The Fox Sisters: It's Alright, Have A Good Time

I know there's a lot of evil and injustice that goes on in the world, but to constantly dwell in that cynicism will in fact consume you.  You get pessimism fed to you every time you turn on the television, social media, film, and music. I'm not saying to ignore it all together mind you, but there has to be an escape, a momentary parting of the swirling storm clouds. That's where Rochester, New York's The Fox Sisters come in.  They play soul shaking, body quaking, late 50's/early 60's style Soul/R&B music. The same kind of terrific sounds that radiated from people like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson decades ago and they do it with every bit of the same passion and fire that those guys did back then.  But what The Fox Sisters really do is provide a life raft for a society sinking in it's own skepticism,  As important as it is to follow current events and involve yourself in causes you believe in, it's just as important to loosen your collar, put on your dancing shoes and just have a good time.

Interview by J Castro

Who is currently in the band and what does everyone do in it?

Mark Bradley - saxophone

Darren DeWispelaere - trumpet

Jimmy Filingeri - bass

Patrick McNally - vocals

David Snyder - guitar

Brian Shafer - drums

Will Veeder - piano

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

PATRICK: We all sort of "grew up" in the Rochester music scene and have had a lot of fun watching each other’s bands over the years. Some of us have been in bands together from time to time. We have a lot of respect for each other and have a shared musical sensibility. When the idea for this band came up, it seemed natural for us all to work together.

JIMMY: We have all known each other for years from playing in different bands around town. Patrick and I were in a band called the Thunder Gods that had runs its course. After a few years off we decided to try something different. We wanted to use rhythm & blues music as a foundation but we weren’t interested in trying to recreate the vintage sound. What we had in mind was aesthetic or a mood. We wanted to put on a show made people feel the same way we felt when we saw some of our favorite bands or listened to our favorite records. We wanted to make people dance and hoot and holler and scream for more.

What band or musician first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play and/or write music?

PATRICK: A lot of bands have inspired me, but it was a Rochester band called The Fugitives that sort of cemented my resolve. I remember seeing them play in

a local shithole bar under a single bare light bulb, and the music was so raw and great and they looked so cool, I decided that I was going to stop thinking about it and actually try it.

JIMMY: I suppose it was bands like KISS, Cheap Trick and The Stones that first gave me the bug when I was a kid. That was the beginning of my life long obsession with music and records. As far as actually picking up an instrument though. Patrick and I were roommates and he wanted to start a band. He told me I was going to be the bass player. That was it.

Under the Stairs LP released September 14th 2015

 How would you describe you band to your grandparents?

PATRICK: With the help of a medium. They are dead, dead, dead

JIMMY: Once their spirits were conjured I would tell them that we sound like a band that would play dances and frat parties in the 60’s. Some up-tempo numbers to fill the dance floor. A few slow numbers for close dancing and kissing. Then finish them of with some wild rockers to make people go crazy and break stuff. 

What sorts of things do you typically enjoy writing songs about?  

PATRICK: Love. Dance parties. Enjoying life. Good clean fun.

JIMMY: Fun songs.  Honest songs. Songs you can dance to. Songs that make people move and shout. Songs that let you forget about the news of the world for a few minutes.

I’ve heard people say that playing and writing music is therapeutic to them.  Have you ever found this to be true?

PATRICK: Definitely. The voices stop when I write. The voices of past presidents. A break from Franklin Pierce is always particularly welcome. Great hair. Total jackass.

JIMMY: Working on new songs with the band is more therapeutic for me than writing them. As a bass player my songs are usually just a skeleton with some lyrics. It’s not until all the band members add their own parts that it becomes a song. It’s exciting because I never know what the final product is going to sound like until they add their magic. Playing is definitely therapeutic, my ego craves applause. It’s nourishing.

Does it annoy you or distract you at all to see some of your audience members fondling their phones while you’re up on stage performing?

PATRICK: We’ve been lucky in that we don't see a lot of that. What we see is mostly smiles, which is really nice. Every once in a while somebody takes a picture, but that's nice too. Somebody thinks enough of you to want to take your picture. What's not to like about that?

