Michael Sempart plays at the El Cid May 23
Photo by: Aubrey Trinnaman

Artist Mike Sempart is most known for his talent as the frontman and songwriter for the band Birds & Batteries from the Bay Area. He recently relocated and will be officially releasing his latest album with a CD release show on Fri, May 23 at the El Cid in LA.

From the Bay Area to LA, Sempert decided to go solo and do his own thing, and is now happily married while still doing what he loves…music! His solo album Mid Dream consists of more organic, acoustic beats whereas Birds & Batteries were a lot “synthier.”

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Sempart himself regarding his move from the Bay to LA to going solo to his upcoming shows.

OCCG: How do you like the LA area compared to the Bay area?
MS: LA has been good to me so far; I think I’ve been quite lucky. It’s hard to generalize, but I get a sense that there’s a lot of genuine optimism and openness here, especially in the creative world. And there are a lot of opportunities here that don’t exist in the Bay.

OCCG: Where have you not performed yet that you would like to?
MS: The Fox Theater in Oakland. Here in LA, I’m mostly familiar with the medium size rooms many of which I’ve played with Birds & Batteries. But hey, while we’re wishing, ‘the’ El Rey would be nice.

OCCG: What triggered you to take a break from Birds & Batteries?
MS: The short version is, I had all these songs that I wanted to do that wouldn’t work as a B&B album. Those songs became Mid Dream. For many years, B&B was my way of finding an overlap between different musical identities, one being more personal and song driven, the other being more synthesizer/ beat and production driven. With Mid Dream, these are some of my best songs, simple and from the heart, so I wanted to give them a more organic and classic treatment. So the B&B hiatus is mostly a creative choice.

OCCG: What are the pros and cons of going solo vs. being in a band?
MS: Well, being solo is liberating in many respects. There’s less pressure to take over the world or make something happen or to write something that is broad. It’s enough to just write a small song, something that makes sense to me. Those small songs can be big in other ways.

OCCG: What is your favorite part about being a musician?
MS: The best is feeling like your doing something greater than yourself, connecting with other people, inviting them to connect back. When it all feels right.

OCCG: If you were to choose another career path besides music, what would it be?
MS: Dog whisperer. That job might be taken.

OCCG: Who are your musical influences?
MS: For this record- John Lennon’s “Walls & Bridges”, Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years”, Aretha Franklin, Beck, Cass Mccombs’ “A”, Tom Petty, The Band, Bob Dylan, the Boss, Fleetwood Mac.

OCCG: What do you miss the most about being part of Birds & Batteries?
MS: I don’t find myself missing it these days. I’m lucky enough to have Colin Fahrner (drums) and Jill Heinke (bass) both from B&B, backing me up on these shows. So it’s all in the fam.

OCCG: What inspires most of your music?
MS: Each song is different, but with much of Mid Dream, many of these songs are inspired by my own personal journey and life changes, a sort of inner-conversation. Anyone that plays and writes music has to deal with major questions about how to make it all work. Most of this record is about approaching the realities of adulthood while remaining an artist.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your show in LA at The Hotel Cafe?
MS: Well, this will be my first show with the full band playing these songs. So that’s incredibly exciting in and of itself. Up until moving here, I’d been doing these songs mostly unaccompanied, and it’s so satisfying to hear the parts being covered and the arrangements executed by great musicians.

Pillar Point plays The Echoplex May 5
Photo by: Lauren Max

Seattle’s very own Pillar Point is beyond excited for their West Coast tour with a stop in LA at The Echoplex in LA on May 5. The band will be joining Soft Swells for their recently released self-titled debut LP from Polyvinyl Records.

In just 1 week, the band managed to reach over 100,000 views for their latest video “Dreamin.” The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to Pillar Point about their musical style, song inspirations and future endeavors.

OCCG: How did you come up with Pillar Point?
PP: Pillar Point was the harbor I grew up next to in Half Moon Bay, CA. When I was rolling that name around in my head I found a Pillar Point, WA as well, a few hours away from where I live in Seattle. I went out there one day and was overwhelmed by how beautiful the place was, and so the name stuck.

