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Campus Band Interview............................Bollinger

A Conversation with the Karate Squids

By Dan Bollinger

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Sophomores Cyrus Deloye, Eli Ruffer, Sanders McMillan, and Nate Grein make up the

Karate Squids, a prominent alt-rock band on campus. I was lucky enough to sit down with

Cyrus, Eli, and Sanders to discuss their newfound fame and rock star lifestyle.

So how did you guys first meet?

Sanders McMillan: So there are many different strings in the formation of the band, but basically me and Nate had been talking before summer about jamming and then Nate and Cyrus were jamming together, right? Cyrus Deloye: We were like two rooms apart on 4th Myers. SM: And Nate and Eli were jamming and then one day we all just came together and started playing. CD: Yeah Nate was cheating on all of us at the same time. But there were even preliminary talks since before that. Eli and I met at the band room orientation two falls ago.

Can you talk about what it was like to play at Spring Concert last year?

CD: Terrifying... no, it was a lot of fun too. Eli Ruffer: The best moment was probably during the second chorus of “Shoreline Blues,” and I’m not playing anything so I just looked at the crowd, and it was like a really big crowd, and so I just start clapping. And the whole crowd just starts clapping too and that was the most power tripping I’ve ever felt. SM: Abuse of power.

Can you tell me about your song making process?

CD: It’s all original. It depends on who’s bringing the song to practices. So, there’s kind of a distinction between myself and Eli and Nate. They have lyrics and parts and chord changes all worked out before they even come to practice, so we all just kind of learn the song right then and there. And then with me I just kind of work with part ideas and then we try to fit them all together. ER: But if Nate or I come in with a song, we play around with the chords a lot too.

Who writes the lyrics to the songs?

SM & ER: Nate. ER: Sanders has one coming out. SM: I haven’t decided on a name for it yet. “Undecided.” ER: I’ve written the lyrics for the ones that I sing.

What is your favorite song to play?

CD: I kind of get enjoyment from playing the newest songs. The older the song the more tired I am of hearing it. So right now we have three new kickass songs that I’m really excited to play. And then our most recent songs that we unveiled last term are probably my most recent favorites. I don’t know, how do you guys feel? SM: Yeah, I feel the same. Eli: I have some bass lines that I like to play. “Shoreline Blues” is probably my favorite to play.

Do you have any shows coming up?

ER: Yes, but we haven’t scheduled anything. CD: It’s a soft yes. ER: But see us this term because Nate and I won’t be on campus next term.

How did you guys decide on your sound? I think it’s very distinct.

ER: Oh really? Thank you! SM: I don’t know... the parts were written the way they were, the riffs were the way they were, the chord progressions, and as a result of our own different playing styles put together that’s kind of how it came about. CD: I would say there’s a difference. You know it’s a Nate song when you hear it, you know it’s an Eli song when you hear it, and I feel like it’s a Cyrus song when you hear it. But I feel like our sound is sort of understood from the viewpoint of Nate’s songs because he wrote most of them, and he came to Carleton with a lot of prior band experience and material. So, I think I’ve learned from Nate in terms of part-writing because he has a really good ear for that.

So Sanders, did you know Nate before you came to Carleton?

SM: I didn’t really know him, but we found each other on the Facebook group and we were like “we play instruments, blah blah blah” and started talking about jamming. ER: Nate also messaged me. CD: I was staunchly against any Facebook interaction with anybody before going to college because I felt like that was just going to make me hate everybody before I got a chance to meet them (laughs).

So after Nate pulled everyone together, how long did it take to sound good together?

ER: Well we’ve got a recording of our first concert, and I can just barely listen to it. SM: Yeah my drumming is pretty horrible, and the guitar sound is a little off. In terms of our playing it was not very good in the beginning, but in terms of our songwriting, we still have 3 or 4 songs that are still in our repertoire today. CD: I get nervous when I listen to our old material; like my heart rate picks up because I can anticipate every spot where it sounds horrible (laughs). You’re just like, “I want this to not exist anymore.” SM: And you’re like holy shit the crowd doesn’t notice? CD: Yeah, I think we’re all a little self-critical to a degree after a show. ER: I got a ride home fall term last year from 4 seniors and they had heard of us from a 15-minute set we did that first day. They asked if I was in a band and I told them the name, and they were like “Oh I heard you guys were rowdy” or something. It was some adjective that wasn’t a compliment but was like making a splash.

What was your favorite show that you’ve played so far?

CD: Mine was playing The Grand. SM: The porch (of Page East), for me, was very interesting. We’d been playing in The Cave and stuff, which was a lot of fun, but then the porch avenue was very fresh. They did a great job. ER: I liked that one as well because that was the first time we got to play most of our songs. In the spring we only had 10-minute, 20-minute, and 25-minute sets.

How have you guys been dealing with fandom since you won Battle of the Bands?

ER: There’s very little to deal with. I don’t know, people are really nice to us. We really appreciate people coming out and being nice to us.

Can you talk me through what it’s like to play in front of a big crowd?

CD: I remember one time at The Grand…actually you were in the front row Dan, and during a guitar solo you were going [finger wiggling motion] and I stepped up and got into it, and I felt so stupid doing it. Cause you know it’s like the guitarist takes one step forward and he’s like cool or whatever but yeah that was a great time. ED: Nate’s in it for the glory and for the ladies. Just kidding. SM: …I don’t know it like stresses me out (laughs). CD: I try to look over the crowd. You’ve seen me on stage, I’m just there looking like I’m completely out of it. In my observations of myself I look horribly unhappy. People are like “you gotta lighten up; look like you’re having a good time,” and I’m like “I’m horrified up there.” I can’t leave my heels if you pay me. I’m stuck to the ground. ER: I mostly treat myself like a member of the audience.

Eli, how does that work out? Like you wandered on stage, grabbed a bass, and started playing?

ER: Well no, I don’t look at the audience. I’m just dancing.

So, why “Karate Squids?”

SM: I think it’s a fitting name because we don’t like to take ourselves too seriously, and Karate Squids conveys a little of a goofiness to it. Yeah, like we don’t want it to be super pretentious, just like a goofy stupid name seems kind of fitting.

Do you have any messages for your fans?

CD: Thanks for putting up with our shit. SM: Yeah, thanks for the support. It’s really fun for us on stage, and we hope it’s really fun for you in the crowd. ER: Thank you. We love you.

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