This Band Walks Into a Bar …

So, two fat guys, a Mexican and a Japanese girl start a band…

What’s the punch line you ask? Dead Dads.

“Yeah, Dead Dads is the punch line,” Tony Silva of the Sacramento pop-punk band Dead Dads explains of their Facebook page’s band description. “It’s kind of like that NOFX album, White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean.”

“I think the three of the guys in the band are pretty immature and Lys is mature,” lead singer and guitarist Cory Wiegert jokes.

All jokes aside, if you’ve been around the Sacramento music scene long enough you know that bands are not just bands—they’re bands, within bands, within bands…well, you get it. A guitarist may moonlight in another band as its bassist, or a drummer may trade in his sticks for a guitar strap—Multi-instrumentalists are commonplace in this town.

Such is the case for the members of Dead Dads: its frontman, Wiegert, also plays guitar and sings backup vocals in the local bluesy rock band the Peace Killers, while Lys Mayo on the drums, guitarist Tony Silva and bassist Joe McKinney, also known as Joe Friday (yes, inspired by the character on the TV show Dragnet) also lend their skills to other musical outfits around Sacramento.

While the band also describes its brand of musical stylings on its Facebook page as “stoner pop-punk,” Dead Dads’ music is a fun romp in the world of pop-punk—you know, the cousin to punk, a fusion of fast punk beats and blaring guitar riffs with pop-y melodies and arrangements.

“When we first started, we didn’t want to just call ourselves pop-punk because we were mixing all of these kind of weird riffs and such, and so we started saying stoner pop-punk,” Silva explains. “I think it is a good way to describe us—I mean really we’re a pop-punk band. We take a lot of influence from the Bay Area pop-punk bands.”

The quartet began simply as a band of friends—going to shows and hanging out around the Sacramento music scene. What started off as something fun to occupy their time quickly grew into a full-fledged band.

“Our first show was in November 2011, and we had our first practice, probably, late September/early October 2011,” Silva explains.

“We didn’t practice very long before we started playing shows,” Wiegert chuckles.

“Our first show was for one of Danny Secretion’s cancer benefit shows,” McKinney explains. “And it was at this venue that was also an art gallery in Midtown—which I guess wasn’t a totally legit venue, it didn’t have the proper permits or anything. The name of the venue was a venue called, Digitalis, the show was going well and we were probably the fourth out of five bands [on the bill] and right as we were finishing up our last song the people at the venue working there came and said, ‘Hey, you guys got to stop…cops!’”

While the police may have busted up the renegade show, the band forged on and their efforts transformed from just playing music and having fun into a serious musical endeavor—ultimately materializing into their first EP, simply titled Ben.

“Once we did our first recording it started to get a bit more serious,” Wiegert explains. “It really was just to play local shows as first; we hoped we could do more than that. We’re just now starting to venture out of town, but there wasn’t a particular goal in mind. We found a small label to put out our album and I guess that was somewhat of a goal.”

Huddled around a cell phone in the back of Wiegert’s dark blue Dodge Caravan in the parking lot of their practice space (House of Hits Recording Studios in Del Paso Heights, near the Marconi-Arden Arcade light rail station and next to the 7-Up factory), the quartet spoke to Submerge about their early influences, the driving force behind their sound, the dynamics of the band’s creative process and their latest album Space Camp.

“I was a band geek starting in fourth grade, I played trumpet and all that stuff and then I heard Green Day and saw [the movie] School of Rock and I decided I wanted to play drums, and that was that,” Mayo says.

“Not many of the people my age like the music I like, and the specific music I had in my head that I wanted to play, which was some sort of pop-punk that was reminiscent of the old Bay Area pop-punk bands,” Wiegert, the elder statesman of the band, explains. “And we all smoke a lot of pot and get weird, so it just really worked out that way.”

And while you typically don’t see many females in town wailing away behind the drum kit, Mayo is quick to dismiss the idea that being a woman in a band with three dudes is anything remarkable.

“I don’t think it’s any different than having a group of four guys or anything like that,” Mayo says, elaborating on the guy-girl dynamic in the band. “They’re just my three best friends, so we inspire each other, we drive each other nuts, we write good music, we write some bad music, it’s not that much different than [any other band out there] … I’m in a band with girls as well, [and] to me I don’t think gender plays a huge role in the dynamic.”

The band’s second EP, released earlier this year, was recorded by a mainstay in the local music scene—Patrick Hills, who is also a musician in the punk band Bastards of Young. However, it wasn’t something that the group banged out in a couple of weeks—quite the contrary, whenever the band and Hills had any free time they chipped away at bringing the 10-song record to life.

