The Interrupters
Soundwave 2015 is shaping up to be a ripper with so many exciting bands making their debut appearance including The Interrupters from Los Angeles. Across The Ocean was lucky enough to speak to Aimee Interrupter and Kevin Bivona about what the band is up to ahead of their appearance at Soundwave 2015.
It’s all happening for The Interrupters with your debut album and being announced for Soundwave 2015 all happening in the month of August. Exciting times isn’t it?
AI: Very exciting.
KB: I’m pinching myself!
Have you been stoked with how fans have embraced and taken to the new album?
KB: You know, we started touring a year before the album came out and we were lucky enough to get fans who heard us that just wanted our record. They seemed to be very happy with it. What the industry say is something we don’t pay much attention to but we’ll hear from friend’s that we got a good review here and there. As long as people enjoy our music and enjoy show that’s all we hope for.
AI: And having fun!
The last twelve months or so sound like they have been a real whirlwind given that the band hasn’t been together for very long. It looks like you’ve crammed in a lot in to such a short space of time?
KB: Yeah, we try to stay busy!
How was the whole process of recording the album? From what I’ve read it sounds like most of the album was recorded in one take?
KB: The energy of the way we recorded the album, we had Tim Armstrong producing us, we would just get in the studio as musicians and everyone was on their best behaviour in a way where we didn’t want to disappoint him. We would do a song once, twice then he would say it’s great and we would trust him. Same thing goes for the vocals and Aimee would sing it once or twice and when he said it was great it was like OK! Sometimes as musicians you can get in the studio and start thinking too much and try too hard.
AI: He encourages us to be us.
KB: Yeah, he encourages us to be us and he was able to capture a sense of rawness and energy on these tracks. That was the spirit of how we recorded and that’s why it didn’t take so long to get everything down.
On the other hand did it create extra pressure knowing that you had to really hit your straps on the day?
KB: Everyone in the band have been career musicians, individually so everyone tries to be their best at all times because this is what we do to get our next meal in a way. So in the studio we always try to be the best that we can be and having Tim there it was like no one better fuck up!
How would you describe the album to fans who have only just discovered The Interrupters?
KB: I would say it’s fun, upbeat, funky ska that you can dance to it, sing-a-long and the album will be over before you know it because it is a short record. We didn’t want to beat a dead horse. Our songs are short, we try to get to the point. Hopefully people like it and can dance to it and have fun because we definitely had fun playing it.
Did you have a lot of songs left over which might make their way on to another album, EP or as a b-side?
KB: What’s funny about that as there is always extra material left over when you make an album and some of it gets more developed than others. For our next record I don’t know if we’ll be using anything from this one because sometimes we would get an idea for a song, put it down, but then it wouldn’t match up to the other ones. Sometimes it would be just like let’s leave that one and we’re still excited about making new music even though the album has only just come out rather than trying to grasp at straws from stuff that didn’t work the first time.
Is it exciting touring Australia for the first time with the Soundwave Festival?
KB: We’re really excited!
AI: Yeah we’re really excited and it is a huge honour because we know we’re underground and AJ is taking a chance and believing in us. We’re totally beyond honoured that we got an invitation.
KB: It almost feels like we met in the middle because I’ve been talking to our booking agent for a while saying we have to get to Australia. She says ‘alright let me see’ but eventually AJ reached out to her and he heard the album and really liked it. We’re so lucky that he liked it because he wanted to bring The Interrupters down. She called me with good news and it was the best news we got all year that we’re coming down there.
Did your booker say much about the size of the festival and how many people actually attend each one?
KB: It is kind of insane and I’m sure they’ll put us somewhere on the bill where we fit and we’re looking forward to playing in front of as many people as can especially people who haven’t heard of our band and not forgetting all those who have heard of our band and look forward to seeing us. I know that there’s only a couple times a year that artists can make their way down there and we’re excited to be a part of that group.
Have you thought about what sorts of things you want to do with your time off?
KB: I know our booking agent has talked about some side shows but we don’t have those dates yet but any time off we get we just want to make friends and see the sights and enjoy Australia as much as can.
What’s the plan for the remainder of 2014?
KB: We’re going on tour with Less Than Jake, Big D And The Kids Table in Canada and the east coast of the US before meeting up with Seven Seconds so it is a big couple months of touring right up to November. December is looking pretty light so I think we’ll write songs and get our ducks in a row for the next album.
What’s the biggest lesson you have learnt from recording your debut album that you would take in to the next one?
KB: It really helps to play songs out live because we recorded our first album before we played a lot of gigs. Once we get out and know what works well live it kind of helps in making the album because you know what people will react to. We’re keen to expand more genre wise but really sound like us. I think we’re excited just to make new songs.
Do you think the way people consume music will impact on the way you go about the next album? Do you still believe in the concept of an album?
KB: We’re fans of album, if people like multiple songs that’s cool. When we write a song sometimes they turn out to be one minute and thirty seconds. It’s up to the song really and whatever feels right.
Whether it is rummaging through vinyl at record stores such as Clarity and Title finding hidden gems to scouring the internet to find that album by the next big thing or chasing bands to get that elusive autograph and photo his passion is music all the way.
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