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March 7th, 2010
| The Pass took the time to answer a few questions. Very soon they will be leaving the bourbon soaked lands of Kentucky and will be out and about touring the country… keep eye out for them coming to a town near you. Check out their EP Colors.
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Song: Saturn’s Ocean
Newdust: Will, Kyle, Brian, Neil… What brought you guys together to play music? |
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| The Pass: Kyle and I had been kicking around the idea of starting a band with a dance and synthesizer influence to it. Once we had some songs together we called up Neil and Brian who are amazing musicians and friends of ours from different projects. Then it was like when PB met J. |
| ND: There are a lot of diverse sounds going on, what are some musical touchstones that influence all of you guys? |
| The Pass: There are so many bands that have influenced our sound rather it be consciously or subconsciously. We definitely have an affinity for 80s pop like Michael Jackson and Madonna which explains one half of our gear being put out by Roland in 1983. Brian listens to a lot of experimental electronic stuff like aphex twin, squarepusher, ect. which definitely brings its own texture. Then I think theres the modern element of our music which is influenced by artists such as Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, ect. Everyone brings something a little different to the band. One band we all like……ummm…….Maybe the Talking Heads. Does anybody not like them? |
| ND: Cross Walk Stereo is great song… I was listening to it with some buddies and we couldn’t help but notice the first 10 seconds is eerily similar to the first few seconds of Phoenix’s “1901″. Was this a an intentional homage or more sub-conscious? |
| The Pass: Ok…yea the 1901 thing was a huge accident. We were definitely listening to them around the time we wrote crosswalk stereo and I guess it was a sub conscious infiltration (sorry Thomas and gang). Once we realized the similarity we kind of like compared them to make sure we were good…like chords and rhythms. Its pretty much the same explanation as Vanilla Ice on Ice Ice Baby. Maybe one day we’ll cover 1901 and you wont even know until 10 seconds in… |
| ND: I know nothing about Louisville, Kentucky… How is it playing your style of music in a city that is not known for its electronic-pop scene? |
| The Pass: Well, we’ve actually been welcomed with mostly open arms. Louisville is a really cool open-minded town with a lot of diversity. Also, VHS or Beta are from here which I think warmed a lot of people up to the idea of a dance rock band. Theres really not a lot of similar bands to play shows with though so we kind of like the idea of playing with DJs. |
| ND: Give me 3 new songs and 3 old “dusty” tracks that our readers have to check out. |
| The Pass: 3 new songs?….. anything on the new Hot Chip album. Also dig that La Roux album and the new Friendly Fires vs Holy Ghost record. Three dusty tracks? ……..i can give you three dusty albums. Lou Reed – Transformer, Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense, and Nick Drake – Bryter Layter. Honorable mention, Madonna – Like A Virgin |
October 7th, 2009
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Brad Oberhofer just might be the next big name in indie music. The only problem is you can’t find him anywhere. Nobody is talking about him. A Google search of his full name brings up some interesting results, one of which was an article written by the Weekly Volcano last month, other than that there’s really nothing. A Google search of simply “Oberhofer” is even more random and depressing. But upon listening to his music you’ll have the same urge I immediately had to spread the word as quickly as possible. What’s most impressive is that Oberhofer records as a solo artist. His vocals are reminiscent of Avey Tare with just a hint of Britt Daniel, perfectly complemented by his simple yet affective blend of folk, pop, and electronic music. I’ll get out of the way and let the music speak for itself. Here are a few of his works with a quick Q&A below:
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Artist: Oberhofer
Song: Awy Frm U.mp3
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Song: Dead Girls Dance.mp3
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Song: I Could Go.mp3 |
| Newdust: What instrument did you start out on, and how long have you been making music?
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Brad Oberhofer:
I started writing music as a competitive freestyle rapper in about fifth grade. It’s been about nine years. |
| ND: How do your live performances compare to the recorded stuff?
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BO:
It completely varies. I’ve played guitar with my hands and drums with my feet, with only a drummer, with another guitarist and a drummer, with a string section, and a few other formats. Recorded music and live shows have become completely separate art forms, so I try to add things to live shows that aren’t in my recordings and vice-versa. |
| ND: Who are some of your favorite artists right now (with records that have come out in the last 2 years)?