“We started recording it, I think, at the end of the 2013 and we didn’t actually finish recording ’til probably around the summer of 2014,” Wiegert explains. “And then it took a long time for us to find somebody to put it out and everything. But we recorded it with a guy named Pat Hills at his place called Earth Tone studio in Rocklin. It was a long process; finally just in the last few months we were able to put it out.”

And yes, for all of you movie buffs out there, the inspiration for the album’s title did, in part, come from the teen flick Space Camp as well as a bit of mix-up with the lyrics during the recording process.

“What happened was, we were listening to Cory record his vocals for one song and one of the lines I thought he [sang that] he was going to space camp, and I just kept singing it over and over again and then yeah [it just stuck],” McKinney explains.

“Also, I missed seeing movies where people went to space camp. It is a total ’80s/early ’90s thing,” Wiegert continues. “When I was a kid I always thought it sounded so cool.”

The artwork for the cover, a collection of ethereal jellyfish on a black and gray space-like background, was brought to life by a friend whose artistic vision spoke to the foursome.

“We had a few different ideas…but a friend of ours Jessica Vosburg drew up the cover and then I colored it just using Photoshop and such—she did a sketch of it in black and white and we colorized it,” Wiegert explains.

“She drew that probably early 2014—it was probably one of the first album cover ideas we had and we tried about 30 other things and that was the one we always came back to, so two years later we liked it and chose it,” Mayo continues.

So, a jellyfish walks into space camp…OK, bad joke, but check out Dead Dads at their upcoming show and get weird!

For more info, checkout Deaddads.bandcamp.com or their Facebook page.

¡Cubanismo! is described as a “journey to the heart of Latin music” and “Cuba’s hottest dance music.” Created by famed Cuban trumpeter, Jesús Alemañy, ¡Cubanismo! has been delighting ears and moving feet for decades. It’s amazing to think that a jam session turned into a 15-piece ensemble that would go on to create music for more than 20 years. The group first entered the airwaves with their self-titled debut album in 1996 and since then have recorded and released four more albums. Now it’s Sacramento’s chance to enjoy the sizzling beats and fire that the Cuban jazz music of ¡Cubanismo! brings. Come out to this all-ages event at Ace of Spades on Saturday, July 25, 2015, with special guests Taino and DJ Omar. There will be plenty of music to shake your groove thing to and it will be a perfect way to spend a hot Saturday night. Doors open at 7 p.m. and you can purchase tickets ($25) at local Dimple Records, Armadillo Music in Davis, and online at Aceofspadessac.com.

Holding the Keys to Success

Numerous bands have nearly the same blueprint for how they began. Typically, a group of friends either scrape up enough money or have parents nice enough to purchase them their first music equipment. Countless hours are then spent learning instruments and honing a craft and style.

Conquer Divide, comprised of six young women, have a different and unique story about their formation. Founding members Sarah (bass) and Kristen (guitar) hail from Detroit, Michigan. They were friends from a previous project, but admit that it wasn’t easy rounding out the rest of the members. Many ads were placed on several online platforms hoping to find like-minded females that would mesh with their sound. It was estimated that a couple hundred women from around the world auditioned for three spots in the band: second guitarist, drummer and vocalist.

It was Sarah and Kristen’s goal to find new members that were not only talented, but also dedicated. Their wish was granted with the addition of Janel (screaming vocals), Kiarely (vocals), Tamara (drums) and Izzy (guitar). However, one glaring obstacle for the group is trying to make logistics work with members residing in Michigan, Texas, California and the United Kingdom. It is quite apparent that drive, determination and desire allow for Conquer Divide to be one unit.

Their convergence results in an intriguing blend of metalcore and pop rock. Upon listening, one cannot ignore the fierce guitar riffs and solid rhythm section. The dual vocal tandem of Kiarely and Janel showcases aggressive and melodic affinity. These elements caught the attention of Sacramento’s own Artery Recordings, who are responsible for releasing the group’s forthcoming self-titled debut.

Prior to embarking on The All Stars Tour 2015 for a solid month, bassist Sarah discussed life on the road, significance of keys, legalization of same-sex marriage and much more.

