The Bay Area Native

What’s the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band’s name before?

Clive: In our hometown there is a street called “Sunbeam Rd.” Many of the street names in the area were based off of galaxies or something astronomical, because the town was supposed to be the next big NASA town. That didn’t end up happening, though.

Harry: The first night we played I had this dream where I was on a neighborhood street. I was walking down the street and I saw an open garage with a band playing inside and Nina Simone was singing for them. I went in and listened while they played. After they finished a song Nina turned to me and said “Do you know why my voice sounds the way it does?” I shook my head and then she took her microphone off the stand and showed it to me. The mic was gold and shiny almost like it had one of those 70′s starcross lens filters on it. The brand was called Sunbeam Rd. like the name of a street. Nina then looked me dead in the eyes and said “It’s all about the beats”

I awoke perplexed but I really didn’t think much of it. The next day when we were trying to come up with band names I started looking at maps of the town where Trevor, Clive, and I grew up and I saw a street called Sunbeam Rd. It was kinda spooky, it seemed like some sort of sign and it fit the band well. So we decided to name the band after it.

How long have you been all been playing? Self-taught?

Clive: I have been playing instruments since I was a little kid, but picked up drums in 8^th grade and taught myself.

Trevor: I played piano growing up, but started learning electric bass in high school. I learned a lot from observing the way others played music, intently. However, I have always been more interested in the formation of a song within a group rather than an individual’s prowess or chops on their instrument.

Harry: I started out playing piano, but I really wanted to play guitar the whole time because guitars are badass. When I was young I really wanted to learn how to do that finger-tapping solo thing. I thought it sounded awesome. I never really figured it out. It took me a really long time to figure out how to write songs and play my instrument, I didn’t really figure any of that stuff out until I started playing in Open Sonic Youth-esque tunings. I started playing bass much later, I was listening to a lot of New Order and realized just how much you could do with it. Peter Hook is a pretty amazing dude. I start writing most of my songs with bass nowadays.

Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?

Clive: Influences: wu-tang clan, beach boys, thelonious monk, caetano veloso, jim henson

Trevor: l believe I was strongly influenced by the music I would tape record off of the radio when I was a kid.. lots of oldies, and later, the alternative rock that hit the waves in the 90′s. The first band I remember getting really into was Blur, by winning their CD off of a Santa Barbara radio station 97.5 KHTY. Is it just me or was everyone from our generation obsessed with the Batman Forever soundtrack? That had a big  musical influence on me…

Harry: My influences generally include Sonic Youth, Wire, Giorgio Moroder, Ghostface & Raekwon,Can, New Order and Dario Argento.

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?

Trevor: Well l’ve know Clive, my brother, for 21 years… haha. and Harrison I met while in my first science class of my high school career. We were randomly assigned as lab partners to draw illustrations of the classroom’s safety equipment. We all met Cody around the same time, as he is the librarian where the rest of us went to college.

What can you tell me about your instruments? What made you choose the instruments you have now?

Clive: When I was in high school I had a drum kit that was originally purchased from Sam’s Club and that just wasn’t working out. So I fundraised enough to buy the drums I currently own. I wanted big and loud drums, and that is what I got.

Trevor: I’ve just made the best out of what I can get my hands on. I like finding unique or generic brand instruments for cheap.. My favorite find has been a 1960′s Kay Archtop acoustic at a pawn shop in Salinas. Also, we use a disguised & transformed Squier bass that we picked up at a yard sale on-stage.

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?

Trevor: One of the places we’ve enjoyed playing is the Li Po Lounge in China town. Its great if you have a bunch of friends and want to get sweaty in a former opium den… The next show is at the Rock Make Festival in the Mission on Sunday Aug. 22nd. 1pm.

What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?

Clive:

Radio Dept. – Clinging to a scheme

Caetano Veloso – Irene

Autolux – Transit Transit

Van Dyke Parks – Song Cycle

Sun Ra – the night of the purple moon

Secos & Molhados – Secos & Molhados

Os Mutantes – Os Mutantes

Trevor:

Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda

Robert Wyatt – Nothing can stop us. Absolutely love his cover of Chic’s At last I am Free

The Radha Krsna Temple London. A beautiful record produced by George Harrison in 1970.

Harry:

Comateens – s/t

Black Flag – Slip It In

Big In Japan – From Y to Z and Never Again

New Order – Republic

Curren$y – Smokee Robinson Mixtape

Lives of Angels – Elevator To Eden

Goblin – The Goblin Collection 1975-1989

Freddie Gibbs – Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik

Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?

Clive: Neil young, Beach Boys, Kinks.

Trevor: Usually we perform all original material, but on occasion we like to play a few covers.

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?

Clive: Everyone writes the songs. The main themes: story telling, outer space, imagination, love, humor.

Harry: I usually write songs based on the last movie I saw. I don’t like writing songs about myself. I’m boring, nobody wants to hear that shit.

Could you briefly describe the music-making process?

Clive: Ancient Chinese secret

Trevor: One of us usually brings in an idea, and we’ll sort of work from an uber simple structure. Its very rare that a song will feel even remotely finished before running through all four of us. I get really excited by the limitless possibilities for a direction of a song, and how the rest of the band can interpret what I’m doing in unexpected ways.

Harry: I generally start by ripping off a really specific song while trying to put my own slight spin on it to make it sound newer. Then when I bring something to the dudes and work on it as a group it becomes a different beast entirely. It’s a pretty good system. We’re a very democratic kinda band, which works out really well.

What are some challenges you may face playing at a new venue and not knowing what the sound will be like?

Harry: Not being able to hear yourself when you’re singing sucks, it gets really hard to tell if you are singing in the right key. That happens a lot.

What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

Trevor: We have set times for practice every week, sometimes its really hard for all of us to be there at the same time, so we either skip practice or one or some of us use the space for random practice or experiments.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Trevor: In the beginning a lot of the songs felt very structured and resolved, because we were just getting used to playing music in a band again. I think we’re more comfortable now building in a certain looseness to the songs, and improvisational aspects that weren’t really there before.

What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Harry: Getting started is always the most challenging thing. It can be difficult finding like-minded bands to play with, but I feel like we’ve made friends with some really great people in really great bands. It just helps to have a network of people that you respect that are all willing to help each other out and down to make things happen.

What’s the ultimate direction for the band?

Clive: We’re goin’ to Disneyland!

Trevor: We wanna do a video with Hype Williams.

Harry: Getting Kanye to follow us on twitter.

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Harry: Hit your guitars with sticks.

Which famous musicians do you admire?

Clive: Neil Young, Sun Ra, Madonna, and Mark Mothersbaugh… because they all did something original and with gusto

Trevor: Sonic Youthers, George Harrison, Neil Young, Greg Saunier, & Leonard Cohen.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

Harry: Thanks Mom & Dad.

Trevor: Thanks to anyone who has compromised any of their hearing abilities through out the years!

What does music mean to you?

Clive: Music means many things. Music has made us friends. Music has helped us get to sleep at night. Music has helped us get through the most arduous of tasks. Music is just like another limb, perhaps an invisible one.

Any last words?

Clive: Hi , mom!