Interview w/ The Savages

LA's The Savages are one of those acts that you hear, immediately like, and want to shake your friends by the shoulders and say, "You have to hear these guys!!" (Such was our experience, at least...)

We checked in with members William, Kilo, and Mark over Instant Messenger earlier this week and the conversation follows below.



RFSL (1:04:20 PM): Hey! How are you guys doing today?
Mark (1:04:40 PM): doin well
Mark (1:04:55 PM): how about you?
RFSL (1:05:22 PM): I'm doing pretty well. Got the day off and my game just came out today.
Mark (1:06:59 PM): cool i am a cod4 fan myself
RFSL (1:07:25 PM): I used to work on Medal of Honor and am a big COD4 fan. Just beat GTA IV last week.
RFSL (1:07:28 PM): So how long you guys been playing together? How did you meet?
William (1:08:23 PM): Mark and I played around a little musically but headed in The Savages direction last Nov.
William (1:08:56 PM): I moved into a house with Kilo and he came to a recording session at Chermak one weekend. [Edit Note: Chermak Studios is run by Tim from The Movies.]
William (1:09:19 PM): Jumped on the keys and now we're here
RFSL (1:09:33 PM): When did you start playing out?
William (1:10:25 PM): We had our first show out in December
RFSL (1:10:35 PM): Where was that?
William (1:10:44 PM): The world famous Zen Sushi
RFSL (1:10:48 PM): Ahhh.
RFSL (1:11:33 PM): I caught you guys at The Movies' cd release show at Bordello. That was a great night.
Mark (1:12:17 PM): yeah that was a lot of fun
William (1:12:19 PM): that night was a special night for sure. a lot of fun. We missed you at the afterparty
Mark (1:12:38 PM): yeah afterparty
RFSL (1:12:50 PM): Good times?
William (1:13:05 PM): yeah man.
William (1:13:19 PM): we're having a retro-electro party this friday.
William (1:13:53 PM): You are invited. Kilo will be doing some djing
RFSL (1:14:18 PM): Many thanks. I've got the girlfriend's moms staying with us, but I will see if I can get out.
RFSL (1:14:31 PM): So you're recording at Chermak Studios?
Mark (1:15:22 PM): yes we have been recording there on and off for a couple months... its been really great working with tim, he has a place over there
Mark (1:15:51 PM): typo he has a great place over there
RFSL (1:16:13 PM): Yeah, I can imagine. I've gone to shows where he's done sound and he's phenomenal.
RFSL (1:16:26 PM): And The Movies are one of my favorite bands in town.
RFSL (1:16:39 PM): How did you end up over there?
William (1:16:47 PM): Yeah they're great.
William (1:17:53 PM): We started hangin' out with Tim. He mentioned he had a studio one night. Took him up on it.
William (1:18:28 PM): Have you heard the legend of the Chermak Chicken?
RFSL (1:18:50 PM): What is the Chermak Chicken?
William (1:19:11 PM): Aaaaaaaah. I'll let Tim tell you about it.
RFSL (1:19:17 PM): Ha, ha.
RFSL (1:19:27 PM): I've seen the Spuds MacKenzie lamp there, which I covet.
RFSL (1:20:20 PM): So I understand that you guys have a personal philosophy where you try to avoid digital shortcuts?
RFSL (1:20:30 PM): Or how would you explain it?
William (1:22:08 PM): Well we don't exactly try to avoid digital shortcuts. We embrace the benefits of technology in our music and otherwise, but we do try to encourage the traditional forms of human connection when possible.
RFSL (1:24:05 PM): So you place a lot of importance on shows?
Mark (1:24:17 PM): absolutely
Mark (1:24:59 PM): it is all about the enchantment of the live show
RFSL (1:25:28 PM): When do you play next?
Mark (1:26:12 PM): the viper room may 12th for check one two
RFSL (1:26:31 PM): Excellent. With Everest and ...
William (1:26:40 PM): Film School
RFSL (1:26:55 PM): That's a great fucking line-up.
William (1:26:58 PM): I'm a fan of theirs. Cool vibe on the tunes
William (1:27:08 PM): yea for sure
William (1:27:46 PM): So Joe how long you been doing RFSL?
RFSL (1:28:29 PM): The guys at Radio Free Chicago asked me to do an LA version of their site two years back and change.
RFSL (1:28:55 PM): (They're our older, smarter, more handsome brother.)
Mark (1:29:03 PM): cool man are you from chicago?
RFSL (1:29:34 PM): Yeah, I grew up going to The Metro and seeing Naked Raygun. Left before Tortoise, unfortunately, but caught Ministry a lot.
RFSL (1:29:39 PM): Shellac.
RFSL (1:29:51 PM): Where you guys from?
Mark (1:30:01 PM): i love naked raygun
RFSL (1:30:18 PM): They toured a few months back!
Kilo (1:30:36 PM): they need to come out here
Mark (1:31:20 PM): kilo is from new york
Mark (1:31:51 PM): i'm from colorado
William (1:32:09 PM): I'm from Denver where the air in thin, the women are a tough and the mountains spectacular
