SXSW Interviews: Adult Books
As usual, SXSW has slowly inched ever closer without me feeling like I’m fully prepared just yet. I of course have time and will be working to get myself game ready. We here at ATH also want to get you ready with some exposure to bands coming to town who we feel are worth your time. Today I continue that preparation process with an interview from Cali based Adult Books. Nathan and I both have been loving the band’s new album Running from the Blows (out March 4th on Lolipop Records), so we were both excited for this one. Follow the jump for more.
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 play at the festival? What do you hope to get out of it?
AB:This will be our third year at SXSW, and we’ve only had a great experience so far. We’ve managed to avoid the corporate side of the festival for the most part. For us, it’s a great chance to hang out with all of our friends from across the country and hopefully get our music out there to some new people.
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?
AB: 30 minutes is about our average set length, so that works our perfect for us. Any longer than that and we start doing magic tricks, telling bad jokes, playing Stairway to Heaven covers. It gets a little trainwreck-y.
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?
AB: I’m all about Waffle House. We don’t have them in California, so I’m always stoked to eat a shitload of waffles and hash browns when I’m in Texas. Why has no one else thought to mix in cheese and jalapenos in hash browns?? It’s genius.Also, we always end up drinking lots of Lone Star and Shiner Bock.
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.
AB:I’m just looking forward to playing with all of our friends — Tracy Bryant, Froth, Feels, The Rich Hands, Big White and so many more! We would also be open to playing The Smiths reunion.
ATH:We are partial to SXSW obviously, but what festival do you feel is the best around?
AB:We love SXSW too! LA is kind of new to the indie music festival thing, but we have some good local fests that are starting to gain national attention. Burgerama and Beach Goth at the Observatory in Santa Ana are insanely packed and getting bigger every year, but it still feels like a family reunion. FYF has grown from a small DIY fest into a world-class event. Last summer i saw Morrissey, Jesus and Mary Chain and Kanye West.
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?
AB:I’m down with thrash metal and hip-hop!6th Street is a shit show, but what can you do? It’s part of the SXSW experience I guess. We’ve played showcases like that and the only option is to take it in stride, play your set, enjoy the free food and booze, hopefully score some swag, then go meet back up with your friends.
ATH:What’s your favorite album to come out in the last year? What’s playing in the tour bus?
AB:David Bowie’s Blackstar. Such an amazing parting gift!
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?
AB:I’m totallycool with streaming services. For bands at our level, no one is really making a living off of album sales. I’m much more interested in getting our music out there and making it available to people. And hopefully, if people hear it and they like it, they’ll go to the shows, buy the vinyl, tell their friends. That’s where the value lies in streaming to us.
Stay tuned for set times and performance locations. We might have a surprise coming…. Thanks again dudes!
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