Deer Tick @ SXSW 2009
While the best concert options for this Saturday in Boston are pretty clear, Sunday's agenda presents a tough decision: Deer Tick at Church, or Dan Deacon at MassArt? Both line-ups are well worth their ticket price, featuring super awesome local bands You Can Be a Wesley as openers for Deer Tick and The Craters and Big Digits as openers for Dan Deacon.
Regardless of which you are planning to choose, read on after the jump for our interview with Deer Tick's John Joseph McCauley III, who was nice enough to take some time out of the band's tour to call On A Friday from Florida yesterday. A really terrible phone connection prohibited a longer interview, but we were still able to ask McCauley about their Halloween show at Brooklyn Bowl (where the band dressed up as the Sex Pistols and played a set of all Sex Pistols songs), the influence of traditional American folk music on Deer Tick's recent album, and going home to play in Providence after the band's recent success.
While the best concert options for this Saturday in Boston are pretty clear, Sunday's agenda presents a tough decision: Deer Tick at Church, or Dan Deacon at MassArt? Both line-ups are well worth their ticket price, featuring super awesome local bands You Can Be a Wesley as openers for Deer Tick and The Craters and Big Digits as openers for Dan Deacon.Regardless of which you are planning to choose, read on after the jump for our interview with Deer Tick's John Joseph McCauley III, who was nice enough to take some time out of the band's tour to call On A Friday from Florida yesterday. A really terrible phone connection prohibited a longer interview, but we were still able to ask McCauley about their Halloween show at Brooklyn Bowl (where the band dressed up as the Sex Pistols and played a set of all Sex Pistols songs), the influence of traditional American folk music on Deer Tick's recent album, and going home to play in Providence after the band's recent success.
On A Friday: On Halloween you guys played a show as the Sex Pistols. How did that go and why did you want to play that show?
John Joseph McCauley III: It was good. It was my idea. I thought we could have fun with it.
OAF: Why did you choose to play as the Sex Pistols?
JM: I thought it would be fun.
OAF: Are you really influenced by punk bands?
JM: Yeah I'd say so. That's the kind of the music that I first started playing when I was a kid and first got a guitar.
OAF: It's cool that you guys play traditional folk songs like Goodnight Irene, which is on your album, and then also play sets of Sex Pistols songs. Do you think there are a lot of similarities between the two genres- folk and punk?
JM: Yeah. Definitely. I'd say so.
OAF: Why do you think punk songs translate well when played in a Deer Tick style? Is that one of the reasons why you chose to cover a punk band?
JM: Well we didn't like put any of our own spin onto the songs. It was more of a tribute show. We played them pretty straight up. We were in costume as the sex pistols
OAF: Why did you choose to end your album with Goodnight Irene? Are you a big fan of Lead Belly?
JM: Um.. I've liked playing that song for a long time - so uh - I mean - I guess I really didn't put much thought into it. I started listening to Lead Belly when I was 13 or 14. It's one of those songs that when i first really listened to it, it stayed with me.
OAF: Deer Tick does a really good job at preserving old sounds on Born on Flag Day. Do you strive to preserve these old, traditional-influenced sounds? Do you think its important?
JM: No, it just kind of happened that way. I'm not sure about the traditional aspect. I guess I like a lot of older music. I've never tried to like write or record music that sounds old. I guess it's just the way I write or the way I carry myself-- it's not something I was going for. I don't listen to that much folk or country. Not that often.
OAF: Who are some other young/living artists who also do a good job at preserving the sound of older traditional-sounding folk/country singers?
JM: I think the Tallest Man on Earth, the Felice Brothers, Old Crowe Medicine Show. Those bands kinda sound like that.
OAF: You're from Providence, Rhode Island, but when you sing you sound like you're from the South. How is that?
JM: I don't really think we sound much that way. I think we're way more a straight up rock and roll band. It's just kind of dumb luck or whatever that some people think we sound like that.
OAF: How often do you guys go back and play in Providence now?
JM: We play Providence... not too often. We played there four times this year. Playing Providence is crazy because everyone in Providence comes to see us. It's a big family event. But it's not the same crazy music scene I used to know in Providence. I feel like I have to be on my best behavior now when I am at home.
OAF: What is it like to live and play music in Providence? It's so close to Boston but they seem different.
JM: It's entirely its own place. I don't think Providence and Boston really interest each other.
John Joseph McCauley III: It was good. It was my idea. I thought we could have fun with it.
OAF: Why did you choose to play as the Sex Pistols?
JM: I thought it would be fun.
OAF: Are you really influenced by punk bands?
JM: Yeah I'd say so. That's the kind of the music that I first started playing when I was a kid and first got a guitar.
OAF: It's cool that you guys play traditional folk songs like Goodnight Irene, which is on your album, and then also play sets of Sex Pistols songs. Do you think there are a lot of similarities between the two genres- folk and punk?
JM: Yeah. Definitely. I'd say so.
OAF: Why do you think punk songs translate well when played in a Deer Tick style? Is that one of the reasons why you chose to cover a punk band?
JM: Well we didn't like put any of our own spin onto the songs. It was more of a tribute show. We played them pretty straight up. We were in costume as the sex pistols
OAF: Why did you choose to end your album with Goodnight Irene? Are you a big fan of Lead Belly?
JM: Um.. I've liked playing that song for a long time - so uh - I mean - I guess I really didn't put much thought into it. I started listening to Lead Belly when I was 13 or 14. It's one of those songs that when i first really listened to it, it stayed with me.
OAF: Deer Tick does a really good job at preserving old sounds on Born on Flag Day. Do you strive to preserve these old, traditional-influenced sounds? Do you think its important?
JM: No, it just kind of happened that way. I'm not sure about the traditional aspect. I guess I like a lot of older music. I've never tried to like write or record music that sounds old. I guess it's just the way I write or the way I carry myself-- it's not something I was going for. I don't listen to that much folk or country. Not that often.
OAF: Who are some other young/living artists who also do a good job at preserving the sound of older traditional-sounding folk/country singers?
JM: I think the Tallest Man on Earth, the Felice Brothers, Old Crowe Medicine Show. Those bands kinda sound like that.
OAF: You're from Providence, Rhode Island, but when you sing you sound like you're from the South. How is that?
JM: I don't really think we sound much that way. I think we're way more a straight up rock and roll band. It's just kind of dumb luck or whatever that some people think we sound like that.
OAF: How often do you guys go back and play in Providence now?
JM: We play Providence... not too often. We played there four times this year. Playing Providence is crazy because everyone in Providence comes to see us. It's a big family event. But it's not the same crazy music scene I used to know in Providence. I feel like I have to be on my best behavior now when I am at home.
OAF: What is it like to live and play music in Providence? It's so close to Boston but they seem different.
JM: It's entirely its own place. I don't think Providence and Boston really interest each other.
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