We managed to catch up with the band as they talked about the latest single and more!
How has the release of ‘You Ain’t Got The Heart’ gone so far with fans?
I think its gone quite well. It’s felt like a long time since we’ve released any new recordings so I think that has added a level of anticipation. Its been a lot of fun to see people get excited about it because we are too!
Can you tell us anything about the single?
“You Aint Got The Heart” has been a song we’ve had in our set for a little while now and as soon as we started playing it became one of the more fun songs to play live. Its got a real Keith Richardsy kind of guitar feel with a fun, singable hook. Its the song we’ve probably listened to the loudest in the studio control room. The opening lyric “Im just a guy, just a man with a plan trying to be what I want to be..” kind of sets the tone for the song perfectly, its not overly poetic but it tells a story of determination in a clear and matter of fact manner with some “we’re going to do this no matter what” attitude thrown in for good measure. It’s a fun rock and roll song.
Can you tell us anything about your upcoming album?
We set out to Eric Valentine’s Barefoot Studios in Los Angeles with our long time Producer Andy Zenczak and brought Cian Riordan on board to engineer, a little over a year ago. We came down with a bunch of songs with the idea we would record everything as live as possible and live with the results. For the most part we were able to just that. In fact in terms of bass and drums there isn’t an overdub to speak of on the record which was something that was important to us. We’ve always loved the sound and feel of a record where its just a band in a room playing with each other and that was always the goal with this record. We recorded 17 songs which we’ve whittled down to 11 and we’re calling it “Roll With It.” I would say that the songs, playing and production are more advanced than on our previous projects. I think that fans of the older records will appreciate that we’re still going after the same kind of sound, but with the perspective of a band who have been at it for a little while now.
If you could work with any band on an new song, who would it be and why?
Oh there are many. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell and the rest of the heartbreakers are the clear first choice as they are reason Kellen and I started writing songs in the first place. Their records have been like a playbook for us in the studio. Their latest recordings have also shown that they are still at the top of their game and that they’ve pretty much mastered the art of recording a rock and roll album. Blackberry Smoke has been a band whose records we’ve fallen in love with over the last couple of years and The Jayhawks and Jason Isbell are making really inspiring records as well of late. Working with Jeff Lynne would be a dream come true as well. Jackie Greene and Tim Bluhm are heroes of ours, I could go on for a while…
What has been your most memorable moment while recording the EP?
(More of an LP) Its pretty tough to pick a single moment. Any time we get in the studio its a blast. Something silly that comes to mind is when we decided to all eat this extremely hot sauce and film ourselves trying to sing a song while doing it. None of us had any idea what we were in for and we all got pretty much annihilated by this hot sauce. Like hotter than you can imagine, for longer than you can imagine. There was a sense of “Ok this is pretty funny and Im laughing but, for real, do we need to go the hospital?” Laugh at us here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYAAyhTiuGM. But really the overall experience of cooping up in a studio for 7 days only leaving for brief periods of sleep, with lifelong friends, recording music we were passionate about is an experience I’ll never forget.
Will there be a tour at all this year?
We try to stay in constant motion as much as possible so we’re pretty much always touring. We’re up and down the west coast regularly and this summer we’re excited to get out to Wyoming, Utah and Colorado for the first time in a while.
What’s the alternative scene like in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz has a very small town feel, but there has always been a vibrant arts scene here. Over the course of 8 or so years we’ve been doing this we’ve met a lot of really talented musicians and bands. McCoy Tyler is someone we met early on and quickly became one of our closest friends and now we play in his band. There are a decent amount of bands here making a real go of it, enough to put Santa Cruz on the map. Also there’s a good amount of cool festivals at this point that have attracted some sizable acts. Additionally I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention KPIG radio, (humble brag alert!) who i’ve have been fortunate enough to DJ for since March of this year. Really a one of a kind folk rock and americana station that has been a Santa Cruz institution for decades now.
What has been the proudest moment so far in the band?
We got to play at the Fillmore in San Francisco a couple of years ago, that certainly ranks up there. Meeting Mike Campbell and opening for his band the Dirty Knobs a couple of times was a huge thrill also. Releasing our new album later this year will certainly be high on the list as well.
What was the first gigs you ever attended?
I love when people ask this question because I get to say Rolling Stones at the Oakland Coliseum! Technically my mom was performing children’s music when we were very young and was a member a swing jazz group as we got older so that was our first exposure, but the first real concert I can remember was that Stones concert. Pretty sweet!