URBAN VINYL Issue I
The Kickback • Finish Ticket •
• Tigertown • Betty Who • Stone Cold Fox • and many more great artists
• Joey “Thunder” Brobeck •
About
Founded and launched in February 2016 by Sophie Hsu, Urban Vinyl Magazine is a new and currently independently-run outlet that harmonizes a passion for music and food. Based in New York City where both music and food are at their best, the artists and restaurants featured on the site and the upcoming issues are individually handpicked in order to reach a diverse spectrum of sound and taste. Created by a music lover and a foodie, the aim is to provide high quality content for fellow music lovers and foodies. LISTEN. EAT. EXPLORE.
Sophie Hsu • Founder • Photographer •
Thank You • Inge • Amy • Brittany • Ceri • Jenna •
• Editor-in-Chief • Writer • Layout & Design • Content •
• Vanessa • Ethan • Ashley • • Brendan • Warren • • Joey “Thunder” Brobeck• • The Kickback • Finish Ticket • • Tigertown • MOTHXR • CAFUNÉ • • Nothing But Thieves • Lauv • • Modern Diet • Oh Malô • • Betty Who • Never Shout Never • • Little Racer • Stone Cold Fox • • and most importantly, my family and friends for always supporting my photography and my love for music. •
On• The the Cover Kickback • • The Standard, East Village • • March 1, 2016 •
Stay Connected urbanvinylmag.com @urbanvinylmag @urbanvinylmag
For booking and inquiries: • And of course, to my readers! You make this happen! • sophie@urbanvinylmag.com • All social media icons by Good Stuff No Nonsense •
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• This issue would not have been possible without all of you! •
Contents
Main Artist • The Kickback • 29-34
Featured Artist
Explore & Create
• Finish Ticket • 21-26
• Joey “Thunder” Brobeck • 13-14
Live Shots
• Tigertown • 3-4
• Nothing But Thieves • 5-6 • Never Shout Never • 7-8 • Lauv • 9-10 • Betty Who • 11-12 • CAFUNÉ • 15-16 • Oh Malô • 17-18 • Modern Diet • 19-20 • MOTHXR • 27-28 • Stone Cold Fox • 35-36 • Little Racer • 37-38
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• The Studio at Webster Hall • February 5, 2016 •
Tigertown • Sydney, Australia •
• Elodie Jane Crowe • Charlie Collins • Chris Collins • Alexi Collins •
@Tigertown @tigertown /tigertown 3
• Charlie Collins •
• Alexi Collins •
• Chris Collins •
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• The Studio at Webster Hall • February 5, 2016 •
Nothing But Thieves • Southend-on-Sea, England •
• Philip Blake • Dominic Craik • James Price • Conor Mason • Joe Langridge-Brown •
@NBThieves @nothingbutthieves /NothingButThieves 5
• Conor Mason •
• Joe Langridge-Brown •
• Dominic Craik •
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• Santos Party House • February 17, 2016 •
Never Shout Never • Joplin, Missouri • • Christofer Drew •
@NSNOfficial @lovewayrecords /never.shout.never 7
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• NYU Kimmel Eisner & Lubin Auditorium • February 18, 2016 •
Lauv • Oakland, California • • Ari Leff •
@lauvsongs
Lauv’s sound in 3 words: Candid R&B Pop
Favorite song to perform live: “Reforget”
@_lauvsongs
Favorite food or drink: Sushi
Favorite spot in NYC:
/lauvsongs 9
El Centro-a restaurant I used to work at that brings great memories, amazing food (especially the chilaquiles) and really dope margaritas.
