[CMJ 2011 x Interview] Gabriel Stark

Over the past year, Bronx-based musician/producer Gabriel Stark has gone from a well known New York producer to a fully fledged artist in his own right. With six releases being put out in one year, Mr. Stark has one clear goal, and that is to consistently hit the studio and improve during every second of studio time. His motivation hasn't gone to waste, though, with each new release improving on the last. With his latest album Thank You Starky, which you can listen to here, Stark has improved his lyrical abilities, production techniques, and, above all, his confidence. It's perfectly that he's going to keep working hard, and won't stop anytime soon.

During CMJ Music Marathon, Gabriel and I met up to talk about all things Starky, going a little more in-depth into his everyday life, his constant improvement, and what the future holds. You can listen to the interview below, and make sure to follow him on Twitter, as well as add him as a friend on Facebook. Also, you can download all of Stark's albums and mixtapes at his official website.

Gabriel Stark Interview by Some Kind of Awesome

[CMJ 2011 x Interview] The Static Jacks

Indie rock band The Static Jacks have gone from being the little known New Jersey-based band Waterdown Clockwise to touring alongside Tokyo Police Club, White Denim, Biffy Clyro and Titus Andronicus. Since changing their name, the band was named Breakthrough Artist of the Day by NME on July 23, 2010, and this year, the New Jersey rockers were signed to Fearless Records. Since then, they've released their debut album If You're Young, and are currently on a U.S. tour supporting The Wombats. The band was also one of six bands to perform at SKoA and The Audio Perv's very own CMJ day party.

During this years CMJ Music Marathon, I had the opportunity of interviewing the band's lead singer Ian Devaney over the phone. We discussed everything from the formation of the band, touring, and much more. You can listen to the interview in its entirety below.

The Static Jacks Interview by Some Kind of Awesome

[CMJ 2011 x Interview] Sleeper Agent

Bowling Green, KY rock band Sleeper Agent have risen quickly over the past year, going from a duo, to a full fledged band, to putting out their debut album in no time at all. From touring alongside Cage The Elephant and Company of Thieves, to recording with producer Jay Joyce, it's clear that the Kentucky group has big aspirations. The band, who just wrapped up their U.S. headling tour, made a stop at this year's CMJ Music Marathon to perform at SKoA's very own CMJ showcase. During the showcase, I had the chance to talk with the band's leading lady Alex Kandel about all things Sleeper Agent. You can read the interview in its entirety after the jump.

As well, Sleeper Agent's debut LP Celebrasions digitally in August and physically last month, so if you haven't picked it up, head over to iTunes and grab a copy.

Some Kind of Awesome: Tony [Smith] and Justin [Wilson] started the band as a duo, and then discovered you, Alex, working as a waitress.

Alex Kandel: Someone somewhere along the line printed it as "waitress," but I was actually working as a barista making espresso drinks and not getting tips. Sometimes we would have open mic nights there and all these people would come and play for the people there, and they would say "Alex, pick up your guitar and go sing some songs." So, I was just doing that kind of stuff, and then we got a song recorded online. So, we played that at the coffee shop I was working at and I played a few songs on my break. Justin came and was very quiet, 'cause Justin takes a while to warm up to, and he just kind of watched. But then, after that, we started working together and writing together.

SKoA: After that, the band started to grow. Tell me about the early days of the band, and how it came to be what it is.

AK: They had a lineup, they had been a band since 2008, and the lineup kind of left them to perform in other bands. You know, for whatever reasons, I think there were some egos involved. But, then Justin and Tony decided to just do their own thing, then they kind of recruited me, and we just started liking what we were writing. We thought we would just kind of experiment, and once that happened we decided we would just record eight songs in Nashville on our own. You know, save up some money and do it. We had a friend who owed us a favour who helped, and so we did that. Our friends came, heard it, were really excited about it, and it fell into the hands of the right people.

SKoA: Your debut LP, Celebrasion, was released digitally in August and physically in September. Describe the recording process. Were there any difficulties? What were the highlights?

