Here it is friends. The exclusive LG e-mail interview with Alex of Irving. This is the first "local band" we have had a chance to interview, but they spoiled it for us by getting all big and having a video on MTV2 and stuff. We don't blame them though becasue we think their new record, Death in teh Garden, Blood on the Flowers, is real good times and want the whole wide world to hear it! Check out their MySpace page or the LG MusicPlayer to hear some of their songs. Enjoy! Oh, pictures are courtesy of Shutterface.
LIQUIDGENERATION: Hello Alex from Irving! Welcome to the LiquidGeneration e-mail interview. We would like to thank you for taking the time to read our silly questions and reply with equally silly answers. So, how have you been? Is everything good? You feel healthy and energetic?
LG: You recently recorded a video for the song “Situation.” What was the process like? Did you get to choose the treatment or did they just throw you in front of a camera and say “dance!” Speaking of video, next time you are back in LA would you please come by our offices and play a song for the LG Empire? Thanks!
IRVING: Yes, the idea was based on an old video idea of Brian's. Josh Forbes (the director) used it as the basis for the treatment, but he added a lot to it. He sent us the treatment for our approval as well as some mock-ups of what it would it might look like. I think we sent him some notes, and that was pretty much it.
It was our first video, so naturally the actual filming was it a bit weird at first. It was fairly simple though; we each played in front of a green screen for about an hour and that was it. The rest was done 'in post'.
And we'd be happy to play a song for you. Just tell your people to talk to our people.
LG: What’s the last record you bought borrowed or stole?
IRVING: Beirut's 'Gulag Orkestar'. They opened for us in New York City last week, and I was quite taken by them.
LG: So we checked out your MySpace page, and we were pretty impressed as it’s one of the better pages we have seen AND you have almost 16,000 friends! Do you actively update the page, or does the label/management do it for you? Also, we noticed that most of your friends on the main page are bands. How about showing a little love to the fans and putting Cherie and tinkerbell up there? They seem like nice girls…
IRVING: I agree about the friends thing. I'm all about showing love to the fans. But I'm just one guy. We're pretty active on our MySpace page. If you email us there, there's a good chance one of us will reply (as long as you're nice). But our our label and management do quite a bit of updating as well.
LG: A lot of your songs are very cinematic, in that they tell a story through distinct imagery and have a narrative arc. When you were writing songs for the new record, did you set out to do this as kind of a mini concept album, or did it just kind of happen like that? Also, since all of you share the song writing duties could you please explain how anything gets done without people killing each other?!
IRVING: Well, in answer to the first question, the cinematic aspect of the record is no coincidence, though not necessarily intentional. Brian and I both have BFA's in Film (something we are both still passionate about) and are naturally inclined toward visually descriptive narratives; lyrically and structurally. Three quarters of this record was written by Brian, Me, a Brian and Me combo, or a Steven and Brian combo (the other 1/4 being done by Steven alone), so it makes sense that the record turned out that way. We didn't start the record out as a concept album, but as we wrote together, a lot of similar imagery and subject matter found it's way into a good deal of the songs.
As for sharing song writing duties and how things get done. I have no idea. I guess after 6 years or so of doing it together we've just sort of figured out a way to do it. There's a lot of grunting unspoken man-speak involved. Actually the way we went about writing for this record was new for us. Between the 5 of us, we probably demo'd 75 songs for this album, narrowed it down to about 30, and then chose the ones that would best fit on a record together. As I said above, the songs that wound up on this record were, for whatever reason, written by Steven, Brian, and myself (mostly Brian actually) but Brent and Aaron brought songs in during the writing process, and very much contributed to the song choosing, part-writing, arranging, and structuring of all of the songs on the record.
LG: LiquidGeneration just recently picked up and moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. Sometimes we feel like we just don’t fit in here, and want something comforting to remind us of home. Since you’re from the area (or at least have been here for awhile), could you recommend a place we could go that is dark, smoky, open until 4 AM, serves PBR in a can and has random old ladies selling “magic” muffins? Oh, and would you like to join us?
IRVING: Hmmm...better ask Brian about that one. He might know of something. But I have to say that there are a lot of bars in L.A. that are either too cool, or not cool enough. So good luck with that one!
LG: Have you ever met a celebrity type (be it another musician, actor, producer or whatever) that was just a complete ass for no apparent reason? If so, we would like to give you the opportunity to tell that person what you think of him/her. Also, you have played shows with some pretty big acts like Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene just to name a few. Did you get to hang out with them any of them, and do they party?
IRVING: Yes hung out with those dudes. Not sure about the partying thing, but the main guy from Broken Social Scene did 'lay some pot' on us after an upstate NY show before they 'split' for the border (they're from Canadia, the land of Canatians, apparently). Actually they were our favorites of the three, super cool folks. But Franz Ferdinand and Arcade Fire were actually very nice too. Hmm...as for celebrity asses...can't think of anybody off the top of my head...though Steven might have something to say about Kirstie Ally.
LG: We went to Pandora (a website where you enter an artist and it gives you suggestions of similar acts) and plugged in Irving, and the first three “similar artists” we got were: Stars with the song “Reunion”, Collective Soul with “Better Now” (wtf?) and Mae with Suspension. Do you agree with the computers suggestions, or do you think that maybe people should still decide what they like and not leave it up to the internet?
IRVING: HA HA HA HA HA HA! That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. I couldn't think of worse bands to compare us too...that's good. But at the same time I feel bad because I know of someone who is actually working on that project, and that makes me sad for them that it doesn't actually work.
LG: Now that Irving is starting to get a good amount of national attention, we would like to give you the opportunity to talk up some local bands that you have admired and that you feel people need to hear. Isn’t it nice to give back?!
IRVING: Of course there are our friends in the Ship Collective which include Earlimart, Silversun Pickups, Let's Go Sailing, Great Northern, Sea Wolf (my other band!), Kennedy, Panty Lions... I think that's everybody... Who are all from L.A.
I'd also recommend Lavender Diamond, fronted by Becky Stark, who are my current fav's.
LG: Finally, who was killed in the Garden and how did it happen? The suspense is killing us! We say it was Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe. Are we close?
IRVING: Well we picked that as the title because we felt it applied to a lot of different subjects that are addressed on the record.
Too many werds whenst one is dr0nk and stoned, but I am guessing that he said that Stevie Nicks' pussy smells like patchouli and arm pits. Am I right? I can't wait to fly to L.A. and stab a drifter.
Posted by: Matt 3:16 | June 05, 2006 at 09:14 PM
hehehehe...it's legal to stab a drifter, right? Actually I think it's encouraged.
Posted by: nixon | June 06, 2006 at 03:11 PM