Your bio suggests it was tough finding females that fit the mold. Can you elaborate on that and how Conquer Divide came to be?
Kristen and I met nearly 10 years ago through the Detroit music scene and played in a previous band together. She hit me up a few years ago and pitched the idea of getting a new band together. She sent me some ideas and I was immediately interested, but we knew we needed other members. Some people assume we were a group manufactured from a record label, but that’s not the case. We looked for potential band mates locally in Detroit, but had a rough time finding females that were dedicated and interested in playing our style of music. For example, we had auditioned some great singers that weren’t into screaming during our aggressive breakdown parts. We put out several ads on Reverbnation, Craigslist and Facebook trying to find the right fits. Some people contacted us and didn’t show enough initiative, but others, even Izzy [from the United Kingdom] thought we were a flat out scam … We eventually gained people’s trust and proved we were real through Skype and recruited Tamara and Izzy through YouTube. We found Janel in Austin, Texas. Her vocal range as a screamer and presence as a frontwoman has taken us over the top. We got so lucky to find her the way we did and just a week before we went in the studio to record our debut album!

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a band thus far?
The physical distance between band members is tough. Izzy is allowed to work for us on an entertainment visa from the U.K., Janel lives in Austin and Tamara resides in Sacramento. Since we all live in different states, we have to consistently practice on our own to stay fresh.
We’re afraid we’ll be judged based on our look or the fact that we’re all females, but we want to prove people wrong and challenge people to come to our shows to see for themselves. Everyone buys into the notion of being famous and making money, but we want to inspire younger generations just as we were.

How are you preparing for upcoming the 2015 All Stars Tour?
Once everyone arrives to Detroit, we’ll literally be rehearsing every day to make sure we’re airtight. We’ve been learning from our experiences of the recent full U.S. Confessions tour with Alesana and are currently entering a summer tour with far more bands on each bill without a tour manager, so we have to cut our set length and be extremely punctual about every aspect. We now rehearse as if we’re on stage; we set up, play and then breakdown with allotted set times in mind. This tour will be a good test because we get experience under our belts and help prepare us for what comes next by hardening our skin. We’ve learned to better anticipate the unforeseen issues that can happen on the road like having vehicle mechanical issues or getting ripped off.

Who would be on your “dream” tour?
As far as bands similar to our genre, I’d have to say Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive.
We appreciate a lot of different styles and people probably assume we just listen to metalcore, but Kiarely would probably say Miley Cyrus because she seems like a fun person to tour with and is such a great performer.

How did your relationship with Artery Recordings come about?
Eric Rushing [label CEO] reached out to us initially. We had a few labels that were interested, but Artery is an incredible, fun and hardworking team. We were nervous meeting them at SXSW, but they proved to be all super chill cool guys. We ask a lot of questions and they’re always super helpful, cordial and communicate very well. They don’t back us in a corner or push us into things. We don’t want to be known as just the six-piece, all-female metalcore band and felt like other labels might try to narrowly market us that way.

What can listeners expect from your forthcoming debut album?
Fans can expect diversity from song to song. The album is metal-based, but a few songs are very melodic and have no screaming at all. We were so excited to have Joey Sturgis [Of Mice and Men, Asking Alexandria] produce our record. Joey worked really hard and pushed us to be better along the way. His structures, dynamics and the way he can put electronics in a song is amazing to us. The hope is that the listening experience will be fun for people and that everyone can relate to our music. My ultimate goal is to be driving by someone who is listening to our album in his or her car.

Your album pre-order comes with a skeleton key. Is there any significance to that?
I love keys. I have a collection of keys and have a tattoo of a key. When I was younger I watched and read The Secret Garden and always wanted to find a key to a secret place. There is a key in all of us to unlock our potential as musicians.

Today, the Supreme Court ruled to legalize same-sex marriage? Where do you stand on the issue?
I think it’s a sigh of relief. Life should be about love. I have relatives and friends that are homosexuals. It should have been legal a long time ago. I feel marijuana should be legalized as well. I don’t smoke marijuana, but there are so many benefits involved, like CBD’s eliminating cancer cells for instance. People don’t take the time to get educated on certain topics; they only choose to blindly criticize things. I just hope that this ruling makes people happy because this country needs a boost in morale.

See Conquer Divide on July 22, 2015, at Ace of Spades as part of the All Stars Tour, which features Upon a Burning Body, Dance Gavin Dance, A Skylit Drive and many others. Tickets are $20 for this all-ages, all-day show that gets underway at 2 p.m. For more info, go to Aceofspadessac.com.