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• NYU Kimmel Eisner & Lubin Auditorium • February 18, 2016 •
Betty Who • Sydney, Australia• • Jessica Anne Newham •
@BettyWho @iambettywho /bettywhomusic 11
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• Self-portrait, courtesy of Joey Thunder •
Explore & Create • Joey “Thunder” Brobeck • Favorite place to eat in NYC: Shake Shack
@joeythunder thegraveyardclub.com @josephthunder
No matter if it is bass or visual art, Joey “Thunder” Brobeck possesses a truly creative and hardworking mindset. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, he made his name as a professional bassist of The Cab, playing and touring nationwide and internationally. Aside from The Cab, he has toured with other musical acts, and still continues to work on his craft of playing bass from time to time. He is now based in Eugene, Oregon, where is focusing on his latest venture, The Graveyard Club, LLC. Joey’s set of artistic media and skills include stippling, pixel art, and logo concept. As the owner and illustrator of The Graveyard Club, LLC, he creates his own works of visual art that are available as standalone prints or other items, such as iPhone cases. Amidst his busy schedule, Joey kindly gave some of his time to discuss the spark for his interest in creating art, some of the various media he uses, in addition to what to expect next, namely stippling pieces and a children’s book. 13
How and why did you select the name "The Graveyard Club"?
What inspires your designs/illustrations?
Experience. Places I have been, people I have met, I started using The Graveyard Club as my LLC to work the feelings people have made me feel, anxiety I have out of on certain commissions and clientele. I chose the name for two reasons: After realizing how late felt. Literally everything in life is an ingredient to my inspiration. I tend to work, I literally work the graveyard shift almost every night. The second reason is that we (artists/people) have all died, been used, and broken Out of all of your designs, which is your personal favorite that you’ve created? in some way or another. Creating The Graveyard Club was simply a nod at the pain I (and other artists/ I just finished stippling a jellyfish that is people) have felt. intertwining itself in a very chaotic, overwhelming way. This was a very emotional and honest piece. I Were drawing and design interests you have always have titled it “Controlled Chaos.”
possessed and enjoyed doing, or were they ones you decided to pursue later in life?
I have always drawn, since I could hold my own pencil or crayon I was drawing or creating something. I’m a creator first and an “artist” second. If that makes sense. Ever since I was little I have needed to create, and that drive to create/express myself is the reason why I picked up bass, paintbrush, etc. Creating has been an obsession of mine since I was little, I wasn’t born or “given” any specific gift or talent, just lots of honest hard work and studying.
Many are familiar with you as the bassist of The Cab. What sparked the transition from music to drawing? When I was with The Cab/any other gig I was always creating art. I would draw with friends/fans during meet and greets, talk art during interviews, and so on. There wasn’t ever a transition to speak of, since creating art has always been there. It was just in the shadow of the gig(s) at the time.
What are some of the art media you use? (pastels, pencil, etc.) What’s your favorite? I don’t think I have a favorite. There is a time and place for every medium. With that being said, I love using pen and ink on heavy, cold pressed watercolor paper. That is what most of my “fine” art is made of. I often use Photoshop & Illustrator while using my Surface Pro 4 or my Cintiq. These are invaluable tools to make what is in my head a reality.
What can supporters expect in terms of new art designs and illustrations, and also bass? In the short-term future, I have some pretty awesome pieces coming out soon, involving some stippled pieces; simultaneously, working with my good friend and great photographer, Chase McCurdy on a children’s book. In terms of grooving on the bass, I’m always one phone call away from hitting the road. And it’s always random and very last minute. So we will see what happens this summer!
• “Blood Moon Rises Over Aquabar” • • Images —courtesy of Joey Thunder •
• “Controlled Chaos” •
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• Pianos • February 20, 2016 •
CAFUNÉ • New York, New York • • Sedona Schat • Noah Yoo •
@wearecafune @wearecafune /wearecafune 15
CAFUNÉ’s sound in 3 words: Sentimental, Warm, Young
Favorite song to perform live:
It’s a tie between one of our new ones that we’re really excited about called “Dont You Forget” and the first song we ever put out called “Letting Go”—that one is the best way to end the night.
Favorite food or drink:
We looooove getting Pho together!
Favorite spot in NYC: Elizabeth Street Garden!!
