There are lots of qualities of a band's sound that attract me to a their songs... But if it is the one thing that gets me most, it is a song that strikes a happy excitement within me right away.
Another late night, while browsing through Bandcamp, I "discovered" the North Carolina based band, Estrangers. Having always been enamored by crystal chandeliers, their album cover caught my eye almost immediately! Silly, I know, but upon hitting play, I knew I had found something very worthwhile.
Black Ballroom proved to be full of upbeat little gems of songs, much like the chandler on their cover. I ended up listening to the whole album.
Aside from the immediate feeling of fun, there were several things that I loved about the band and album as it progressed. I couldn't help but note the songs to be both rhythmically and compositionally a reflection of some of my favorite 60's songs. This, for obvious reasons, got me very excited. But perhaps what sold me must was the integration and role of the piano within the songs-- an instrument which, when it comes to new bands, seems to have been slowly lost in the mix in recent years. Though, as a whole, the sound of Estrangers holds a great indie rock gone hazy and lo-fi (which the band defines as "fuzz pop"), many of the sweet melodic songs appeared greatly driven by the piano, something I found really refreshing.
Being the nosy person I am, I of course was intrigued to find out who exactly these guys were and get their story. While they were last in New York, I reached out to them to ask them a few questions about their musical background and process :)
MF
Where are you from?
Philip
Winston-Salem, NC.
David Todd
Originally Little Rock, Arkansas. Moved to Chicago for undergrad and florida for grad school.
Mike
North Carolina.
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MF
How did you start writing music?
Philip
I played in a few bands in high school, which looking back, were terrible. I guess the songs slowly started to get better over the years. I hope at least!
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MF
What instruments do you play?
Philip
Guitar, Bass, Piano very poorly, and I used to play Violin in high school
Patrick
I play drums mainly.
David Todd
All sorts of keys. I also play hammered dulcimer and the French horn. Be looking for these on the next Estrangers recordings.
Mike
Guitars, Basses, Drums, Singing, Percussions, Harmonicas, Keys, Recorder
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MF
Your earliest memory with a musical instrument?
Philip
Taking piano lessons from my aunt when I was like seven. My dad also played Violin since I was little so I remember hearing him practice.
Patrick
Making drums out of tins and folgers cans.
David Todd
One of the first memories I have is of reaching up higher than I could see at the time and pulling down on the chipped and yellowing keys of a rickety, brown, and peeling baby grand that was in my house growing up and hearing the plunking of the low notes.
Mike
My mother's casio keyboard.
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MF
Can you talk a little about everyone involved with your band, its development, etc? How did you all meet? How many band members do you have?
Philip
There are a lot of us at the present, I met Mike, Pat and Trevor when they were in a band together a few years ago, and then once that band broke up they were free agents to start a new band with haha. I met Jodi when I moved back to Winston from Chapel Hill and always thought she'd be an awesome person to play music with. We met David Todd when he moved to Winston from Chicago, and he was instantly kind of just a good fit.
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MF
Why the name "Estrangers?"
Philip
When we were starting out we had a list of about five or six names we were considering, and all of them were sunny and summery-sounding... except Estrangers. I think it's just a more interesting name, that word carries a bit of weight on its own, so I think there can be cool layers of complexity when its applied to a group of people making music. Especially if we don't smile!
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MF
Can you talk a little about your songwriting process? Do you write the lyrics before or after you write the music?
Philip
Lyrics are almost always the last thing to be put into the song. Sometimes I'll have a line or two or a lyrical idea that makes sense to paired with a certain song, but usually the lyrics are written after the major musical parts are written.
David Todd
I think as a keyboard player it is key to always be hunting for melody. Often times the tones of a keyboard can punch through the mid range tones that can swell to crazy intense levels and you want to punch through with splinters of something beautiful and resonant. For me it is similar to the function of a good vocal melody in that you are searching for THE true melodic line that floats on top. It’s a theme that can extend beyond making music and into life, that searching for a strand of beauty and harmony and truth.
Mike
I try to think of myself as a funk brother... but in a total indie rock-slash-pop-slash-rock context.
