5 Questions With: Jukebox The Ghost [SXSW Edition]

We recently caught up with Jukebox The Ghost to talk about their Conan performance, their experience at South By, and what fans can expect next from the band! Check out our interview with guitarist and vocalist, Tommy Siegel, below!

This one’s not so much a question as it is a statement, but you (just a little while ago) posted your summer tour with Ingrid Michaelson – that’s huge, congrats! How excited are you about that experience?

We are really excited about it!  We’ve never done a tour on that scale – The biggest shows we’ve done in the states have been clubs (and theaters at the absolute largest).  This tour is on the gigantic-outdoor-ampitheater end of the spectrum, and we are really looking forward to that totally insane new experience. In addition, Ingrid and her band are just fantastic people all-around, so we know the tour is gonna be a blast even before it starts.

You performed on Conan a month or two back, and then you were on VH1 earlier
this month – do you prep yourselves any different for a TV performance than you
would for a live show?

Not particularly.  The thing about touring is that you already know you’re going to have to play in a lot of wildly different situations – Sometimes you play to 30 people and sometimes you play to 3,000.  Sometimes you’re opening the show to a somewhat-disinterested crowd, sometimes you’re playing at a radio station for a single DJ and sometimes you play to a ton of your own enthusiastic fans.  Playing on a TV performance feels more like playing to an intimate/confused crowd than it feels like playing to the millions you’re actually performing for – The key is to make sure you don’t totally screw it up.  Which I kinda did on Conan.  Thankfully you can’t hear the guitar very well in the first post-chorus.  Phew!

Since South By Southwest is filled with tons of incredible acts, were you excited to catch any artists in particular? Did you stumble across any new artists that you are now a fan of?

South by Southwest is such a crazy event that it’s hard to find the time to see other stuff, so it’s best to just go with the flow – You might have three or four hours between showcases and I’ve found the best tactic is to check the schedule only at the last minute so you don’t get too let down. Thankfully, this year I got to catch Deerhoof (they’re my favorite band).

This one is a two parter, so here we go: The doodles you post online always seem to go over really well – A.) What’s the weirdest one that someone has requested? B.) If there could be one band/artist/celebrity you’d want to request a doodle from you, who would you want?

A. Someone requested us as the characters in Fifty Shades of Grey, which I imagined for a few minutes and then politely declined.

B. I would LOVE to draw a doodle from Cher, which is somewhat realistic because she spends an amazing amount of time on Twitter.

What can fans expect next from Jukebox The Ghost?

More touring this summer!  We’re excited to hit the road with Ingrid Michaelson for  May/June.  After that, who knows?  I’d love to start working on a new record before the year is over.

5 Questions With: Microwave [SXSW Edition]

One of the bands on our “50 Acts You Won’t Want To Miss At SXSW” list was Atlanta band, Microwave. A unique blend of genres, we were intrigued upon first listen and kept wanting more. We recently spoke with vocalist, Nathan Hardy, about their debut album, their experience at South By Southwest, and where the band name came from. Check out the interview below!

This was your first time performing at South By Southwest. Did you guys prepare differently for South By versus playing any other show you would normally play at?
We spent a couple weeks touring through the Midwest on our way out to Austin which was really fun. Aside from that, we had some delicious tortas and quesadillas at Licha’s Cantina where they held the Audiotree showcase. It was a beautiful place full of beautiful people.

Speaking of your debut album, Stovall was initially released in August of last year and it received a ton of great feedback. What song off the album was your personal favorite to write/record and why?
My personal favorite (Nathan) to write and record was Stovall cause I was in the midst of the bullshit which the song is about while we were in the studio recording it and it felt really good to get drunk and whine about it into an expensive microphone.

So we have to ask – where did the name Microwave come from?
When I was 2 years old, my babysitter put me inside a microwave and threatened to turn it on as a punishment for hardcore dancing in the living room while my parents were at a Megadeth show. (she was a big Chiodos fan and was heavily against hardcore dancing in the living room). I can’t be inside elevators or small spaces to this day and I hate bagel bites. Just kidding, we were just drunk one night and thought it was funny and I love
bagel bites.

Being that South By Southwest is filled with tons of incredible acts, were you excited to catch any artists in particular? Did you stumble across any new
artists that you are now a fan of?
We have been long time fans of Mew, a super sick space-rock band from Denmark. We didn’t have SXSW badges to get into see them, but we watched from side-stage through a gate. They walked out where we were standing afterwards and we got to shake Jonas’ hand (Mew vocals) and Tito (Microwave Drums) got to show him his Mew tattoo while his legs turned to jello like a young schoolgirl. We also discovered a band called Rozwell Kid
which is a hummus-themed power pop band from West Virginia. They were absolutely incredible and we hope to see them many more times in the future.