• Sedona Schat • NYU Kimmel Eisner & Lubin Auditorium • February 18, 2016 •
• Noah Yoo •
• Noah Yoo • NYU Kimmel Eisner & Lubin Auditorium • February 18, 2016 •
• Sedona Schat •
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• Pianos • February 20, 2016 •
Oh Malô • Boston, Massachusetts • • Jack McLoughlin • Brandon Hafetz • Isaac Wang • Jordan Lagana •
Oh Malô’s sound in 3 words @OhMaloMusic (Brandon): Dynamic, Haunting, Ethereal
@ohmalo
Favorite song to perform live: “Burn”
Favorite food: Mediterranean
/ohmalo 17
Favorite spot in NYC: The Bowery Ballroom
• Jack McLoughlin •
• Jordan Lagana •
• Brandon Hafetz •
• Isaac Wang •
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• Pianos • February 20, 2016 •
Modern Diet • Brooklyn, New York • • Bernardo Ochoa • Jake Cheriff • Harry Terrell • Dan Hemerlein •
@ModernDiet @moderndiet /ModernDiet 19
Modern Diet’s sound in 3 words:
Bernardo: New Shoe Feeling Dan: Big Apple Bite Jake: Chocolate & Peanut Butter Harry: Butterball Fantasy Soundtrack
Favorite song to perform live: • Bernardo Ochoa •
Bernardo: “Basement” Dan: “New Waves” Jake: “Basement” Harry: “Red Eye”
• Dan Hemerlein •
Favorite food or drink: Bernardo: Penne Pasta Alla Vodka Dan: Pad Thai Jake: Sushi Harry: Eggplant (done right)
Favorite spot in NYC: Bernardo: Baby’s All Right Dan: Remedy Diner (Houston & Norfolk) Jake: Central Cafe Harry: Bite on 14th St.
• Jake Cheriff •
• Harry Terrell •
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• Finish Ticket • The Gramercy Theatre • February 25, 2016 • @FinishTicket @finishticket /finishticket
Featured Artist • Finish Ticket •
finishticket.com
Formed and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, namely Alameda and Sonoma, Finish Ticket features (according to photo above) Nick Stein (keys, vocals), Alex DiDonato (guitar, vocals), Brendan Hoye (lead vocals), Gabe Stein (drums, vocals), and Michael Hoye (bass); they are joined by live musician Crim Nguyen (guitar). After releasing two self-titled EPs, Life Under Water and Shake a Symphony, they first made their name at Live 105’s Not So Silent Night in 2010 after winning a contest to open for Broken Bells, The Black Keys, Phoenix, My Chemical Romance, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Following Not So Silent Night, they continued on with smaller live shows and festivals around San Francisco, which led to the release of their debut record, Tears You Apart, released independently in 2013 and then re-released via Elektra Records/Atlantic Records in 2014. Since then, they’ve played alongside acts such as WALK THE MOON, and toured with Twenty One Pilots and Echosmith on the Blurryface Tour in September-October 2015. They are currently co-headlining the Ones to Watch Tour with Vinyl Theatre, with opening act Irontom on the first leg, and now Cemetery Sun. Before the show at The Gramercy Theatre in New York City on February 25, 2016, they shared some of their time to discuss the formation and beginnings of the band, the process of creating their latest EP When Night Becomes Day, and even their favorite foods that are special to the Big Apple. 21
What’s the story behind the formation of Finish Ticket? ALEX: Brendan, Michael, and I have known each other since we were in middle school, and them obviously longer; they’re twin brothers since day one. We were on the same soccer team when we were ten years old; we’ve kind of known each other since then. We went to the same high school and met each other through the music program that all of us were in. We were also in two different high school bands. Brendan and Michael were in one, and our original drummer and I were in one; we’d always want to form a supergroup between the two bands, if you know there’s a high school equivalent of that. So one day after school, Brendan came over to my house and we kind of just jammed, and we ended up coming up with a song on the spot. And then, Brendan called Michael, and we sort of just all converged and by the end of the day, we had a full song that was brand new; the chemistry and the vibe together felt so right that we were like, “Ah, we gotta keep doing this.” So we did!
