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I Am a Man- The Parrots
The Parrots are a three piece band based in Madrid. Check out their The Almighty Defenders Cover of “All My Loving” on a split 7″ with KersCorner interviewees Hinds! The band’s new EP, “Weed for The Parrots“, will be released on June 22nd. You can listen to the first advanced song from the EP here. The track has already received praise from publications such as NME. Watch a previously released video for track “I Am a Man” below!
My Q&A With: Strawberry Runners
Together, Emi Night, Eli Saragoussi, Tomas Campos, David Runge, Davy Timm make up Strawberry Runners a “shimmery, gritty, tender-hearted pop” band based in Denver, Colorado. Check them out!
Where did the name Strawberry Runners originate?
Emi: So, the origin of our name is a bit of a mystery. No one can remember who thought of it or when it originally came up, but it’s a name that had been bouncing around in my head for a while, maybe even years. I was talking with a friend about it recently and I immediately thought of one of the first associations I have with strawberries – my mom grew them in the little strip of garden in our back yard. Our garden was pretty pathetic. We tried to grow all sorts of things, but most everything died except for the strawberries, which seemed to come back stronger and bigger every year. I also used to run away a lot as a kid too, from home, from school, from babysitters, from friends…etc. Probably as an adult too, just in new ways, you know. So there are associations all around.
You recently played at South by Southwest music festival. How was that experience?
Emi: South by Southwest was pretty chaotic! We got to see lots of good music though! My favorite show was the Don Giovanni showcase on Friday night. And some of us got to see this unbelievable show with an amazing queen named Christeene the same night. We were hosted by our incredibly hospitable friend Santi from the Austin band, Growl. We all got tattoos and/or piercings that week too…haha! We danced a ton and ate delicious food, made new friends, wore lots of earplugs, saw tons of beautiful people everywhere. Overall it was a bit of a mess, but I’m glad we went!
David: The difference in the shows was pretty surreal. One day would be an empty field, the next would be a packed bar. Other than that, I felt like we got really tight from playing so many shows back to back.
As a band based in Denver, Colorado, do you find the popular music scene there heavily influences you?
Emi: I draw influence from so many musicians and artists here, even though a lot of the music that comes out of Denver is super different from what we make. I’m influenced most by our friends who also make up the bands in our community: Mega Gem, Chase Ambler, Disaster Canyon, Doo Crowder, Cop Circles, Bonnie Gregory of The Horse Latitudes, Stelth Ulvang, Anna Smith, Meeca, Spirits of the Red City, Laura Goldhamer and a couple former Denver bands: Papa Bear and Dovekins
What do you find are your biggest influences?
Emi: Well, usually it starts with a feeling about something. That will make me want to sit down and write for awhile. So feelings… tied to memory, family, friendships, love, stories, and personal myth-making. I’m most influenced by these things. Being able to see my life and what I’m experiencing right now as part of a bigger story can be super empowering. Stories. I love songs that tell stories, especially stories that are a little off-beat with some familiar elements, so some of my biggest musical/story-telling influences are Belle and Sebastian, The Mountain Goats, Joanna Newsom, The Weakerthans, Neutral Milk Hotel and Saintseneca. And one of the biggest influences in making music, and just living + creating in general is my family. My mom and my brothers. We’ve been through a lot together, and right now we live far apart because that’s what works for us, but writing songs helps me to stay close to them. And they always give me something to write about. haha
NPR listed your song “Hatcher Creek” on their mix for SXSW. Did you expect this song to be received so positively? How did the song come about?
Emi: Haha! Well, no actually, not really! We’re a totally unknown band otherwise, almost monastic, even! We sort of just put this out there like, hey NPR, so here’s this… but, well, you know, I actually also gave them a good amount of background information about my writing and this song. I was pretty open and honest about my process and the experiences that led to the writing of this song in particular. Sharing this information with some total strangers sort of made me feel differently about my work. Exposing these vulnerable and sometimes painful roots of my creative process was a choice, and when I made it, I had this sense for some reason that I couldn’t go back. And maybe they saw that too. Or maybe they just heard a catchy pop song! I can’t say! I mean, when you put your heart and soul and sweat into something for a long time, and give it all the love and care you have, I just have to believe that something will come of it. Like, I know this isn’t a stone I’m planting. It’s a seed, and when I care for it, it’ll thrive. Who knows what that looks like? I guess that’s kind of how I think of my work. I just give it my best and hope it survives out there!