OCCG: How would you describe your style to new listeners who are tuning in?
PP: Pop songs with a mix of vintage synthesizers, captivating lyrics, and magnificent beats.

OCCG: Where do you get inspiration from for your songs?
PP: I try to stay true to my own life’s stories and and add some magical realism when needed.

OCCG: What’s on your bucket list as far as your career goes?
PP: Continue to get to travel the world through music.

OCCG: Where would you like to perform that you have not yet?
PP: Lisbon.

OCCG: What is your ultimate goal when creating an album?
PP: To make it good enough that I never need to listen to it again.

OCCG: Why did you choose to make music?
PP: I didn’t want to do anything else.

OCCG: What’s next for Pillar Point?
PP: Hopefully touring until the wheels fall off.

Walking Shapes play in LA at The Bardot April 7
Photo by: Courtney Rodwell

The Walking Shapes is the Brooklyn-based band that you don’t want to miss out on. The Walking Shapes will be playing at The Bardot in LA on April 7.

They have come a long way since late 2012 when they initially came together. These Brooklyn rockers have come a long way since their formation in late 2012. They have deemed great support across the states due to their frenzied live rock shows. Be on the lookout for their next album coming out this April.

The OC Concert Guide spoke with The Walking Shapes about their name origin, accomplishments and upcoming show.

OCCG: How did you come up with Walking Shapes? What’s the significance of it?
WS: The east river parted and a 6-bearded angel appeared floating above me. It threw eels into the air in geometric patterns, blinked and walked down a purple staircase back into the water. Because of this experience we decided to name the band Walking Shapes. Our managers are always trying to say we came up with from a pizza party so people don’t think I’m crazy.

OCCG: If you could perform at any big music festival, which one would it be and why?
WS: Woodstock 1969, it would be pretty fun to tour through time. I’d like to do that more often.

OCCG: What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far?
WS: My biggest accomplishment thus far…. I would have to say cooking at home. It’s extremely rewarding and healthy. I feel pretty good about that process of my life. Musically speaking we just released a video for Woah Tiger which is our first track from our to be released album ‘Taka Come On’. I’m stoked on it and really proud of how it developed. Making it was a collaboration and exercise of trust with close friends and I think it turned out really well.

OCCG: Who are your musical inspirations?
WS: Biggest musical inspirations to date; in chronological order are: Michael Jackson, Four Tops, New Kids on the Block, Metallica, Garth Brooks, Green Day (Dookie), Smashing Pumpkins, The Beatles, My Morning Jacket, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Willie Markley, and now insert obscure some Brooklyn or African band so I have street cred.

OCCG: What do you struggle with the most as artists individually and as a group?
WS: The biggest struggle is dedicating so much time to the band, which is in such early stages, and still surviving in the most expensive city in America. I feel really fortunate that I’m able to do this, but I do see it weighing on the band from time to time. It’s all-good though because it works.

OCCG: Where do your get ideas for your songs?
WS: Song ideas..Hmm…I try to let songs flow through me uninhibited only to then go into the studio and with intense focus flip them on their head. Song writing with Walking Shapes feels like catching a beautiful fish and then taking said fish surgically replacing its head with a bunnies head and eagle wings and then releasing it back into the wild as a thriving unique creature.

OCCG: What do you want your listeners to gain out of your music?
WS: I’d like listeners to hear what’s happening and have a personal or meaningful connection to the song. The songs are emotions being translated through music and word, so my biggest hope is that people can relate. I think that’s any artists’ hope for their work having the listener or viewer be moved by the experience.

OCCG: If you hadn’t pursued music as a career, what industry would you have pursued instead?
WS: I really have no idea. I was certain I’d play in a band from about the age of 10 so I always knew that’s what I wanted to do. I guess as an early teenage I though about being a professional football player or in the Olympics or some shit, but realistically I’d probably be living shacked up with a pissed off girlfriend because I snowboard all winter and work random jobs in the summer.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your show on April 7 at The Bardot in LA?
WS: I’m so excited for Bardot because I love LA and I love seeing my friends who live out there. The people at School Night are mad cool and throw great parties too so I’m sure its going to be a rage.