What was the first musical instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with? ALEX: For all three of us, it’s probably piano. We started when we were like six. GABE: I was banging on things. I started with pots, and then worked my way to a drum set. BRENDAN: Michael and I were in a class together because we’re twins, and our parents put us in it. Michael loved it (it was piano), and I hated it. I absolutely hated it. We had a recital, and my memory was literally, I was shaking, and I’m up there. I don’t know, it was like 16 measures (that’s nothing), and I look back at my dad; he was helping me learn it. He doesn’t even know how to play, but it was easy enough he could teach me when we were practicing at home. Michael goes up just fine, he does the recital. And then it’s my turn and I look back at my dad, and I would be like, “G, (it’s on camera, too), and he would then be like, “A.” My teacher let me sing a song, and I was like, “Oh, I’m going to sing.” It was a piano class, but my teacher saw how nervous I was, so she let me sing. The funny thing is, I didn’t like it [piano], and we were twins, and our parents were like, “Oh, they’ll go on and do sports or anything else.” He [Michael] didn’t do piano anymore because I didn’t; my parents took us out of the class. He’s forever mad at me because he doesn’t play piano, and then later, I started playing piano. Back then, we were just too young. It was fun for him, and for me, I just wasn’t too into it. But then, later, I picked it back up, and it was. I used to play saxophone as well, and I loved it and practiced, but not as much as I should have, considering I had been playing it for so many years. For me, it wasn’t the instrument that made me motivated; I would just play guitar and piano, and write songs and stuff. Certain instruments just work and click for people.
You released the EP When Night Becomes Day just last year. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing? BRENDAN: That one was a very different process than the first one. Tears You Apart was our full-length album, and it was pretty much we made that one; we were writing that however we could. Normal circumstances, any band with songs written and go into the studio, no pressure. Back then, we would just go in and work on it, and made a product we were happy with, and that was it. We were hoping it would take us places, and it did, and that was amazing. But then, the next time around, now here we are, we’re signed, we have a booking agent, and all this stuff, all these people that are involved that were never there. We felt all this pressure, and now we’re ready for it. It wasn’t as smooth as a process for us; we had to adjust and figure out how all of that worked. We were in London for it. We were working for sixteen straight days, and we still didn’t finish it. 14 hours a day. We spent a month in London, and didn’t even see much of London; we saw some. A lot of recording; we didn’t finish it. We went to do a European tour, got home, and had to pretty much do a ton of it over and finish it off in Oakland, California. That was also kind of weird, to have to do it split between two different places. It was also completely different to be in London, and then to be back home. Through that whole process, we’re much better for it because we know how to deal with a lot of those pressures. Not to mention, before we did Tears You Apart, we didn’t really have a fanbase; we had fans, some in the Bay, but very scattered, and that’s it. But then after this, we now have real fans, and a real following. And even just a little amount of that, we know there are people out there waiting to hear what’s next. And that’s something new for us. That’s a big thing to know.
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• Alex DiDonato •
• Michael Hoye •
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• Gabe Stein •
• Nick Stein •
• Crim Nguyen •
• Brendan Hoye •
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Which song (released or unreleased) are you most proud of? BRENDAN: As a live song, “Bring the Rain;” I think we’re all really proud of that one, and what it has become live. For me, “Wrong” off the new EP lyrically and what it means; that one and “Bring the Rain,” lyrically, I’m very proud of. There is an unreleased track called “The Wait” that is one of my favorite songs ever written. But we haven’t released it yet; we’re waiting for the right time.
Out of all your songs, I just cannot stop listening to “Bring the Rain.” Can you touch on the inspiration for and the creation of that song? BRENDAN: Like I was saying, we all went to the college that year before we decided to leave, and I, personally, was very reluctant to go; I didn’t want to go, and I wanted to just pursue music. I ended up loving college; I loved my whole year there. I made great friends (one of my best friends is now on tour with us); he does our live sound, and so it was very awesome to go and have that experience. At the beginning of it, I felt so I didn’t want to be there (it was hard to make new friends), and for me, Michael and I are twins and we had done everything together; that was the first time we were ever living on our own, separated. So there was all of this going on, and I was like, “I don’t know if I want to be doing this, but I was there, and I felt that I was being forced into this new life when I was very happy with where my other life was going before that. The metaphor for the chorus in “Bring the Rain” is that there’s this wall that was keeping me from this life I didn’t want, and basically saying that there was this fire bringing down this wall. And here’s the other life, and I was just saying, “Bring the rain and just stop these fires from taking down these walls.” I was in Pomona, and he was in Davis, so pretty far apart.
