 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Murder by Death are one of the most unique bands out there today. They sound like walking into a saloon one hundred years ago, but with a sound that is very much modern. Their new album, In Bocca al Lupo, is a wonderful piece of music that would be a great addition to anyone's collection. This interview went down with bassist Matt Armstrong after their set at The Living Room in Providence, RI on July 23.
PL: State something interesting about yourself.
MA: I don't know whats interesting. I have acid reflux. I can throw up on command without using my hands if I want to. Its like when you make yourself burb, but you take it to the next level.
PL: Do you ever do that just for fun?
MA: I have. Some of my friends thought that it would be hilarous.
PL: Your album has been out for a few months. Has your opinion of it changed since you've repeated the recording process?
MA: Its weird because I rarely listen to the record. The only time I listen to the record is if we want to bring back a song that we hadn't been playing and just wanted to practice along with it. I'm still really proud of the record, and I'm stoked on it and I hope other people are, but honestly, I'm too caught up in the touring aspect to worry much about it. I still dig it and I had a blast working with J (Robbins). I'm cool with the record.
PL: Do you have a different mind set playing live as opposed to recording?
MA: Its a pretty different animal. A recording actually gets committed to tape, and thats what people have. They can see you play live, and they can love it or hate it, but its an experience that they had thats in their heads, unless somebody else recorded that too. Thats kind of the measuring stick. Thats what our live show will get compared to. So live is really more about being energetic and putting on a good show that people are into. With the record, you have to be a little more picky, but live, if you're having a good time and if people are having a good time, than its cool. Its a totally different standard to measure it.
PL: Does touring with different bands have any influence on your music?
MA: It can. You're always observing stuff musically, whenever you're out, even if its just hearing something in your head that you hate. You respond to that with what you do from that point on. If you hear something you like, you probably try to incorporate certain aspects of that to what you do as well. There is so much music out there that you get exposed to all the time, and whether its touring or just turning on the radio, it becomes cause and affect, whether I'd like to try that or never want to do that as long as I live. We've never been on tour with a band that I'd want to be just like and do exactly what they're doing, but there are little things that you learn from everyone that you play with.
PL: Name one current band that you'd kill to see live.
MA: I'm pretty lucky. I've seen most of the bands that I'd want to see, but I really want to see Channels, which is J. Robbins, who recorded our record; its his new band. I'm a huge J. Robbins fan. I have a Jawbox tattoo. I never saw Jawbox and I never saw Burning Airlines. I spent five weeks in the studio recording with J., and I've never seen that guy play. Their new record that is coming out is gonna melt your face off. I really want to see them play. I've learned so much from that guy, and he's one of the coolest people to hang out with and work with, and I want to see him do his deal. All my experiences with him are him helping us deal with what we're trying to do. I want to see him cut loose.
PL: If you could go back in time and live in the Wild West, would you?
MA: I don't know. It'd be a cool thing to hang out and do for a little while then come back, but I think there's enough modern stuff that I'd probably freak out if I didn't have it. There's people I'd miss and stuff like that. If I could visit and come back eventually, yeah, I'd check it out, but I wouldn't want to be stuck in the Old West.
PL: Whats one movie everyone should see?
MA: "Raising Arizona" or "Purple Rain." That would actually be a great double feature.
PL: Whats a little known fact about Indiana?
MA: I'm not actually from Indiana. None of us are. We all met there at school, so I really don't know. There's still a lot of it thats unknown to me. I'm from Texas, Adam is from Detroit, Alex and Sarah are from Louisville. We all just kind of met at a random spot in the middle of the U.S. and just got together. I'm still learning about Indiana all the time.
PL: Do you guys still live there?
MA: Yeah, but living there and touring is different than just living there. You've got a house and all of your stuff is there, and your friends are there, but you just stop in and do laundry, get drunk and hang out for two weeks and then leave again, so I'm not really studying up on it.
PL: Name one album, besides your own, that you think all kids should have in their collection.
MA: I'd say Disintegration by The Cure, which is my favorite record ever. I discovered The Cure when I was in 8th grade and really depressed, and I learned a lot from them. It kind of depends on what situation you're in. There's a record for every situation. Thats definitely one of the sad pretty ones. I'll tell you what: Back in Black by ACDC; everybody should own that one. Everyone should probably own Gentlemen by The Afghan Whigs. Thats a sweet record.