OCCG: What’s your next big move?
WS: Next big move hmm…We are on tour March 25- April 25 and are really excited to be releasing an album that we all love called ‘Taka Come On’ its out 4.8.14 and is going to be streamable on YouTube with a 8mm film that spans the entirety of the album.

Boys Noize takes over LA on multi-venue Southern California tour
Photo by: Bjorn Jonas

What’s new with Boys Noize (Alexander Ridha) these days? Check out his Southern California “Invasions” to get the full effect of his newly released remixes on Wed, March 19 at the El Rey Theatre, Thurs, March 20 at The Glass House, Fri, March 21 at Lot, and his final Los Angeles show at Lure on Sat, March 22.

Ridha recently released Out Of The Black – The Remixes in February, which includes but are not limited to remixes from Audion to MMM to Housemeister. In addition, the official “Got It” music video by Boys Noize featuring Snoop Dogg is out and can be viewed on Youtube.

Not only was Snoop Dogg featured in the music video but he initially performed it live with Boys Noize at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, FL. March is sure to be mayhem and mania for Boys Noize as he will be playing a plethora of shows in Austin’s SXSW, Miami and Los Angeles.

Boys Noize has toured worldwide and has headlined some of the most famous shows and festivals like HARD Summer and Bonnaroo. He has even collaborated with Skrillex this year to form the latest group Dog Blood. Together they dominated Lollapalooza, Coachella and Electric Zoo with an exciting live show.

Entertainment Weekly claimed that the debut of Dog Blood at Coachella was “the world’s most joyous satanic ritual. It was mystifying but fascinating—the Sahara Tent became its own congregation complete with everything but the swinging incense.”

Dog Blood released their EP Middle Finger Part II last year. Ridha founded Boysnoize Records (BNR) in 2005 because he wanted to permit himself to maintain full liberty as an artist while still able to release his own music under the name of Boys Noize as well as other monikers. Boysnoize Records is home to a variety of multidirectional quality electronic music.

DWNTN is playing in the Constellation Room March 14

What’s Downtown without the vowels? Better known as the folk band, DWNTWN! DWNTWN initially debuted their first hit single “See My Eyes” in 2012 and later the next year, they collaborated on their song “Move Me” with Jhameel and Giraffage. How does DWNTWN see themselves?

According to the band, “We’re kind of a folk band, but we just happen to make electronic music. We listen to a lot of Carter Family, and Johnny Cash, but we also love bands like Crystal Castles.”

When Robert Cepeda and Jamie Leffler both went through summertime sadness breakups, they decided to getaway by taking road trips from Los Angeles to San Francisco to ease the pain and have a good time and forget all their sorrows and that was when DWNTWN emerged in 2010. The duo eventually started writing on-the-go folk demos which they had recorded on their handy dandy smartphones. Later on in early 2011, these recordings turned into actual catchy, melodic songs and they have been compared to today’s biggest artists from Ellie Goulding to Postal Service.

While DWNTWN’s last EP, The Red Room, was heavily synthesized, not to mention reminiscent of the Drive soundtrack, their forthcoming EP has a lot more live instrumentation and guitars. DWNTWN’s newest single “Til Tomorrow” is comparable to the Garden State soundtrack.

Throughout the years, the band has expanded live from a duo, into a trio, and now fills the stage as not only a quartet, but a fantastic four. DWNTWN was really excited about getting back on the road again with El Ten Eleven.

Total Slackers’ antics take over a night at the Observatory on March 28
Photo by: Ebru Yildiz

The 90s -lovin’ psychedelic rock quartet Total Slacker consists of anyone and everyone but slackers from Brooklyn, New York. They will be heading to our area from the SXSW (South by Southwest) Music Festival in Austin, Texas playing two shows at the Observatory on March 28 or the Roxy Theatre on March 29.

Meet Emily Jane (bass and vocals), Zoe Brecher (drums), Tucker Rountree (guitar and vocals), and David Tassy (guitar) who are the talented fantastic four. Their most popular song “Sometimes You Gotta Die” off their second album, Slip Away is a sure hit.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to speak with Jane and Tassy for a bit about their group’s title origin, SXSW, and the infamous hotel heiress Paris Hilton retweeting their music video!

