Friday, October 15th, 2010
By Ruben Tamayo
The men of Poor Bailey are Bay Area Natives to the core. Hailing originally from their hometown of Antioch, CA, they have put out some of the best music in the area. This band has been a part of my life since I can remember and were even the first local show I ever went to. So naturally, I wanted to catch up with them. Make sure you check out their website happydead.com, Facebook and Myspace!
What’s the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band’s name before?
John: It’s a secret or whatever.
How long have you been all been playing? Self-taught?
Scott: Pretty much self-taught. I don’t know music theory or how to read music or anything like that. I tried to take a guitar class one time but I dropped after the first day when the teacher assigned us some homework. I never want music to feel like homework. I hate homework!
John: I started playing music when I was 13 or 14. I took lessons from some creep in his parent’s basement for a few months, but felt that I wasn’t getting much out of it. After that I would just sit in my bedroom and try to learn songs that I liked.
Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?
Scott: My influences in more recent times have more to do with writers than with bands. I recently finished reading all of Mark Twain’s books and he has been a hero of mine for quite a while. I like to read old American Literature. I’m also obsessed with stand-up comics. I think good comedians tend to have a really unusual and interesting outlook on things, which is what makes them so funny I guess. As far as musical influences, I grew up listening to a lot music. My mom was responsible for introducing me to a lot of 60’s folk music like Dylan and John Stewart (Not the Comedy Central dude.) I knew Neil Young’s Harvest record before I could speak. My father listens to all this obscure San Francisco Psych stuff from the late 60’s like Moby Grape and Quicksilver Messenger Service. So, I had a pretty decent mixture of cool music from a young age.
How long have you all known each other? How did you meet? When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
John: Scott and I have known each other since we both attended Park Jr High School. I joined Poor Bailey in 2003 while I was still living in Santa Cruz, which I believe was a little less than a year after the band was formed. I think I might have even played the first Poor Bailey show, because Travis (who was playing bass at the time) was out of town, so I was asked to fill in. Travis moved to guitar, and I came in permanently when I moved back to the Bay shortly thereafter.
What can you tell me about your instruments? What made you choose the instruments you have now?
John: The bass I have now is the only cool bass that I could find for under $3,000. I also have an old Framus bass that I bought from Webb’s Music in 1994 that I would like to fix up and play again.
Where have you performed? What are your favorite venues in the Bay Area? Anyone I should talk or speak to so that their venue/open mic/project can receive more exposure? Do you have any upcoming shows?
John: We have played all over the area; Bill Graham Civic Center, The Shoreline, The Beer Garden, Kaptain Kurts, etc. My favorite venues right now are in Oakland though. I really like to see shows at the Fox Theater and The New Parish. I saw Terry Reid at The New Parish this summer and it was probably the best show I’ve ever seen. We just played at The Uptown a few nights ago and it was a lot of fun. As far as people you should talk to, our friend Nick White is starting to book bands at the Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley – it would be great to get another Berkeley venue going that people could frequent.
What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?
Scott: Hmmm… I’ve been hearing the new Arcade Fire record quite a bit. It’s pretty great. I also stumbled upon this band called Avi Buffalo that is really good. I mostly listen to music that my friends make. My friend Jake has a band called Anchors Up that is awesome. The new Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s record will probably be good.
Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?
John: Lately we have been playing a set that rotates 12 or 13 new songs. Since we have started playing again, we have literally about 150 new songs to work on, so we will slowly start introducing other new songs into our live show. We typically don’t do covers, but we have a list of songs that we would like to eventually learn and play.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
John: Scott writes the songs, and are generally about being in high school and hanging out in a park in Antioch. That will never really change.
Scott: Yeah, I write songs mostly about stuff that has had an effect on me. I also like to take other people’s stories and play off of them. I have deep roots in my hometown of Antioch Ca. Moving to Oakland was a trip for me. It took me quite a while to get comfortable so that was a pretty influential element in my life. For better or worse I doubt this will ever change. I rarely write about stuff while I am going thru it. I almost always write my songs in retrospect.
Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Scott: For the first time in my life I am able to record my songs when I write them due to this nifty little laptop that I’ve acquired. This has been a huge enabler for my obsessive songwriting disorder. It also makes it easier to complete songs that aren’t good. Rather than abandoning a song when I realize it sucks, I record it. Sometimes when I listen back a week or two later I realize it doesn’t suck so much.
John: Usually Scott will write a song, and then I will take it home and write and record my parts and send it back to him, and then we will sit around for a few weeks and talk about how cool it all was.
What are some challenges you may face playing at a new venue and not knowing what the sound will be like?
John: You always need to plan for the worst. If a band can learn to perform well with the worst possible sound, then they can play well everywhere. We’ve gotten pretty good at playing off of each other and being able to adjust to our surroundings. We also always have technical problems with our gear and it just seems like that kind of stuff is inevitable.
What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
John: We do have set times when we rehearse, but usually we just sit around and talk about funny stuff. Sometimes we will spontaneously kick it and still sit around and talk about funny shit.
Scott: Yeah our usual routine is to wait until three days before a big show and then practice twice.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
Scott: I feel like I’ve really learned a lot in the past couple years about orchestrating and arranging songs. Growing up in Antioch I didn’t really hang out with musicians. Most of my friends were either through skateboarding or doing drugs. So, when I moved to Oakland I began hanging out with fellow musicians quite a bit more. I also spent the past two years or so touring with Audrye Sessions, so I have been constantly surrounded by people who write and play music.
