Verse Chorus Verse
Between buzz from all across the blog-o-sphere and pivotal coverage by The San Francisco Weekly, the predicted best breakout band of 2007, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, has been extremely busy promoting their intensely different music, the music that garnered them a coveted showcasing of their sound on The O.C., while they were still unsigned. The down to earth Springfield, Missouri quartet (now signed to Polyvinyl Records) produce crisp indie of the pop persuasion (with subtle emo undertones) that's all their own. That’s the thing about SSLYBY, what they make is the real deal, no crafty distortion or label direction. I spent time with with lead guitarist and songwriter, Will Knauer, to discuss Springfield, pre-gig rituals, Nirvana, touring, and of course, Boris Yeltsin.
Kit: There's a vintage-y/mussed kind of sound on "Broom" from the recording (I suppose) that really adds to the disk, in my opinion. Was there anything special about where or how you recorded?
Will Knauer: We recorded the CD in my house. We had never recorded anything
before and had no idea what we were doing. Armed with two rented microphones and others that had been laying around for years, we set out with one thing in mind: try anything. We would put microphones all over the room. They would be on the ceiling, inside the piano, outside the room, inside the guitar, behind the guitar, and anywhere we could stick ‘em. We had no professional help during the actual recording sessions. Also, all the equipment we had was stuff our parents had bought us for Christmas, including the digital 10 track and small mixer we used for the recording. The instruments were old and dirty. Recording in a house, we were able to capture the sounds of life and what was going on there. From people talking to dog barks, “Broom” places the listener in the setting. Most of the songs are about someone who lives in the house, so it's almost a concept album, but not at all. Nothing scares me more than a sterile studio where everything is recorded the same. We recorded it honestly because we weren't on a label, we were not trying to market it or sell it. We were just goofing around. There was no budget, no pressure, and no one telling us we were supposed to do.
K: What classic and contemporaries were you channeling on "Broom"?
WK: Nirvana!
K: Which one of you still loves Boris Yeltsin, or rather, why such a different name?
WK: We got the name from a school project my little brother was doing.
He had to write an essay on a political leader that had made a difference in their country and he chose Boris Yeltsin cause the name was funny. It was around the same time Boris Yeltsin had resigned, and we joked about naming the paper "Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin." We really liked the sound of that, and even though my brother got a D+ on his paper, we named our band that. That was about 7 years ago. Kurt Cobain rules.
K: Did your starting location (Springfield) impact the music you made?
WK: Yah. There's something about Springfield that makes you happy. I can walk out on my front porch, sit on the steps and play guitar while birds sing and my cats play in plants. With trees and other natural life, you just feel good about yourself. Then you write nice songs that reflect this atmosphere. I can't imagine living in a tiny apartment in the middle of a city/concrete nightmare. It would change everything.
K: What do you credit your newfound success to?
WK: The Internet. The San Francisco Weekly. Catbirdseat.org. Myspace.
Blogs. Humans. Computers. Guitars.
K: Best track on "Broom" (in your opinion)?
WK: “Gwyneth”.
K: What's your formula for a good tour?
WK: We've been on different sized tours and have learned a few things. If you are going out for a while with another band who is on your level, in our case, still small, it is essential to play with a local band every night. That way people are guaranteed to be there because it's someone they know. The tour we are on now with Mute Math is different
Because there will always be a few hundred people there.
K: What was the best show you've done so far?
WK: Two shows stick out. Beloit College in Wisconsin, and Carleton College in Minnesota. The students are just ready to have a good time, and actually dance and move around. Most of the time people just stand and stare at us, which makes it harder for us to get into it. But we're learning how to provoke the audience instead of waiting for them to do it. We also played a Nirvana Tribute show the other night. That was intense.
K: Who's your "Oregon Girl"?
WK: Jill Stevens. Wherever you are, I love you.
K: Are there any quirky things/rituals you all do to prep for a gig?
WK: In Chicago a little bit ago I remember we all made really obnoxious animal noises. Other than that, we don't do anything.
K: What was your response to so many great reviews following the re-release of "Broom" in 2006?
WK: After we released Broom ourselves in early 2005 I left to work at an all girls Summer Camp in New Hampshire. Over that summer I think the band played one or two shows. We didn't even realize something was happening. We were hardly a real band. When I got back we realized we should be doing something and planned (poorly) a two week tour. What saved us was a band called Catfish Haven who asked us to do a month long tour with them. Since then we have just been touring as much as possible.
K: What are you working on now?