JIMMY: Not a problem at our shows. Most people are dancing or jumping around. Cameras are fine. I like to see pictures of us.

After one of your shows, what sort of feeling or sentiment do you hope your audience walks away with?  

PATRICK: I hope people walk away feeling like they've made a new bunch of friends that they love to dance with.

JIMMY: Leave them wanting more. Elated. Spent. Hopefully telling their friends about us the next day. We want to be on their “guaranteed good time” list.

What is your favorite album to listen to from start to finish?

PATRICK: Sam Cooke - One Night Stand: Live at the Harlem Square Club. The world's greatest record.

JIMMY: Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club. Pure Rock & Roll from start to finish.  It’s tough to pick albums because most of my very favorite music came out on 45’s. At the time albums had a lot of filler on them. Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, country & soul from the late 40’s until the early 70’s is my favorite kind of music.  I like to listen to Dave the Spazz from start to finish every week on WFMU.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you that you still follow to this day?

PATRICK: If you can see them from behind, marry her.

JIMMY: Don’t overplay.

What is the best way people can hear and get a hold of your music?

Our music can be found on:  Bandcamp: thefoxsisters.bandcamp.com

Our activities can be found on:  Facebook: facebook.com/TheFoxSisters/

We can be contacted via email: foxsistersband@gmail.com

What lies ahead for the band in 2016?

PATRICK: More good times. We plan to put out our second album soon, and will be appearing live regularly.

JIMMY: We will be playing several shows with the Rochester R&R/R&B Revue. That is The Fox Sisters along with our friends The Televisionaries and The Temptators. All powerhouse bands who aim to entertain. Hopefully some shows will be recorded to come out as a live record.  We have a lot of new songs that will be recorded for our second record. Until then, just playing and trying to show people a good time.

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Lisa Doll & The Rock n Roll Romance

Photo by Shane Gardner

    The first time I heard Lisa Doll & the Rock n Roll Romance they were opening up for my favorite local band Scorpion Vs Tarantula here in Phoenix, AZ. They were a long way from their hometown of Baltimore, MD and still they kept up with the mighty SVT, which if you don’t know, is no easy thing to do. I immediately got the impression that this was not merely the name of a band but lead singer/songwriter/gunslinger Lisa Marie Doll’s way of life. The infatuation and passion she has for the music is evidenced in her songwriting. Threads of traditional rock n’ roll themes, New York brash n’ trash and power pop flash are all woven throughout her Neon Heat EP, which came out a couple of years ago. Bands like Lisa Doll & the Rock n Roll Romance don’t burn out or fade away they keep rock n’ roll alive out there, somewhere until their dying day.

Interview by J Castro

Let’s start out by telling me who is currently in the band and how you all met and decided to play music together:

LISA: It’s my music with a backing band which tends to rotate different people depending on their availability and life happenings. Not everyone is the touring type and don’t realize that till they go on one. I hope to one day have a consistent line up. Andrew has been involved since day one and the only one who has continued to stick around. He plays drums on the recordings but has been shifted around to bass and 2nd guitar depending on what’s needed live. We met years ago, when I answered a bands’ Craigslist ad looking for “a guitarist that’s into bands like The Cramps and 70’s style punk.” He was playing drums for them. The band never played live much but it gave me the confidence to perform my own music and when it disbanded I asked Andrew to join my Rock n Roll Romance project.

Can you remember what band or musician first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play and write music?

LISA: When I was a preteen I was exposed to Green Day, Nirvana, Hole, and The Ramones. From there I matured to really dig Rocket From the Crypt, The Pixies, and The Marked Men and garage rock in general. The combination of all that and many more bands is what got me really wanting to pick up my own guitar. All these bands are very rhythm based in their guitar playing which is what I gravitate towards. I really suck at playing lead live. It feels like a different part of my brain has to clink in and out to do it.

The band did a video for the song “Don’t Wanna Break Up” that’s off of your Neon Heat 7” on Chucks Records. From the looks of it, it seems like it was fun to do.  Can you tell me a bit about your experiences making it?

