The Madison chamber-pop/indie-baroque group Metacritic. To promote the release the band is on a fall tour that has taken it from Burlington to Lubbock to Los Angeles, and many more points in between.
The band will perform a tour-concluding show at the High Noon Saloon on Saturday with Amo Joy! and Science of Sound labelmates How's the esprit de corps? Everyone in the band getting along? Please describe where you are as you answer these questions. Do you have faith in the music industry? Do you think the major labels have a future? The days of the multi-million selling album might be waning (unless you're affiliated with Disney), but I think most musicians realize that they're likely not going to make very much money anyway. With so many options and with such easy access to most of it, I can't imagine the major labels ever regaining their earlier clout. The neuropsychologist Daniel Levitin (This Is Your Brain on Music, The World In Six Songs) says music is the result of evolution, that humans came up with music as a survival tool for teaching, for creating kinship bonds, etc. Do you think music has a Darwinian function, or is it just fun to dance to? I've sat in a circle with a slew of 3-4 year olds belting out "going on a bear hunt" or "Old McDonald" who are obviously gaining something valuable -- whether in kinship, as you mention, or learning social skills or their abc's. Some use dance as catharsis or a stress reducer -- so maybe there are health benefits too. I guess it just depends on what you're after. Are you writing new songs? Anything you can share yet? And the mandatory hack music writer question... Who are your influences?
Surprisingly and unsurprisingly yes. We've found ways to maintain sanity -- either by reading in the van or zoning out with our headphones on. All tension has been tethered to whether or not we've eaten recently or slept enough, so we try to keep those things in check and don't have too many issues. Did I mention that I've killed everyone in the band and am now on my second generation of tour mates?
I'm sitting on a bench seat in "Java House" in Iowa City, Iowa. It must be mid-term time for the students or something because the whole place is filled with young folks flirting with each other or poring over textbooks. The whole band is here. Beth and Gwen are writing in their journals and I was just re-working some lyrics for a song we plan on recording for Daytrotter tomorrow. Brett has had a curious way of disappearing on the tour and cannot be found at the moment. Matt is talking on the phone. The van is in desperate need of an oil change, so we're also looking up the nearest Jiffy Lube. We're all just trying to keep up with things...
I have a lot of faith in Music. It's pretty obvious that there has been a huge shift in how people are purchasing music -- which has been talked about at great length pretty much everywhere, so I won't bother -- but there are still great musicians out there and an audience who wants to hear what they have to say.
Crap. I don't know. I think music has a different function for different people. I think the best music reveals something to you, either about yourself or human nature or whatever. Do I think those who like to make music are more likely to survive? No. But I think there are a lot of people to which music is an essential part of life.
Definitely and nope.
Don Giovanni, Ludacris, & the whale in Pinocchio.
. Their homecoming show at the High Noon Saloon has a sensible cover of $5 and starts at 5:30 p.m. sharp on Saturday, November 22.
