Hearts Bleed Radio: So, are you guys all from Boston?
Leah: No. Will and I are but Kyle is from New Jersey. We all met at school in Yonkers.
HBR: How did you guys find your sound? Was it like, something you were aiming for? Or did it just kinda come together?
Leah: I think it just came together.
Kyle: They had this band going before I joined, and we still play a few songs from that period, however we did change them up.
Leah: We all played in blues bands in college so that was a big influence, but I feel like recently when people come see us play live, the blues isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
HBR: Yeah, but as soon as you mention blues, you can really hear it, I think.
Leah: :)
Kyle: I agree that our sound came together on its own. We sort of developed it while working on new songs that Leah had written, and eventually we sort of figured out what our sound is, and went with it.
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| Leah and Kyle rock the fuck out. |
HBR: Did you grow up playing the blues first and foremost?
Leah: I think we try to run with the blues mentality in terms of letting there be room for improv and leaving it all on the stage.
Kyle: I grew up playing a lot of metal and jazz. Blues came more into my life in college.
Leah: I still have trouble describing our sound I guess. I suppose many bands do though. I was mostly into punk rock growing up. Also John Fahey, forever and ever and ever and ever. Oh, and hip hop when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time recording the radio onto cassette tapes. Boston had this radio station, Jamin' 94.5, that I was really obsessed with. I have this one tape that has the same Sisqo song on it twice. Obviously I am referring to "The Thong Song." Also, "Forgot About Dre" is on there twice. I listen to that tape sometimes, it's nice.
HBR: Dude, Jamin' 94.5... We got that on the Cape
Kyle: When I first got a guitar, I immediately learned every song on Metallicas first album... ha.
Leah: Ramiro and Pebbles. They did these awful prank calls to people at 7am. I used to listen to them before school. Some of them were really hurtful pranks. Like "Your nephew killed someone in a car accident." Shit like that.
Kyle: KROK used to have that shit too.
HBR: You can't get away with that shit anymore. They ruined it by taking it too far. Is grunge making a comeback?
Kyle: I never see any other Grunge bands at shows we play... so I don't really know.
Leah: Who knows. Grunge means different things to different people at this point, the same way punk does. It seems like some people describe genres like those as an aesthetic, a fashion statement, a mentality, a specific musical pattern. See, I would say we do play with other grunge bands. It all depends on how you define it. I don't really care anymore.
HBR: Do you guys know Low Fat Getting High?
Leah: Yes!! I tried to book them at the bar I work at.
HBR: You guys should play together.
Leah: I successfully did at one point but then they got an out of state gig that same night and had to pull out. People have been telling me that for a while.
HBR: It's Ok, I'll try to set something up down the road. I think there's like this Melvins/Mudhoney "cool grunge" and this like Pearl Jam-y "radio grunge." And I think the indie scene has been embracing the "cool" grunge over the last couple of years.
Leah: Haha totally. I can't say I am the biggest Pearl Jam fan...
Kyle: Alice in Chains is def one of my favorite bands of all time. I know you hate them Leah...
Leah: I don't hate them.
Kyle: Hate is a strong word.
HBR: I mean, I grew up with them and like some songs to this day, but y'know, PJ is kinda too mainstream, and too much of a "big band." Alice in Chains, more unique in my book. Those vocal lines... There will probably never be another band with vocals like AIC, for better or worse.
Kyle: I feel like PJ's album, Ten, was really original and awesome, and it sort of went downhill after that.
HBR: I like Vitalogy the best! Haha... Let's not have that discussion right now though... "No Eye Candy" jumped out at me as being super catchy, and it's been stuck in my head since I listened to it yesterday. What's that song about?
Leah: Britney Spears. I wrote it when I was 18 and going sort of crazy my freshman year of college.
I have an original recording of it that I did in garage band with this Casio I was obsessed with. It sounds really different to the track on our LP though. And we actually ended up recording it again for our next LP and brought the Casio back into it. It's a good meld of the two if you ask me. Sits better in my brain. But yeah it's still 100% about Britney Spears. That spoken word shit at the end, Britney Spears quotes.
HBR: Nice, thanks for explaining that. I would have never realized. And save that demo for the 10 year anniversary box set.
Leah: My voice has dropped like an octave since I recorded it. So funny.
HBR: What other shows are you looking forward to (during CMJ)?
Leah: Ones that we aren't playing? I am going to try to see Big Ups at the Oh My Rockness showcase. I am a big fan of that band, we used to play with them a lot earlier on.
Kyle: Yeah, I'm trying to go to the EIS showcase. That was awesome last year.
Leah: Yeah the Exploding in Sound showcase will be incredible, I am sure. We played it last year and it was a blast. There is a band on there that I really, really love called Porches. They just came out with a record, it's great.
Kyle: Pile and Grass is Green are both super awesome
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| The gang brings the noise to the studio at Webster Hall |
HBR: So you guys have an Indiegogo campaign for a van? And it's doing well? Do you have the van picked out yet?
Kyle: We met our goal...
HBR: 'Cause I saw a van for sale at the garage near Metro and Meeker. Silver. Shiny.
Leah: We are still trying to decide if we are going to buy a bigger van that we could fit another 3-4 piece band in, or something smaller and more fuel efficient.
HBR: Bigger!
Kyle: We've been looking at a bunch of things, like Ford E-150's, but also considering a mini-van.
HBR: Dude, this was a E-350...
Kyle: Whoa...
HBR: We could take a church group with us. (like how I'm saying "we" now?)
Leah: Hahahaha absolutely. Stephen, you're in.
HBR: Nice!
Leah: ~*Synth*~
HBR: Before you go, do you have any tips for the first time CMJ goer?
Leah: Don't get too caught up in the bullshit, just have fun playing & making new friends. That's what it's all about in the end.
HBR: Cool. You got anything to add Kyle?
Kyle: Check out the bands and see whats out there. Get a sense of whats happening in the world outside your band and your scene.
Leah: I realize I am not Kyle but I want to add that we have a new LP coming out in early 2014 and will be touring a whole bunch. People should contact us if they want us to come to their cities / towns / colleges / houses. Bakeries...
So drop them an email, and CC me in that if it's a bakery tip. We hope to see you next week at the festival!
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