Get your culture on at Sacramento’s 2015 Japanese Film Festival. Friday, July 17’s show kicks off with director Hirokazu Koreeda’s film, Like Father, Like Son. This is a film about a successful architect who learns that his son was switched at birth. After learning of this horrific mistake, the two families switch again and begin to “start from scratch,” raising their own biological children and questioning the importance of biological ties. Saturday has four shows. Starting with I Was Born But…, made in 1932 by director Yasujiro Ozu and known as one of the “great silent Japanese masterpieces.” This film follows two young boys’ journey as they watch their father, a “lowly office clerk,” make himself available for his boss’ beck and call. The series of films shown next are The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Hafu: The Mixed Race Experience in Japan and Sang-il Lee’s Unforgiven. The festival ends Sunday with two shows, Azumi Morisaki’s Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days and Tim Savage’s Under the Blood Red Sun, an enthralling coming-of-age story about two young boys as they experience the life changing day of Dec. 7, 1941. Films begin Friday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. You can purchase a $37 three-day pass or it’s $10 a piece for the individual films. The event will be held at Crest Theatre, located at 1013 K Street. To purchase tickets, you can do so in person or visit Crestsacramento.com

{I Was Born But…}

{Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days}

Deep-fried foods, horse racing, animal exhibits, carnival rides, wine and beer gardens … Yup! The California State Fair is right around the corner, running from July 10 to 26 at Cal Expo, bringing with it a plethora of not only the aforementioned things, but plenty of awesome live entertainment too. Here are Submerge’s five not-to-be-missed acts at this year’s State Fair. All shows are free with fair admission, but you can also purchase tickets to get closer to the stage. Visit Castatefair.org for show information and to purchase tickets.

Paul Rodriguez on July 11:

Rodriguez is an actor and comedian who has been making people laugh for decades. He has been in over 45 films, was voted one of the most influential Hispanics in America and was honored with the Ruben Salazar award by the National Council of La Raza. Put on your laughing pants and come see Paul do what he does best. $12 Gold Circle seats.

MKTO on July 13:

This hip-hop pop duo consists of Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, previous stars of Nickelodeon’s TV series, Gigantic. They describe their album as music for “misfit kids and total outcasts—just the kids we were in high school.” So, bring your dancing shoes (and ears, of course) to watch the awesome performance of MKTO. $16 Gold Circle seats.

Ashanti on July 16:

Ashanti blessed the hip-hop/ R&B scene back in 2002 with her debut song, “Foolish.” From there, she put out instant hits, “Rock Wit U,” “Rain on Me” and her duet with Ja Rule, “Happy.” Come join her and feel good vibes and energy. $12 Gold Circle seats.

Theory of a Deadman on July 22:

Modern rock band, Theory of a Deadman burst onto the airwaves back in the 2000’s with their singles, “So Happy,” “Bad Girlfriend,” and “Make Up Your Mind.” Recently, they’ve blasted into new territory, completing their first ever country song, “Livin’ My Life Like a Country Song.” Come watch Theory of a Deadman as they display their amazing talent and make you realize why they’ve been a top contender on the Billboard charts. $16 Gold Circle seats.

Brett Eldredge on July 26:

2014
Country Music Association Awards’ New Artist of the Year, Brett Eldredge graced our eardrums with his number one hit, “Don’t Ya” and “Beat of the Music.” He has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, LIVE! with Kelly and Michael and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Get your boogie on and enjoy the last night of the fair with Eldredge’s good looks and beautiful voice. $25 Gold Circle seats.

Do you like fishing? Do you love beating the heat by snuggling up to the water? Do you love Mother Earth? Then come to the trashiest fish-off Sacramento has yet to see. Broadway Bait, Rod and Gun and the Sacramento River Clean Up are teaming together to throw “Fish-On! Trash-Off!,” a fish-catching, trash-picking contest and fundraiser. Prizes will be going to the biggest bass wrangler, the first and second biggest striper catchers, and the first and second best people who are really good at picking up trash and putting a smile on the universe’s face. Not only will this be a fun-filled, jam-packed event with raffles and just plain good humans, there will also be free barbecue. That’s right: barbecue for free! Make sure that if you will be fishing, you have the proper fishing license, which must be on you at all times. The event is open to all canoes, pontoons, kayaks, etc. To register head over to Broadway Bait, Rod and Gun at 1701 Broadway Street. It’s a $25 registration fee with a $10 big fish option. Race will be held July 12 with a 5:30 a.m. check-in at Broadway Bait, Rod and Gun and a 6:30 a.m. gun time at Discovery Park. To get more information, contact Blake at (916) 476-1403 or Skyler at (530) 906-8543, or search for Broadway Bait, Rod and Gun on Facebook.

Summer Space Camp

I had no idea what the hell ‘Ghostplay’ means so I’ll admit—just like with a lot of text acronyms that I can’t interpret—I looked it up on Urban Dictionary so I wouldn’t have to ask when I interviewed the local band using said moniker. Apparently it’s when you put a white sheet over your head like a ghost and dry hump someone till … you can guess what comes next.

