with tiny lil gummy bears sprinkled on top. We want you to feel our tension, but maybe you’ll want to dance a little, too.

What inspires you to write/compose your songs? So, the band was formed out of a bit of restlessness, a bit of failure, but also the craving to create something together that we think is badass and also really fun! That’s pretty much how we approach writing the music, too.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Soul Bandit

Soul Bandit at Broke LA

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how you started out as a musician? Well, I've been playing piano since I was 4 so I've always been a "musician". But as far as taking the step to making it my career, that wasn't until around 2012. I was a semester or two away from a Bachelors in Psychology when I had somewhat of an existential crisis. I thought, what am I doing with my life? All I want to do is make art and music. So I dropped out and applied to go to Icon Collective for music production in 2013. Although it definitely hasn't been a walk in the park, I couldn't be happier with my decision.

I couldn't help but notice all those music toys that you had. So how many do you have and is there a specific process to determine when to use them during your set? Haha, well my boyfriend actually is the genius behind the toys, he makes them. It's called circuit bending. We have way too many . . . probably close to 100 now, haha. We go thrifting and to swap meets all the time just to find old kids toys for him to circuit bend. The sounds some of them make are insane so I use them in nearly all of my productions as well, so I decided it would be entertaining to use them in my live performances as well! As far as selecting which ones I use for my performances, a lot of it is just trial and error in picking sounds that will go along with the tracks well. Also, some of them are just easier to use than others so I tend to go with ones that are less challenging to swap out quickly in sets.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Kid Indigo

Kid Indigo at Broke LA

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how you started out as a musician? My uncles were in bands when I was growing up, my mom and Dad are both musically talented as well, but one day my Uncle Jared Dennis pulled up to the crib when I was like 6, and gave my brother and me an electric guitar, a jazz drum set, and a keyboard. So from then on when us kids were bored we would play around with the instruments and we soon developed our own little sound by just messing around and just having fun with it.

How do you go about combining lyrics and sound? I normally start messing around with new chord progressions until something sticks, I don’t know, it all depends on what mood I’m in, I guess. I combine lyrics with sound most of the time by how I’m feeling. If I’m happy I’ll write about how happy and positive life can be, if I’m excited I’ll write about what I want to achieve or already have achieved.

Quick Hit Band Interview: One High Five

One High Five at Broke LA

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how One High Five started out? One High Five, as a name, started out as scribbles in school notebooks as a cool phrase. After writing more music, One High Five quickly became the band name. Moving to Los Angeles and recording the first album allowed me to meet some musicians that would help get the band started. After relocating to Long Beach and getting involved in its expansive music scene, I’ve continued to meet people who help put on the stage show. Currently, I have the great Michael James Adams, Ann Louise Thaiss and Kyle Traska performing with me. It’s a wonderful group and I love them so much. A high five is a fun act of celebration and it’s wonderful to transform that into energetic punk rock and to share that with our friends and music lovers.

What is one of the band’s high or low moments and what makes it memorable? Recently, I went over to Nashville, TN and visited Third Man Records. I used the vinyl recording booth to record our song ‘Fast Food’ and had a blast. You step into this tiny booth - barely large enough for myself and a guitar - a crazy WHOOSH vacuum noise starts up the machine leaving you with a countdown clock of about two and half minutes. Your only job is to play your heart out. Then BOOM!! - you leave with a vinyl record. It was great and left me with such a fun high and a memorable experience. We filmed it and put it up on our website. It’s so cool to be a part of the history of that beautiful machine.

First time on the radio was also a rad experience. "AAAHHH. Holy cow! I’m on the radio!" KROQ’s Locals Only played our song ‘Everybody Pull the Trigger’ while I was driving. I pulled over in a parking lot and cranked the volume. I called up my Mom & Dad and jumped around a lot.

Own Q&A: Ahh yes, people always ask - “Just one? One High Five?” My only good answer is this: One is all you need - assuming its good - to make a difference and have a good time. Now get out there and go celebrate. Thanks for the interview!

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Blushh

Blushh at Broke LA

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What’s the story behind how you started out as a musician? When I was 9 I took Spanish guitar lessons for a couple years. From around age 11 onward my guitar sat in the corner of my room until 2015. 2015 was my start in LA’s music scene as I began throwing more diy shows around town. I guess I was inspired so I picked up my guitar and started writing songs that fall. Early 2016, I showed some of the songs to some friends, and they offered to both record my music and play in my band. It was probably at that point that I decided to take songwriting realistically. I recorded my first single “Are we too far?” that fall and played my first show a few weeks later. Here we are 18 months later and I still don’t consider myself a musician, lol. I like writing songs and playing them with my friends. I’m lucky enough to have people around who have helped record my music, play in my band and come to my shows. I have 2 years of helping local artists to thank for that karma I guess.