OCCG: How did you come up with the group name “Total Slacker?” With the tremendous success you guys have achieved, it seems like you’ve been doing everything in your power but slacking off!
Emily: We were inspired by the Richard Linklater film “Slacker”…We loved how free-roaming, carefree, yet thoughtful the characters in the movie were and the first summer we spent writing songs together felt like succumbing to the same sort of wanderlust. We actually ran into him on the street once on the way to recording some demos and got to tell him ourselves how influential his movie was, which was a great moment for us! But yeah, we’re dedicated to what we do, and enjoy working at it. We like to keep busy.

OCCG: What did you feel in regards to Paris Hilton retweeting your “Keep the Ships at Bay” video?
Emily: Never guessed that would have happened…we loved it! We laughed, it was exciting.

OCCG: How did you guys form your group?
Emily: Tucker and I started playing together in the summer of 2009 but it took us a while to find our “sound”. We asked Tassy to join us on guitar after his band Night Manager broke up, we knew he’d be a perfect fit and after having played as a three-piece we were ready to expand. Zoe was introduced to us through a mutual friend.

OCCG: You guys have some pretty interesting song titles from “Who Killed Kennedy” to “Sometimes You Gotta Die.” How do you come up with these?
Emily: The titles usually refer directly to the subject matter of the song. Some of the newer ones are more lyrically abstract, but these follow in the Total Slacker tradition of very narrative songwriting and straightforward titles. Tucker has always been interested in the Kennedy assassination and accompanying conspiracy theories, so in “Who Killed Kennedy” he offers one of his own. “Sometimes You Gotta Die” is about coming to a tough realization.

OCCG: What advice would you give to struggling musicians out there?
Emily: Persevere, don’t worry too much about putting yourself out there before you’re totally ready (or you never will be), be personable and friendly to everyone who’s kind enough to show an interest in you…introduce yourself to the people that come to see you play.

OCCG: Where would you like to perform that you haven’t yet?
Emily: Everywhere we haven’t yet.
Tassy: I’d love to play London and France!

OCCG: What factor contributed the most to your success today?
Emily: Probably that we’re really stubborn.

OCCG: If you weren’t doing music, what would you be doing instead?
Emily: I had considered studying to be a librarian.
Tassy: Watching High School Musical 2

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at performing at SXSW?
Emily: The Banners party presented by Black Bell Records and Pianos, the Black Bell Party, The Exploding in Sound party.

Milagres rock the Satellite in LA on March 20
Photo by: Shervin Lainez

Milagres is an indie rock quartet based in Brooklyn that just recently released their second album Violent Light, which welcomes a much deeper and darker sound for the band. The group will be performing at The Satellite in LA on March 20.

OC Concert Guide had the chance to speak with Milagres about their origin, upcoming shows and inspirations.

OCCG: How did you come up with the name Milagres and what does it mean?
Milagres: It was really just an accident. I was wandering through a Brazilian art retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum here in New York and I came across a large pile of life sized carved wooden body parts – hands, feet, heads, etc. Mystified, I read that these were traditionally used as votive offerings to hope for someone’s recovery. For example, if your aunt broke her foot, then you’d carve a giant foot and put it in a shrine in hopes that she would heal quickly. These objects were called ‘milagres,’ which translates from the Portuguese as ‘miracles.’I’m not religious, but for some reason the image and the word stuck with me.

OCCG: Who is your musical icon and who would you collaborate with live if you could choose anyone?
Milagres: There’s no obvious answer to that one for me. At first I thought of Beethoven, but I think he’d be a tough guy to collaborate with for many reasons, not the least of which he’s dead. In terms of living, working artists – maybe Kate Bush or Peter Gabriel?

OCCG: You guys formed in 2010. How did you get yourselves to where you are today within four years?
Milagres: Just sleeping our way to the top! Just kidding, we work very, very hard and we’ve also been a little lucky.

OCCG: If you could make up a name for your genre, what would you call it?
Milagres: It’s all rock and roll, really. We try to take inspiration and ideas from a wide variety of genres and each of our albums is a little different, so its hard to answer that question.