If you could play a show for one night with two other bands/musicians, what bands/musicians would you choose and why?
David: Spirits of the Red City and Tune Yards probably. It’d be a weird show, but I love both of those bands like air.
Emi: Ooohhhh, I’d probably want to play with Belle and Sebastian, because they’re my favorite band of all time, and the Music Tapes. Julian Koster creates the most magical show experience I’ve ever, ever had. I have no idea how this show would actually look, honestly. I’m sure it would be totally weird, because I feel like both of those bands stand best alone, with such incredible, engaging performances, that it’s pretty absurd to try to pack in other music experiences around that. So maybe my ideal show would actually be one in which all three of our bands collaborate for one totally freaky, bizarre, and magical performance.
The lyrics of your songs are often very personal. Do you have a particular writing process or ritual?
Emi: Hm. My lyrics are often very personal. My early life was dark and silent. Now, sometimes I write about the abuse and trauma I experienced growing up. As for ritual, I’ve made rituals an integral part of my daily life, but in songwriting, specifically writing about these dark experiences, this is the closest I get to it: I’ve forgotten most of my childhood. It’s a normal reaction to trauma, to forget. But in many ways, my body still remembers. This can be maddening. So when the confusion between these two disparate experiences of my body and my mind becomes overwhelming, I spend time intentionally retrieving memories. If one returns to me it can be powerful – painful. Playing a song – just humming with my guitar can be very soothing in these moments. And as I work through some of the pain of the memory, I try to give voice to the experiences I recall from my childhood through writing. I try to tell the story from a place of empowerment now, rather from the perspective of a victim. Often the only way I can access my memory, without re-traumatization, is through song. Does that make sense? I have to write, because somehow the child I was, her life, little more than a whisper, has a new chance to speak in these moments. It is less a ritual than it is a compulsion which I make space for in my somewhat ritualistic life.
Aside from being members in Strawberry Runners, you all play in other bands as well. How do you manage this? Have you had any interesting experiences with this?
David: It can be tough, but is usually more of a positive influence than a burden. It’s nice to step outside of the Strawberry Runners sound as an exercise.
Emi: Well, nothing too interesting, honestly! Strawberry Runners and Mega Gem have for a long time been very entangled. Davy and Tomas are two main members of both bands, I’ve been an auxiliary member for years, singing harmonies and playing a variety of instruments, Eli has filled in on bass a number of times, and just to keep David in the loop, Mega Gem threw him on glockenspiel for one of their shows at SXSW. I played bass for Mega Gem during their Midwest/east coast tour last summer. I also toured with them, playing Strawberry Runners songs as Moth Mender – the name of my solo project, which has recently been mostly absorbed by Strawberry Runners. For a couple of our shows Mega Gem backed up my set, and that’s actually what influenced me to ask Tomas and Davy to join Strawberry Runners later in the summer.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Not at the moment! Thanks so much for interviewing us, and for patiently awaiting our super late responses!
* Photos and quote via the band’s Facebook page
A Ker’s Corner/ Kerin Update!
Hello everyone!
Sorry I have been missing! I feel that I made this same apology around this time last year. The end of the school year is always extraordinarily hectic, with finals and classes wrapping up, moving out and heading home, etc. I also opened a music venue on my campus this past semester, which has been an overwhelming, yet entirely fulfilling experience, and I am now the concert chair at my school. So it’s up to me to handle which artists come to perform! It’s all so exciting, but boy, am I exhausted! Nonetheless, I promise I will be back positing again shortly! I have a great interview ready to post soon, and several more exciting things for the future.
I am heading to some festivals this summer, which is always super fun and creates some great stories to tell. Unfortunately, I had to miss some wonderful concerts this past semester (i.e. Tove Styrke, Brook Fraser, etc.) due to an overload of work. I suppose I will just have to make up for it in the future!
In other news, I’ve been playing shows myself, which has added to the craziness. I got to play a few songs at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA the other night, which was absolutely surreal. I have seen so many wonderful artists there! I’ll post some pictures below (if you care at all, l o l). Feel free to like my music page on Facebook if you want to keep up with shows and my journey and such. Okay, that semi-shameless plug is over.
I hope you’re all doing wonderful, and I PROMISE I will stop slacking soon!
Best,
Kerin
P.S. My girl MØ is doing so well! I am so happy! Check out Grace Mitchell if you get a chance, she’s incredible!
The Fool- Ryn Weaver
I love, love this.
