Cymbals Eat Guitars play two shows at The Roxy Sept. 27 and 28
Cymbals Eat Guitars is an indie rock band from New York started by Joseph D’Agostino with friends Andrew, Brian and Matthew. They are playing two shows opening for legendary Indie artist Bob Mould at The Roxy on Sept. 27 and 28.
Their new album, LOSE, is mostly inspired by the loss of their longtime friend and music collaborator Benjamin High – and their desire to make good records. Bands like Blur and the Stone Roses also really inspired the band to include instruments such as trumpets and cymbals and some cool vocal additions to the new album. Don’t miss them perform songs off of their new album later this year!
OCCG recently caught up with Cymbals Eat Guitars and talked about their new album LOSE.
OCCG: How did Cymbals Eat Guitars come about?
CEC: Joe started the band as a studio project about six years ago and Andrew, Brian, and I came later at various stages. Andy is still the “new guy”, though we’ve been friends for years, he only started playing with us last year.
OCCG: For starters I’m terribly sorry for your loss of Ben – other than him being a huge inspiration for the album, is there anything else that really inspired your album LOSE?
CEC: We just wanted to make a really good rock record. Not too cerebral, fun to play, fun to watch us play, and veer towards writing pop songs without “going for it” in a garish way. We’re very excited because the record is precisely what we said we wanted to do before we had really started writing songs.
OCCG: Who are some of your biggest influences individually and as a group all together?
CEC: We were really into Britpop while writing LOSE. Blur, the Stone Roses, that kind of stuff. Some of us have been fans of those bands since high school but recently it seemed to kind if bubble up and become really appealing again.
OCCG: Other than cymbals being an obvious instrument you guys use in your music, is there other fun instruments you guys used while recording this album?
CEC: Darby from Antlers came through and did some trumpet stuff last minute when our hired trumpeter had to cancel. Some of the stuff that sounds like synths or Theremin is actually people singing through pedals and amps. A bunch of friends came by and did cool heavily-effected vocal parts.
OCCG: Individually what is your favorite song of the new album LOSE, that you can’t wait for everyone to hear?
CEC: I think Laramie is going to go over well, particularly with people who might think we’ve changed our sound a whole lot based on the first few singles.
OCCG: You guys are playing a couple of LA shows later on this year, how excited are you for playing The Roxy?
CEC: I know very little about the Roxy beyond name recognition, but it’s fun to tell people we’re playing there. I think even if people don’t know what it is, it sounds like an impressive place to be playing. “The Roxy.” You tell east coast people you’re playing the Roxy, it generally establishes a sense that you’re “killing it out there.” Feels pretty good.