Interview with Phantogram
Maurizio: So first I had to ask about Skidmore. Have you guys been to the new D-Hall?
Josh: No
Sarah: What is that?
Maurizio: The dining hall
Sarah: Yes!
Maurizio: Man, how nice is it?
Sarah: It’s pretty nice… It’s very nice. My mom works there, so sometimes she gets free lunches and she calls me up and we eat.
Josh: She works in the dining hall?
Sarah: She doesn’t work in the dining hall, no. But she gets some discounts sometimes.
Maurizio: Nice. Anyway, you guys just got back from Europe.
Sarah: Yeah we were in Europe in November.
Maurizio: How’d you like it?
Sarah: Great!
Josh: It was awesome. We played for 26 dates in one month, so we were really, really busy.
Maurizio: But you had fun I hope.
Sarah: Oh it was a blast.
Maurizio: What was your favorite part?
Sarah: I really enjoyed Switzerland. A lot. It was beautiful. We didn’t get to see much ‘cause we were so busy, doing all the shows. But, Switzerland… and Paris. Yeah, France. The food! Oh, they treat you so well over there. They’re like, we’re so important just cause we show up. You know ‘thanks for playing’ and you meet the promoter and he’s so happy that you’re able to come and they give you all this food and a place to stay.
Josh: Paris was awesome
Maurizio: Who did you guys tour with?
Sarah: Well, it was mostly a headlining tour for us.
Maurizio: That must have been exciting.
Sarah: Yeah it was cool. We have a smaller fan base out there, but it was cool. And then we opened up for a couple bands in a few cities.
Maurizio: How is it comparing to your North American tour? In terms of crowd, venue types…
Josh: Well, I think it’s…
Sarah: Overall, it’s been a little bit bigger venues and more people, definitely. We’re selling out a lot of the shows for our tour. We weren’t doing that in Europe.
Josh: We’re a little nervous. Well, not nervous, but in Canada, we haven’t played here much, so we’re not really sure if too many people know about us yet. So hopefully people show up tonight. We had a great crowd last night in Toronto, so tonight, hopefully it goes as well.
Maurizio: Where are you guys off to next?
Josh: Burlington, Vermont.
Maurizio: So back to the states?
Both: Yeah
Maurizio: That’s quite a short trip in Canada. You guys have also played in Vancouver before though.
Josh: Yeah, yeah. We played with Zero 7. We went on tour with them for a couple weeks.
Maurizio: You’ve also played with Yeasayer, Minus the Bear, Ra Ra Riot, some big names. How was that?
Sarah: Really cool. It was really awesome to be able to hang out with them, travel around the US with them, playing nice venues. It was great to hang out with them all, became friends with everyone, it was great.
Maurizio: Any favorites?
Both: Laughs
Sarah: Oh jeez
Maurizio: It could be in terms of the tour or the band themselves.
Josh: The guys from Ra Ra Riot are sweethearts.
Sarah: Yeah.
Maurizio: Are they a riot?
Josh: They’re quiet riot. Soft spoken. Plus we’re label mates with them now so I guess we kinda have to say that…
Sarah: Laughs No you don’t.
Josh: Yeah I’m just kidding. But, no, those guys are really nice. Y’know, everyone we’ve toured with has been really nice, particularly this band called School of Seven Bells, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them. Those guys were amazing to us. That might have been one of my favorite tours. They also got us signed to Ghostly International for a vinyl. So, y’know, that was really nice of them.
Maurizio: But now you guys are signed to Barsuk. How is that?
Sarah: It’s great. They’re working really hard for us, and they really believe in what we’re doing and we love them. There are wonderful, wonderful people there.
Maurizio: So do you guys have plans to tour with anyone else? Anyone you’re excited for?
Josh: We’re excited about The Antlers tour. We’re gonna tour with them.
Sarah: We’re doing a couple shows up here in Canada with Hot Hot Heat in March. March 9th through the thirteenth I believe. So that’ll be good. Not sure if we’re coming to Montreal, though…
Maurizio: Something against the French?
Both: Awkward laughter
Maurizio: Don’t worry, I’m Italian.
Josh: We’re playing with Dan Deacon in two days, so that should be fun. Just heading back to Boston for a one off with him.
Maurizio: So, out of all these artists, have any of them influenced your music in any way?
Josh: Out of the people we’ve toured with?
Maurizio: Mhmm.
Josh: Not really, because our music, like, is what it is and it was what it was before we toured with them. And we didn’t really – I hate saying this – but we didn’t really know a lot of their music before we actually went on tour with them. So, no. But they might influence us in our future works. We’ll see.