What happens before you go onstage? ALEX: It’s not anything super intense, but we’ve done this ever since our very first show ever as a band. We kind of just do this little huddle before we go onstage, and we just say “Beast!” It sounded a little weird when I just said it right now, but when you’re in the huddle, you kind of just pump yourself up a little bit; we’re going to have a really good time. It reminds us that we’re just going to have a really good time being really energetic and try to put on the best show we can. BRENDAN: It’s a really good moment; we just come together and we’re like, “We’re all a team,” and remind anyone of anything that they remember as they go up. A quick huddle, and then just remember it will be a good show. So “1, 2, 3, Beast!” as obviously loud as we can yell it. I think it kind of just happened naturally the very first show, and ever since then, we just started doing it. These couple times when we haven’t done it, we’ve had a bad show. So now, it’s very important to us to do the “Beast!” We had one show back in the day when everything started going wrong and two songs in, we were like, “What is going on up here? Oh, we didn’t ‘Beast!’ So to the crowd, we were like, “Yo, excuse us.” We went back and were like, “Sorry! Really quickly, 1, 2, 3, Beast!” So we just went back and kept playing. That’s why it’s a very superstitious thing for us because it has actually proven to work.
What’s your favorite restaurant and/or food in NYC? GABE: There’s always good pizza, which we love. But we always end up being out way too late when everything’s closed, so we go to the Tik Tok Diner open 24 hours. We’ve gone there six times unintentionally; we literally popped out of Penn Station one time when we were flying out of JFK at 4 in the morning, and we were like, “Oh my God, it’s Tick Tock Diner. It just keeps happening; it’s following us around.” It’s right next to Hammerstein; we’ve played Hammerstein 3 times. We’ve eaten there a lot. MICHAEL: I try to get street falafel every time I’m here. It’s really good, I love it. BRENDAN: I love bagels. ALEX: Bagels and pizza. There’s so much good food here; we just have fun eating. GABE: Also, our record label’s here, so we sometimes get taken to places we can’t afford, which is nice. BRENDAN: There was this one time we went to this place in an alley, and it was the most beautiful thing. We went to this place that was way out of our price range with all these small rooms, and a private room in the back. It was this wine cellar, but a private room. That was a great experience.
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If there were a pizza with the name “Finish Ticket,” what toppings would it have? BRENDAN: It would have to be split. GABE: I like cheese; it’s so boring. That’s my favorite topping. BRENDAN: Jalapeños. MICHAEL: It would be cool to squeeze some avocado on there. NICK: Maybe fried avocado? GABE: Maybe some tempura? Tempura fried avocado pizza? BRENDAN: With an egg, a fried egg. MICHAEL: Ramen pizza and jalapeños.
What can listeners expect in terms of upcoming projects and/or releases? BRENDAN: We’re definitely focusing a lot on touring right now; we just put the EP out not too long ago. We’re going to focus on that for a bit, but definitely expect some new music somewhat soon. We’re very aware of that and want to be in the breakout scene; we’ve already started demoing a few things, but nothing set in stone yet. But yeah, a lot of touring. It’s just our favorite, and it’s our fastest way so far to build a fanbase.
What’s a question you have wanted to get asked in an interview, and what’s the response to it? Burrito orders. We’re talking about food. GABE: Carne asada, no salsa, boom! Salsa makes it drippy, and then you can’t eat it later; I like to have it cold. MICHAEL: I like grilled chicken with sour cream, guacamole, refried beans, extra hot sauce, just literally everything you can put on there. BRENDAN: My favorite is not quite a burrito, but if you do a burrito and a quesadilla and open it back up, and then basically make it a burrito. So a filled quesadilla; it’s crispy on the outside, with the cheese melted. So I’ll do that [super suiza] (I don’t eat meat) with guacamole, sour cream, rice, beans, salsa. Everything but the meat, plus a ton of hot sauce. I love the extra salsa and hot sauce. ALEX: I usually go super carnitas, no sour cream, with hot sauce, everything else. NICK: Al pastor, super everything.