LISA: Like most bands our budget is $0 for music videos, so DIY was it. I wanted to do a quirky but dark video kind of like Weekend at Bernie’s style. The idea is I can’t accept the obvious end of my relationship to the extent where my delusion involves me puppeteering his dead body about and even invoking the powers of dark magic and the electricity of rock n’ roll to resurrect him. Andrew and I took turns filming and setting things up and had lots of fun with it.

The band is currently based in Baltimore, MD. What is it like for a band like yours playing live out there? Is there a supportive “scene” that gets what you’re doing musically?

LISA: Baltimore is okay. I prefer to play out of town. I feel I get a better response and comradery from out of state peers. There is a very small Baltimore scene for rock n’ roll and garage punk and definitely some awesome people, but they are all in bands themselves which doesn’t leave much for a crowd.

Lisa, tell me a bit about your comic Free Candy, and how you got started doing tattoo art: 

LISA: My comic Free Candy is totally on the back burner right now! I really hope to start it up and make more issues. It’s difficult because it’s semi-autobiographical and based on my experiences, misadventures, and people I’ve met. I need an editor and someone to help me focus on where to go next. I’ve been through a lot of craziness and I need a cathartic way to get it all out. The comic kind of rubs people’s noses in their shit with a comedic angle. It covers relationships, being in a band, and the pirate-like world of tattooing.

            I started tattooing in 2011 and basically forced my way in. I took a lot of tattoo seminars, and started working at the bottom at shops in bad areas where I continued to learn what to do and NOT to do from co-workers. I wanted a traditional apprenticeship but wasn’t able to get one, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. If you tell me “no” I’m just going to try harder.

Do you ever get tired of the Ramones and Nikki Corvette comparisons? I’ve been reading some of the press you’ve gotten and it seems most of them mention one or both of those. How would you describe your band’s sound to someone that’s never heard you before?

LISA: Yes, actually! Those are both amazing bands to be compared to don’t get me wrong and when the first press said it, I was extremely flattered! But they came out years ago so now when I see that comparison, it just means someone didn’t do their homework and just gobbled up other reviews and then barfed them back out. I think it’s just an easy thing for them to go to without having to really take the time to listen and form their own opinion. Early on, Razorcake mentioned my demo harked of Marked Men as an influence and I was super stoked because to me that meant he was really listening, more so then I think the average person would. He was able to sniff out a buried affection that I didn’t think was obvious at all.

We’ve come to the segment of the interview that I like to call “four questions I stole from other interviews.” You may elaborate on the following four questions as much or as little as you see fit.  Let’s begin:

1.     What’s the first concert you attended without your parents?

LISA: A local community center show in my hometown with local high school bands.

2.     What’s the first band T-shirt you ever wore?

LISA: Probably Marilyn Manson or Nirvana.

3.     What was the first band picture or band poster you had pinned up on your childhood bedroom wall?

LISA: I think Nirvana as well he, he.

    4. Name the first record you picked out and purchased with your own money: 

LISA: Oh geez, I have no clue what the first one was. I believe it was Green Day’s Dookie.

Where are the best places that people can log on or go to hear or purchase you music?

-www.lisadollrocknrollromance.bandcamp.com

-Itunes

-or Youtube

What lies ahead in the near future for Lisa Doll and The Rock n Roll Romance? 

LISA: I have been working on new music for the last couple months. I’m really excited about the new stuff and can’t wait to get it out there! I’m hoping to attract some label attention. We’ll be sure to go on tour again as well!

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The New Rochelles

     What makes a good pop punk band? Surely it’s not musical skill; The Ramones have been hounded for years over their technical simplicity and yet they remain kings. It most certainly isn’t lyrics; most pop punk bands use the simplest of words to describe everyday mundane events, love, hate and every emotion in between. What I feel makes a good pop punk band is the ability to emotionally throw yourself into your music, admitting imperfection, vulnerability, and most importantly, just have pure, unpolluted fun. Long Beach, NY’s, The New Rochelles take all of these qualities, stuff them into very loud amplifiers and blast it at you like confetti cannons. What makes most grownups so boring? Whatever it is listening to the New Rochelles will help in steering clear of it!

Interview by J Castro

First off, who’s all in the band and what is everyone’s function in The New Rochelles?

