How
and when was the band formed?
Astragal
was formed during the fall of 2016 out of pure luck and a couple of
compliments. Sam, the drummer of Astragal and Jimmy, the singer and guitarist,
met one another at a Beach House show during the Depression Cherry tour. Sam
wore a Sung Tongs era Animal Collective shirt and Jimmy wore a shirt that
resembled the artwork on the cover of Beach House’s Bloom. They passed along
sweet nothings to one another at the show and thought they would never see each
other again. It was at a DIIV show that Sam and Jimmy randomly reconnected and
decided to meet up with David, the bass player, who Sam met on Soundcloud and
Craigslist.
Can
you tell us what the band has been working on and what you've got forthcoming
in the near future (new releases, tour, etc.)?
After
releasing our latest work, EP II, we have decided to get back into
finishing the writing for our debut LP. As a band that’s been together for
about three years now, releasing an album has been a long time coming. That
being said, we feel like we know ourselves a lot better now, both personally
and musically, than we did when we first met. The time to write has never been
better.
Do you consider your music to be part of the current shoegaze/dream pop scene, or any scene? Defining one's sound by genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that the band identifies closely with any genre? How do you feel about genres in music, in a general sense?
At
first we wanted to somehow mix jazz and janglepop together. A Jaco
Pastorius/Gilberto Gil/The Clientele/The Field Mice/My Bloody Valentine hybrid.
While this was an enjoyable and rather curious experience, we found that we
weren’t representing our genuine selves as songwriters.
We
took a trip to North Carolina to write, practice, and most importantly, get to
know each other better. We came out the other end with a lot of confidence,
understanding, and introspection. We now closely identify with bands like
Corridor, Preoccupations, The Ocean Blue, and Motorama and have a strong
attraction to post-punk, new wave, and krautrock. We still find it important to
focus on things from our first songs such as strange chords, time signatures,
and fun little dynamics.
What
do you think of modern shoegaze/dream pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?
Astragal
has a strong love for what is happening in modern shoegaze, post-punk, dream pop,
psychedelia, and indie music as a whole. Living in the time we are living in
now with the technology we have has opened our ears to genres we never knew
existed. From obscure shoegaze bands like The Suncharms to unusual music scenes
like the Volta jazz scene in Upper Volta, we have been able to rediscover
sounds that would have never made it to us otherwise. A few modern favorites of
ours include those Richmond, Virginia homies Camp Howard, Galveston Island’s
very own El Lago, Houston newcomers Barkada, our doppelgangers Glaze, our
favorite Anime rockers Rei Clone, Froth, H. Grimace, Chris Cohen, NOLA’s Scenic
World, and of course our eternal buds and kings of chorus, Small Chair.
What
is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps
that you prefer?
A
key component of our sound is the interaction between our guitarist’s Fender
Mustang and our bassist’s Rickenbacker. The punch, precision, grit, and clean
tones of both of these instruments just work so well together. Our beloved
JC-120 guitar amp and the latest addition of a Sunn 300T bass head are also two
staples of our sound.
What is your process for recording your music? What gear and/or software do you use? What would you recommend for others?
Lately
we have been recording with two of our fine friends from Denton, Texas, Nathan and
Blake of Elevator Music. Both of them have excellent ears, musical backgrounds,
and recording knowledge. Any song we have taken to them almost always
transforms into exactly what we want. They definitely understand how to
cultivate an atmosphere where people can voice literally any idea they have no
matter how small or grandiose. Our advice for recording is to know exactly what
you want before going into a studio and be equally prepared to throw it all
away for something even more spectacular.
How
do you feel about the state of the music industry today? There is no doubt a
massive change underway. How do you see it and do you feel it’s positive at
all?