I know you do a variety of stuff related to the local music scene. How do you balance all your various music related activities? Everything comes and goes in waves. I was never really involved in much music until my senior of college. It wasn’t until I graduated 4 years ago that I started meeting local bands and throwing shows. I’m still experimenting! Making music is still a new art form for me, but I do love it a lot and I’m really excited to see myself improve. I don’t promote shows anymore, the bureaucracy of it all got me stressed out, honestly. I have a soft spot for diy shows and backyard events and new friends. This current wave I’m riding is heavily focused around my own art creation: making music, taking photos, collaborating on a zine, etc. who knows where this wave will take me next!

Own Question: If anyone out there is visually impaired/nearsighted like I am who has a weird condition that isn’t correctable with glasses, I’d love to know how you tune your guitar on stage!!! Lol

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Crow

Crow at Broke LA

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? I like to think of my music as a vehicle to transport my introspective thoughts to the extrospective self. They are dark and contemplative, yet hopeful. The style of my music marries electronic production with raw instrumentation and vulnerable vocals.

Would you rather be a 1 hit wonder known all around the world -OR- have a steady underground following? And then of course, why the choice? I used to think about this a lot, but I've found a lot of freedom in realizing that it's not my choice. My responsibility as an artist is to make art reflective of who I am, and that is a personal success. My success in the scale of the industry is in the hands of those who are willing to receive it.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Low Hum

Low Hum at Broke LA

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Blend of groovy beats and big gtr riffs.

What band/artist would you most like to open for and why the choice? Tame impala, UMO or Portugal The Man. Love the hybrid of rock and groove.

Own fact: Born and raised in Hawaii.

The Moroccan Lounge: The Paranoyds, Howlin Rain, Broncho

I got an Instagram DM from one of the band members from Howlin Rain, wondering if I'd be interested in checking out their set at The Moroccan Lounge. Yeah, I was.

One thing to note is that this show was on a Friday night. I was also interested in the Warriors-Cavaliers game. What did I do? I drove on down to DTLA with the radio on. Then I parked and listened until the end of the game, even though it was a blow out. The game ended at around 8:30 p.m. and then off I went inside the venue. That's when I nearly panicked.

The Paranoyds were a late add to the bill. I happened to catch them once at a warehouse show and was eager to catch them again. When I got to the ticket counter, I looked up at the printed schedule they had on the wall and saw that The Paranoyds were scheduled to go on at 8:15 p.m. I was like, "What?" I asked the ticket guy, "When do The Paranoyds go on?" Sure, the schedule said 8:15, but those are sometimes taken with a grain of salt. The reply, "Around 8:45 p.m."

They killed it with their punk sounds and their cool conversations.

They had the comment of the night with their, "If you've never seen us before that's really cool, because we're from here."

The Paranoyds

Howlin Rain was up next. I have to admit that this was my first time catching their set. I also have to admit that I've never met the person who invited me, Jeff. So as they were setting up, I saw three members of the band setting up. As they were setting up, I decided to take a chance and waved at one of the band members, "Are you Jeff?" The reply, "No, he's coming out." A photographer next to me over-heard my conversation and said, "Jeff's the bass player." And so I said to myself, "Hmm, there's another band member?" Well, there is. Just before they were about to start their set, out came Jeff on bass. He plugged in and was ready to jam.

This band has a Southern Rock style that reminds you of John Mellencamp. I swear one might expect them to break out in a cover of "Small Town."

Howlin Rain

Broncho had the fans out, the screaming fans. One fan came right up to the middle of the stage and screamed her lungs out. I think that she was screaming so loud that it interfered with the sound guy's ability to properly set up the sound.

What couldn't I help but notice? Next to the kick drum was a brown envelope. And sticking out was a $10 bill.

Their sound is loose and makes you want to nod your head. With how the lights were shining, I also started to think of the ending of many of the Twin Peaks' episodes where a band played in a bar as the credits rolled past.

Broncho

Irritation of the night: a very drunk dude came to the front of the stage during Howlin Rain's set. At one point, I noticed that he was actually humping me. It took me a couple seconds to realize what he was doing and then I pushed him away. Then later he came up and started to rub my head. At that point, a female friend of his came over and told him to stop it.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Dana And The Wolf

Dana And The Wolf at Broke LA

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? We came up with a term "raw theater" because it's like overly dramatic hip hop or something. But you know, describing your own sound is a lose-lose game.

What’s your favorite set or tour story/memory? We've only played like 3 shows so maybe our favorite part is when we fuck up and then recover.

Own final thoughts. One day I hope we can go on tour and bring our dog, Benson. We just gotta train him so he doesn't freak out at everything he sees.

The Hi Hat: Ramonda Hammer, Spare Parts for Broken Hearts, Thick, Gypsum

I made the assumption before heading out to The Hi Hat that this specific night was going to be awesome. I was already very familiar with three of the bands playing that night and so it was really just that fourth band that I wasn't sure if I would enjoy or not.

