INTERVIEW: And the Giraffe

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age?  Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block?

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

1.       I hope people hear whatever it is they need to hear. When I put records on, I like to lose myself in them and let my imagination wander. We try pretty hard to create dense sonic landscapes that you can find new things in every time you listen. So, no matter what your mood is, I hope you find something to accompany it.

2.       For sure, music is moving away from physical media. Unfortunately, for a lot of indie bands, it’s where they make the most money. If people stop buying it, then bands’ revenue streams disappear as well. Don’t get me wrong, I love distributing through Bandcamp to get our music heard, but if people didn’t buy our merchandise, we’d be screwed.

3.       Record labels still play a pretty big role. They’re not gatekeepers like they used to be in the sense that without a label, your music would never get heard. The Internet makes it possible for anyone to broadcast their sounds and thoughts (we do!), but there’s a lot more noise to try and break through to be heard by the public. Without a label, it’s pretty tough for indie bands to get the money they need to be heard. In that sense, labels are still a necessary music-bank that help promising artists get exposure.

4.       Andrew Bird I think. He seems like a very humbled and interesting person, both musically and in his personal life. I feel like he’d be pretty cool to go on the road with.

5.       Don’t know any of the new kids besides mawky mawk.

6.       Jack White. Dude’s a bad ass.