Screaming Females
Scene Point Blank: You have a really big sound as a band, and that's something that's often difficult to capture on record the same as a live show. What did you do when recording Desire Pathway to make it work?
Jarrett: Thanks for saying that it worked! I think we like to toe the line between making a really big sounding studio album but also not straying too far from what we are able to do live. So there are multi-tracked guitars and vocals, occasional additional instrumentation, and some studio effects but, at the core, most of our recordings are really just the three of us playing in a room together. So other than tracks where the goal is specifically to experiment with the studio, the bed of our recordings is essentially what we do in a live setting.
Scene Point Blank: Is this something you think about, consciously, or do you just "hire a producer and let them worry about it"?
Jarrett: Well, we hire an engineer or producer because we’ve thought about what we want to do! We are very collaborative as a band and that extends into our relationships with the people we work with in the studio. We hire them because we trust them to know more about the recording process than we do and because we find their input helpful. That doesn’t mean we just do whatever they want but it is a voice that we take very seriously.
The first time we played The Fest we slept in a tent in a complete stranger’s lawn. That is different than any other festival I’ve played!
Scene Point Blank: You're nearing 20 years as a band. What are the biggest surprises along the way? What are the most consistent elements of life in the same band for 18 years?
Jarrett: Everything has been a surprise! I did enter this project with a specific goal of longevity and of operating at a more “professional” level than the bands I was hanging around with. That doesn’t mean managers and contracts but, for example, I saw a lot of great bands never release their music on anything but burned CD-Rs, so when the time came I made sure our first album was pressed to a real CD and eventually vinyl. But I really couldn’t have imagined what it has become. I’ve met my best friends and my partner. I’ve shared stages with my musical heroes. I’ve traveled the world! The most consistent element has been our relationship as a band. We still get together in New Jersey once a week, as we always have, to play music together. We still make all our decisions by talking it out together. We still load our gear and merch into a van and drive ourselves to a gig.
Scene Point Blank: How about festivals (as a whole)? Do you have opinions about the format of many-bands-in-a-day-or-weekend? How do you feel about playing shorter sets or managing other logistics?
Jarrett: Festivals are what they are. If you go in with the right mindset it is usually fun. It probably won’t sound great. You might not have anywhere to warm up or get changed or eat anything. Sometimes you get rushed in and out from festival staff on their last nerve. But you just go with the flow and the audience is there to have a good time. So are we!
Scene Point Blank: How is The Fest different than other festivals you've played?
Jarrett: Well the first time we played The Fest we slept in a tent in a complete stranger’s lawn. That is different than any other festival I’ve played! More than any other festival, Gainesville Fest will have tons and tons of friends around. We always run into people we love who we haven’t had the chance to see in years. It almost feels more like a reunion than a festival.
Scene Point Blank: How many Fests have you played now?
Jarrett: I have actually lost count! I think this is our 5th time???
Scene Point Blank: Who is a favorite (or 3) band you've discovered while at The Fest?
Jarrett: I didn’t discover them there, but the first time I saw Oceanator live was at The Fest. A friend of mine was playing in the band at the time. We played really early in the day and Oceanator was playing super late. By the time I got to their set I felt like I had been up for a week straight and had probably logged 50,000 steps. Even after all that they just sounded so good. It felt great!
Scene Point Blank: Are there any restaurants or non-music destinations you always hit in Gainesville, or en route there?
Jarrett: Our close friends that used to live in Gainesville have moved away at this point, but they used to always have a plan for the least “Fest” spot they could think of. One year we stopped into a really fancy cocktail bar. It was nearly empty. It was such a funny experience, and much needed respite, while a parade of punks walked by the window outside.
Scene Point Blank: You've played a lot of Fests, but history is history. What makes The Fest so relevant in 2023?
Jarrett:I don’t know really. You tell me! It kind of feels like Screaming Females in a way: people keep coming so we keep doing it!