AK: The recording process clicked so well, you know, our producer, Jay [Joyce], I consider him a father almost. The way that he works and the way that we play, the way that we sound, and everything was recorded live. You know, you focus on a song a day, and you'll sit there and you'll do fourteen takes of the same song until you find the right one. And, everyone's doing it all together at once live and that's a take, and you'll build your vocals up around that. When we do a track live, I do vocals over, also, so there's always a scratch track and sometimes that come out better. They're often so good that we'll keep them. So, a lot of it is in the pure sense live.

The cool thing is Jay records everything on tape, and for someone to still do that is great, you can hear it on the record. We don't want to try to make our live sounds reflect what the records are reflecting. That's what I love about the band, the whole live experience. The live experience is so dependent on our energy, and sometimes there will be a show that's just the perfect storm, and we'll play at venues where we can see that we've built an audience. Those fans have been so overwhelming, and I can't believe these kids like our music. They think that we tour in a bus, 'cause they have this idea of how big we are. But, it's like, oh no, we're in a tiny van, I'm moving back in with my mom soon (laughs).

SKoA: Speaking of fan reception, how has the reception of the album been? How has critical reception of the album been?

AK: It's almost creeping me out how little bad press we've got, and I'm waiting for it. But, it's been so overwhelmingly positive. And, in terms of the fans, they've been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, too, and any time we can do something for them, we'll do it. You know, if we have any guests passes left over for shows, we'll just give them away.

SKoA: Being at CMJ, what is your overall opinion of it? What are your impressions? And, why did you ultimately decide to perform here?

AK: To be honest, I probably have the smallest view of CMJ. We're on tour right now, and, at the last minute, we were like, "Why aren't we playing CMJ?" I mean, it makes sense, since we're here anyways. Plus, we love New York. But, I honestly have no idea what the CMJ experience is like, although I got to hang out at Nylon Magazine, which was fun (laughs). I can see CMJ being very similar to SXSW in a lot of ways.

SKoA: You're currently touring around the U.S., including two shows alongside Cage The Elephant and Company of Thieves this December. What are your impressions of touring? And what have been your favourite or least favourite moments?

AK: We've been touring pretty much non-stop since February, and I think being back on the road with Cage [The Elephant] is super exciting because they're like our family. It's always so much fun when we're together, and I miss those guys so much. We talked to Brad [Shultz] the other day, and he said, "Everyday when we pull up to an event he asks 'Where they at?'"

In terms of the December shows, it's going to be like a huge reunion. I mean, Genevieve [Schatz] is the nicest person, like so nice that she makes you feel like a bad person, like one of those people. I actually still have stuff that she's given me, like all the make-up I use is stuff she's given me (laughs). She got this box of make-up and told me, "Oh, take what you want." She had to literally force me to take all this free, awesome make-up.

SKoA: The December shows will be taking place in Chicago and Milwaukee, have you performed in either city before?

AK: Yeah, we've played Chicago before we had a label or anything. It was at The Elbow Room, and we've played at The Vic twice with Cage [The Elephant]. We've also played Schubas once, and that was the last time we hit Chicago. I'm so excited to go back, 'cause we've always kind of called it our home away from home, and we all feel so comfortable in Chicago. It's easily one of my favourite cities. My mom always knew I would love Chicago, and she always made a push. She took me to New York for the first time, 'cause she never wanted me to have that small town mentality (laughs). We were from Champion, OH so I called it the "Champion Bubble" that people get trapped in. But, now, my mom misses me because I travel too much (laughs).

SKoA: What have been your highlights, or your favourite moments? Least favourite moments?

AK: You know, there's always ups and downs to every day. My favourite moment today was that I got to go hang out at my favourite magazine of all time, Nylon. I mean, I've loved that magazine forever. But, there's downsides too, like it took forever to find parking, so it varies.

I think the lowest point I've ever hit, though, was spending my 19th birthday on the interstate. It was so awful because our trailer, the bearing on the tire came completely off. The only thing holding it in place was the weight of the trailer, and sparks were flying and we all thought it was going to start a grease fire. So, we called a mechanic—Vinny's Auto near Fosford, Maryland—that place sucks, and they ripped us off for every cent we had. That was the lowest point, but there have been way more high points.

