Kate Eldridge (Big Eyes)
SPB: What is the most annoying recurring thing you read about your band (whether accurate or not)?
Kate: I am really bothered by the term "female fronted." Being a "FEMALE" has nothing to do with the music I write and play. It also sounds so unnecessarily scientific. Nobody says "MALE FRONTED" or asks how it is to be a MALE in a band. It's also really annoying getting compared to other bands solely because they ALSO happen to have women in them. It's 2015, people, knock it off.
Bruno Sanfilippo
SPB: Though things like bandcamp have made it easier for artists to release music, I can't help but think that there are many out there who, like the main character in the film Mr. Holland's Opus, tirelessly work on writing and composing yet have no clue how to go about releasing their work to the public.
What is the best way for aspiring classical composers and/or musicians to get their work out?
Bruno: I think the best thing to do is, on one hand, grow constantly as an artist. And this means, of course, to ID your own limitations and to expand relentlessly. Moreover, you must be an excellent communicator, which is not a minor issue. In any case, only the passion for what you do will give enough power to reach your goals.
Tempest
SPB: What was your favorite band in high school? How do they influence your songwriting today?
c.a: There are probably only a handful of bands that Tempest as a whole can agree on enjoying. Now, take that handful and whittle it down to bands that we have been listening to for the past 15 years. There really is only one band that meets that criteria and has stood the test of time. Obviously it would be none other than Propagandhi.
To me Propagandhi are the perfect embodiment of what a band can/should be: aggressive, thoughtful, artistic, and honest. They have inspired and influenced us more as musicians and people than probably most of us would feel comfortable giving them credit for. Musically the influence might not be glaringly obvious…but it’s there underneath layers of distortion and feedback. More than the music though, it’s how they have ideologically influenced us. We have an adage that we have come back to over again during the past 8 years, and its WWPD. I like to think it’s this simple little idea that has helped us to make very few regrettable decisions as a band.
Bryan (Koo Koo Kanga Roo)
SPB: You see to perform on a lot of varied bills from kids stuff to hip-hop shows and Warped. Do you prefer to mix up the audience you play to or do you prefer a headline-type club show?
Bryan: We prefer everything. It helps keep the show and the concepts fresh and helps us keep our audience varied. We want 5-70 year olds at our shows all together and playing all that stuff makes that possible.
Still trying to play weirder venues, so hoping for more variation in the future.
