Its a great honour for us starts this blog with a interview with one of the most interesting avant garde musician and label owner of the alternative and DIY music scene.
Welcome to BRIDGETOWN RECORDSand the world of KEVIN GREENSPON.
There's never a holiday or break. I got back three months ago and wanted to wait until I had sufficient time to accurately reflect back on the tour before doing this interview and gain a more level perspective. When I got back, I finally started recording an album that I was writing and planning before I had left, and had even played a bit of on the road. I've tried to keep busy, and did a 4 day mini-tour via bus/train in December to play some shows in San Francisco and Oakland with different equipment from usual. The new material went over really well and can be previewed here: https://soundcloud.com/kevingreenspon/betrayed-by-the-angels-promo
Thanks so much for asking me all of these thoughtful questions, It was really nice to look back on this trip and shed a little bit of light on what it was like.
Thanks to you kevin, was amazing had a chat with you and is amazing all the job that you are doing with your music and you label.
We
could start this interview by asking you about the record label, yourself and
other obvious things but due to the massiveness of your pass year tour I think
we should go straight to the important things. You did a US tour from the 28th
of July until the end of October, how did it went?
It
was definitely my favorite tour I've ever done, and probably the most intense
period of my life. Looking back on it, it doesn't seem too crazy though. For
the most part, it was relatively calm considering it was nearly three months of constantly having to get up and go somewhere new, to live
another day in another place only to leave again. Personally I feel like I have
a much stronger view of myself and everything around me. As a musician, I'd consider
it my most successful tour by far. I met so many more great people and shared
what I do on such a larger scale than ever before.
What's
it like to travel and play in a different place everyday? It must be hard.
This
tour was 75 shows over the course of 82 days, and it took a toll on me mentally
and physically at times. I don't know too many people who have toured for that
long without a break. It can be likened to being homeless. You're essentially
living in a car and the only constant is change: a different city each day, a
different set of circumstances you're performing under, a different place
you're sleeping (or attempting to), and different kinds of people you're
around. Touring for any length of time can be a shock to your system if you're
not ready for it. I started small and have done around a dozen tours over the
past few years ranging from extended weekends alone on a bus to a month with 4
other guys in a van. It's a good way to learn a lot about yourself and how you
function in these situations. To be honest, I never really felt like I was on
tour this time, it just seemed natural and normal until I realized I was 60
days in and still on the other side of the country.
What
kind of feedback did you get from the audiences? Of all the places you played
in this tour, what gigs would stand out and why?
Some
of the shows were pretty magical, it was hard to believe at times. I truly felt
like my performances had a real impact in several cities. A lot of people came
up to me to say that the music resonated with them in a very emotional way,
that they cried, that they'd never seen or heard a performance like this
before, that they were happy I came through or that they were at the show. The
people that really enjoyed it made everything so worthwhile.
As
with any tour, there were times when no one came in for the set, or people were
rude and made it a point to talk over it, or I felt very unwelcome, but that's
just how it is. You can't win them all, and not everyone is going to be into
it, or going to give you a chance.
The
positives far outweigh the low points though. I have never felt as good playing
a show as I did in Norman, Oklahoma. I was really looking forward to meeting a
few people there who had supported my label for a long time, but had no idea it
would be that amazing. I couldn't believe that for a last-minute free show at a
coffee shop, everyone there would be so engaged, respectful and encouraging. So
many people had wonderful feedback, and I have never sold that many albums before
either. One of the best shows I've ever played.
Other
than that, there are far too many standouts to name. It felt like half of the
shows were among my favorites ever. Big cities get plenty of attention from
everyone else though, and they're not going anywhere. Instead, I'd prefer to
mention a few lesser known places that I had an excellent time in:
Kittery, Maine · Carrboro, North Carolina · Lynchburg, Virginia · Troy,
New York · Buffalo, New York · Ludington, Michigan · Ewing, New Jersey · Dayton,
Ohio · Toledo, Ohio · Savannah, Georgia · Columbia, South Carolina.
You can read about my experiences each night here http://bridgetownrecords.tumblr.com/
You can read about my experiences each night here http://bridgetownrecords.tumblr.com/
I'm
guessing a tour like this one must be very important to you, how do you feel
about getting involved in something like that? What positives and negatives
have you drawn from the tour?