RONNIE: I'm Ronnie Rochelle. I'm the singer and I play guitar.

RICKY: I’m Ricky; I play drums and sing backing vocals.

ROOKIE: I’m Rookie; I play bass.

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

RONNIE: Ricky and I have been playing music since the dawn of time, we found Rookie on a street corner somewhere and he was eager to downstroke with us.

As kids, who or what inspired you to want to learn how to play or write music?

RONNIE: I learned how to play music just to pick up girls.

RICKY: I recorded a demo cassette at home with a childhood friend. We had no real instruments but we made a bunch of sequenced sounds and I was drawn to that. Then another friend and I wanted to start a band at age 13 as a social thing, so we bought drums and a guitar and began to play.

ROOKIE: It seemed easy enough.

Do you remember who first introduced you to punk music?

RONNIE: I was fooling around in the neighborhood one day as a kid; I found a duffel bag full of beer, porn and some Screeching Weasel cassette tapes. The rest is history.

RICKY: My friends and I stumbled on it together at the end of Jr. High School. My dad bought Ramones Mania right after Joey Ramone died, that’s how I got into the Ramones.

ROOKIE: My Dad grew up in Rockaway Beach, so The Ramones were always on in the house growing up.

You guys released a split 7” with Austria’s Dee Cracks last year on Swamp Cabbage Records. Tell me a bit about the song “Cuidado”. Was it inspired by firsthand experience?

RONNIE: “Cuidado” is inspired from a true story involving me, the US border patrol and one fine Mexican mamacita. I can't go into much detail as legal issues are still pending.

I don’t hear any politics or heavy social issues in your lyrics. Is this a conscience decision? What do you guys’ think of MRR and the punk rock political correctness police?

RONNIE: I wouldn't be able to tell you who or what is going on politically in the world.

People just write about what's on their minds. For me, pizza and other stupid shit is always on mine.

RICKY: We’re unaffiliated with MRR and the punk rock police.

ROOKIE: Politics are dumb.

When you guys aren’t playing or listening to music, what will people typically find you doing?

RONNIE: When I'm not playing music I'm usually at the beach, cracking a cold one. I also like old Nintendo games.

RICKY: Working a job and hanging out with my girlfriend. I'm easy to please. You can find me playing Game Boy and drinking beers while she watches some television show about snobby housewives or families with 38 children.

ROOKIE: You can find me watching whatever baseball game is on or picking my nose, sometimes both.

There is documented evidence that the U.S. Government has used Van Halen and Skinny Puppy to torment prisoners. If you were in charge of selecting the music to use to torture people what songs would you use? Give me your top five.

RONNIE: If you turn on top 40 radio right now for about an hour you'll hear the same 5 songs about 30 times. So, that seems pretty torturous to me. Is torturous a word?

RICKY: Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith.

ROOKIE: Nirvana, Sublime, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and Led Zeppelin.

I read that out of all the art forms, music has the power to change a person’s mood the fastest. Do you agree with this? If so, are there any records you put on that will almost always ease you out of a bad day?

RONNIE: Nothing beats putting an original Ramones record on a turntable; much like prescription narcotics, its mind altering.

RICKY: Tie-dying T-shirts always does the trick for me.

ROOKIE: I only listen to the McRackins, what mood am I in?

Can you tell me about the most memorable New Rochelles gig, good or bad, and what made it so?

RONNIE: Every New Rochelles gig was a blur. I think one time we played with Green Day?

RICKY: We played a Halloween show as the Ramones a few years back. There was a great crowd and it ruled.

ROOKIE: I think one time we got through an entire set.

Where can people go to hear or buy your music?

RONNIE: Ask Rookie about where to buy our music, I seriously couldn't even tell you. Do we even have stuff for sale?

RICKY: I’m sure they’ll figure it out.

ROOKIE: You can hear/buy our music including our debut 7-inch “It’s New!” and our split 7-inch with DeeCracks “The Smile Of The Tiger” at https://www.facebook.com/thenewrochelles or http://thenewrochelles1.bandcamp.com/. Coming soon our split 7-inch with Windowsill on Swamp Cabbage and Lost Youth Records and our complete discography “It’s New, Too!” on Kid Tested Records.