• Finish Ticket • The Gramercy Theatre • February 25, 2016 •
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• Baby’s All Right • February 26, 2016 •
MOTHXR • Brooklyn, New York • • Simon Oscroft • Jimmy Giannopoulos • Penn Badgley • Darren Will •
@MOTHXR @mothxr /MOTHXR 27
• Penn Badgley •
• Simon Oscroft •
• Darren Will •
• Jimmy Giannopoulos •
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• The Kickback • The Standard, East Village • March 1, 2016 • @thekickback @thekickback /thekickback
Main Artist • The Kickback •
thekickbackband.com
It may be hard to predict what will happen on Craigslist. However, thanks to Craigslist, The Kickback came alive. They are a 4-piece band formed and based in Chicago, Illinois. The lineup features Billy Yost (vocals, guitar), Jonny Ifergan (guitar), Eamonn Donnelly (bass), and Ryan Farnham (drums). It began with Billy’s journey from Vermillion, South Dakota to Chicago, Illinois, and became receiving responses on Craigslist, to forming a full band, to reworking some already composed tunes with Jim Eno of Spoon, to releasing a record, to now playing shows and sharing their sound nationwide. Their debut record, Sorry All Over the Place, was released via Jullian Records on September 18, 2015. With a diverse handful of catchy guitar riffs, beats, vibrant vocals, and most importantly, an exuberant live energy, The Kickback have supported White Rabbits, in addition to having performed at South by Southwest and the CMJ Music Marathon. Currently promoting their debut album and their name, they recently played three shows in NYC, the first at Bowery Electric on February 26, 2016, followed by a show at Mercury Lounge on February 27, 2016, and to top them off, a show in the penthouse of The Standard, East Village on March 1, 2016. While looking out to the beautiful nightly view of New York City, The Kickback shared some of their time just before rocking out to share the process of creating their debut record, a little bit about life on the road for them, and also, two restaurants and a bar they would recommend checking out. 29
What’s the story behind the formation of The Kickback? BILLY: I moved to Chicago from South Dakota in late 2009, and started posting Craigslist ads whose specificity borders on “paranoid” and “troubled,” and then these guys were weird enough to respond; they were really detailed. Jonny wrote back, and Eamonn wrote back, and then we kind of found Ryan under a bridge somewhere (that’s not true), but I did find these guys on the Internet, I found these guys on Craigslist; that’s real, that’s not a joke. EAMONN: I’m from Washington, D.C. JONNY: I’m from Mexico. BILLY: And Ryan is from Chicago. Chicago brought us together.
What was the first musical instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with? JONNY: Drums, for sure. They were toy drums, and I used to set them up, and then they would all fall apart. And then I would set them up again, and it would keep doing that. EAMONN: The recorder, anybody else? Very first instrument, come on. JONNY: I was the drums, for real. BILLY: I was definitely playing pots and pans at my grandma’s house (I have pictures of being a little kid banging on pots and pans). RYAN: I used to bust out the pots and pans, and play them on the floor with spoons and forks. And then finally in fifth grade, I got a drum pad, and that was pretty awesome. Though, it wasn’t awesome at the time, because when you get a drum pad, you expect to get a drum set. A little drum pad, it’s a little underwhelming. It worked out, I got a drum set later in life.
You released your debut record Sorry All Over the Place in September 2015. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing it? BILLY: Hellacious. So we wrote to Jim Eno from Spoon (Spoon’s a band I worship and adore), and they were recording songs that were really, really good. I really wanted to work with him, and we emailed him. We found an email address for him that we thought might be his email address (which I’m happy to give you and you can publish, and everyone can email Jim Eno). He was kind of into the songs, and he came to Chicago to work with us, and we worked on some songs and then we drove down a couple of different times to Austin to record the album; we took turns and slept in the studio, and that’s how we wound up meeting our manager whos’s a friend who let us stay in his friend’s practice space. So every night, at 1 in the morning, we’d go down to our friend’s house, roll out our sleeping bags, and would be sleeping inches apart from each other. We never really got away; it was a kind of a weird bonding experience. Flash forward 2 years, it took 2 years to put this damn record out. 2 years of living. Think about what has happened to you in the last 2 years, and then imagine desperately finding a way to put your record out in all of that time and crying a lot. We’d been playing and touring together, and had gotten our songs really tightened up. And then he would make some suggestions, and we would take some of them. The song “Sting’s Teacher Years”, the verses got doubled in length, which is usually not happens ever. Nobody ever tells you to make something longer, it’s usually shorter. We made some little changes like that, but we were ready to go.