What can we expect next from Microwave?
We’re going to be in the studio at the beginning of May recording a song for a split which will be announced soon. Then, right after we finish recording, we’ll be headed out to the west coast for a tour which we will also be announcing soon. We have a lot of things in
the works for the rest of 2015 as well.

5 Questions With: The Maine [SXSW/SBSW Edition]

The guys of The Maine have been crazy busy lately, performing at both South By Southwest and South By So What?!, releasing their new album in just a few days, and heading out on the American Candy tour. We caught up with guitarist, Jared Monaco, about what they’ve been up to, what it was like performing at both South By festivals, and the band’s new album! Check out the interview below!

So we talked with you guys a while back, on the Anberlin tour. Other than the album, what’s new?
Right now we’re at home preparing for the American Candy tour! As I write this, I’m in the middle of fixing up a couple of my guitars to bring on the road.

Not only did you play South By So What?! this past weekend, but you also played South By Southwest. What is the difference in atmosphere between the two
festivals? Do you have a preference in which you prefer playing?
I think South by Southwest has become this weird blend of music and branding and tech stuff and corporate sponsors and yada yada. It’s cool to be there and play a show, but I don’t think we have any interest in impressing labels or agents or any of the industry related stuff that goes with it. Our goal is to play a show for anyone willing to
watch. We were lucky enough to play at Emo’s in Austin, which is isolated from
the hustle and bustle of the main events. It was a great show! South by So What
was cool too! It was rainy and outdoors and messy, but it was punk rock, it was
just a throw-and-go kind of show. I think I lean more towards club shows, but I
don’t mind a rainy festival too.

People seem pretty excited for the new record and singles that have been released thus far. How have you all felt about the initial reaction?
Personally, I’m fired up. It’s nice to be releasing new material, and it’s a bonus to see it received so well. I’ve had such a positive attitude towards these songs ever since we finished the album in Joshua Tree. To me, I felt like I could sense how our fans would react
to the new stuff. After releasing 2 tracks already, I just want to keep this momentum and keep moving forward. All good vibes.

Since both South By So What?! and South By Southwest is filled with tons of incredible acts, were you excited to catch any artists in particular? Did you stumble across any new artists that you are now a fan of?
Yeah! I watched Title Fight at South By So What. It was rad. I love their new album. Also, our good friends in Mayday Parade! Love running into that group of hunks.

American Candy is being released in just a few days. Is there one song on the new album that you’re most proud of or you’re the most excited for people to hear? If so, what song is it and why?
I really love the title track, “American Candy”. It started out as a mid-tempo, piano-based tune, and we had this idea to make it as loud and as rocking as possible. It became more of an anthemic vibe instead, and I think lyrically it conveys one of the strongest messages on the album.

5 Questions With: Fire From The Gods [SBSW Edition]

We spoke with Austin natives, Fire From The Gods, about their experience at South By So What?!, The Alumni Tour, and the best advice they’ve been given! Below is our interview with vocalist, AJ Channer!

You guys are actually
from Austin, TX, so South By So What?! is almost like a hometown show for you
guys. Was there any pressure in putting together a better performance because
of this?
The show totally felt like a hometown
show. There were so many bands on the bill that we have played with on the
past. We each had to step it up when we played in front of our friends as well
the folks from Texas that know the music but haven’t seen fire live!

For those that aren’t aware, Fire From The Gods was chosen to join The Alumni
Tour from over 1000 unsigned bands. Can you tell us a little about the tour and
what your reaction was to learning that you guys had been chosen as the tours
headliner?
It was a huge honour. We played the
first leg of the Alumni tour earlier this year so we were pumped to play the
2nd leg as well. We have been involved in the headbang program for about a year
now and there are some incredible local artist involved in the headbang set up.
So it was huge for us to get the slot.

What act were you most excited to catch at South By So What?! and did they meet
your expectations?
Oh man there were a lot of bands I
wanted to see all weekend but I was most stoked for Norma Jean and  Beartooth. Perfect blend of heavy with
hardcore roots.

You guys are all about diversity and not fitting into any cookie-cutter mold,
which definitely plays a role into how successful you guys have been thus far.
Everyone has a different way of defining how and when they make it, whether it’s
a radio single or playing sold-out shows. How do you measure your success?
We are pumped on everything right now
as well as all the buzz surrounding the band.
We are still just scratching surface with a lot more to go. Diversity is
a huge part of fire from the gods but we will see in a few years where the
sound is and how that impacts our success.