OCCG: What is the best advice you’ve ever received as an artist?
Milagres: Embrace the unusual and unique aspects of your personality. Work hard and keep going.

OCCG: What is the meaning behind your song, “IDNYL?”
Milagres: Well, the opening lyric to the song is “I don’t need your love,” so that should be a good clue as to the literal meaning. We abbreviated it because it seemed a little too ‘on the nose’… and also we wanted to be more like Prince.

OCCG: What was the inspiration for your album Violent Light?
Milagres: I could probably write an essay on that one. A lot of the seeds of the songs come from a place that has been important in my life in Northern New Mexico, where I’m from. Vast landscapes, open skies, and the strange combination of cultures that exist there. My grandfather moved our family there when he got a job working for Los Alamos National Laboratories. He worked on the Manhattan Project, so science also plays a huge role in this album, especially set against the background of such a sublime natural setting.

OCCG: Where do you hope your music takes you by next year?
Milagres: I’d really like to play in Australia, Iceland or South Africa. Alaska could be cool too.

OCCG: What’s your favorite part about your career?
Milagres: Probably writing songs. It’s a difficult process but in a way it’s the most rewarding. I enjoy it as a solitary pursuit.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your show at The Satellite in Los Angeles on March 20?
Milagres: Seeing some people that I haven’t seen in a long time, and, of course, playing a great show.

The Ataris brings their reunion tour to the House Of Blues Sunset on March 6

That’s right, everyone, your favorite punk rock band, The Ataris has reunited after nearly a decade for their So Long, Astoria Tour. A stop in Los Angeles will be their only Southern California show happening at The House of Blues Sunset on Weds, March 5 and Thurs, March 6 at The House of Blues Anaheim.

Although they disbanded in 2004, their legacy persists to live on after headlining countless Warped tours and selling millions of albums. Their album, So Long, Astoria has reshaped punk rock with its melodic, vivid beats.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to interview The Ataris regarding their reunion tour and dream collaborations.

OCCG: What’s it like reuniting after a decade?
Ataris: Well, it’s definitely exciting to be able to come back together after all these years. Sometimes you wish you could go back and make things right and end on a better note, so I believe this is our chance to do both.

OCCG: What’s So Long, Astoria mainly about?
Ataris: So Long, Astoria was a record that was themed by nostalgia. It was also about making the most out of our moments in life and then making those memory’s last. Kris had spent a large portion of 2002 driving around the country by himself gaining inspiration by visiting places that were significant to his life. And I think it really shows in many of the song’s lyrics.

OCCG: What made you guys want to rekindle after so long? Why now?
Ataris: The reality of it all was our agent, Andy Somers and our long time manager; Darren Lewis contacted us back in March about the possibility of doing a reunion tour. I think throughout the years each of us individually has thought about maybe doing a show here or there but never really imagined putting together a proper tour. With So Long, Astoria passing it’s 10th year I guess it made sense to try and put it together now.

OCCG: What have you guys been up to these past 10 years?
Ataris: Well, Kristopher Roe has continued on playing music full time. Chris Knapp owns his own business, Mike Davenport also owns his own business and plays bass full time with his band, Versus The World. As for myself (John Collura) I own a recording studio in New York and produce and manage bands.

OCCG: What expectations do you have for The Ataris?
Ataris: I think our only expectations are to put on a great show and have a really fun, successful reunion tour.

OCCG: Are there any artists out there today that you would love to do collaboration with?
I can only speak for myself and I can probably come up with a numerous amount of people that would take forever and possibly bore everyone to death so I will simply say Bruno Mars, yes that’s right Bruno Mars. I think that guy is our next Michael Jackson and I’ve had arguments already debating it but I think he’s versatile enough to sing just about any genre of music. He’s also a pretty good drummer!

OCCG: What did you miss the most about touring?
Ataris: I simply missed playing music for people. I also love to travel and eat and drink!