It
really is. I don't think I could have gone much longer without going to all of
these places and having a chance to meet people from all over, people who have
supported my label or my music from afar for so long. For me, it's really all
about bridging that gap and connecting in real life even if it's just for a
short time. The digital divide of the internet is a massive barrier that I try
to take down as often as possible. One of the best positives is that I get to
meet these people who support what I do and just be a regular person with them.
Another is that I was able to see a lot of friends who moved away, and make new
ones that I hope to see again soon. It's really enriched my life being able to
do that. As for negatives, nothing really stands out as that bad. Some of the
worst would be that sometimes you play shows and question why you're even doing
this. I've found that my attention span for music has really gone down, can be
difficult for it to grab me anymore, or to sit through hours at a show feeling
anxious to play and get it all out. Another one would be that you maybe lose
interest in a band you were really excited to see and meet when they brush you
off or give you the cold shoulder. That's kind of rare but it's a real negative
for me, to be treated rudely by someone who's art you're a fan of. Really
though, they're just little things that when ignored, make it all worth
it.
From
all the bands that have played with you on this tour, which ones have you
enjoyed the most and most liked to play with?
One
of my favorite people I've met was Jack from Big Waves of Pretty, his band was
a blast to play with and I got to see them five times over the course of around
two months when our tours crossed paths. Definitely some of the funnest guys
I've ever come across doing this.
Peter
J. Woods of Milwaukee, WI is one of the most legit guys going in the U.S. noise
scene, we played a couple shows together and his style of running things in his
hometown is really inspiring. It's great to see such a unified scene where
hardcore, shoegaze, rock, noise, and experimental stuff all mesh together so
well.
Lucky
Bone was touring with Peter and plays awesome collages of cut-up records,
audiotape and VHS tape with manual manipulation of the mechanical parts with his
hands. It's a little different every time and he has so much control, shaping
each moment into complex, rhythmic progressions of beats and melodies. Here's a
video from our basement show in Minneapolis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdmVvdzsHuE
My
pal Justin plays as Cornelius F. Van Stafrin III and played my Los Angeles
show, and a house show in Carrboro, North Carolina. His sets are kind of a
blend of object-based performance art, sound design, mysterious rituals, and
electroacoustic noise composition. In Carrboro, he cut his hand open while
slicing a squash on an amplified cutting board, recording it to tape reels
separated by a few feet of distance, with physical delay between the recording
and playback of his actions.
Terrors
is my friend Elijah, who moved to Baltimore from here a few years ago. He kind
of rides this strange line between downtrodden singer songwriter and the freak
scene of the noise underground and blends the two into really personal and
beautiful songs.
Sky
Stadium's done four releases with me, including a tour edition split cassette
and I was really happy to finally meet him. He plays serene and emotional
new-age miniatures. His set in Delaware was seriously 5 minutes long. I love
short and sweet performances and he really took it to the next level at all the
shows we played together.
There
are so many others too, but this would go on forever if I didn't stop
somewhere.
Paul
Skomsvold from Former Selves created the visuals for your tour, can you explain
a little bit his work in your live act?
I
really love Paul's visual work and was glad he helped out with making some
visuals for my new Folding Focus DVD release. Having his visuals for my music
was something we talked about a bit and happened naturally before the tour. I
brought a small projector to show some of the DVD at the shows, and whenever
another projector was available, would show more of his work to accompany it as
well. It wasn't really synced up to my performance, but a lot of the times I
would perform the same first song on the DVD at the same pace just to get
things started.
I
was also projecting video work from Matthieu Séry, who did the visuals in the
second half of Folding Focus. His non-video work has this beautiful, soft
rawness to it and I was very excited when he asked if I'd want to do a video
with him. I got questions from people nearly every night about his section of
the projections, which was really great. The response was awesome and I hope to
do more with him as well.
A
tour like this is economically
rewarding or is it a tour de force for your love of music? Here in the UK is
very difficult to get paid cash on a show and it’s usually paid on ticket
sales, how is the situation in the US?