After giving it some thought, Ghostplay is a pretty fitting name for this band. When I finished listening to the band’s soon-to-set-sail debut EP, I felt like I had been surprise attacked by a shrouded spectre that made me climax and left me disoriented. It was kind of awesome and weird. These were the perfect, aptly timed jams for another restless summer, too. Add Ghostplay to your summer playlist, and your list of local bands on whom to keep a watchful eye and listening ear. You can thank me later for the wham-bam.

Ghostplay’s first release, 33, is a five-song EP that the band has been writing and revamping for a couple years now. The band is a tight-knit, funny and endearing three-piece, consisting of facetious frontman Jason Hess on synthesized bass, guitar, keys and vocals; super sweet babe Leticia Garcia on guitar and vocals; and newcomer drummer Armando Gonzales. Ghostplay’s music features complex layers of sound, created by an equally complex assortment of audio equipment.

“The only part that’s a little confusing—and some people have questions about—is that I use a baritone guitar which is split into two audio signals,” elaborates Hess. “One signal feeds to a guitar amplifier, and the other signal is processed by a computer to make it sound more like a bass guitar. Then that signal feeds to a bass amplifier. That same computer is also used to simultaneously create live effects, looping vocal tracks and keyboard sounds.”

Hess describes a collaborative songwriting process rather than a single member bringing the seeds of an already-formed song to the table. “A lot of times songs are born just from the three of us being in a room together” says Hess. The band’s camaraderie and egalitarian take on the band dynamic is palpable throughout our conversation.

Although they’ve been jamming songs into fruition and playing shows for a while, they only recently got to work on a more focused recording effort. “It’s really difficult when you don’t have anything recorded to promote yourself with,” says Garcia. “For this EP, we got to work with a really cool producer, Monte Vallier from San Francisco, so we’re really looking forward to having the EP to help promote ourselves.”

33 is being released by Noise Loves Audio, a Davis-based radio show and label specializing in analog for its sound character—particularly cassettes, although the EP will also be available in digital formats. The corresponding EP artwork by John Conley creatively correlates to the dark and dreamy feeling of the music.

Ghostplay has been twice nominated for the Sacramento News and Review’s local music awards, the Sammies, in the “post-punk” category, but to try to better pinpoint their sound or genre, it takes a mouthful. Gonzales tries summarizing with, “Post-punk shoegaze-y space rock, you know … dark pop,” to which, personally, I’d add beachy surf rock dance-y dream-pop with a pinch of goth.

The opening track on 33, “Too Much,” sets the tone with a spacy, sleepy beach soundscape over which Garcia sings lazily and soothingly. A muffled, echoing Hess melodically chimes in over the ringing, rolling guitar riff. The beat begins to escalate, and suddenly the pace is dance-y, then again takes a breather and slows to a Sunday stroll on Xanax. Just when you think the song is over, you stumble back into the same dream.

My favorite track, “My Halo,” is breathy and uplifting with rad timing changes; on “New Monday,” tremolo-altered voices oscillate, tonality climbs and the cadence pulses; “Science” is haunting, metallic, interstellar, pounding and echoing; “Patience” is full of angst, feedback, strange voices, layered atop traveling arpeggios and a steady pace that builds and erupts into a space cruise.

If all of that sounds great to you, then don’t miss the band’s upcoming EP release show at trusty Old Ironsides on July 10, 2015 (plus Mall Walk is playing!).

When it comes to where the members of Ghostplay want to take the band in the future, according to Hess, they’re happy with things just the way they are. “We have a lot more songs to record now,” ruminates Hess. “Music is something that we really enjoy. Shows are fun whether or not there’s a lot of people there, like this one at this art collective in Davis … it was a great experience, you know? It’s just interesting, getting to collaborate with other artists.”

“I want to do a lot more recording, because that’s what lasts,” Garcia adds.

Spinal Tap was afflicted with a curse of having to frequently replace their drummers due to untimely deaths, such as spontaneous combustion. But Ghostplay, although currently on drummer number three, feels blessed rather than cursed about their own game of musical chairs.

“I’m really grateful that we’ve been lucky enough to find three drummers,” explains Garcia. “Mark Rocha was our first drummer who really helped us get started playing shows and helped shape the songs. Then Michael Couloures, he came in on a whim and learned all the songs in a month to record them.”

Following guest drummer Couloures’ contribution to the EP effort, Gonzales fell right into place. “I feel super lucky. I mean, it was love at first Craigslist,” gushes Gonzales. “This band is so practical and sincere. If I had to use two words to describe Ghostplay it would be those two words.”