This Is The Best Thing I Have Seen In A While
Little White Lies- Florrie
2Shy- Shura
My Q&A With: Hinds
Hinds, formerly known as Deers, originally started as a duo of members Carlotta and Ana. Based in Madrid, the two started recording music that immediately received positive attention from magazines such as The Guardian and NME. Later expanding to a four-piece band with fellow members Ade and Amber, Hinds has continued to make appealing, lo-fi music accompanied by their fun, free-spirited attitudes, and growing recognition in today’s music scene. Despite it only being April, Hinds have been extraordinarily busy touring this year, having already covered festivals like South by Southwest, and now heading to Spain, Ireland, the UK, and France, among others. With an album being released this year, Hinds can only go up from here.
How would you describe your sound?
weird, sincere and smily
The band was formerly known as Deers, but had to change the name for legal reasons. How did you decide on a new name?
just because it was the only one that we liked and didn’t mean a bad word or that was already taken hahaha
The band recently played at South by Southwest in Texas, and is set to play several more shows in the United States and Europe. What has been your favorite place to perform thus far and why?
we have loved BURGERAMA. a festival full of kids freaking out ’cause maybe it is their first festival ever… everything is so familiar… beers and burger forever free… oh god!
How do you feel Spain has influenced you as a band?
Spain is such a deep influence that it’s just inside our blood. everything we do is in some way influenced by our spanish brain.
What are the band’s plans for 2015?
the album!!!!!!
The band originally started as a duo, and then became of four-piece group. What is your process like in writing and creating music together as a band?
ana and carlotta (here speaking) we still take the main part of the composition, but still when we have the main body of a song we go to our rehearsal place and we search for a bass and drums that we think that fits with the energy of the song and so.
*image from the band’s Facebook page
My Q&A With: HOLYCHILD
Incorporating upbeat, catchy lyrics, ornate percussive beats, and pop vocals, Los Angeles based band HOLYCHILD is on a rapid road to top the charts. With what is referred to as ‘brat pop,’ their songs define the term earworm. The sound of HOLYCHILD reflects a sort of off-the-beaten-path pop that is gaining the attention of many listeners around the globe, not to mention powerhouses like Apple. What is so appealing about the band is their approach. Yes, they create danceable pop music, yet their persona as a group and the meaning behind their music is both intriguing and enlightening. Each track on their EP, Mindspeak, is notable and unique, the same which can be said about HOLYCHILD as a band. Their album, The Shape of Brat Pop To Come, is set to be released on June 2, 2015.
You went to school on the East Coast but are now based in Los Angeles. Do you feel the different cultures of these two places influence your music?
Liz: Yeah, definitely. In general we’re very inspired by places we’ve lived and human nature in the different places. Besides the east and west coast vibe, I also lived in New Hampshire, Italy, Portugal and Nepal and cultural affects are really fascinating to me. I guess we’re always trying to figure out which human actions are innate and which are influenced by culture, media and society.
The two of you met while attending George Washington University. Did you quickly realize there was potential for success when you started playing together or did you have to work on connecting musically?
Louie: The musical connection was pretty immediate. Whether it was the first few songs we wrote (a couple of them actually made the final cut on our album!), or the playlists we’d share with each other, that connection was probably quickest one I have ever had with anybody in my life. On the other hand, there was no original plan, but to just have fun expressing ourselves through music. We started to take our work a bit more seriously when we recorded the first few songs in DC, listened back to them and realized it was something we had to pursue. I think we both knew at that moment it would have been a shame to abandon a project that had that much promise at the start. Definitely happy we stuck at it!
Last year you went on tour with MØ. How was that experience?
Louie: That was probably the best tour we’ve done yet. MØ and her crew were great and the shows were a blast; what more could you ask for?!
I actually attended one of the shows and I thought you complimented each other very well. It was neat to listen to two very different sounds, even though both your music and MØ’s are considered ‘pop’ in one way or another. What audiences do you hope to reach with your music?
Louie: Yeah, thanks! So far our audience has been an interesting mix. I think I can narrow it down to folks roughly 16 – 30 years old and either male or female representing the majority of them. Ultimately to me though I feel like we have the pop + fashion sensibilities of No Doubt/Gwen Stefani mixed with the big beats + social commentary of MIA so I am kind of expecting our demographic to play out as such; but who really ever knows how anything will play out! It’s been a dream to connect with as many people as we have already. For our debut album, I feel like we’re swinging for the fences in the sound, message, scope, etc; and honestly hoping to connect with the world through it. Time will tell how that all goes!