Maurizio: So I did some research, and you have a wide range of musical influences. Care to talk about it?
Josh: Sure. Yeah.
Sarah: Influences… Well, we listen to a lot of different genres of music. Soul, Motown, hip-hop, like underground hip-hop, indie-rock, shoegaze and prog-rock, anything. Aything that sounds good. Pop music, anything really. So I think we figured out how to combine the different elements in these genres to kind of create our own style of music.
Josh: Yeah, definitely. We feel pretty inspired by old French pop, from like the 60s, too. It’s just really cool sounding as well.
Maurizio: That’s interesting. How did you get into that?
Josh: Uhm. I’m not even sure.
Sarah: I don’t know.
Josh: I think my brother told me to check out Serge Gainsbourg, and then I got into him and like, Nicoletta, Francoise Hearty, and stuff like that. I don’t know, we listen to all different kinds of music. It’s all pretty inspiring. We try to keep a wide pallet.
Maurizio: So would you say its more of a merging of genres, or creating your own from the components of the others?
Josh: Uhm…
Maurizio: Or you guys can describe it anyway. It is your music…
Josh: I think more like the latter.
Sarah: Yeah
Josh: We just kinda like, when we’re writing music, we’re like, oh, you know what this person would’ve done on this song, what if we had a part that sort of was like that. Maybe add a certain droney sound, or what if this part had a real funky beat like on an old French Jazz number. We kind of just bring together what we like and try to make a cohesive product.
Maurizio: So you guys write and record in Harmony Lodge. You still up to that that?
Josh: Yep.
Sarah: Yeah.
Maurizio: So what is Harmony Lodge to you guys?
Josh: Well, it’s home.
Sarah: It’s home, definitely home. We’ve spent a lot of time there in the past two and a half years, three years, when we started working on stuff together. It’s a place where we can escape from cities and the road and everything else that comes along with that, and we can kind of just lock the door and absorb, listen to music, play around on the instruments we’ve collected and create. Create music.
Maurizio: So does that mean when you guys are on the road you’re not writing any music?
Josh: We don’t really have a ton of time, but we’re trying to remedy that
Sarah: Yeah we’re trying to figure that out.
Josh: It’s starting to drive us nuts that we’re not.
Sarah: Yeah.
Josh: When we’re home, even if it’s just for a day, we work on our music. Because out on the road, you’re playing the same songs every night and you get kinda bored of it. You want to be creative.
Sarah: Yeah, so we use that time to really get it out.
Josh: I think in the future we’re going to start bringing some recording devices, maybe an acoustic guitar with us, so we can just lay down new ideas.
Maurizio: So when do you guys think you’ll get back to Harmony Lodge for a little while? I know you’ve got a bit of touring coming up.
Sarah: We’ve got a couple weeks off before our Antlers tour. So hopefully we’ll be able to write some stuff, spend some time.
Maurizio: So is it too early to think of what’s coming up next?
Sarah: I don’t know, is it? [turns to josh] Is it too early to think about what’s coming up next?
Josh: Well, we already know what’s coming up next, just gonna be a shit-ton of touring. You know. Playing some festivals and stuff like that.
Maurizio: Which festivals are you guys most excited for?
Josh: Sasquatch.
Sarah: Sasquatch! Yeah! That’s gonna be awesome. That’s gonna be really fun. There’s gonna be a bunch of really cool bands playing.
Josh: Yeah, someone was telling me there’s these canyons, and the ocean, and… gorges or something.
Maurizio: We like to ask, what are three albums you’ve been listening to recently.
Josh: Eskimo Snow by Why?. Uhm, you mean like new albums?
Maurizio: No, it’s fine if it’s old. It’s up to you guys.
Sarah: Department of Eagles, In Ear Park. That’s one of my favorites.
Josh: Yeah that’s hot. That’s a great album.
Sarah: And… Mad Lib the B Konducta number 4 and 5, 4 slash 5, is that what it’s called? I’ve been listening to that.
Josh: I like 1 and 2 better. But…
Sarah: Fine.
Maurizio: So somewhere between 1 and 5.
Josh: [Laughs] We’re inclined to get any Mad Lib album that comes out, we get pretty excited about it. That and any Why? album that comes out, I get really excited for.
Sarah: Yeah.
Maurizio: So are you in Montreal for a little while?
Sarah: Just for the night.
Maurizio: Ah, so no time to hang out?
Sarah: No unfortunately not. Not this time. Hopefully next time… It’s a bummer.
Maurizio: Well, thanks for taking the time out to talk to me.
Josh: Yeah thanks man.
Sarah: Yeah thanks for coming. We really appreciate your help getting the word out.
Maurizio: Anytime!
