ACL Interviews: The Morning Benders
Well ACL Festival is finally upon us in just a couple short days and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s a busy time of year, but the fun and debauchery throughout the weekend always rewards us for all the hard work we put in. Leading up to the weekend we sent a few questions to The Morning Benders leading man Chris Chu. We discuss the current state of his band and his strong feelings about the internet age of music we’re currently living in. Follow the jump to read more from Chris.
ATH: So let’s get this out of the way now. I know you owe a great debt to Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear… BUT, are you sick of hearing about the guy at this point? You must get asked about him all the time…
Chu: I love that guy, I could never get sick of him!!!! But I know what you are asking, it’s annoying to keep getting asked the same question, definitely. It’s just lazy journalism.
ATH: Are you calling us lazy!? But speaking of Chris, do you think he will be involved next time or no?
Chu: I can’t say for sure, but we generally like to try something new with every album.
ATH: Your sound really mixes some great pop sensibilities with your own experimental rock sound. What are some of your favorite ground breaking pop albums? Any that have greatly influenced the way you shape your music?
Chu: Pet Sounds, Kid A, Hounds of Love, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers. I would say all of those have greatly influenced the way I think about music, and especially the production aspect.
ATH: Obviously Berkeley is well known for it’s music and music scene. What do you feel like the current scene is like? Any up and coming bands we should know about?
Chu: Honestly we never really felt much a part of any scene in Berkeley. Don’t get me wrong, I love the place. I love the people there. I love the conscious attitude. I love the food and the farmer’s markets. I think all that stuff definitely influenced the way we played and made music. But I never felt like there was a very strong “scene” there.
ATH: You got the highly sought after “best new music” tag from Pitchfork recently. What do you think this could do for your career? Good thing or bad? Maybe they have too much pull in the scene?
Chu: It definitely helps. We are stoked that they have supported us so much. In terms of how much it helps, on what level, it’s really hard to say. The internet is mysterious like that. It doesn’t necessarily lead to album sales or any kind of financial success, but we can only assume people are hearing about the band more, and I think some of those people will support us down the line. I have faith in our fans.
ATH: On that note, we like to ask bands what they think about this digital age we’re living in. Are you a supporter of the digital movement, do you prefer the old school mind set, or are you in-between?
Chu: I have very mixed feelings about it. It’s undeniable, so ultimately I try to think about it positively. The internet is an amazing way to get music to a lot of people, very quickly. It’s an amazing tool for finding new music. On the other hand, I know a lot of people in bands, and the majority of them are struggling. We are struggling. It’s very hard to sustain when everyone is downloading your music for free. I don’t blame people for downloading music or anything- my main priority as a songwriter and musician is just getting music out into the world. But I do think people should think about what is going to happen to a lot of their favorite bands in a year, or 2 years, 3 years down the line. That’s the biggest downside to the digital age. In a weird way it’s disconnected people from the actual bands/artists/human beings that are making the music you are downloading. Which is totally strange since bands and artists are more accessible now than ever, with twitter and facebook and all that shit. But still, when you download music all the time, instead of purchasing an actual physical record/reminder, or instead of going to a concert, there is less of a human connection.
ATH: So who are you excited about seeing at ACL festival? Any smaller acts we should maybe be paying attention to?
Chu: Mostly The Eagles play “Hotel California.” Also The Flaming Lips.
ATH: Anything you look forward to when you stop into Austin?
Chu: BBQ!!!!!
You can catch the Morning Benders on Sunday at 3:00pm on the Honda Stage. Thanks again Chris for talking to us.