Help Ghostplay celebrate the release of their debut EP, 33, at Old Ironsides on July 10, 2015. Get there early, because the first 50 people will receive a free copy of the album. Also performing will be Mall Walk, Silver Spoons and Subculture. This 21-and-over show will cost a $6 cover. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Chaos Theory

You never realize how much you don’t like loud motorcycles until you are trying to listen to a recording of an interview you did through a phone speaker. You may find yourself resenting the fact that people need to drive vehicles that are so unnecessarily loud.

Prior to this, I sat down with Barry Crider and Ean Clevenger from NMBRSTTN (Number Station) at House of Hits, relishing in the quiet and climate-controlled environment. Luckily, our bands tend to practice on the same days, so finding them was only a matter of Counting Hallways to the Left.

Clevenger (vocals/keyboard) and Crider (guitar) are growing into the band as a new beast after a series of member changes over the past several years. Clevenger has been a mainstay in the Sacramento-area punk scene, touring and playing in bands for nigh on 20 years, most notably in local bands Dance for Destruction and Pipedown.

The band has been busy; just finishing a new music video, acquiring management and securing a spot in Eugene, Oregon-based label Flossless Audio’s catalog of releases. On the heels of releasing a new EP entitled Energy and Entropy, the band is embarking upon a West Coast tour this week.

This new release rides dark and heavy with definite nods in a dark-wave direction. Fans of Haunted Horses, Have a Nice Life and even earlier AFI may find something remarkable in Energy and Entropy. Clevenger tends to paint a dystopian lyrical-landscape over endlessly eerie, delay-drenched, fuzz-decayed guitar. The vocal melodies stand in stark, airy contrast to bass lines that rattle and clamor over steady-smashing snare hits and bright synth swells. The vocal melodies are catchy and memorable, something I wasn’t expecting really for a dark punk band. It is at once abrasive and pop-oriented.

Admittedly influenced by bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode, Energy and Entropy sits comfortably among other titles on your album shelf by bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine.

The band has seen multiple members come and go, but the current lineup seems to instill confidence and signal a rebirth to both Clevenger and Crider. The new EP is a result of that union. The record was recorded in Rocklin at Earth Tone Studios by recording engineer Pat Hills, also of punk band Bastards of Young.

Ean, in terms of the lyrics, what do you tend to focus on?
Ean Clevenger: When I write the songs, I sort of hone in on the lyrical concept, kind of get a feel for the music, the idea, so it works together.
Barry Crider: Either Ean will come with riffs done or a general chord structure, and I’ll take that and kind of do it in my own way, where it’s using my playing sensibilities, or make it fit kind of like what I hear in my head, or I’ll come with my own riffs and see if we can patch something together, and see how it works with the previous structure we were working on.

Were there any bands specifically that influenced your writing for guitar for this EP?
BC: The big three ‘90s shoegaze bands. I got really into that, and like Catherine Wheel, and I was kind of looking at the way the more modern guys were playing shoegaze. I was listening to Whirr and Deafheaven, and how they use these features like blend and wash, and integrating these chordal structures from bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode with these new ways, for me at least, at playing guitar, that had a lot of influence at how I came at playing parts, but mostly Ean and I did it together.

So you guys, together, kind of create the song structures and bring it to the band?
EC: Yeah, I mean, that’s pretty much how it goes … I would say both of us are on a mostly equal playing platforms.
BC: Yeah we’re still trying to work it out.
EC: However, lyrically, to go back and touch on what you said before, with every project that I do, just the way that I am, I always tend to write stuff that at least creates some sort of awareness whether it’s about ourselves or the way that ourself works its way into a societal variable, or to make people aware of their actions. I mean, this is a really ambiguous way to try to state that my lyrics are philosophical and politically intended. Most of what I’m writing about these days is sort of about making people aware of the effects of technology on our society today, and what negative consequences might come out of that over the next 40 years, 50 years, and how to be conscious how we’re being involved in these worlds where smartphones drive our intelligence rather than us as human beings that sort of deal with each other.

So your band kind of exists on the edge of having a disdain for technology and but definitely relying on its usefulness …
EC: Yeah, I’m not like a primitivist. I don’t think I ever expect us all to reject [technology] entirely … but I think that technology will backtrack. I mean, nature is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most powerful elite or the poorest person, nature is going to determine what happens to us.
I mean, the power elite, which is really in control of the technology, and how technology is brought into our culture and our society, from now until the future … Technology can be a positive, but we allow the elite to control the technology and input it into a culture in a way that is only profit-seeking; that’s the alarm bell; that’s the canary in the cave, you know? We need to watch out for that, because the rich are aware that nature is the great equalizer, and if they can help find a way for us to keep on ignoring it, they’ll find a way to master it and then master us.