[CMJ 2011 x Interview] Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

During this years CMJ Music Marathon, I had a chance to chat with Detroit-based indie rockers Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Meeting up with the duo, which consists of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein, at New York's Le Poisson Rouge venue, we talked about the band's influences, how they formed, the origins of the name Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and much more. You can listen to the interview in its entirety in the player below.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s debut album It's A Corporate World was released on June 7th via Warner Bros./Quite Scientific, and if you haven't heard the album you can listen to the full stream here. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Interview by Some Kind of Awesome

[Interview] Chiddy Bang's Noah Beresin and Chidera Anamege Talk 'Breakfast,' Guinness World Records, and Becoming a Farmer in the U.K.

The first time I heard hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang, I was in my first year at university. The combination of Noah 'Xaphoon Jones' Beresin's fantastic production and crisp beats and Chidera 'Chiddy' Anamege's awesome raps and freestyles was just too good. The next thing I knew, I was obsessed, and The Swelly Life mixtape soon took over my eardrums. With tracks such as "Opposite of Adults (KIDS)," "Truth," "Silver Screen," "Dream Chasin'" and so many more, the pair quickly displayed their ability to take samples from music of the past and today, add some modern flavour to it and combine it with Chiddy's slicks raps in order to give the listener a truly unique take on the hip-hop genre.

While the duo have only been making music together for the better part of three years, that time has been nothing but good to them. From their beginnings at Philadelphia's Drexel University, to the blogosphere bringing them into the spotlight, to the release of multiple, praised mixtapes, and their sudden rise to fame over the past year, Chiddy Bang have shown that they not only have what it takes to make it big in the music industry, but to do something entirely unique while they're at it.

While Chiddy Bang's fanbase continues to grow, the pair are continuously giving their loyal listeners a constant stream of free music, whether it's The Swelly Life mixtape, the Air Swell mixtape, Peanut Butter and Swelly, or The Preview EP. With the (possible) Fall release of their debut album Breakfast fast approaching, there couldn't be a better time to talk to the duo about all things Chiddy Bang. Courtesy of Taco Bell and their Feed the Beat program, I had the chance to chat with Noah and Chiddy via telephone as the two landed back on the East Coast.

Some Kind of Awesome: Both you and Noah met each other back in 2008 at Drexel University. How did you two recognize each others talent and combine it into what we know as Chiddy Bang. And what was that whole initial experience like?

Chidera 'Chiddy' Anamege: Initially I was business major, you know, I went to Drexel. I was a freshman, and I was just trying to get into the studio, just trying to get, you know what I'm saying, some studio access. So, I was looking for, you know, whoever could make that a possibility for me. And Drexel, there's a studio on campus and they have a great music industry program, and the music industry majors are the only ones that have access to that studio. I had a next door neighbour who was in the music industry program, I tracked him down, day after day trying to get in there. Finally, he was like, "Yo, my boy is a producer, he's dope. You guys should link up and try to do some stuff." I was like, "Aight, fuck it." We linked up, my man started playing me a bunch of beats, and I thought they were dope. We've just been rockin' ever since. I knew there was something special about it from the first couple of beats.

SKoA: In 2009, Pretty Much Amazing showcased five of your songs, and brought you guys to the attention of a lot of people that had never heard your music. They even debuted your first mixtape, The Swelly Express. Do you attribute a lot of your success to the attention that blogs, such as Pretty Much Amazing? And how did the two of you feel once Chiddy Bang was becoming more and more well known?

CA: Initially, there was a group of websites that supported us, people like Pretty Much Amazing and Neon Gold. Initially, Noah would have a list of thirty blogs, and he would just send our music to them, and we would be hoping that a few of them would just post about our shit. And, I don't know man, it just picked up. Blogs started posting our stuff more and more, and we started getting up on The Hype Machine.

Yeah man, it was dope. We definitely owe a lot of our success to the blogosphere, and in 2009, when we were trying to break through, I guess that was the time. That was the time to be. It was definitely a good time, and with The Hype Machine, it ranked the most blogged about things on the Internet. We would be blogged about, and we would be releasing tracks, and tracks would be going number one on The Hype Machine. That was definitely a plus for us.

SKoA: The Swelly Express, your first mixtape, showcased yours and Noah's ability to combine really slick samples, good raps, and awesome freestyles. It also told the story of the two of you and your journey to meet record label executives in New York City. Tell me about these meetings you had with label executives, and why did you decide to release the mixtape for free instead?