RFSL (1:32:14 PM): No one in LA is really from LA, are they?
Mark (1:32:22 PM): i know right?
RFSL (1:32:55 PM): So how would you guys describe your music? I'm terrible at doing that. I'd say there's a psych rock influence, but it also reminds me of early Black Sabbath. That doesn't do it justice, though.
William (1:33:23 PM): Dude Black Sabbath. That is a new one.
Mark (1:33:28 PM): thats a new one i havn't heard black sabbath yet
RFSL (1:33:38 PM): I love that first album.
William (1:33:56 PM): Yeah yea
Kilo (1:34:17 PM): i've heard judas priest
RFSL (1:34:39 PM): It's got to be kind of annoying hearing people mention bands they think you sound like. When I was in a band, people said we sounded like Psych Furs and The Strokes.
RFSL (1:34:48 PM): I was like ... really?
Mark (1:34:52 PM): haha
William (1:35:18 PM): lol. I like to talk about our music in terms of what it makes me feel or imagine.
RFSL (1:36:38 PM): What does it make you feel or imagine?
William (1:37:07 PM): Depends on the song.
RFSL (1:37:34 PM): Let's say Light Your Lamps.
RFSL (1:37:46 PM): (Because I'm listening to that on your myspace page right now.)
Mark (1:38:00 PM): awesome thats a great tune
William (1:38:05 PM): Overall music composition is an imaginative process for us.
William (1:38:35 PM): You begin writing and the song starts creating the story and the dream in your mind and heart.
William (1:39:00 PM): From there it is a discipline of letting the music take the lead.
William (1:39:23 PM): Light Your Lamps will tell you a different story than it will tell me.
William (1:39:39 PM): I would love to hear your take on the song.
RFSL (1:40:24 PM): I can see/hear what you're saying. A lot of songs might not do that, but a song like Light Your Lamps is more experiential [sp?].
RFSL (1:41:01 PM): It's like taking a journey or tripping. It's kind of impossible not to get caught up in it.
William (1:41:09 PM): exactly.
RFSL (1:41:56 PM): It must be incredibly damn fun writing a track like that.
Mark (1:42:08 PM): oh boy u bet!
RFSL (1:43:11 PM): You guys writing a lot of material right now as you're recording or how does that work?
Mark (1:43:12 PM): that song on the myspace is actually a rough one take jam. the finished version is pretty damn similar but with keys
RFSL (1:43:24 PM): Looking forward to hearing it.
Mark (1:44:58 PM): actually we have a lot of material but one of our weakness is recording it, we sort of procrastinate in that department
RFSL (1:45:35 PM): Why is that?
Kilo (1:45:39 PM): we are a live band
RFSL (1:45:38 PM): Ahh.
RFSL (1:46:01 PM): When's the cd coming out?
William (1:46:42 PM): that is TBA soon.
RFSL (1:47:36 PM): Is it a full album?
William (1:48:45 PM): Don't know yet.
Kilo (1:48:57 PM): we come up with new stuff every other week and try to record it as much as can
RFSL (1:49:50 PM): Cool. Anything else new on the horizon? Tour or residency?
William (1:50:27 PM): We've got some great shows coming up.
Mark (1:50:39 PM): and some fun parties
Kilo (1:50:48 PM): but we would love to go on tour
William (1:50:56 PM): Really looking forward to your night at Boardner's on the 20th.
RFSL (1:51:07 PM): Thanks. I'm really looking forward to it, too.
RFSL (1:51:27 PM): I would love to see you guys play with Xu Xu Fang.
William (1:51:30 PM): Just having fun and mixing it up.
William (1:51:44 PM): I like XUXU. I've seen them a few times.
Mark (1:51:47 PM): yeah that would be cool
William (1:51:56 PM): They have a certain magic.
RFSL (1:52:07 PM): Yeah. Definitely.
RFSL (1:52:19 PM): So last question for you: What are you listening to these days?
William (1:52:20 PM): That would be a great combo
Mark (1:53:13 PM): strauss thus spoke zarathustra
William (1:53:35 PM): Mark that's a good one.
Kilo (1:54:31 PM): i like to listen to mum,m83,the movies ,danger digitalism mia
Mark (1:54:55 PM): yeah the movies are pretty sweet
RFSL (1:55:08 PM): That new cd is fucking great.
William (1:55:08 PM): Some of the sounds coming out of france, suicide. anoraak.
Mark (1:55:20 PM): totally
Kilo (1:55:49 PM): too long of a list but we like to dance
RFSL (1:56:00 PM): Heh.
RFSL (1:56:02 PM): Right on. Well, that's all I've got for you guys.
William (1:56:20 PM): cool man. we'll see you on friday. hope you can make it out.
Mark (1:56:29 PM): allright joe it was great chatting with you
RFSL (1:56:31 PM): Thanks so much for your time.
Mark (1:56:35 PM): looking forward to Boardner's
RFSL (1:56:38 PM): Thanks! Will try to make it out.
William (1:56:44 PM): Thanks for having us on. We love what you are doing and appreciate it for sure.
Kilo (1:56:46 PM): peace joe ill have a beer bong waiting for you