With the exception of your delay pedal, and guitar, what is one piece of gear that you can’t live without?
BC: I would say the fuzz is the most vital piece.

What kind of fuzz are you using?
BC: Right now I’m using this fuzz by Retro Mechanical Labs up in Portland. He’s just this builder that makes these cool fuzzes that look like they came out of the A-bomb era. They have VU meters, and it goes from totally like anywhere on the range from like Big Muff to like full on doom, destruction fuzz that sounds like your speakers are ripping out of your amp, so I picked that up and that’s been my most valuable pedal, that’s the one I touch the most.

What are you guys doing next as a band?
BC: I want to write.
EC: Yeah, full-length time.
BC: I feel like were accessing the vision of what we’re trying to accomplish with this EP, but I feel like with a full LP, we’ll have a chance to really breathe and flesh out what we’re trying to say musically and lyrically I think.
EC: I do too.
BC: It’ll give a chance to really explore, not only texture, and dynamics …
EC: And song compositions. I mean, it really is like we are a new band. Although we’ve been a band for three or four years, we’ve really just completely restarted the band, almost in a way, so we’re almost finding our identity again.

NMBRSTTN are playing an EP release show on July 13, 2015 with Seattle’s Nostalgist, Fifi and Color of Closure at The Press Club. This is a 21-and-over show and will start at 8 p.m. For more info, go to Facebook.com/thepressclub.

Family Ties

It’s a faint and blurry line that divides Shovels and Rope, the family, and Shovels and Rope the band. In fact, there may be no dividing line at all.

Cary Ann Hearst (Mississippi-born, Nashville-raised) and Michael Trent (Texas-born, Colorado-raised) became a couple around the same time they began collaborating musically. Both had released solo records before 2008, when they collaborated on Cary Ann’s album Shovels and Rope. In short order, they made that collaboration official, romantically and musically. With that, they packed their guitars and drums into a hatchback Mitsubishi Mirage and took their music to the road.

Also packed into that hatchback was a puppy named Townes—a nod to the legendary Townes Van Zandt. Watch a few Shovels and Rope videos on YouTube (recommended viewing) and you’ll find that Townes, the pup, is very much a part of the package. He goes on tour. He mixes it up with the crowd during the band’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert. He’s part of the family. He’s part of the band.

“He’s been traveling with us ever since we’ve been on the road,” said Michael. “He was a puppy then and now he’s 6.”

The Mitsubishi could only house the band for so long. Having garnered a whole lot of attention and praise for their first official album together, 2012’s O’ Be Joyful, they soon upgraded to a Honda Element, then a 15-passenger Savana van and then an RV. Now they tour in a bus, Townes often riding shotgun with the driver.

Growth has been slow and steady for Shovels and Rope, and now the family’s about to grow in another way: they have a baby daughter due in September.

We’ll get to that later. First, the music.

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Shovels and Rope plays a rowdy blend of country, folk and Americana music. Their melodies are strong and simple, and almost always buoyed by the couple’s freeform harmonies. You can almost hear them watching each other as they sing in unison, each playing off the other’s variations, ready to deviate from structure and ride the whims of any given moment. The big songs beg you to sing and shout along. The mellower ones tend to reside in minor keys, haunting you with moody vibes.

Cary Ann’s path into music was paved by her dad’s old records—lots of Bob Dylan and old blues stuff. You can hear the southern lilt in her voice. Michael, on the other hand, was guided into music by early-‘90s rock bands like Weezer and the Violent Femmes, but he later gravitated toward story-driven songwriting as well. All of these sensibilities and styles show up throughout the Shovels and Rope discography.

Their latest album, Swimming Time, was recorded at the studio Michael constructed in the couple’s home. There’s a loose aquatic theme running through the album, but it feels less like an in-your-face concept than it does a thin thread that binds the collection of songs.

Modern takes on Americana and old-timey country music are a dime a dozen these days. At every craft brewery scattered across the continental U.S. you’re likely to find a few guys in their 30s with waxed mustaches and a vintage banjos singing songs about whiskey-soaked days spent hopping boxcars. It feels like hipster Halloween or Woody Guthrie cosplay at this point.

We can probably blame “Wagon Wheel,” which is unfortunate, because “Wagon Wheel” is a dandy of a song, both sonically and lyrically. But it was also the catalyst for the mainstreaming of a music scene built almost entirely on imitation, and often lacking in innovation and originality. It helped spawn a crop of music that fits wonderfully in the background at the brewery, but doesn’t offer much beyond that surface layer.