CA: Well, we started the group on the premise of just releasing free stuff, anyways. The very first song we ever did was a song called "On Our Way," and did that for free, and we did a couple more tracks and released those for free. That was always the nature of how we tried to audition our music. So, you know, we wanted to just give it to the fans for free, instead of trying to sell it, cause it's harder to do that. You know what I'm saying? It's harder to sit there and be like, "Yo, I'm selling you this, do you want to buy it?" We thought that we could spread ourselves wide, instead of spreading ourselves thin, by, you know, releasing it for free. It was hard to put the mixtape together and put that out for free. That's what we did, though. It's a tribute to the fans every time we do it. You know, free music is amazing.

SKoA: Speaking of which, you guys did the same thing this summer with the release of the Peanut Butter and Swelly mixtape.

CA: Yeah, yeah. That was the placeholder for the debut album Breakfast. We're working on that, working on putting the finishing touches on that, and we wanted to just put a mixtape out, give something to the fans while we cooked that up.

SKoA: You also released the Air Swell mixtape last year, mostly due to the fact that you two have a huge following in the U.K. What are the differences between your U.K. fanbase and your North American fanbase? Why did you ultimately decide to put out the Air Swell mixtape?

CA: Yeah, I mean I would say that the U.K. fanbase was more on a mainstream level, because we broke through with the "Opposite of Adults (KIDS)" record that went Top 20 over there. So, a lot of people that became familiar with us was through the radio. In the U.K. they would hear us on the radio, but over here, I would say it's more people that discovered us through our mixtapes, our less known songs, and just people that became fans by following our body of work. We go out to the U.K. and we play at festivals, and it's like 8,000 people going crazy, and it's fun, but America is where we really just want to break through. And so, we're over here grinding and doing shows, and working on the album trying to get that shit to sound right.

SKoA: How do you feel having such a large amount of popularity, not only in North America, but around the world?

CA: I mean, I feel like that's amazing. You know, that people are checking for us, that's definitely a plus. It's definitely something that we're a fan of, but we can't wait to give the world our first offering, the first meal, which is Breakfast. You know, it's the first meal of the day, so you've got to eat that, you've got to start your day off on the right note. And you know, we went Platinum in Australia, we've been touring throughout Europe, and all of our stuff we've released for free. So, we just want to continue with that, sort of step it up with the release of the album.

SKoA: As well as releasing music for free, Chiddy Bang is mostly known for the use of samples. You've got a very unique sound and style that couldn't be put under one specific genre. What influences do you draw from when making a song? And what goes into the samples that you choose?

Noah 'Xaphoon Jones' Beresin: Man, that's a very broad question, cause basically I was raised on mid-'90s to '80s culture of creating hip hop. You know, people like Beatrock and J Dilla, who sold records and the hits of back in the day, and influence in new, crazy ways. And, combining that ethic with the more modern DJ ethic. I'm mostly just trying to get the most number of people dancing as possible, and that's sort of made me draw on more modern bands and sources. It was really just, you know, seeing how we could get the most people going crazy at one time.

SKoA: You've worked with a lot big names recently, such as Pharrell Williams on "The Good Life," Q-Tip on "Here We Go," as well as touring alongside Tinie Tempah in Europe. What have been the standout moments for you in your sudden rise to fame?

NB: The standout moments for me? The standout moment for me is actually not even a show that I was playing, or a studio session that I was involved in. The standout moment for me was not even related to Chiddy Bang. It was at a Big Sean show, I had just produced two records for Big Sean and his album had come out. Jay-Z and Kanye West were there, and a song that I had produced had come on. Jay-Z and Kanye West were standing next to me on the stage and they started dancing, and I just looked around and I couldn't believe it. I was just like, "Holy shit! Jay-Z and Kanye West just danced to a song that I made the beat for, that I produced. Holy shit!" I must've walked a mile and a half and I didn't even know what was going on.

SKoA: Speaking of standout moments, Chiddy recently broke the Guinness World Record for the longest freestyle, beating the previous record by over three minutes. How did it feel the entire time you were freestyling?