What lies in the near future for The New Rochelles?

RONNIE: Who knows what the future holds for The New Rochelles. I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow.

RICKY: It's a secret.

ROOKIE: More debt, more dependency, more fun.

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Rations

Rations may be from Long Island, but the band has a sound that is heavily influenced by early Jawbreaker, Fugazi, Crimpshrine and other early to mid-90’s bands. A sound that relies on musical urgency, half time tempos and raspy, emotive vocals that sings and shred at the same time. Where there is a melody mixed with distorted guitars and a drumbeat that continually pushes ahead. Where as Jawbreaker would give the songs time to expand, Rations packs everything they needs to do in a short periods of time true to punk tradition, but not in traditional fashion.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Brian, Wells, Social Dee, Tia

Where is the band from?

Brian: We're all originally from the North Shore of Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. We're currently all living in different parts of Suffolk County. I'm the only one who has defected to the South Shore. 

Wells: It's a whole different culture down there. Gargoyles.

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Wells: Deirdre plays drums and sometimes other percussion stuff like glockenspiel. Tia plays bass and sometimes sings. Then Brian and I play guitars and sing. On this last EP our buddy Beaker and I also used an Atari Punk Console for some of the noise stuff between songs.

How did the band start?

Brian: The idea to start this band came up during a BBQ at Wells’ house. We thought it would be fun to start playing again, after not having played together for awhile. Gradually, it became a bit more serious and we hooked up with Dee and then Tia and started playing shows and releasing records.

What bands did you have in mind when starting this band?

Brian: (Young) Pioneers, Jawbreaker, M-Blanket, Splurge.

Wells: Brian seems to have forgotten our time as a Screeching Weasel worship band. Our motto was "Aim for Anthem. Settle for Wiggle."

How does the songwriting process work in Rations? The listener can hear band influences ranging from early Jawbreaker, Fugazi, 90’s East Bay to bits of Born Against (in guitar sound not song speed).

Wells: It's always a bit a different, but typically either Brian or I come to practice with the rough idea of a song already made up. 

Brian: Everyone kinda writes their own part from that and we arrange it all together. We have always followed the rule that whoever writes the song has to sing it. 

How is the Long Island punk scene different from NYC punk scene? Why the decision to stay in Long Island? How has it changed over the years?

Brian: I lived in NYC for close to 10 years. Back then I think NYC was more dominated by hardcore. I've always felt a greater sense of community with Long Island punk.

Tia: The Long Island punk scene feels more like a giant family than a bunch of kids enjoying music. There is just complete support, acceptance and passion for the right things. NYC is so vast that even though you may see some of the same people, it is not as tight knit as the Long Island scene is.  It can seem as if people are at a show for the beer. There's a great group of bands and friends on LI doing really cool things!

I was reading that 30 different labels in 11 different countries are releasing the Martyrs and Prisoners 7 inch. How much coordination and cooperation does this take and why the decision to do release the 7 inch through so many different labels?

Wells: It's definitely been a lot of work and coordination but I think it'll be really gratifying when it's done. We're really lucky to have a lot of great contacts around the world that are down for this kinda stuff. We did our "How Much Land Does A Man Need?" 7" EP in 2011 the same way - 10 labels in 6 countries. At some point I got it in my head to see just how many labels we could pile in for this one. I aimed for 20 and wound up with 30! We wanted to use the opportunity of releasing the record to demonstrate that international DIY punk and hardcore really operates as a 'network of friends'.  From a practical standpoint putting it out this way allowed us to defray the manufacturing costs across 30 different entities and get our music into 30 different scenes across the globe. I think it was a neat experiment and on the whole I think it worked out pretty great.

50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects bands and labels in any way especially considering Wells owns and operates 86’d Records?

Wells: I've always done bands and record labels as a hobby - either breaking even or losing money. So, from that perspective it doesn't really phase me. I like the idea of free culture and a robust public domain. Our new record is being licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. As far as for-profit water, I think that's insane. Via Campesina, which is an international peasant's organization that we had some information on in our last record, has some powerful perspective on this. 