Shovels and Rope avoids this cliché at almost every turn. The songs start and end with Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. The two are unbound by any one style or genre in a way that feels very natural and authentic. Most tracks are sung largely in tandem, with each taking turns singing harmonies and melodies. It’s hard to pinpoint which songs are Hearst’s songs and which songs are Trent’s songs. They even swap instruments with regularity during their live shows. Guitars, keyboards, drums, vocals: all duties are shared.

“We don’t even look at anything in an individual way anymore,” said Cary Ann. “We’ve been working together and on the road for five years. We just do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

The harmonies are all off the cuff. On one hand that’s surprising, because they blend beautifully. But on the other hand, it’s not like they’re layering together “Bohemian Rhapsody” or anything. They’re firing from their collective hip.

“There’s not a real plan when we record,” said Michael. “Sometimes we land on the same note and sometimes we don’t. It’s just instinct.”

{Photo by Molly Hayes}

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Shovels and rope has been steadily on tour since its inception. They played Sacramento last year as an opening act for Drive-By Truckers. That show was at Ace of Spades, where they’ll return on July 2, this time as headliners. The Black Lillies will open the show.

Summer is the time of year when the band uses their home in Charleston, South Carolina as a base, traveling by plane to select shows and festivals around the country rather than stringing together a typical “tour.”

“One day we’ll be in Seattle and the next day we’ll be in Atlanta,” said Michael. “Flying to shows.” Their tour schedule this fall, however, is uncharacteristically empty. That’s because they’ll be dipping their toes into the waters of parenthood come September. They shared the news of Cary Ann’s pregnancy in an Instagram post with a photo of a pair of baby moccasins:

“… Hey darlings! We would like to extend our genuine gratitude to all of you for loving our band and supporting us as we have traveled this whole world thru (well, USA, Canada, a little bit of Europe and Australia!) It has been an utterly mad adventure and we have relished it with abandon. We have had an amazing 2015 so far, having kicked it off with Jason Isbell on the eve of the New Year and now wrapping up our spring tour, concluding [with] support shows for The Decemberists. We are here in Charlotte tonight ready to “Poorty “ with yall and still have two scoops of dates scattered around the nation as if Jackson Pollock had booked the tour. We’re gonna be everywhere and nowhere!! With all this spring action popping off, You may have noticed our fall schedule pretty empty and some of European fans may have noticed that our names our missing from a couple of festival lineups on which we were previously listed. We figured we’d offer an explanation for our absence. The fact is that we are expecting a baby girl in early September and will be taking the fall and winter off to get our first handles on parenthood. We’re very excited and so far all is going well. We plan to get back on the road in the Spring and we’ll have a few tricks our sleeve and a whole new understanding of reality … We can’t wait! In the meantime, come see us while we’re still a two-piece.”

I asked how they anticipate a baby plugging into the Shovels and Rope routine, which is built on a whole lot of travel and music making. They answered with an unknowing but unworried tone that had become familiar by the end of our short interview.

“Parenting babies, whether done at home or on a bus, has to get done, and it has to get done well,” said Cary Ann. “We’re going to do it the safest and best way, no matter what.”

Hearst and Trent don’t have a roadmap for what parenthood will look like on the road, but they know they’ll put a whole lot of energy into it. The same can be said for the music they make, which bodes well for the couple’s soon-to-be-born baby girl.

Shovels and Rope will play Ace of Spades in Sacramento on July 2 with The Black Lillies in support. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the price of admission is $20. You can purchase tickets through Aceofspadessac.com.

Located on the ground floor of the recently completed Warehouse Artist Lofts in the historic R Street district of Downtown Sacramento, the WAL Public Market is a one-of-a-kind gallery, retail and restaurant space that houses seven local businesses: Old Gold, a vintage boutique with handmade goods; local shoemaker Benjamins Shoes; Kechmara Designs, offering Moroccan rugs; Metro Juice Kitchen and Drinkery; record and vintage stores Kicksville and MediumRare Records; and Fish Face, a grab-and-go sushi/poke counter. The gallery portion of WAL Public Market is getting ready to host their first-ever Second Saturday art reception on July 11, 2015, for an exhibit that is appropriately titled First Art Show. The exhibit, which is currently hung and available for viewing, features paintings, illustrations and mixed-media pieces from four artists: WAL resident and 80’s/90’s pop culture influenced illustrator Navid Dehghan; Bay Area artist/sculpture Stephanie Wickizer; Verge’s Bekah Wilson, a painter; and watercolorist Eric S. Wood, who also teaches art at Sac City and Sierra colleges. The reception on July 11 runs from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show will remain up now through August 4. WAL Public Market’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday’s. They are located at 1104 R Street.

{Stephanie Wickizer}