Chidera 'Chiddy' Anamege: Man, I don't even know how I pulled that one off. It was just, like, it was mental. I was constantly telling myself, "I can do this." You know, initially my manager comes to me and says, "MTV wants you to do this Guinness Book of World Records freestyle, and they have this new online awards show that they're watching, and they want the key part of it to be around you freestyling for nine hours." I was like, "I don't know, I've never freestyled for more than an hour." My manager sort of convinced me, though.

So, we went out to Las Vegas, started at 11:30 in the morning, and I did it until about nine something in the evening. I was just rapping, just consistently. It was cool, though, because I had television in front of me, which helped me a lot. Fans could tweet in, so I always had a fresh set of words and ideas that I could draw from. It sort of enabled me to keep up with the flow. It was amazing, and at the end of it I was presented with two plaques, one for the longest freestyle rap and the second for the longest continuous rap. That was cool, man. Just something else to add, you know.

SKoA: After Chiddy beat the Guinness World Record for longest freestyle, the two of you debuted the track "Mind Your Manners," which you recently released as the first single from Breakfast. How has the recording process been for the album so far?

Noah 'Xaphoon Jones' Beresin: Man, it's been all over the place, you know. I've done a shitload of tracks for this record, and it's been a really crazy experience because I've learned a lot. When a label as powerful as EMI can put out people like Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, they know, financially speaking, that those are going to make a lot of money. And they know that we're living in a time where the music industry is struggling to, kind of, keep living like they have been living all throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. So, financially speaking, you know when they sit down in their first, second, third, or fourth quarter planning sessions and they go, "Hmm, what record should we put out?" They want to do what makes money for them and the company.

I mean, so it's been crazy for me, to come strictly from the making music perspective, I don't know anything about the business side.I took a lot of business music classes when I was a music major, but I was only at school for a couple of months. I wasn't really prepared for the craziness of constantly pitching them songs. There were pitching sessions in Florida, then ones in London, California, New York, Philadelphia and everywhere with a bunch of writers, and Pharrell, Q-Tip, Ellie Goulding or whoever. Just to be able to see the craziness of how the label accepts what they believe is going to do well on the radio, what they believe is going to sell a lot. It's been a crazy experience, and I think we're finally at the end of it. Definitly, recording has been eye-opening.

SKoA: Any hint at a specific release date, or a tour in support of Breakfast once it's released?

NB: I would say if our album doesn't come out by November, then they're certainly not going to release it in the fourth quarter. So, that would mean we would have to wait to put it out next year. If that happens, I'll probably go over to EMI and shoot somebody. I mean, I'll get away with it (laughs). But actually, I wouldn't shoot somebody, I would express my feelings. Maybe I'll move to England, open a farm, you know, grow vegetables, like potatoes and stuff (laughs). 

SKoA: I think you could do very well growing potatoes over in the U.K.

NB: Thank you. You know, the other day, we couldn't find our tour manager because the hotel had moved his room and not checked in with me, and he had our passports. I was actually contemplating what I could do over here in Wales, and I was like, "I could always be a farmer."

SKoA: You could either here sheep or grow potatoes.

NB: I know. I could always just see a bunch walking around the highways, and there'd always be a few stragglers. But, you know, I think the album will come out, and if it doesn't I'm not so worried, you know. I mean, I'd feel bad for Chiddy, but I will continue to be making music with lots, and lots, and lots of people.

SKoA: You've been putting out the Xaphoon Jones mixtapes, with Vol. 2 having come out last April. Are you working on a third?

NB: I'm not working on a third one, because it's album time right now. You know, I'm producing, there's tons I need to do, so I'm not going to put out Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 3 for quite some time. But, if the fans demand it, then I'll come back.

SKoA: Is there a specific sample that you really want to work with?

NB: I mean, yeah, but if I told you then you might tell your friends who make beats and next thing you know it'll be all over the Internet, and I'll be like, "Damn, he beat me to it!" I mean, in this day and age, it's a safe bet that anyone you meet has some kind of friend that's involved in music, somehow, or wants to be, or makes beats, or raps, or something. It's a safe bet.

SKoA: So, since we're doing the interview on behalf of Taco Bell and the Feed the Beat program, I figure it might as well be time for me to ask you about your work with them. How has your experience been working with Taco Bell and Feed the Beat? And how excited are you for the VMA pre-show this Friday?