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MF
What sorts of things do you draw inspiration from in your work (could be anything - from other musicians to themes, objects, relationships, etc..)
Philip
I think people are the best source material for songs. Every person is just so complex and his/her own universe, so there's just always a wealth of things to write about when I think about friends and acquaintances or past friends. But at the end of the day most of our songs on a basic level are just straight up pop songs, I'd like to think we could have opened for the Zombies or something if we were in another decade. That said, we all draw from a diverse musical pool.
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MF
Three albums that impacted your life
Philip
"You & Me" by The Walkmen
"Beatles For Sale" by The Beatle
"The Unforgettable Fire" by U2.
"Beatles For Sale" by The Beatle
"The Unforgettable Fire" by U2.
Patrick
"The Queen is Dead" by the Smiths
the first Clash record
and "Feels" by Animal Collective
(all sort of changed my taste in music)
"The Queen is Dead" by the Smiths
the first Clash record
and "Feels" by Animal Collective
(all sort of changed my taste in music)
David Todd
Sun Kil Moon
"Ghosts of the Great Highway" cause it always cures insomnia...Mono, "Hymn to the Immortal Wind"
Mike
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground
John Coltrane - Interstellar Space
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MF
Three songs you couldn't live without?
Philip
"In the New Year" by The Walkmen
"Care of Cell 44" by The Zombies
"Beverly Kills" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
"Care of Cell 44" by The Zombies
"Beverly Kills" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Patrick
"Just Like Honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain
"Did You See The Words" by Animal Collective
"This Charming Man" by of course The Smiths.
"Did You See The Words" by Animal Collective
"This Charming Man" by of course The Smiths.
David Todd
Mike
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MF
Favorite city to tour?
Philip
New York! Yeah! Greenpoint rules. Probably because our friends treat us so well there.
Patrick
Brooklyn?
David Todd
Chicago.
Mike
FLORIDA! Columbus, OH. New Jersey. North Carolina.
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MF
Favorite place in the whole world (and maybe a picture you have or have taken of it)?
Philip
I've been to northern California once and really enjoyed it, I'd love to go back again.
Patrick
Paris. I don't know how easy or enjoyable it would be to live there but as far as my favorite city internationally, that would be it.
David Todd
Scottish Highlands.
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MF
Style/Fashion inspiration? Designers?
Philip
I'm terrible as far as knowing what's current in fashion. There's a Californian company called Commune that makes some cool clothes, but I heard they may not be making them anymore. Raleigh Denim is cool. My girlfriend also just got me some really rad boots made by a company called Vintage Shoes.
Patrick
Really into Topman right now. and Marc Jacobs
Mike
Mods. The 1960s and 1970s. Well-meaning and thoughtful Britons.
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MF
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Philip
Jeff Buckley would be incredibly cool to meet, so talented yet he seemed so humble. He would be an awesome person to talk to.
Mike
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MF
Favorite spots
Philip
Milltown Diner in Carrboro NC, The Raleigh Times in Raleigh NC
Patrick
Locally would be Washington Perk near my house. I could live in that joint.
David Todd
Skippy's Hot Dogs, Winston-Salem, NC. Myopic Bookstore, Chicago, IL.
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MF
Favorite object of yours (and maybe a picture of have of it)?
Philip
My hollowbody guitar that Larry Jaeger built for me is pretty incredible, he's an awesome builder and the guitar is one-of-a-kind, somewhere between an ES-335 and a Gretsch.
Patrick
Maybe my Bianchi. Everything I really love I got for next to nothing.
David Todd
My bikes.
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MF
Your spirit animal
Philip
Someone once told me that my spirit animal is a "Baby Bear Cub." I'm not sure how that makes me feel though.
Patrick
A tortoise.
David Todd
Panturtle.
Mike
Fox
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MF
Favorite films?
Philip
City of God, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, The Empire Strikes Back, Vertigo, No Country For Old Men.
Patrick
Child's Play 2.
David Todd
Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, American Movie.
Mike
Rockers, Fantastic Planet, Jules and Jim, In The Mood For Love
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