What happens before you guys go onstage?
BILLY: Right before we get ready to go on, Ryan walks off the stage. So we all just stand there, and then Ryan comes back, and makes this big entrance. JONNY: He does his little drum warm-up; Billy does push-ups. I like to go get a beer, to calm those nerves. Maybe some yoga, some down-dog, up-dog action. EAMONN: Probably eat, probably eating. BILLY: We like to eat a lot of exotic foods before our set, and that seems to be what we do, whether or not we like it or not, and the thing we do. Usually, we’re looking for the cheapest available food. EAMONN: Usually, it starts with a “T” and ends in an “aco Bell.”
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• Billy Yost •
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• Eamonn Donnelly •
• Ryan Farnham •
• Jonny Ifergan •
• Billy Yost •
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• Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken • 28 East 1st Street, New York, NY 10003 Describe the vibe of the restaurant in 3 words.
I can’t remember anything, really, except this chicken changing the way I feel about chicken. Not just fried, but I find myself wishing I’d been kinder to chickens I knew as a young man in South Dakota.
Why and how did you choose this particular restaurant? In the band, I’m the guy who just wants a pill that will make me full and nine cups of coffee. Eamonn, our bassist, suggested this place, I think, and my mind almost collapsed after the first bite. I thought I was having a stroke, but in a good way. The way you want to have a stroke in the middle of a restaurant.
What would you recommend? At Blue Ribbon, you should probably eat the chicken. I’m relatively certain you could feed actual chickens Blue Ribbon Chicken and they would thank you afterward.
What’s the signature “The Kickback” choice off the menu? I think everybody sans Ryan, our drummer, would go for straight-up chicken. Ryan is a vegetarian (an American traitor), and see he would probably chew on some bread and lettuce.
If you were to create a dish or meal inspired by your sound and your band, what would it consist of? Three nice things and a bagged lunch with Coca-Cola. The guys have much more refined palates. I wasn’t even raised on suburbs food. We had to drive 30 miles to get the equivalent of suburb chain food. It was uphill and both ways. I just want to be full and caffeinated to Scientologist-like levels of intensity.
• Gourmet Deli & Grocery (and pretty much any 24hr deli) • 172 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Describe the vibe of the restaurant in 3 words. Boar’s-Head, Fluorescent, 24 hrs
Why and how did you choose this particular restaurant? Since we’re usually playing or hanging out in the LES, this always ends up being our late night, post show grub hub. Well, pretty much any neighborhood in NYC has one of these, but what we appreciate the most is the care and attention to detail each deli sandwich maker takes to make an extraordinary toasted hoagie sandwich in the wee hours of the night.
What would you recommend? There’s plenty of options on the menu, but I always opt to let the deli guy surprise me, and give him a general idea of what I like. It makes it that much more special.
What’s the signature “The Kickback” choice off the menu? I usually ask the deli guy for something close to home (Mexico)...toasted hoagie bread, using Boar’s Head meats and cheese, fresh veggies, a fried egg, and pickled jalapeños.
If you were to create a dish or meal inspired by your sound and your band, what would it consist of? “Sorry All Over The Place” toasted hoagie with melted Gouda, Colby-Jack cheese, and onion and chive cream cheese, topped with fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce, mustard, sliced pickles, and a side of giardiniera peppers.
• Home Sweet Home •
131 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002 Describe the vibe of the bar in 3 words. Underground, Taxidermy, Soul
Why and how did you choose this particular bar? Every time we play in LES Manhattan, it’s our go-to post show dance party hangout, and it reminds us of one of Chicago’s most welcoming bars, The Hideout.
What would you recommend? Even on a cold weekday night, the disco ball is in full swing at the back of the bar.
