 |
||
|
||
|
These Guys Play the Soundtrack to the Party at the End of the World
Dear Silent Comedy, Listen to SC on our compilation. W & A: How long have you guys been playing music together and how did it start? Well, if you count my brother (J. Benjamin) and I playing together it has been quite a few years. I think The Silent Comedy material has been played for about three years, but the current incarnation has only been around for about six months. Big Irish kind of vibe going on with you guys here. Are there actual Irish influences on your songwriting? You know, certain songs (like Tamara Winters) do have a strong Irish sound, but it wasn't totally intentional. That song developed around a fun, bar-room type, feeling and I think a lot of that tradition comes from the public house drinking culture. When I think of the places that are strongest in that it's mostly the British Isles. The fiddle and mandolin definitely add some of that flavor also. Judging by the live recording and the show we played on the beach, I'm guessing most of your shows have a pretty wild atmosphere. What are some crazy show experiences you've had? I think singing 60s protest songs at a fourth of July picnic was pretty interesting. There were a lot of old people and I felt a little nervous. It turned out that we got incredible enthusiastic applause from them though. Who's in the group, and do you write songs together or bring them in separately? The whole goal of the group is to have fluid line-up of musicians so we keep it fresh and aren't limited by peoples schedules or circumstances. Ideally we would like it to be something where there can be as many or as few musicians as possible. That being said, there is a core of guys that are really the optimum group. These guys include myself (J. John), J. Benjamin, J. Michael, J. Benedict, and I. Forbes. It started out that J. Benjamin and I would bring songs that we wrote and we would all interpret them. As time goes on, we are developing more material as a group. Tell me a little about Singleton Records.
Singleton is a small, San Diego based, label that is still in its infancy. The business thrust of Singleton is about building an artistic community, not making boat-loads of money. In many ways it is like a co-op rather than a traditional label. Bands put forth a lot of effort, but it benifits a greater whole. There is a Singleton comp in the works that will be released in 2006. It will showcase some bands that, while they might not be signed to the label, we really believe in. Tell me about the San Diego music scene. Whos playing great stuff and where do you go to see them perform? Well, San Diego is known the world over for its apathy. This plays out in every area of life and the music scene is no different. It is incredibly difficult to get people out to shows and involved in the arts. Because of this, there is a mass exodus to other cities. The coolest people in San Diego are abandoning the city in droves for places like Portland, New York and San Francisco. The goal of Singleton is to change that. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, so a group of us are trying to throw our blood sweat and tears into making this city something different. Bands like Dehra Dun (which The Silent Comedy is a side-project of) and Chasing Paper are making progress in that area and surprising people from out of town with the fan base that they are cultivating. It is a strange time for music in San Diego because many of the big local names have gone by the wayside lately. People like Noise Ratchet, Counterfit, Scarlet Symphony and The Q have broken up in the past year. Pinback was even in question recently. Because of this there is a lot of instability in the scene. A new wave of music is rising up at the moment and I have high hopes that the scene will be constantly improving. The San Diego bands to watch include Dehra Dun, Chasing Paper, The Powerchords, Get Back Loretta, Panic In The Streets and so on. Lestat's West has grown to be one of my favorite all ages places to see bands in town. It is an intimate environment with good sound and the covers are low. What are you listening to currently, who are your biggest influences? Abigail Washburn, The Golden Age, Wu-Tang Clan, Joanna Newsom, The Ditty Bops, Now It's Overhead, Josh Ritter, Beep Beep, Azure Ray, Larry Norman, Peter and The Wolf, Tom Waits, TV on the Radio, Wilco, Rafael Mendez... Whats in the near future? Shows, recordings, tours, etc. We will be recording this winter for a release in the spring. We have a couple of shows in September and we're hoping to get up to Portland sometime soon. -J. John
|