John: I think the band and the music are constantly evolving. We’ve had a lot of great players come and go, and they have definitely helped shape the sound at that particular time. We always have a constant struggle with deciding whether or not we want a song to sound really cut-and-dry and minimal, or having it be really over the top and epic. Luckily, we’ve been able to get away with playing different styles of music and not being pidgeonholed into one genre.
What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Scott: I think I have always been the biggest problem.
John: Tuh!
What’s the ultimate direction for the band?
John: I want some kid to find our music in 30 years and think it is the coolest thing ever, and it can be like their little secret.
Scott: I think I’ve always been interested in the idea of being sort of timeless. I don’t want to be tied to a certain era or whatever, but I also don’t think too far into the future.
What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
John: Make sure you do it for the right reasons. Being in a band will eventually consume every part of your life, so you really need to believe in what you are doing. Also, you need to be your own worst critic, because your friends will probably think you are tight, but your band most likely sounds really lame.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Scott: Doesn’t Keanu Reaves have a band?
John: Metallica’s Kurt Hammett.
Any last words?
John: We’d like to announce that we will be writing, recording, and releasing a new song a day on our website happydead.com for the entire month of October! We are calling it the October Project. Please visit happydead.com daily to hear a great new song every day.
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
By Ruben Tamayo
I was able to have have a quick interview with singer/songwriter Sean Atkins. For those who don’t know him, he is someone you most definitely should check out.
How long have you been playing? Self-taught?
It’s weird; I started playing guitar when I was around 14, but then I quit that
and played bass in bands. I was always the bass player. As those bands grew apart
and people moved away, I started picking up the acoustic. It’s something that
doesn’t require a group… and I picked it up at a time when I couldn’t rely on
people. I am mostly self taught, I mean, people teach you little tricks along the
way…a lot of people in my family have played, so it’s not fair to say
I’m completely self taught.
Who are your major influences?
My major influences I guess would be whatever I grew up on. I had a lot of
tom petty in my life. I liked his music. I had a big, long nirvana phase…
that’s when i started really getting into music, sort of 90′s rock/grunge… then
i had a long punk phase, which led to emo, then indie, then folk…
pretty natural progression among people my age, I think.
What inspired you to make music?
I think my father and uncle inspired me a lot. They were in bands together
when I was a kid, plus I didn’t own a guitar until my uncle died. His guitars
were kind of lying around, so I picked them up.
Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?
I will play a cover here and there… mostly for fun, at open mics…
show-wise, i don’t know if there’s a song i play more than any other… it’s pretty
even.. Usually it depends on who is playing… if i don’t have extra singers,
i might stay away from a song… or if there’s no piano, etc…
What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Well, I’ve gone through some pretty serious things this year… and have just now
been able to sit down and write them out, so yes, i think there will be changes
a lot of my songs have been stories about other people’s interpersonal relationships.
Others are just stories based on events… but not entirely true as they’re written.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?
Oh sure, I was in a punk band, then a rock band, then a hardcore band… now this.
And I’ve even taken on a few other projects along the way. I’m getting the bass
ready again; I’ll be playing with a band called ‘glory glory’ this fall.
When we talked you said you didn’t want to sign to a label. Why is that?
it’s not that I wouldn’t sign with a label, I just wouldn’t want to sign to a label
that would attempt to control any aspect of what I’m doing… and it kind of seems
like a lot of labels do that.
What has been your biggest challenge as an artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
I think my biggest challenge as an artist is my self esteem. There are a lot of
insecurities exposed when you have to get in front of people and talk about your
emotions. It can be really difficult. I think I’ve made a lot of progress in the
last two years, just being more comfortable in my own skin.
What’s the ultimate direction for your music?
I don’t know yet. I think I’m still figuring that out. I don’t know if you ever
stop figuring that out.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
I admire tom waits a lot… i mean, A LOT. For very many reasons. Also,
Dave Bazan, Gregory and the Hawk, Rosie Thomas, Bright Eyes… I admire them too.
What do you want your music to accomplish?
I think my music accomplishes what it’s supposed to on a small scale now.
I played a song the other day, just at an open mic with ten or so people… and I
finish, and my own cellist is crying… haha. I mean, that’s gotta count for
something.
What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?
It’s funny that you asked what albums I’m currently listening to, because I was
just involved in this ’15 favorite albums’ thing… and now i’m just revisiting
old nirvana stuff, and saves the day… i’m just the wrong person to ask right now
about what’s new/ up and coming i’ve been in my “old music” bubble..
But if you don’t know the standards, how can you appreciate what’s now?
so listen to: At The Drive-In, Refused, old Bright Eyes, Sunny Day Real Estate,
old Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel… and currently: The Antlers, and mewithoutyou
When do you plan to come the Bay Area?
I’ve been thinking about moving to the west coast a lot lately, so maybe soon?
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
I acknowledge everyone who has ever so much as listened, or been a friend.
I don’t acknowledge that one is more important than another, but they’ve all been there
and they are all the most important.
What does music mean to you?
I don’t always know what music means to me. It’s not necessarily something I
can put into words. It’s just there, all around… and perfect for whatever moment.
It defies anyone’s ability to pin it to any kind of definition. It picks you up,
it puts you down, it lets you feel… more than anything it allows you to relate to
any feeling at any time… whether it be a funeral march, or some sweet-like-love
lyric… music can be anything, to anyone. It’s pretty neat.
Any Last Words?
I’ve got more last words than I’ll ever care to say… and none that i’d want
to have read.