OCCG: You guys made a mini-documentary about the reunion of the band and the making of So Long, Astoria. How was that? What do you want your fans to gain from watching that?
Ataris: I really enjoyed doing it and I wished we could have made it longer. It’s really difficult to sum up 3 years of the So Long, Astoria era in 15 minutes. There’s the writing and recording aspect, to the touring side, to the music business side of it. I think people only look at a record cycle after the record is released and don’t realize the 18 months prior of writing, recording and strategizing the release. I think I wanted our fans to get a quick glimpse into the past and sort of feel that bit of nostalgia that I got when we were talking about the songs. There’s some uncut footage I hope we can release where all four us were telling some really funny stories…well most of them are funny now!

OCCG: If the group had not split, where do you think you guys would be today?
Ataris: That’s a question I often ask myself and I really do not have a good answer for. I think we all know it’s extremely difficult to be a band full time. There are very few bands in last 15-20 years that still have the same band members and continue to put out quality records. I guess one of the only bands off the top of my head that are still consistent would be Jimmy Eat World, so I guess I could have only hoped that our career would have been somewhat like theirs.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your reunion tour at House of Blues on March 6?
Ataris: I think it would amazing to see some familiar faces that I haven’t seen in over 7 years. That to me would speak volumes that people still care enough about the four of us and what we tried to accomplish as a band.

Mother Falcon play at The Echo as the Wednesday night residents throughout the month of February.

Mother Falcon started off as a group of 17 high school cellists anticipating to make a breakthrough, so they transformed into an organic collective of classically trained young musicians who were motivated to push their artistry beyond their comfort zone. The group will be performing their unique style of pop music at The Echo as the Wednesday night residents throughout the month of February.

At the Austin Music Awards, Mother Falcon, won the “Best None of The Above” award and performed at all three award shows from 2010-2012.

The OC Concert Guide had the chance to speak with Mother Falcon’s very own pedal guitarist Evan Kasper regarding the name origin, musical aspirations and upcoming events.

OCCG: How did you come up with your group’s name?
EK: It was originally Mother Fucker, but we had to think of the children.

OCCG: Typically bands encompass anywhere from 3-5+ people on average. What’s like to be in a group of 17 people? How did you all meet and decide to become Mother Falcon?
EK: It’s like being in a cult (our last idol was a log found curbside in Ridgewood, Queens, NY). But I’ll just say it’s like a family- a big happy family! And we are all cousins. It’s an inspiring group to be a part of because everyone has their own unique background and life story.

OCCG: What is the biggest struggle you face as a group? Is it hard to make decisions with so many people?
EK: Mobility and scheduling shows and rehearsals is the greatest struggle for us. Most of us have day jobs, school, other bands, and other responsibilities, which makes it difficult for calendars to align. Decision-making is rarely an issue- we all respect each other’s artistic choices and try to see our differences as an opportunity to learn.

OCCG: What inspired the track, “You Knew?”
EK: You know, I don’t know. I’ll ask Bono.

OCCG: What was your favorite part about your “Dirty Summer Tour?”
EK: Traveling the country to play music! I’ve dreamt of touring in a band since before I can remember.

OCCG: Mother Falcon has received numerous awards. What was that like? How did you feel?
EK: It feels warm and fuzzy, but we don’t linger on things like that for more than a minute. Jimi Hendrix put it well, “I don’t really live on compliments. As a matter of fact, they have a way of distracting me.”

OCCG: Who are your musical inspirations?
EK: Mostly the music of my contemporaries: Battle Bend, Marmalakes, Little Lo, SPEAK, MaryAnn, The Altered Five, Greg Mullen & the Cosmic American Band, Corduroi, Jason Anderson, Liebe-Skin, Hello Wheels, Yo Yo Kokaru, Patches, Patch, The Villettes, The Sugar Queens, Goldspine, Curtis McMurtry, Hikes, Grace Park & the Deer, TAFT, Matthew Squires & the Learning Disorders, Hello Caller, Sip Sip, Milezo & the Noize, Crocodile…. the list goes on. All these bands make up a community of musicians in Austin who support and inspire each other. It’s a lucky place to be; you should check all of them out.

