Interviews
Vinyl Theatre – Electrogram
By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) I would say it definitely sounds like music…But that’s a tough one because I don’t want to make too many associations with other bands so people don’t read too much into it and think we sound like another band. I just think we’re a very energetic band and it is filled with catchy synth hooks and catchy melodies. We have some progressive parts as well that we try and sneak in. Our music is sneaky…That’s pretty good.
Q) Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
A) I love The Killers and Brandon Flowers. Recently, I’ve been getting into altl-J. I think they are pretty great, different and way out of left field. I love Ellie Goulding and Sia is one of the best pop artists around. She’s fantastic! I’m all over the board, personally.
Q) Talk about the concept behind your song “Breaking Up My Bones.”
A) “Breaking Up My Bones” is kind of about just all the noise that is out there and how the music world is oversaturated. It’s a double edged sword – a good thing and a bad thing. Sometimes it is about what artist is the loudest. I think the best artists out there are still undiscovered. It kills me. It’s a tough thing to worry about. As we were trying to “make it” and get noticed, all those thoughts run through your head a million times. There are so many replicas out there and so many songs that sound like another band that you wonder about what is getting lost between the lines. “Breaking Up My Bones” is just about how difficult it is to make something original and to be original in a world filled with so much noise.
Q) What do you think it is that fans are connecting to about the song?
A) I don’t know. I think it is all over the board. Not a lot of people are reading through and seeing the straight up definition of the song. I think just the music is speaking for itself and when they finally dig down and find what the lyrics mean I think that is what is resonating with them and maybe they are in a bit of agreement.
Q) What is the writing process like for your songs?
A) It’s all over the place. Everyone in the band has a different way of creatively expressing themselves. Chris [Senner] will come to me sometimes with a full idea written out or I’ll come to him with a full song finished. We’ll kind of work back and forth with each other on concepts and what we really want to say in a song. Sometimes our drummer will come to us with some riffs he’s written for the drums and he has a lot of samples that he uses. So, it’s all over the place. The lyrics come first and when they are completely done we’ll come up with the music. Most of the time, it’s really at the same time.
Q) What is the feel and vibe for album Electrogram?
A) It’s pretty in your face. There aren’t any slow songs on the record. It’s a pretty good record to throw on loop if you want to feel good and have an upbeat day then it is a good start.
Q) How much of a hand does the band have in the production of your music?
A) 100%! We don’t mix or do mastering, but when it comes to picking the sounds and tracking that’s all us. A lot of the times we create our own custom synths. That’s what we put into the music. None of that is really stock.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song?
A) I would say Beyonce because I think it would really intrigue people that she would be doing a song with a small indie band. Genuinely, if I ever got to work with Sia I’d fanboy so hard she’d be put off that she would block me from ever listening to her music again. I’d love to work with Sia though, that’d be great!
Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?
A) The biggest thing is to listen and share. It’s important that people are sharing music they like. If they listen and like it, share it. We don’t like to push our fans to do anything. We don’t like to ask them to vote for us or do things for us. We would like them to do it because they are inspired and if we can’t inspire them enough to do something then we are doing something wrong. So, I don’t like to tell fans to do anything. I want them to just kind of choose what they want to do and be passionate about. I feel like we have attracted the right people. We’re not begging for their attention and they are not begging for our attention. It’s just a really good ebb and flow.
Q) Your music was featured on the show “Finding Carter.” How did you connect with the show?
A) We’ve been working with MTV and I think through our label they got us introduced. We did a blanket license with them for some songs and then they decided to have us on “Finding Carter.” We were on the show and got to meet a lot of the cast. It was a crazy, surreal experience to see how much production goes into just two scenes.
Q) You are going to co-headline Live Nation’s Ones To Watch Tour. What can fans expect from a live Vinyl Theatre show?
A) We’re going to change things up this tour. We’re going to bring our own lights and we’re changing the stage plot. We’re creating these props on stage. It’s going to be awesome! I don’t want to give away too much. I want them to be surprised.
Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that an important way for you to connect with your fans?
A) Social media is tough because it is kind of king right now. At the same time, the irony is not really lost on us. It’s almost sad because a lot of things online right now are just image building, it’s a bit of a facade. We try to be as genuine and down to earth as we possibly can be, but there are limitations as to what you can do online, what you can express and how true everything comes off. With social media we try very hard, like I said, not to ask fans for anything and not interact in a way that cheapens the music and what they are doing for us. It’s important, but when we get to talk to people in person we love to talk to people after shows because it feels real. It is real. Online it doesn’t feel as real and I think we get a little bit lost with the whole social media thing. Hopefully, we’re keeping up with the trends. It’s definitely important
Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of your music?
A) Of course, thank you. It goes without question that we would be nothing without them. We’d be floating around and trying to play music wherever we could. They have given us a home and a place to play in and that’s their cities. I couldn’t be more thankful! I’d love to say that if they like our music to come to our show. We meet everybody every show so we’d love to talk to you in person and hang out.
All Questions Answered By Singer/Guitarist Keegan Calmes
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