Rock Show Alert - Interview With The Soft White 60's and Something to do This Saturday Night
With Al Bruting
We sat down with The Soft White Sixties Aaron Eisenburg to talk about the upcoming show at The Crofoot in Pontiac and their the new release, "Get Right." For rock and roll fans that like a touch of soul and an energetic live show, you may have a destination for Saturday night.MCB This month your bringing a live show to Detroit following up the recent release of "Get Right." As soon as we hit play on this record, your singer hit the radar with a solid set rock and roll vocals and the band shows up with a good feel.
TSWS Octavio has that vocal rasp that your talking about and while that comes through on the record, he really brings it on stage. He is a charismatic performer. What your really looking for with any singer is seeing them live. This is where it really shows up. The live show has always been the big part of what we do and spending time off the road recording has never been an option.
MCB “Get Right” is an interesting title because it carries the idea of straightening out or perfecting something and leaves what needs to be fixed to our imaginations. Is their significance in the title and what did this album mean to you?
TSWS We tossed names around but we wanted a title with a call to action. Something that speaks, like "Let it Bleed" did for the Stones.We looked at all the songs and "Get Right" was the common thread through them. It has to do with relationships and a first person perspective, encouraging someone to get right.
The song "Up to the light" is about being with someone who is set in their ways and trying to bring them around to what you might be thinking. We put a self titled EP out earlier and were excited to come up with a name on the new release.
MCB Is the latest album is a departure from the prior recordings direction and would any difference be attributable to any line up changes or production and sound engineers.
TSWS Its being different without being a complete departure and abandoning the fans of our prior release. The word I would use is evolution. Its the same picture with a few more colors on the palate. We recorded the EP in 2 days and did it all live. We recorded "Get Right" in five days and about ten total with over dubs! We definitely spent more time on production, arrangement and different tones though.
The prior EP was more plug and play and less involved. On "Get Right" we worked with a producer named Jim Greer, who has done a lot of pop and hip hop. We were very excited to work with someone who pulls from different musical area's and in brought more than just a rock record quality.
MCB Tell us about the bands line up and ways that the original style that any members may contribute to the current sound.
TSWS The four of us get along well and are really close. This helps and it gives us all a similar trajectory. Joey and Ryan have been playing together for 15 years in punk bands around the Bay Area and have toured the world together. Octavio came from a soul back ground and grew up in home where his mother would sing him Mexican folk songs. Were definitely a band where everyone brings their own flavor.
MCB Tell us about the craft and creating a Soft White 60’s song from the initial idea to its completion.
TSWS Even if one of us writes a song, its not a Soft White Sixties song until we all contribute to it. For us its about the song and then the songwriting. Our priority is to let the music happen and its not guided by trying to create something that sounds like a rock record. The song is first and if it sounds more rock, pop or soul sound, what matters to us is if its good.
Octavio writes all the lyrics and vocal melodies. Ryan might bring in an instrumental demo and we listen and all play it. One of us might start it by writing a song and the rest of us arrange it.
MCB Your playing at The Crofoot in Pontiac. Does the stage and playing live change your songs.
TSWS Yes, one hundred percent. The songs not done until you try it out live. We probably wouldn't record a song until we played it live because it brings to light what needs to be worked on. The audience is where you can pull back a song that's boring. Live music is a big part of what we do and we want to make sure it feels good. Recording a song puts a stamp on it and gives you the essence. Hopefully by the time its to the studio we have fixed it live and can quit messing with it.
MCB Were looking forward to seeing The Soft White Sixties this Saturday, June 21st at The Crofoot.