NB: Man, working with Taco Bell, we get to do things that we would never be able to do otherwise. Like, play the MLB All-Star game, that's something that you can't just walk into and do. To get to do that was amazing, to get to be part of the VMA's is amazing, and I think we're just getting warmed up.

As for the VMA's, I'm definitely excited. Swizz Beatz is one of my favourites, I mean, I love Swizz Beatz as a producer. Maybe not so much on the artist side of things, but, as a producer, I'm such a fan. I mean, he produced "Touch It" by Busta Rhymes, which is one of the greatest beats of all time.

SKoA: Do the two of you get a lot of free food too?

NB: You know what? Our manager takes all the free Taco Bell cards, so we actually don't get any free Taco Bell. The Taco Bell people send them to our manager to give to us, and he just takes them. If you're out there, Taco Bell people, I'm going to have to give you my home address, because Anthony, [our manager], takes all of it (laughs).

SKoA: Or you could take it one step further and start a corn farm over in England, then you can make your own tacos.

NB: (Laughs) Yeah, well we're actually working on an organic Taco Bell branch.

[Listen] Jay-Z Discusses 'Watch The Throne' Tour, Responds To Indie Record Stores In Interview w/ Hot 97

You're late for a meeting so you decide to pop into Hot 97 to conduct an impromptu interview with Angie Martinez of Hot 97. In the interview Jay-Z touches on numerous topics, including the supposed fall out between Kanye and himself. Most interestingly he touches on the open letter that a bunch of Record Stores sent out last week, and the response is valid I guess. We live in a modern age in which we can turn on this magic box, enter a search query and within a millisecond have what we want. Music leaks daily and Jay said that they didn't work this hard for 8 months for it to leak, and that's why it's solely being released on iTunes firstly: "We took great care to make sure it’s not leaking at all". The interview is an interesting listen and you can check it out below in full and thanks to Hypetrak for upping the interview. 

Watch the Throne out on August the 8th with a large US tour going on later this year to boot. Dates are up in the air but go onsale tomorrow after already being pushed back. 

Jay-Z surprise visits Angie Martinez (Interview) by Hypetrak

[Interview] Big Black Delta aka Jonathan Bates Talks Influences, Mellowdrone, and Solo Work

Jonathan Bates has been heavily involved in music for over ten years, having been a founding member of Los Angeles rock band Mellowdrone, and, more recently, working under the solo moniker of Big Black Delta. He recently released BBDEP1, which included the track "Huggin' & A Kissin'," and is currently hard at work on his debut LP, tentatively titled BBDLP1. You might also remember a certain track on the Tron: Legacy Reconfigured soundtrack, in which Big Black Delta remixed the Daft Punk track "Fall," from the original Tron: Legacy Soundtrack, alongside SKoA favourite M83.

I recently had a chance to shoot Jonathan some questions regarding his musical influences, his history with Mellowdrone, what it was like working with Anthony Gonzalez (aka M83), as well as what's in store for Big Black Delta in the future. You can check out the full interview after the jump.

Some Kind of Awesome: Growing up in Venezuela and then Miami, how has that influenced the way you view music? And how has it influenced the music you’ve created over the years?

Jonathan Bates: In a lot of latin music, triplet feels are very prominent. It feels like a skipping rock, like falling down the stairs and landing on your feet. I love it when music does this, and I sneak it in whenever I can. Also, the use of brass in mexican and cuban music is pretty much the blueprint to a fucking good time.

SKoA: You formed Mellowdrone back in 1999, how did that come about?

JB: It started out as just me in Boston. My Dad had gotten me a Darla soundcard for my birthday, since it was the cheapest analog to digital sound converter you could get. I was at Berklee College of Music in Boston and had a lot of hacker friend, so one dude gave me Cool Edit Pro and I went to town on that shit. Boston is a cold, windy place, and I'm a scrawny guy, so I mostly stayed inside and tried to make music. Sparklehorses "Good Morning Spider" had just come out and completely demolished me.

Up to that point, I was a prog guitar player who could play you any Dream Theater song on command. A friend of mine, Shawn Bradley, invited me out to LA to help record some demos.  I crashed on his couch, recorded a demo, couch surfed some more, and played open mic's or whatever I could get until, eventually, I got a record deal. I met Tony Dematteo along the way and we locked pretty tight. He eventually recommended his high school buddy Brian Borg to play drums, and he's a fucking badass drummer, so he was in.