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BO:
One record that came out in the past year, Clues’ self titled album. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it, I’d consider it a huge influence.
I’m really into Okay, a project by this guy Marty Anderson. One of my favorite albums of all time is his “High Road”.
I also love Micachu’s “Jewellery”.
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| ND: What records have had the most influence on your sound?
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BO:
As the years go by, the influences change. For a while it was Arcade Fire’s self titled EP, at times that Okay album has had a huge influence, and this summer that Clues album really affected things.
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| ND: Have you sent the EP to any record labels or are you just gonna stick with the self-promotion gig?
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BO:
I have given the EP to a few places. I really just want as many people to hear it as possible.
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| ND: How can fans get a hold of your current stuff, and when can we expect another album?
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BO:
I’ve been mailing it to people who message me or email me. I’m also working on ways to sell it online. I’ve been coming up with a lot of new material lately, and you could probably expect something in the next three months. Also, I have a Myspace page. The URL, myspace.com/oberhofer, is taken by some man who lives in New Jersey, who by the looks of it, appears to be a pretty nice guy.
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August 17th, 2009
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The Fungi Girls are no joke. While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and praise and write them off as some sort of gimmick due to their young age (all 3 members are in their mid teens), this is a group with tons of talent and motivation. Here’s our interview with these hard partying, up and coming musicians.
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Song: Crystal Roads.mp3
Album: Psilo Demo
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| Newdust: Who’s your favorite local band? |
 Seafaring Pyramids |
Fungi Girls:
No one in particular, but here’s several: Fergus & Geronimo, Orange Coax, Scoff (new project is called Stoned Men, though), Eat Avery’s Bones, and Darktown Strutters. |
| ND:You obviously have a pretty large library of musicians and bands that you are influenced by, how were you able to acquire such tastes at such a young age? |
FG:
When I was 10 or so, my aunt and uncle got me into some shoegaze and other stuff and I kind of branched off from there with the help of the internet. In seventh grade, I believe, I started getting some of my friends into the same music and soon enough we all had “such tastes.” |
| ND:What’s it like living in Cleburne? |
FG:
Cleburne is a bummer. It feels like home to us, but I think we all hate it for the most part. There’s absolutely nothing to do, the people suck for the most part, and it’s relatively far from anything worthwhile. |
| ND:How did you guys all meet and start playing together? |
FG:
I’ve known Deryck since birth. His grandparents and my grandparents have been best friends since they were in their teens. Deryck met Jacob through school, from what I know of, and after I moved back to Cleburne from living in California and Nevada, I became good friends with Jacob. |
| ND: Do people at your high school know of the attention you guys get? How do they react? |
FG:
I go to a different high school than the other two girls, but from what they’ve told me, no one really knows about our band. I guess we’re all kind of reserved for the most part, so that might be why. |
| ND:How do you deal with comparisons to other bands that you may not like? |
FG:
We don’t really care. We’re oftentimes compared to Wavves and Vivian Girls, but we really don’t think we sound all the much like them. A lot of people like those bands quite a bit, though, so I guess it’s somewhat flattering. We’ve also been compared to the Pooh Sticks and Pavement, though, and that’s definitely awesome to hear because both of those bands are really great. |
| ND:Young bands have a history of burning out, how do you guys see yourself staying together? |
FG:
I think we’ll stay together for at least another couple of years. Or at least, we hope to. We’ve all been friends for a long time and were playing music for a couple of years before Fungi Girls, so we shouldn’t have too much of a problem staying together. |
| ND: Do you view your lo-fi sound as an intentional artistic decision, or a necessity of not having access to great equipment that you may evolve from? |
FG:
Well, the stuff on the new album isn’t really lo-fi at all. The demo’s quality was because of the latter part of yr question. At the time, we didn’t have any kind of recording equipment whatsoever and didn’t really know how to record properly on anything, so using a digital camera was a simple solution. |
| ND: Beaches and oceans are a theme through some of your songs, besides surf rock, how has the ocean come to influence you while living in the middle of Texas? |
FG:
Actually, I think we only have two songs that are ocean-related, Pacifica Nostalgia and Sun Surfing. Sun Surfing’s lyrics weren’t even really about the ocean or beaches, they were more of a metaphor for something, and Pacifica Nostalgia’s lyrics were written in regards to me missing the California coast. The Bay Area and around Santa Cruz, to be more specific. |