We
honestly don’t pay much attention to the music industry at large or worry too
much about what goes on in our scene. We have found that keeping your head
down, while it may be considered rude, is the best way to have any sense of
mental well-being while being in a band. Of course we support our musical
friends, local artists that work in media outside of music, and the multitude
of great record shops and venues in Houston, but there is little to be said for
worrying too much about what may happen to all of it. Things change and we have
to worry about our individual lives before letting music industry standards or
any type of scene define what we worry about.
In
regards to the music industry at large, it’s quite terrifying sometimes. We
have met some of the most genuine and sadly some of the most ingenuine people
from playing music. It’s often an atmosphere plagued by social climbing and
personal gain.
The
positives that are present in the music industry are people’s willingness to
support smaller bands and be more open to new sounds. People also want to own
the music now by buying physical copies, which is fantastic. There is also a
larger concentration on mental health in the music industry right now, an issue
that has really left an impact on some of our closest musical peers.
Take
care of each other before the music.
When
it comes to label releases versus DIY/Bandcamp and the like, what is your
stance, if any?
I
think it comes down to personal preference and what is best for you and your
music. A label and DIY/Bandcamp possess different channels for moving music,
although sometimes they may meet up and intertwine. For us, starting with Miss Champagne and Wallflower Records (both Houston
labels) has been a fantastic experience. We are definitely open to moving
forward with a more nationally-based label if the stars align. But if not, we
are always just happy to be making music together.
Do you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or MP3 format when listening to music? Do you have any strong feelings toward any of them?
We
all have a strong preference for vinyl but great music can be found on any type
of format. As a musician it’s important to not discount any format. Your next
inspiration could be on an old cassette at a secondhand store or a CD
collecting dust in your parents’ car. For us, it all comes down to the music
itself.
What
artists (musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?
Jazz
and soul artists have made us stronger players and post-punk has made us more
introspective human beings. It’s a combination we are forever grateful for.
Some artists we are inspired by at the moment include Cortex, Grant Green,
Froth, Broadcast, Pete Seeger, Sam Prekop, Motorama, Life Without Buildings,
Herbie Mann, The Clientele, OMD, Chad Van Galen, Corridor, Lithics, Mourn,
Ryley Walker, Pat Metheny, Stanley Clarke, Roy Ayers, and Steve Reich.
Can
you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art,
bands, etc.)?
Some
of our favorite movies include Old Boy, Charade, Breathless, House, Good
Morning, Cashback, Lost in Translation, Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, and our all
time favorite and least favorite movie is Street Dreams. (We
simultaneously love and hate it—it’s such a cheesy movie!) Our guitarist and
vocalist, Jimmy, is addicted to Haruki Murakami books. We all really like
abstract expressionism and anything suprematic in style.
Matisse, Fan Ho, and Jacob Lawrence are huge inspirations to Jimmy. Our bassist,
David, makes fantastic collages and is really into contemporary art. Our
drummer, Sammy, has the best taste in B movies. Of course our favorite book of
all time is Astragal
by Albertine Sarrazin. Kikagaku Moyo has been one band that we are all equally
psyched on at the moment.
Can you tell us a little about the band’s song writing process?
Our
writing process is strictly based on how we all feel. We often practice on Thursday
and if for whatever reason we aren’t feeling it then we don’t practice at all.
If we do end up with that feeling and need to play music then we go ahead and
do it. Feelings are the ultimate starting point for us. Nothing is forced.
That’s really the key to a healthy songwriting process. If we get bored and
can’t write or practice then we just jam incoherently.
No
one person brings anything specific to the writing part. We all just meet up
and create the songs together. When we do land on a riff, bass line, or drum
part we just see where it takes us and if doesn’t take us anywhere then we
don’t bother with it and just move on. We often create the framework for a
whole song on the same day the first part is written. We make it as spontaneous
as possible.
What
is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?
Astragal
doesn’t have a philosophy or stand for anything. Sam, David, and Jimmy each
have their own philosophies on life that intertwine, coalesce, and contrast one
another. The late great Woody Guthrie can best sum up all of our philosophies:
“Take it easy, but take it.”