In the Brainstorm article, Brian was talking about “writing stuff that sounds ‘Long Island’ is almost impossible not to do.” What is the Long Island sound? Are there any particular bands that really epitomize that sound?

Brian: Splurge's "For Huey With Love and Squalor" is the final word in Long Island punk.

Wells: I didn't tell anyone I was doing it, but "For Huey" is etched in the runout on the A side of the new record. "For Love, Squalor" is etched on the B side.

Where can people hear the band?

Wells: We've got a website up at rationsband.wordpress.com. That's a pretty good place to start. Our new EP "Martyrs and Prisoners" will be available for download at the Free Music Archive starting July 2nd, 2013.

What’s next for Rations?

Social Dee: We're really hoping to get a band practice together before the end of the summer.

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Nude Beach

At this point, Nude Beach seems to be on a similar path as The Replacements. Their origins playing together in punk bands since high school is showcased in the band’s punk infused songwriting heard on their demo tape and first LP I.  A change of direction with the release of II, and their brand new single “What Can Ya Do,” Nude Beach have displayed their musical leanings toward American style power-pop and Rock ‘N’ Roll. Calling from the likes of The Replacements, mid-period Jam and early Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, Nude Beach has created a sound that focuses more on melody and craft that would not be out of place in the mid-1970’s and is just as vital today.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Jimmy

Where is the band from?

Brooklyn, NY

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Chuck – guitar and vocals

Jim – bass

Ryan – drums and vocals

How did the band start?

I was living in Brooklyn for a few months and spending a lot of time on Chuck’s couch.  Ryan would come over a lot too, and we’d hang out drinking beers, listening to music, and occasionally mention playing together.  We had all played music with each other in various projects in the past, and none of us were in a band at the time, so it transformed from something we’d talk about to an actual band pretty fast and was a fairly natural process.

In an interview with The Phoenix, it was mentioned that “met in high school on Long Island while playing in punk and hardcore bands like Guadalupe, Dustheads, and Religious Knives.” There have been quite a few musicians that have started in punk and then moved to a power-pop band. For example, Gentlemen Jesse was in the Carbonas and Ben Cook, who was in Marvelous Darlings, is currently in Fucked Up. Does the band have any thoughts on this progression from punk to power-pop especially in regards to Nude Beach?

I don’t really think of it as a progression in the sense of leaving punk behind.  At least personally, I continue to listen to a lot of punk and hardcore bands and go to shows on a regular basis.  Ryan, our drummer, plays in a hardcore band called Warthog. I live in a big punk house that has done shows for years, so I consider it something that I’m still interested and involved in, rather than something I’ve moved on from.  In terms of the way our songs have progressed from album to album, I think it’s a matter of being fans of music beyond the sometimes narrow scope of punk, being into collecting records to some extent, and embracing a variety of bands, records, genres, etc.  Sure, we like power-pop and more straightforward Rock ‘N’ Roll, and our songs touch on those influences because we’re fans.  We never really identified with one genre over another in the first place, and just try to write good songs.

In the same interview, it was stated that the band’s “aesthetic change was mostly inspired after writing the song "Walkin' Down My Street."” What was about this song that “kind of bridged the gap between our first record, which was more punky, and the second record, which was more melodic, with more hooks." What was it about that song that the band realized a new direction?

We didn’t sit around and talk about a new direction for the band-- things progressed pretty organically. With our demo and our first LP, save for a few, most of the songs were fairly short, fast, and straight to the point. I don’t think any of that stuff was lacking in melody, but “Walkin’” was the first song we worked on that would eventually appear on “II” and I suppose it was kind of a test of whether it would work to really embrace some more traditional rock and roll aesthetics—the song isn’t that fast, it probably sounds more like Bruce Springsteen than The Clash, and there’s a long guitar solo. We had a lot of fun playing stuff like this and maybe “Walkin” signaled that it was fine to just go for it, but ultimately it was never much of a conscious decision. 

It seems like the original goal of the band was to play house parties in the Brooklyn, but the band has surpassed that. What are some of the new goals of Nude Beach?