| ND:It’s been almost a year since you guys started making noise in the Denton scene, how has your music changed in that time? |
FG:
Our sound hasn’t really changed all that much until semi-recently, but I like to think it has became less amateurish and controlled than before. We’ve also started writing better lyrics and have became much better live. |
| ND:How long before you guys get to go on tour? |
FG:
Probably next summer. Plans fell through this summer, so we’re going to have to wait. School is starting back up very soon, so there’s not really going to be any time to tour. We’re wanting to plan a mini-tour of some sorts on Christmas Break or Thanksgiving Break, but we’re not sure if it’ll happen or not. |
| ND:Finally, what are you guys listening to these days? |
FG:
I’ve been listening to a lot of blues lately. Namely Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bukka White, and Mississippi John Hurt. In addition to them, I’ve been all about 13th Floor Elevators, surf rock, Blue Cheer, and the Fresh & Onlys lately. Jacob has been listening to a lot of Fresh & Onlys as well and Deryck has been all about John Maus and The Faceless. |
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So there you have it. The Fungi Girl’s know where they’ve been, and they certainly know where they want to go. The only people who can hold them back now is themselves, because at this point they certainly seem poised to have the world at their fingertips. Be on the lookout for their next release, Seafaring Pyramids on Play Pinball Records. Stay Tuned.
-interview by Ryan
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July 24th, 2009
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We are extremely excited to present our very first artist interview. Indiecater Records gave us the opportunity to talk with Adam & Darcie about their latest album, California Trail.
“Hands/Mind”
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“National Forest”
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| Newdust: For starters, what inspired you guys to write music together? |
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Adam & Darcie:
We both came from musical families. We both felt music more personally and deeply than any other medium of expression. So it was natural that as we came together our music would follow suit. -Darcie
I think it was inevitable. It would be hard not to do it if we tried. -Adam |
| ND: Did either one of you have any musical ventures in the past?
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A&D:
As long as I can remember, I’ve always been taking instrument lessons, playing in an orchestra, or singing in a choir. As far as something original, I had written but hadn’t had a public platform to share until Adam and Darcie. Adam had so much experience that he kind of carried us until I got my stage legs. -Darcie
I grew up in Northern CA playing in a band with some childhood friends. My friend’s dads were in The Moody Blues and Supertramp. At the time I didn’t really know much about either of those, but I remember newspapers describing our band as the sons of these famous guys…and me.
I’ve been in a lot of different bands and musical projects and it’s nice because most us still keep in touch. A lot of these people are still involved in one way or another with Adam and Darcie. Whether it’s on the recording or live there’s a nice big musical family thing going on. -Adam |
| ND: What brought you guys to Indiecater?
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A&D:
We found out about Indiecater through our friends The Very Most. We’ve been thrilled with Indiecater and appreciate the bridge they’ve been building for our music overseas. We love their passion for music and their approach to sharing it. -Adam
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| ND: So when can we expect to see you in Dallas (do you plan on doing any major touring with this release?)
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A&D:
We’ll go almost anywhere we can expect listening ears. I love performing, but we don’t really have the luxury to tour exclusively for an extended time so we have cluster shows in nearby states. -Darcie
Hopefully soon. Right now our touring plans are focused mostly around the West Coast but we’d definitely love to head that direction if there’s interest. -Adam
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| ND: What feelings or emotions were you going for while writing this album?
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A&D:
I think the theme that I carried through the whole album is the longing for a peaceful, family life. The gold country of California became a symbol of that lifestyle to us. I think there is a nostalgic emotion to the album but hopefully the most prevalent is one of calm and hope in the future. -Darcie
A lot of these songs have to do with sense of place… a longing for home. That’s often manifest in the people and places that are important to you. So throughout the album the feelings are very real and relevant to us, and we hope they will be for others in their own ways as well. -Adam
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| ND: What did you guys listen to while growing up (in other words, what has sculpted your sound over the years?)