OCCG: Who has been your favorite composer you’ve worked with?
EK: There’s really no favorite, they’ve all had something different to teach us. It was an honor to collaborate with Gary Lucas, whose collaborative efforts helped to sculpt Jeff Buckley’s opus “Grace” 20 years ago. Equally honoring was our time with Tony Trischka- a masterful banjo player who has worked closely with Bela Fleck and Steve Martin and whose own music feels pioneering and progressive. After our show together, He and I actually bonded over pedal steel guitars and traded up- he owned the model I had been lusting over for years (a mid-60’s Emmons single neck, as famously heard on Neil Young’s album “Harvest”) and I owned the same model that had been stolen from him years ago while on tour (a double neck Sho-Bud). Another favorite of mine is Peter Stopchinski, an Austin composer and our most recent collaborator. He rearranged and performed Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” with us this past December. As our guide and granter of wisdom regarding the flexibility of music, he was our Gandalf.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to for your show at The Echo?
EK: Reaching people who have never heard us before. Tell your friends!

OCCG: What’s next on your agenda?
EK: We’re going to haul ass back to Austin for South By Southwest, then begin working on our next collection of recordings. Stay tuned.

Sylvan Esso bring their electronic sounds to the Satellite Feb. 11

Meet vocalist, Amelia Meath, and electronic musician, Nick Sanborn, the dynamic duo behind Sylvan Esso. With Meath’s powerful, harmonic voice and Sanborn’s intense, pulsing beats, they definitely make an all-star dream team with no questions asked.

The OC Concert Guide had the chance to talk to Nick from Sylvan Esso about how he met Amelia, inspirations and aspirations, and playing at The Satellite in LA on Feb. 11.

OCCG: How did you initially meet your fellow collaborators Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn?
Nick: We met four-ish years ago at a show in Milwaukee when I (Nick) opened up for a band Amelia is in, Mountain Man.

OCCG: You guys came to the Moog Sound Lab with nothing but a laptop and your voices, how did you utilize such limited resources to contribute to your success?
Nick: Limited resources?!? Are you joking?? That place is a candy store! Before we showed up I made midi-only versions of two of our songs, so that we could just plug into their huge array of beautiful analog synths and dial in different sounds. I was in AV club heaven.

OCCG: What inspired the sound of your music and genre?
Nick: I’m not totally sure – obviously we both listen to a lot of music and work in lots of different projects, but the SE stuff always feels like the most natural thing for us to make together. We aren’t into the idea of genre experiments or deciding how we think we should sound before a song is written. We’re both way more into the idea of catering to the individual song, trying to let each one become what it seems like it wants to be.

OCCG: If you could collaborate with any artist out there today, who would it be and why?
Nick: That’s a tough one. There are plenty of people working today that I’m totally in awe of, but I hesitate to say I’d like to collaborate with them since I’m not sure what I’d bring to the table to change or improve what they’re doing. A good (& productive) collaborative relationship is difficult to predict without knowing someone pretty well. On a whole, though, we’re really interested in working with rappers. And scoring! We’d really love to score a video game.

OCCG: Is there anything you wish you could have done differently in terms of how you’ve pursued your career?
Nick: Nah, regrets are for suckers.

OCCG: Thinking back to early childhood, what was your first experience with music?
Nick: My dad pressed his acoustic guitar up against my mom’s pregnant belly and played for me.

OCCG: What made you initially realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Nick: A student teacher in my 7th grade concert band class put together a rock band that rehearsed during study hall. He taught me how to play bass (“it’s just one note at a time, super easy!”), and it was the first time I realized “oh, you can just be in a band if you want”. Not sure if I can accurately describe what a revelation this was. I figured being in a real “band” band (i.e. a band in which I didn’t play baritone sax & read sheet music) was reserved for some other kind of cooler person than me.

OCCG: What can people expect to see at your live performances?
Nick: Two people very excited to be doing what they’re doing. Also bass (sound system permitting).

OCCG: What were some of your New Year’s Resolutions for 2014? What have you done to get closer to those goals?
Nick: I was going to join the YMCA but I haven’t done it yet and we leave on tour this Tuesday so we’ll see how it pans out.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your show at The Satellite in Los Angeles on February 11?
Nick: Playing LA! Both Amelia & I have played there a zillion times but this is the first time in a long time that we get to have our band’s first west coast run of shows. Also Pho Cafe is close by, that’s rad.