In January you played several shows at The Echo, a renowned venue and nightclub in LA. Have there been any ‘aha’ moments, whether it be while playing a certain show, at a particular venue, or something else?
Louie: Great question! And yes, I had several of them at the Echo residency last month! Not only because we were playing about a dozen new songs from our album live for the first time, but also because we added a handful of new elements to the live show, such as backup singers, dancers, visuals, and more. Moreover we videotaped each show! So every week after our show we would watch back the video tape, listen to the recording, take note on what worked and what didn’t, make adjustments, return the following week, play our set, learn from that, and so on and so forth. Therefore I haven’t felt better about where I live show is at now! I am actually really excited to take it on the road soon so we can share all the new songs, the new show and more with the rest of the world!
You played South by Southwest this year! How was it?
Liz: It was so high and so low. That’s how everything is for me these days! SXSW was no exception. The shows themselves were so powerful and exciting. Somethings in between were a little stressful. SXSW has changed so much over the years, and this was my third time going and I guess I was just expecting it to be similar to other years. It was such a strong learning experience to live without expectations or presumptions. That best part was being on stage with so many amazing people in front of me.
“Happy With Me” a song from the EP Mindspeak has seen a significant amount of success and positive reception. In writing for the EP, did you think this song would become a hit, or did you think other songs would be better received?
Louie: Like most everything we do, we try to suspend all expectations and just take everything one step at a time, enjoy it as much as possible, learn from our mistakes, etc. That includes “Happy With Me,” and how we didn’t really know it was going to take off the way it has. On the other hand, “Happy With Me” was maybe the quickest song we wrote for the MINDSPEAK EP and felt great when writing + producing it. But you still never know how anything will be received until its out. It’s been a blessing to connect with as many people as we have through HOLYCHILD and that song in particular. Can’t wait for people to hear the new stuff on the debut album!
The cover art for your EP (a sprinkle covered donut) is so perfect in a light, whimsical, and simplistic, yet appealing sort of way. Where did you come up for the idea with this?
Liz: Thanks. The EP is all discussing the role of the female in our culture. At the time I actually was so depressed that I wasn’t eating, partly out of being too sad and partly out of pressures I felt to look a certain way. I was really interested in using food as imagery because like the female body, it’s something that is seen as coveted in our culture. I like the donut because I don’t really consider it to be sustainable food, like there’s nothing behind it beyond the hedonistic pleasure of eating it. I feel like a lot of women are portrayed that way, like their only purpose is to be eaten up and then discarded. I felt like the donut represented all that in one image, and I was really into using food in photoshoots for that reason as well. It’s so funny, because I sprinkled that donut and made it look so perfect and Louie and our photographer and our friends were like, are you sure you want to do this? The donut is a little weird. And now it’s such a trend it seems. I hope that people think about it in the way I intended, at least subconsciously because I think it’s an interesting discussion to be had.
“Running Behind” your latest single is featured on the first Apple Watch commercial. How has it been having your song recognized on such a wide scale?
Liz: It’s all kind of surreal. At the end of the day, Apple always features really amazing music in their ads so it’s definitely an honor. It’s nice when you work so hard on something to have your hard work recognized in some way. I think everyone can relate to that. So it’s really been a nice bit of momentum this year, especially because our album will be out soon!
Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming album?
Liz: The album is called The Shape of Brat Pop to Come and we really wanted to create this world of Brat Pop. It’s a genre of music that’s based on pop music, but at the same time it’s thick with social commentary. We like talking about gender roles, power dynamics, our culture’s obsession with beauty, self, fame, money. The album is a journey into this vulnerable world in a pretty accessible way.
This summer the band is set to play several large scale festivals including Firefly Festival in Delaware and Lollapalooza. What are you most looking forward to about all of the upcoming events?
Louie: We are actually not playing Firefly this year (we played it last year!), but we are doing Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball and a few others. It might sound cliche, but I’m honestly looking forward most to the actual playing. The live show has never felt better and I am really excited to bring it on the road all over the world this year in support of the debut album. Oh, and festivals in particular are always special, since they’re kind of like a reunion with a ton of our music making friends so I’m seeing friends from all over soon!
Are there any comments or thoughts you would like to add?
Liz: Not really! This is so nice to chat with you. Thanks for the questions. We’re really excited for the album to come out in June and it’s just inspiring to touch base on all these thoughts. Hope we can see you on the road!
All images are from the band’s Facebook page
Ker's Corner 