Gypsum opened the night up with their intricately constructed music. This band is really coming into form. It was fun listening to the banter between the lead singer and bassist. And I think one indication of a band finding a level of comfort is when the lead singer doesn't spend the whole set within an inch of the microphone. I believe that every time I've seen this band, they've either opened up the night or been stuck playing on a side stage. There has to be a venue out there willing to give this band a residency. They deserve a larger audience. 

Gypsum

Thick was that one band I knew nothing about. They're a band from Brooklyn, New York. Yet, even though they're from New York, I couldn't help but think about a former-Los Angeles band called The Randies. During the Thick's set, I swear I was expecting them to sing "Thought I Could Change" by The Randies. Thick is a band that is heavy on the garage sound and their stage show indicates that someone does a whole lot of stretching before their set.
 

Thick

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts and Ramonda Hammer are on a West Coast tour together. Folks who catch their tour are in for a treat. Spare Parts for Broken Hearts brings you back to the grunge era. One reason I was thinking about The Randies is that a former member of Spare Parts for Broken Hearts was in that band.

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts

Meanwhile, Ramonda Hammer hypnotizes with musicians who will explode at any moment. I love The Hi Hat, but I really wish they had brighter lights on for Ramonda Hammer. At any moment, their bassist and guitarist would go into wild motion. The stage lights were too low for my camera to auto focus quickly enough. So many missed shots. The lead singer thanked those who hung out with them during their recent residency at The Echo. They had taken donations for Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls that is happening this summer and they said thanks to those who donated.

Ramonda Hammer

I had some photo shop talk with another photographer. We both accommodated the low lights in different manners. I hate blur in my photos so I shot at a really high ISO and sped up my shutter speed. My fellow photographer hates grain so he went with a low ISO and a very slow shutter speed, hoping to capture a moment of non-motion.

P.S. Yes, I know that my last three music night posts are via time spent at The Hi Hat. I do go to other music venues, I swear.

The Hi Hat: Arc Iris, Haunted Summer and Sara Hallie Richardson

This was a night I circled on the calendar. The Hi Hat was holding one of their occasional monthly residencies. This residency featured Arc Iris. As everyone who follows me knows, I'm addicted to residencies. On this particular night, Haunted Summer was supporting Arc Iris. I had to go see this band.

Opening the night was Sara Hallie Richardson. She's a singer-songwriter who comes to us from the state of Maine. What, where? Yes, Maine. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone from Maine. What did I notice about her set: her friends took a seat on the floor of The Hi Hat. It gave the set a nice backyard feel.

Sara Hallie Richardson

Haunted Summer came up next. This band has a long history in the Los Angeles music scene. I was very excited to catch their set. They wore capes that had you thinking of legendary England. Robin Hood. King Arthur. Sherwood Forest. Their sound made you think immediately, "Haunted Summer is such an appropriate band name." Their set ended with a blast of vocals and synths.

Haunted Summer

Arc Iris opened the set with their lead singer standing on a stool. She slowly spread out her arms, turning herself into a butterfly. While watching the band, my mind searched for ways to describe this band. Here's some thoughts that came to my mind: ancient Chinese band, an Austrian orchestra from the 1700s, Star Wars' cantina band, a Wild West saloon band. Think of those types of bands and how they would all sound and then see them suddenly decide to switch into a rock band, infused with their own influence.

Arc Iris

The Hi Hat: Reptaliens, HOTT MT and Samira Winter

My primary reason for heading off to The Hi Hat on this specific night was driven by HOTT MT. I first came across HOTT MT when they played Broke LA in 2014 (it was Brokechella at the time). Then I got to see them again in 2016. They were the first band to respond to my #QuickHitBandInterview, which get posted on this blog. So I obviously have a soft spot for this band even though I apparently see them only every two years.

What did I notice about HOTT MT: they brought this contraption that they put together on stage. It held a projector and a plastic board that was shaped like an isosceles trapezoid. Throughout their set, they projected images against the plastic board such as a robot playing a keyboard. It worked well with their Twin Peaks inspired music.

HOTT MT

Samira Winter opened up the night. She wasn't backed by her normal full band, but I couldn't help but see that they were still supporting her in the audience. That was pretty cool to see that they're all close enough to support each other even if they aren't playing together. Her set was like a soft breeze on a perfect summer night. And while she was on stage, her face just lit up. It was like she was providing everyone in the audience a wonderful hug.

Samira Winter

Closing out the night was Reptaliens. They're a band from Portland. For some reason, I love every band I see from Portland. I just can't help it. Their set opened with a friend coming on stage who was dressed like a forest creature who eventually turned out to be an alien. Their set was highlighted by the intriguing vocals of lead singer Bambi. Those vocals are just angelic. One could infer that there is more of a focus on vocals versus an entertaining stage show. This band provides a nice balance of vocals and hot pants grooves.

Reptaliens

Quick Hit Band Interview: TwoLips

TwoLips at The Hi Hat

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? We describe our sound as Alternative R&B.

How do you go about combining lyrics and sound? Sometimes, lyrics and moods drive the music. Other times, the sounds inspire the lyrics. It’s happened both ways.