The list of performers you have played alongside is extremely impressive and
includes acts such as Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Of Mice and Men, The Devil
Wears Prada, Five Finger Death Punch, etc. What is the best advice that one of
those bands has given you?
Great question. Chris met Corey
Taylor at Knotfest and he told Chris to just smile and wave. Most of the dudes
you meet in bigger bands always say the same thing stay humble and  stay busy.

5 Questions With: Typesetter [SXSW Edition]

Included in our “50 Acts You Won’t Want To Miss At SXSW”
feature, Typesetter’s punk/indie rock sound had us interested upon first
listen. We spoke with the guys about their signing to Black Numbers last year,
preparation for South By, and some performances they were able to catch. Check
out our interview with the band below!

Last year, you guys
signed to Black Numbers and released your debut album in October. The album has
been receiving great responses, being referred to by some as an album that
you’d have on constant repeat, and we completely agree with that. What was the recording
process like and what was your favorite aspect of it?
Recording Wild’s End was a crazy,
wonderful whirlwind. Black Numbers took the plunge and signed us, we were
touring consistently, our drummer had decided to part ways and we had about 6
weeks to finish writing and get Stephen up to speed. About a week before
tracking, our engineer, Peter Carparelli, called me to let me know that he had
a brain tumor. Being a total bad ass, Pete said “so we might have to push
it back a week or two.” Pete is literally tough as nails, he’s got screws
in him from a bike accident and he still rides daily, but we didn’t have any
time to push back. We contacted Jeff Dean, who plays guitar in All Eyes West
and has produced a ton of awesome records, and I distinctly remember him saying
that he wanted to do the record as much for Peter as he did for us.

Wild’s End is a collection of tunes that were written as far as 18 months
before recording; it’s a messy sporadic ride through the first two years of a
band finding themselves, and I love it. We took a lot of chances in the
songwriting and tried every idea that came to mind. Tonally it’s fantastic,
Jeff and Jon Drew (mastering engineer) did an incredible job. Everyone
involved, in every step, from our first drummer Adam, to Dave at Black Numbers,
has put a touch on it and we couldn’t be prouder. And Pete’s fine; Wild’s End
is dedicated to him.

This was your first time performing at South By Southwest. Did you guys prepare
differently for South By versus playing any other show you would normally play
at?
Typesetter approaches every situation differently, whether it’s a city or
festival we’ve played a million times before, or a melting pot like SXSW. We
always focus on making every single show that Typesetter plays the best show
yet.

Typesetter had never been to SXSW, so
it was definitely a wild learning experience. We had a total blast, got to
party with some homies and see our friends bands, wander around Austin, drink
Lone Star and slam vegan food from trucks. Shout out to Arlo’s, Frank and the
Vegan Yacht. One of the highlights of South By was the Ground Floor Booking
Showcase. Rey from GFB does a great job booking and every single band was
amazing.

You guys have been touring quite a
bit lately and even announced that you would be releasing another batch of tour
dates later this week. What keeps you guys so driven to tour nonstop?
At a very basic level, we’re all
driven to play music every day. Even on our days off when we should relax, we
lament not getting to play. There’s also an aspect of wanderlust, of desiring a
nomadic lifestyle, of meeting new people and seeing new places. Practically,
however, consistent touring is the way that bands survive now. You make money
and spread your name by playing out and selling merch; you have to bring your
records to people rather than assume a label or store is going to shove it in
their face. To us it just makes sense: it’s what we want to do and what keeps
propelling us forward, to new fans and friends. We strive to write awesome tunes
and put on a great show, and we want to bring that show to everyone.  

Being that South By Southwest is
filled with tons of incredible acts, were you excited to catch any artists in
particular? Did you stumble across any new artists that you are now a fan of?
All Eyes West, Lifted Bells, Creepoid, What Moon Things, The Spits, Alaska,
Daddy Issues, Hard Girls, Closet Drama, Paul Cherry, Sidewalk Chalk, Mild High
Club… homies old and new. I wish I would’ve gotten to see Run the Jewels,
Waxahatchee, Chance the Rapper and BoneLang.

What can we expect next from Typesetter? Possibly new music in the works?
There will definitely be new
Typesetter music this year. We have a lot of plans and will be releasing music
in a variety of formats this year. There will definitely be a split with a rad
New York band. We’re playing Pouzza Fest in Montreal, Death to False Hope Fest
in Durham, The Fest in Gainesville again and we’re touring Europe this year.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and catch us at a show – we want to hang out
with you.