We’ve toured a lot in the US—we want to start getting to Europe, Japan, and wherever else people might be interested.  Chuck writes a lot of music, so just recording more and putting music out as much as possible.

If you could choose two out of these five bands/musicians to have in your record collection which ones would you choose between Elvis Costello, The Jam, The Replacements, Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen?

I can’t speak for everyone in the band, but I would choose The Replacements as my number one by a landslide. They’re pretty much an ideal band in my mind. Springsteen would be second, and gets the slight edge over Tom Petty just because I think more of his records are consistent from start to finish. 

Following up to the previous question do you feel any of these bands have influenced Nude Beach at all in sounds and/or songwriting?

A lot of people mention the Costello influence in reviews, and I get it on some level, but I can’t say we ever really sat around listening to “My Aim Is True” on repeat, or even talking about him much at all. Don’t get me wrong, some of those Elvis records are great, but in terms of influences or ideas kind of seeping into our heads, it’s probably coming much more from other places. We like all the bands you mentioned and think they’re great songwriters, but there’s a pretty wide range of bands and songwriters I feel just as inspired by—and you could get five different answers depending on which of us you talked to. We all like Big Star.

One of the best Nude Beach shows the band has played so far?

House show in Flagstaff, AZ.  We had no expectations going into it and had never heard anything about the music scene in Flagstaff.  We went there on a whim and played in a cavelike basement to a bunch of sweaty, booze and drug-fueled freaks who were dancing like crazy.  The show was a wild party and we were really well received.  Any time we’re out on tour and think the show could be a bust, then get surprised by something like that out of the blue, it’s pretty memorable.

How did the band link up with Tom Scharpling, who directed the “Some Kinda Love” video? Was the pop-up video idea the bands or his?

The Scharpling video came about because Other Music had let them shoot some stuff in the store a few years ago.  They already had a friendship and working relationship through that, and I think they sent Tom our record and asked him if he’d be interested.  He agreed to it and came up with the idea pretty quickly.  I’m a big Best Show fan so I was excited, and he was super fun and easy to work with.  Granted, I’m not sure what kind of video stars we are.  Probably faces best left for radio.

How did the band become associated with both Other Music Recording Company and Fat Possum?

We recorded “II” in our practice space and put it out ourselves in March of 2012.  We were mailing copies out for distribution and Ryan, who worked at Academy Records at the time, was literally walking from record store to record store trying to sell copies.  Other Music bought some, and sold them pretty fast. Then they bought some more, and they sold just as quickly. They were starting the record label around this time, and I think were looking to put something out by a NY band.  The record was doing pretty well at the store and the Other crew seemed into it, so they contacted us about doing a wider release through their new label.  It was a small operation, local, and they seemed genuinely interested in us, so that relationship developed easily.  Fat Possum is kind of their parent label and handle some of the business and distro work, but we’ve actually gotten to know those folks well too, and have had a lot of fun playing and partying with them down in Oxford, MS where their whole operation is based out of.

Jimmy was quoted in Stereogum about being interested in “DIY models for music releases, distribution, and sustainability, and think there are a lot of possibilities for bands and musicians on that side of things.” 50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?

It’s a mixed bag.  Mainly because of the internet, music is incredibly accessible today and people are exposed to a much larger variety much more easily than at any prior point in time.  It’s also much easier to record and release music than at any other point.  This democratization is interesting and has produced some really cool work, but it also seems to engender hyper-specialization and self-identification with micro genres— chillwave, witchhouse, nu-, post-, psych-, whatever—with pretty mixed results.  It also seems to encourage a lot of overinflated hype, flavor of the week bands, and I just wonder how much, if any, of this time period’s music will have lasting meaning for people.  I’m all for the collapse of the old record industry and anyone being able to get their own work out there, but maybe there was something about having to bust your ass to get your music heard in the past—be it on a big label or a DIY cassette release—that weeded out crap the way that instantly uploading a Garageband file to Bandcamp doesn’t.

Where can people hear the band?

Well…  Bandcamp, actually.  http://nudebeach.bandcamp.com

What’s next for Nude Beach?

Recording our third LP this summer, then more tour dates in September

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