With just one album and a couple EP’s under your belt, you are set to release your sophomore album and things seem to be picking up more for your band. How do you respond to the buzz?
The attention is encouraging, but we try not to make too
much of it. With hype come expectations, so our main goal is to put out
something that we feel proud of and hope it resonates with people. So far the
response has been very positive and we're incredibly thankful!
What did you do differently on Pedals that you have not done before?
We've done some self-production before, but we made Pedals
entirely on our own. The writing, recording, production, mixing, mastering, and
design of the album is all ours. This meant we had a lot of learning to do
along the way - which took us many, many months and lots of searching and
frustration. But the end result being a product of the four of us exclusively
is very rewarding. This is not to say that we disdain external help - instead,
this process allowed us to craft the album to our exact taste and spend as much
time as we needed. (And for free, too!)
What does the title Pedals signify?
I'm so glad someone finally asked this question! We take the
title not from a physical pedal (piano, etc.), but from a musical pedal tone -
which is a sustained or repeated tone that is played while other harmonic
elements change around it. Essentially it serves as a grounding point for the
music and allows it to explore new ground without being too alien. For me, a
pedal is emblematic of our goal for the album - to stay true to our vision and
have faith, even while there's chaos swirling about. There's also a pedal on
every song on the record (or nearly all), so it's kind of a hint at a concept
musically as well.
Hailing from Austin, how has the city influenced your work?
I know we've all benefited from growing up in such a strong
community of musicians - our parents, friends, and neighbors. Not only have we
drawn inspiration directly from the music coming out of Austin through bands
like Spoon and Ghostland Observatory, but the culture of music here is so rich
that it's impossible not to feel its influence daily. Austin also attracts a
lot of amazing touring bands, especially with SXSW and ACL, which has given us
the opportunity to see so many of our heroes over the years.
Austin has embraced you so much, how do you hope to get other cities
around the country to do the same?
For us, the Internet is an invaluable way to stay connected
with people outside our hometown. Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloud all make
it so that people anywhere in the world have just as much access to us and our
music as someone from Austin. We've also done a lot of touring, including
residencies in New York and Los Angeles, and that's allowed us to get to know
people in many places around the country.
What is it about Austin that makes it such a creative hotbed for music?
There's obviously a really strong musical lineage here, from
Stevie to Janis to Willie. Aside from the history, though, I think it's a
combination of interest and opportunity. Interest, because there are so many
great events here that draw attention to music (SXSW, ACL, Fun Fun Fun, the
list goes on) - and there's an incredibly receptive audience here, with the
University of Texas and strong music programs in Austin primary schools. The
opportunity comes from all the fantastic live music venues here in town and the
tremendous support Austin provides to musicians. There's even a
community-sponsored health insurance plan for musicians (HAAM). This means that
there are a lot of people who want to make music and a lot of chances for them
to express their passion here.
The band’s sound has a new wave feel to it, who are some of your
influences?
Talking Heads would definitely be in there; our name is
partially an homage to them. Otherwise, it's really diverse. We draw from
different backgrounds as individuals, though there are common threads (starting
with The Beatles, of course). I'd also list Prince, Radiohead, Kanye, Wilco,
Cut Copy, Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel .. We try to draw from a variety of
sources - whatever appeals to us.
SPEAK came from the ashes of Jupiter 4, since a majority of the members
in SPEAK came from that band, do you cover your old material once in a while?
There's one song - "Too Afraid" - from our
Jupiter-4 days that we'll sometimes dust off for a live show. A lot of the
songs on our first record actually originated from the Jupiter-4 days, so
Pedals is probably our first pure SPEAK record.
Your live shows have gained you so much acclaim due to the amount of
energy and joy you exert on stage. As soon as your set is done, how do you
decompress?
Usually it's hard right after the set! People are going to
sell merch, pack up, load out, etc. - it's really hectic. If there are other
people on the bill, we like to watch them and learn from what they're doing. If
we're on tour we'll sneak a few beers into the hotel and watch some late night
TV .. Bad movies and conspiracy shows are our favorites (the worse, the
better).
When hitting the road, what are the things you have to
take with you that you cannot live without?
Our CD binder. The van doesn't have an auxiliary input, so
we listen exclusively to CDs on the road. Earplugs and sleep masks, because
it's noisy and bright when you're staying with friends and sleeping in (or at
least attempting to). We also have a Furby and a couple other good luck charms
on our dashboard!
How much fun are you having being in this band?
All the fun we can get! Even when we're working, it's
usually a good time - and when it's not, we have a laugh about it afterward.
Where does
SPEAK go from here?