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A&D:
The first artists I became thoroughly acquainted with were from my parents like ABBA and John Denver. I’m at a point in my life where I so relate to Denver’s homage to a place that held his heart. So many authors and artists find their places of origin so influential and I do too. As I began exploring music on my own, I took to the likes of the Beatles and Alison Krauss. I think the influence of these kinds of artists is clear; I write pop with strong folk and indie instrumentation. -Darcie
I don’t think you can overstate the importance of some of the classics like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell etc. Then there were some more contemporary songwriters with an impact on me, like Jeff Buckley, Francis Dunnery’s ‘Tall Blonde Helicopter,’ Neil Finn, and The Smiths. And I can’t say enough about some of the artists we’re currently listening to such as Loney Dear, Midlake, Fleet Foxes, The Innocence Mission, Grizzly Bear, and Grandaddy. -Adam
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| ND: Was it music that brought you two together, or did the music come later on in the relationship?
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A&D:
The latter. We were suited for each other in every way so we weren’t surprised to find out we shared this passion. We started sharing music really early on, although not collaborating. I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t part of our relationship. -Darcie
I think music was always there. I wouldn’t say that it brought us together, but it was there. I guess it didn’t hurt when I first heard Darcie sing. -Adam
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| ND: We all love the instrumental pieces of your songs because they complement the melodies so perfectly. Were these separate ideas, or were they just a part of the natural flow of your songwriting?
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A&D:
They came in the flow of the songwriting. The stories or ideas were clear to me, so even in those instrumental moments the transitions felt natural to write. -Adam
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| ND: Did any of these songs spawn from “jam sessions”, or do you guys like to follow a certain formula when writing music together?
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A&D:
I think all of the songs start with Adam’s private “jam sessions.” What I improvise on the spot usually isn’t worth keeping. I like to take my time and work through parts and melodies. -Darcie
Not so many jam sessions any more. A lot the songs start at quiet times. First thing in the morning or late at night, and then grow from there. -Adam
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| ND: How old is your son? Has he inspired any of the songs that appear on California Trail?
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A&D:
His mark on the album is maybe not as literal as a special tribute or lullaby, but his calming influence on our life and our ambitions as parents is probably 80% of what is being expressed on the album.
-Darcie
He’s almost a year and a half. He definitely has. He is our life now and our experience. I could gush about him, but he really has changed our perspective. You see things in a different way.
The main guitar part for the song “California Trail” was something I used to play to him when he was very young because he liked it. It’s on the recording of that song that you can hear him in the background at times. -Adam
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| ND: How many instruments on the new album are played by the “talented musicians/friends” that you mention on your Myspace?
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A&D:
Adam is such a capable musician. He does most, I do a bit, and we invited friends to lay one or two parts because we love collaborating with them. -Darcie
The recording and live are two different worlds for us. On the recording it’s all Darcie and I except for Dave Newlin who plays bass, and a few featured parts (Tim Koide-violin, Brett Pederson-timpani, Samantha Dickens-vocals, Nathan Housley-guitar). Live there are 5 or 6 of us, and the lineup tends to change periodically based on which friends are available or around (everyone seems to keep moving and coming back; band members have recently been or currently live in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Portland, and Washington D.C.). But they are all great friends and musicians so the rotation is fairly seamless. -Adam
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| ND: We noticed on Indiecater’s website, Darcie, that you’re a fan of knitting. Does inspiration ever strike with needle in hand? Adam, what are some of your hobbies outside of music?
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A&D:
Heh heh. I was using “back to my knitting” as an expression. I cannot claim to have any skill with knitting needles but I love to sew (same family right?). While I’m never inspired musically at the sewing machine, I do catch myself having one person conversations. -Darcie
First I need to say (because she’s too modest) that Darcie has crazy skills when it comes to sewing. And she’s quite the baker. And athlete (mostly soccer). And whistler. And she can play the recorder.
I like biking. There are beautiful mountains here in UT and I grew up in the Sierras of Northern CA, so biking is a great way to enjoy those. I also like some other semi-nerdy things like disc golf (it’s free!), tennis, and basketball. -Adam
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California Trail is streaming now and is available as an mp3 download on Indiecater’s website. |
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