SXSW Interviews: Fresh & Onlys

As we get closer to SXSW, we hope to have more great interviews for you all.  Here is one from our favorite act of late, The Fresh & Onlys.  We were lucky enough to grab a hold of bassist Shayde before the band heads our way. Read on ya’ll.

 ATH:  So you’re headed to Austin for SXSW, and we know you’ve been here before. So what’s the first thing you guys have to do, aside from the business side of things, once you pull into town?

Shayde: Finding a place to sleep or camp out is always a challenge during SXSW. We’ll probably going door to door looking for some Texas hospitality.

ATH:  What do you guys think of SXSW? For you as a band, is it just like a great big party? Are there bands you’re excited to see, or friends from the road? Or is it all business…promoting the band?

Shayde: It always feels like a family reunion. All the bands and people that you get to know from doing music are all there so you end up partying more than usual. There’s never been a feeling of doing “business” for us there. It’s just pure fun.

ATH:  There are literally thousands of bands coming to town for SXSW. What’s the one thing you want to tell our readers that will make your band stand out above the rest?

Shayde: I’ve never been a good salesman. But you know where it’s at.

ATH:  You released the excellent Play It Strange last year, and you always seem to be working on releasing some sort of new material. Is there anything coming down the wire in 2011 from Fresh and Onlys?

Shayde: We have a 5 song EP coming out on Sacred Bones called “Secret Walls”. We plan to record the next record between now and June. It’s gonna be a monster.

ATH:  Along those same lines, due to the high volume of output from the band, how do you guys continue to stay motivated to write new material? Is there one principal songwriter, or is it more of a collective effort?

Shayde: The songs varie in origin. Tim and I are always challenging each other and that keeps it interesting. It’s always exciting to see what Wymond and Kyle bring to the table when we show them new songs. That’s really where the magic happens. We’re far from being dried up as far as songs go. We keep getting closer and closer to what we do. That’s what inspires us most. I love it.

ATH:  What are your favorite songs to play live? Are there songs you would absolutely never play live? Why or why not?

Shayde: Waterfall is always great to play live. People are familiar with it and it feels like such a thick song when we play it. I can really feel that one penetrating the crowd. I feel that way about Invisible Forces or Peacock and Wing as well. There are several songs that we’ve never been able to get a grip on. It’s okay though. There are plenty more lying around and many more to come. It’s never good to force a song live. Too many bands do that and it’s painful to watch.

ATH:  If your band were an animal, what animal would you be? Don’t be a kitten, please don’t be a kitten.

Shayde: I love kittens but we are definitely not a kitten. Platypus. Definitely.

Thanks to Shayde for taking out the time to answer our questions, and to the fabulous Nick Dierl for helping make this work.