I
don't really think anyone tours in the DIY scene with the intent of making
money. It can be very unpredictable playing small art spaces or homes that
usually rely on donations to pay the performers. These kind of shows generally
ask attendees for $3-5 for attendance, but that is really your best case
scenario most of the time, and not the usual outcome. By mostly setting up
shows in places where people were genuinely interested in my work, I was able
to play shows that covered all tour-related costs and a bit extra, but it's not
really even close to the equivalent of a minimum wage job, honestly. Being a
solo artist, and by having my own label with a diverse catalog helps a lot with
cost efficiency but I can't imagine how hard it must be in a full band. The
costs go up so much when you have to feed 4 people and a van that gets poor gas
mileage.
In
comparison with Europe, small artists here in the U.S. are often treated as
their work is being done as charity, that it doesn't need to be monetarily supported
because they like to do it, or it is seen as a hobby. It can make things
difficult when it's hard to pay for the cost of living, let alone the costs of
bringing your ideas to fruition.
How is the day to day of the tour, travelling, sleeping,
leisure time, food, friends, party… ? Your fans only get to know about you on
stage. Could you explain to us a little bit how do you spend your time? How is
the daily life of Kevin Greenspon from show to show?
The
truth is, traveling for so long isn't an exciting new experience everyday. It's
more of a routine in which you live a slight variation on the same day over and
over again. "Normal" life consists of the same rhythmic pattern, it's
just that the elements that comprise this sequence are different on the road.
Some of my favorite things to do are just see what a town is like or be shown
around. Hanging out with people on the porch outside the house where the show's
at or where I'm staying, just talking about whatever. Grab some pizza or maybe
watch a movie after the show. The smaller the group the better, at least for
me. At shows, I'm really approachable though, anyone can find or talk to me
about anything pretty much anytime.
There's
often a kind of glorified or romanticized illusion of what touring is, like
it's a constant party where every show is a thrill but it hasn't ever really
been that way for me. Maybe for some people, that's all it's about, but my
personality is a little more low-key. I really prefer more personal interaction
with just a few people in a quieter setting.
What was your soundtrack like on this tour, the music you
were listening to on this long trip?
Kind
of a weird mix of styles. For the most part, I try to keep what I listen to in
the car pretty different from the sort of bands you see or play with at shows.
Lots of trance mixes. Anything by my friend John Thill is great for the road,
iconic Southern California DIY/folk songs that remind me of all the weirdos
back home. Gaze's "Mitsumeru" was on probably every other day.
Unwound's "Leaves Turn Inside You" is always my go-to album for
driving. The Carpenters greatest hits. His Hero Is Gone's "Monuments to
Thieves" was always playing in my head when I needed to be
energized.
I
was working on a mix on another blog, and came up with a set of tracks that I'd
want if I could only have one mix CD to get me back home and all I wanted to
hear were friends of mine. You can check it out here: http://workinnights.com/mix-69
You launched The Singles Club for Deathbomb Arc in 2010 and now
you are doing the same for our blog with this interview. What do you feel about
the work of Brian Miller?
Brian's
a great guy, and has done a lot for Los Angeles. He's so supportive of
everything and has had a huge impact on a wide variety of sub-scenes here
whether they're aware of it or not. Things would be very different these days
if he was never involved here. I've played some crazy shows he's put on with
bands like Future Islands or Lower Dens, and seen home taper legends Charlie
McAlister and Refrigerator play with my friend John Thill in a living room to
like 7 people because of him. There's so much range and I don't think anything
slips past his radar. It was really cool being asked to kick off that singles
club because I knew there was going to be a huge variety of artists from all
styles represented, which is why I wanted to have two totally different kinds
of songs on it.
The
audio is divided in two separate sections in your webpage www.kevingreenspon.info , Ambient/Tape
Collage and Rock Shoegaze. Listening to your records we also find these two
facets of yours, one more rock and the other more experimental. What were you
doing at the shows on this tour? Experimental, rock, you don’t know, a mixture
of both?
I
mostly pick certain compositions under the ambient/collage sound that I've
chosen specifically for shows. It's usually a couple of short songs from
various albums, strung together as a series of movements. Some aren't
appropriate on some nights, depending on my emotions, the environment, or other
variables, but for the most part, I had about 18 to 25 minutes of songs from
the past 3 years as well as new material that is not yet released that I would
play most nights unless it didn't make sense to play that long because the show
started late or there were a lot of other performers.
