SXSW 2014 Interview: CYMBALS
CYMBALS are riding high after the recent release of their latest album, The Age of Fracture. They’re heading into to Austin to play SXSW, and they’ve got a special day lined up on Wednesday, March 12, opening for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart during the Force Field Day Party. Check out the band’s thoughts on the festival as they prepare to blow into town.
ATH: There was a lot of hubbub last year concerning corporate sponsors and pay to play and what not at SXSW. As a band, what’s your reason for coming to pay at the festival? What do you hope to get out of it?
CYMBALS: We were invited to play so we are accepting the invitation. We have also never played in the US, but we have had releases there and people have said nice things about some of our releases, so it’s a chance for some of those people to see our live show.
ATH: For most SXSW sets, you get 30 minutes to leave a lasting impression. What’s your plan of attack? You have a set list mapped out yet?
CYMBALS: We have a five song set that we’re pretty happy with – it’s actually a pretty comfortable length and it doesn’t drag. Less is more.
ATH: The festival caters to music fans, but food and booze are an important aspect of the fans and the bands. What’s your band’s food and beverage of choice?
CYMBALS: We will exclusively be eating dried fruit and drink bourbon.
ATH: There are tons of bands coming into town. Who would you ideally like to play with of the 1000s of bands gracing our city? Make your own optimal line-up.
CYMBALS: Coldplay, Jarvis Cocker, Charli XCX (at the same time if possible).
ATH: We are partial to SXSW obviously, but what festival do you feel is the best around?
CYMBALS: Primavera always seems pretty amazing.
ATH: Let’s say your band has been booked an official showcase at a pop up venue somewhere in the middle of 6th street. The lineup features thrash metal, hip-hop, spoken word, and you. The sound is horrible, the lineup is not your style, and the crowd seems angry at the world. How would your band deal with such a situation?
CYMBALS: We would probably use the opportunity to try out a hip-hop meets spoken word meets thrash metal version of our set and hope for the best. Or just have a drink on stage and look at the audience instead of playing, while holding our instruments, as if at any moment we might start, for half an hour.
ATH: What’s your favorite album to come out in the last year? What’s playing in the tour bus?
CYMBALS: The new John Tejada album definitely, and we’re listening to this guy Greg Haines at the moment. I love that new blood orange record. Actually quite into 1980s Bruce Springsteen at the moment.
ATH: The digital age is upon us, like it or not. What are your band’s thoughts on streaming services like spotify, pandora, etc.? Blow em all up? Or embrace the future?
CYMBALS: Seems fine, people get to hear the music. There’s nothing like a physical record, it’s something different from a stream. I guess it does make music disposable – I remember being younger and spending ages agonizing over which record to buy in a record store. And usually I hadn’t heard whatever my choices were, even once. And then once you had committed to a record and paid for it, you gave that record time – if it didn’t grab you immediately, you spent time with it, you stuck with it and came back to it.
I guess streaming services perhaps make music more written to be immediate – there’s definitely a ‘pop’ / easier listening direction that everything is going in, musicians almost have to do it to survive. Or you do it because you absolutely love pop. We always loved 80s pop but usually ended up making something weird in trying to replicate it.
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