What’s the signature “The Kickback” drink off the menu? Whiskey, Beer, and Coca Cola (in that order)
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If you were to create a drink inspired by your sound and your band, what would it consist of? Bubblegum Pop (circa 1980’s) with a shot of Jameson
After listening to Sorry All Over the Place, I just cannot stop listening to “Sting’s Teacher Years.” Can you touch on the inspiration for and creation of that song? BILLY: I started working on that right after I graduated in South Dakota from college, and was getting ready to move to Chicago. It’s just kind of a song about being terrified of whatever growing up is. It can be a really freaky time if you’re not sure what you’re doing; the song is about trying to act like some kind of man before you are sure you are one, or if that doesn’t make sense, then a grown-up really. That song came out pretty quick, which usually doesn’t happen. It usually takes me years to write songs, and I got that one together pretty quick. The title comes from Sting; his name is Gordon Sumner, of The Police. He was a teacher before he was Sting, and I’m a certified teacher. I’m a certified a high school English teacher. That’s the only real link I feel to Sting, ever. Both my parents were teachers, and I have a few brothers who are teachers, and I knew I wanted to pursue music as much as I possibly could. My family was pretty insistent I get an education of some sort, so I just decided, when it all falls apart, I can just go teach high school English somewhere. Both Ryan and I are subs when we’re back in town.
What can listeners expect in terms of upcoming projects and/or releases? EAMONN: 2025. BILLY: It takes us a really long time to put stuff together, so we’re really hoping we can start recording within a year. We gotta stop touring first, and we haven’t really stopped since the record came out. We have been working on new stuff, trying to find interesting new ways to get people to dance to really sad songs. We’re writing as much as we can when we’re home, but we haven’t been home very often. JONNY: It helped that we took 2 years to put the record out. With the angst and nervousness to write new music, we we kind of got a little bit ahead of the curve. People won’t have to wait that long for the next ones.
What’s a question you have wanted to get asked in an interview, and what’s the response to it? BILLY: “Before you print this, can you tell me exactly how to say your band name?” is the one I love. We get called “Kickback” or “Kickbacks” regularly and without mercy, and it’s just “The Kickback.” That’s my favorite question. EAMONN: There have been venues, we send our posters in advance for a show; “The Kickback” in big letters across the top. The venue posts it, and somewhere on a billboard or marquee, it will be “The Kickbacks.” JONNY: “The Kickbreakers.” EAMONN: Just take your pick, it’s been done, we’ve seen it. We don’t say anything because we’re too polite, but come on, it’s just time.
• The Kickback • Mercury Lounge • February 27, 2016 •
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• Mercury Lounge • February 27, 2016 •
Stone Cold Fox • Brooklyn, New York • • Graham Stone • Ariel Loh (former member) • Aaron Hemel • Kevin Olken Henthorn • Justin Bright •
@STONECOLDFOX
Stone Cold Fox’s sound in 3 words (Aaron): Distorted Disco Party
@stonecoldfoxmusic
Favorite song to perform live: “Firing Squad”
Favorite food or drink: Whiskey
/stonecoldfoxmusic 35
Favorite spot in NYC:
Nam Nam-Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich spot Moloko-Best bar in BK as far as I am concerned.
• Aaron Hemel •
• Kevin Olken Henthorn•
• Graham Stone •
• Justin Bright •
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• Mercury Lounge • February 27, 2016 •
Little Racer • New York, New York • • Wade Michael • Ali YIldIz • Elliot Michaud • Ish Nazmi •
@LittleRacerBand @littleracerband
Little Racer’s sound in 3 words (Ish): Sulky, yet sassy
Favorite song to perform live:
It’s always about the vibe we’re getting from the audience anyways, whatever song they’re the most hyped for is our favorite that night.
Favorite food or drink:
Sweet Plum Paczki from Syrena Bakery
/littleracer 37
Favorite spot in NYC:
Lake Street Bar-the bartenders never ask you why you look tired or bummed; they just give you a beer and turn up the best song you’ve heard that day.
• Wade Michael •
• Ali YIldIz •
• Elliot Michaud •
• Ish Nazmi •
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LISTEN. EAT. EXPLORE.
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