WK: The next album baby! And getting this stuff organized before I go to
the post office in a little bit.
The humble hometown boys’ “Broom”, their Polyvinyl debut, is out now. But before you check out their light, indie pop album, check out their “Pangea” music video which gives a virtual tour of their hometown and recording space, to put a picture in your head.
More later,
Kit
Kit: There's a vintage-y/mussed kind of sound on "Broom" from the recording (I suppose) that really adds to the disk, in my opinion. Was there anything special about where or how you recorded?
Will Knauer: We recorded the CD in my house. We had never recorded anything
before and had no idea what we were doing. Armed with two rented microphones and others that had been laying around for years, we set out with one thing in mind: try anything. We would put microphones all over the room. They would be on the ceiling, inside the piano, outside the room, inside the guitar, behind the guitar, and anywhere we could stick ‘em. We had no professional help during the actual recording sessions. Also, all the equipment we had was stuff our parents had bought us for Christmas, including the digital 10 track and small mixer we used for the recording. The instruments were old and dirty. Recording in a house, we were able to capture the sounds of life and what was going on there. From people talking to dog barks, “Broom” places the listener in the setting. Most of the songs are about someone who lives in the house, so it's almost a concept album, but not at all. Nothing scares me more than a sterile studio where everything is recorded the same. We recorded it honestly because we weren't on a label, we were not trying to market it or sell it. We were just goofing around. There was no budget, no pressure, and no one telling us we were supposed to do.
K: What classic and contemporaries were you channeling on "Broom"?
WK: Nirvana!
K: Which one of you still loves Boris Yeltsin, or rather, why such a different name?
WK: We got the name from a school project my little brother was doing.
He had to write an essay on a political leader that had made a difference in their country and he chose Boris Yeltsin cause the name was funny. It was around the same time Boris Yeltsin had resigned, and we joked about naming the paper "Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin." We really liked the sound of that, and even though my brother got a D+ on his paper, we named our band that. That was about 7 years ago. Kurt Cobain rules.
K: Did your starting location (Springfield) impact the music you made?
WK: Yah. There's something about Springfield that makes you happy. I can walk out on my front porch, sit on the steps and play guitar while birds sing and my cats play in plants. With trees and other natural life, you just feel good about yourself. Then you write nice songs that reflect this atmosphere. I can't imagine living in a tiny apartment in the middle of a city/concrete nightmare. It would change everything.
K: What do you credit your newfound success to?
WK: The Internet. The San Francisco Weekly. Catbirdseat.org. Myspace.
Blogs. Humans. Computers. Guitars.
K: Best track on "Broom" (in your opinion)?
WK: “Gwyneth”.
K: What's your formula for a good tour?
WK: We've been on different sized tours and have learned a few things. If you are going out for a while with another band who is on your level, in our case, still small, it is essential to play with a local band every night. That way people are guaranteed to be there because it's someone they know. The tour we are on now with Mute Math is different
Because there will always be a few hundred people there.
K: What was the best show you've done so far?
WK: Two shows stick out. Beloit College in Wisconsin, and Carleton College in Minnesota. The students are just ready to have a good time, and actually dance and move around. Most of the time people just stand and stare at us, which makes it harder for us to get into it. But we're learning how to provoke the audience instead of waiting for them to do it. We also played a Nirvana Tribute show the other night. That was intense.
K: Who's your "Oregon Girl"?
WK: Jill Stevens. Wherever you are, I love you.
K: Are there any quirky things/rituals you all do to prep for a gig?
WK: In Chicago a little bit ago I remember we all made really obnoxious animal noises. Other than that, we don't do anything.
K: What was your response to so many great reviews following the re-release of "Broom" in 2006?
WK: After we released Broom ourselves in early 2005 I left to work at an all girls Summer Camp in New Hampshire. Over that summer I think the band played one or two shows. We didn't even realize something was happening. We were hardly a real band. When I got back we realized we should be doing something and planned (poorly) a two week tour. What saved us was a band called Catfish Haven who asked us to do a month long tour with them. Since then we have just been touring as much as possible.
K: What are you working on now?
WK: The next album baby! And getting this stuff organized before I go to
the post office in a little bit.
The humble hometown boys’ “Broom”, their Polyvinyl debut, is out now. But before you check out their light, indie pop album, check out their “Pangea” music video which gives a virtual tour of their hometown and recording space, to put a picture in your head.
More later,
Kit
posted by Kit "Blanche Deveraux" @ 3:27 PM
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