SKoA: Over the course of ten years, Mellowdrone released four EPs and two LPs. How has Mellowdrone’s extensive work influenced the ways in which you make music, whether it was negative or positive?

JB: 100% positive. Musically, I would hope I've become better at getting to the point of things. Mellowdrone has taught me WAY more than songwriting. Because of constantly unpredictable shows, I saw shit, and people, I never would have dreamt of. Most importantly, I found re-occuring themes that all of us are subject to, regardless of position, shit all of us go through but don't usually acknowledge. When you try to attempt to make cool stuff and involve commerce, its always a curious scene.

SKoA: After the release of Mellowdrone’s Angry Bear, you felt as if you had to move on from the “band” aesthetic. Why did you feel this way, and what made you decide to move on to your solo project, Big Black Delta?

JB: We had all grown exhausted. Tony, Brian and I are hard fucking workers man. Meet these dudes and you'll see for yourself. But, nearly ten years of "packing up the van and seeing where it led us" got kind of old. We'd been through everything, including fights, getting jumped, beat up by cops, etc. There was one night where we reached our limit. One night, ten minutes before going on, we were truly debating whether or not to tell the promoter one of our girlfriends had been kidnapped. Pretending to be too upset to play, we would pack up our shit and leave. In retrospect its funny, but at the time... I think that was our last show.

SKoA: Upon starting your solo project, you set out to make music that wasn’t restricted by rules and boundaries. Describe the processes you went through after starting a project where you ultimately had complete freedom.

JB: I was surprised at how it easy it was. I feel the way I output never changes, but rather the final definition attached to the result changes.

SKoA: BBDEP1 was released last year as a free download for fans, and now you have plans to release BBDLP1 in September. Have you been pleased with the reception of your solo project, whether it’s your EP, your remixes, or your singles?

JB: People have been very kind, and I'm still very new to this and hope to get better. It's always cool when someone gives a shit.

SKoA: You teamed up with M83 to do a remix of Daft Punk’s “Fall” for the Tron: Legacy Reconfigured album. What was it like working with M83 on the remix, and how did it feel remixing the music of Daft Punk?

JB: It was a very fun weekend for me.  Anthony's a dope musician, so its always enlightening to have a dialogue like that. Plus, my french is shit, so we had to communicate sonically. It's like three chefs making you a stew to stick your dick in.

SKoA: The first LP under the Big Black Delta moniker, BBDLP1, is set for release in September. How are you preparing for the upcoming release, and how are you feeling personally? Are there any plans for a tour in support of the album?

JB: I'm preparing by giving the music out and letting people digest it on their own accord. With this project, if you want more, you'll let me know kind of thing. My friend Caspar at Version Industries has designed a lot of wonderful artwork so the listener can see it the same time. As far as a tour goes, if you want me and Mahsa and Amy to come play, let that shit be known as well.

SKoA: You have an upcoming show on June 29th at The Satellite in Los Angeles, and will be joined by Violet Tremors and The Present Moment. Can you describe what it’s like to perform live on-stage And what do you like, or dislike, about live performances as opposed to working in the studio?

JB: Playing live is like a compliment.  When you hear it, it usually makes you nervous and suspicious, but, if you take it for face value, its wonderful. That make sense? Thought so. In the studio you can undo, when it's live you can't. Is one better than the other? I ask myself that all the time.

SKoA: One last question. What is the future plan for Mellowdrone? Any new EPs or LPs in the works?

JB: Nothing now, but never say never.

[Watch] Manchester Orchestra Debut "Virgin" x Live Chat From Andy Hull's Living Room

Today at 7pm EST you lucky, lucky people will get an inside look into what could possibly be, one of the best releases of 2011. Andy Hull, lead singer of Manchester Orchestra is opening up his doors to a film crew and, along with the rest of the band they'll will be answering questions and having a little chat about their upcoming third studio album Simple Math. Set for release on May 10th the anticipation is starting to really get to me but tonight, Andy will debut a brand new track from the album entitled "Virgin". 

Head on over HERE to watch the stream and to pre-order the album and get your hands on some extra special limited goodies head on over here. The day just got a lot better, don't you think!?