Very
rarely do I play the songs under the poppy/shoegaze/rock style at shows. I have
a few times when close friends are playing and I'm willing to make a fool of
myself but it's not as fulfilling for me to do live. Sometimes people request
it but I don't really feel comfortable with doing them on the spot for the most
part. I'd like to change that at some point and do more band-oriented songs but
not yet.
What’s
the scene like in California and what would you highlight?
There's
a lot going on, way too much to really be a part of all of it. In respect to
spaces in Los Angeles, I feel a good connection with the Pehrspace crowd, I've
played there more than probably anywhere else in the city. Human Resources and
Acrobatics Everyday also put on good shows. Over the past year or two, a lot of
great things have happened just outside the city limits at The dA Center for
the Arts and tons of artists on Bridgetown have played fun shows there. A
little further out, there is The Depression Chamber, a house show space run by
a friend of mine who has been supporting this scene for years. Everything at
these places is a lot of fun and basically just our circle of friends hanging
out.
How is the record
label going? We have seen the Already Dead 7” you shared with Nicole Kidman...
what can you tell us about Jon Barba? I think he is one of the most interesting
acts these days.
The
label's going great, I've received some really thoughtful emails from people
who picked up releases in the past few months and it's very encouraging. The
Already Dead 7" you mentioned is the 85th release on Bridgetown and I
never thought I'd release this much music for my friends when I first started. Jon
Barba was there with me from the very beginning and started taking his Nicole
Kidman project pretty seriously around the same time I released the first
couple of Bridgetown releases five years ago. He's one of my best friends and
we pretty much grew up together in this scene.
His
songs are just some of the most personal and intimate confessions out there in
the American DIY/underground world. It's funny to think about now, but we'd be
playing shows together all the time and I'd overhear people saying things like
"that guy's got more balls than anyone I've ever seen" or others
would just be shocked by the brutal innocence and honesty of his lyrics. In the
start it was kind of like being confronted with the first emotional outbursts
of a shy, nervous teenager who never told anyone what he was going through and
just feeling his bittersweet pain transfer to you. He's really matured as an
artist and has seriously helped some young people out there through his music.
Our collaborative record together is one of my favorite things I've ever been a
part of.
In
March we're doing a West Coast tour with Shivering Window that I couldn't be
more excited for. Matt of Shivering Window was one of the first people to
really give us a chance and help us with shows when we were first starting.
Together we are all a bit different musically but we come from the same
background and it's all about doing things from the heart for all three of us.
We're such good friends and align so well together that I think this is going to
be one of the funnest periods of my life, even if it's not even two weeks long.
There is no holiday for you and you always stay at work. What new
things awaits us on Bridgetown Records?
There's never a holiday or break. I got back three months ago and wanted to wait until I had sufficient time to accurately reflect back on the tour before doing this interview and gain a more level perspective. When I got back, I finally started recording an album that I was writing and planning before I had left, and had even played a bit of on the road. I've tried to keep busy, and did a 4 day mini-tour via bus/train in December to play some shows in San Francisco and Oakland with different equipment from usual. The new material went over really well and can be previewed here: https://soundcloud.com/kevingreenspon/betrayed-by-the-angels-promo
The
first Bridgetown batches of the year will be out in a few months and include
cassettes by Nicole Kidman, Derek Rogers, Cousins, N O W, Hollow Sunshine, Torn
Humorist, Lavas Magmas, Wide Sky, Familiar Haunts and Paper Armies. I'm really
excited about these ones, it's a diverse batch and most of the artists aren't
too well known, but I have really been aligning with the people behind these
projects and am proud to be sharing their albums with the world. There are a
few more things in the works but I'm trying to keep plans a little looser this
year. I was able to do so much in 2012 because everything was so cautious and
calculated, but it's time to slow down and take a break.
Thanks so much for asking me all of these thoughtful questions, It was really nice to look back on this trip and shed a little bit of light on what it was like.
Thanks to you kevin, was amazing had a chat with you and is amazing all the job that you are doing with your music and you label.
Kevin Greenspon - "Maroon Bells" from Kevin Greenspon on Vimeo.
