Austinist Interviews Ghostland Observatory

How did you guys get together, because it's sort of a strange combo...

T: We were joined by an ultimate force named Andrew in an experimental... what kind of band was it?

A: Uhm...

T: It was like an noise, uh, noise, uh..

A: Yeah, like a noise jam, kind of like...

T: MMM.. 45 minute songs.

A: Yeah, yeah. I met Andrew at a post office through my work, and he used to own a sandal shop called Sandals And Such.

T: It was one of the most classic sandal stores in town. It was great.

A: Yeah, and I played in a band with him for a while, and then Thomas -- we were trying out people, and you answered, what, the ad in the Chronicle.

T: It said like, uh, you know, whatever, electronic and rock fusion, Radiohead meets Gary Glitter ... and I was like, "Oh yeah!"

A: When thomas first came and tried out, I remember not liking him.

T: I didn't care for Aaron either!

A: I didn't really like what he was doing, I was like, "What's this electronic techno shit?"

We saw you at one of your first shows. You played a couple of shows after that, and then you basically hid yourself away and recorded. Did you have half the album recorded already?

T: We didn't even have any song that was on the album [at that show]. It was totally different.

A: We morphed very quickly. It was a quick evolutionary jump within a month. We were more of a ...

T: Beatles / Doors thing ... Because we were doing a three piece, and we were trying to format it with the drummer, and then for whatever reason, everyone diseappeared, err, got buried in the desert...

A: That's how he deals with people.

T: When we decided it was going to just be us two then we got in our room and there was no rules. With the other drummers, they couldn't play to a click track, or they didn't want to do this or that ... With me and Aaron, whatever works.

A: Whatever comes. It don't matter. Shoot! You never know. We might be doing epic rock ... tomorrow! It doesn't matter to us. We're not trying to do anything. We're just trying to do whatever comes to us.

T: Whatever feels right.

A: It doesn't matter what it is. If we agree on it, it'll be happening.

Was there a point when you were practicing and playing where you realized like, "hot shit, we gotta get this down now?"

T: I'm always anxious to lay the tracks down and get them down on wax. I know we had 4 or 5 songs coming together ... but it's a feeling thing. We know when it's time to go into the studio.

A: We just listen to ourselves and what's going on. We pay attention to ourselves. We analyze how we're feeling. What should we do? Always asking, receiving back. Sometimes we're just like, we gotta get it! and we'll lay down 2 songs in a weekend.

You guys are pretty much the only electronic band in Austin. Do you think that's going to benefit you or hurt you in the end?

T: I don't think we care really. I've always been down with electronics. You know, Daft Punk were my heroes when they released the Homework album. That really influenced my view on music. Remember when we were doing Darling Nicky? It was just sort of experimentation. And even when we did Candy Rider, we were looking at the crowd to see how they'd react.

A: We want the crowd to lose it. We want them to feel what we feel.

T: We want them to really like it or really not like it.

A: Not mediocre at all. We played with a band out of Dallas, and...

T: We got on and started doing our thing and...

A: They looked disgusted, like they were going to throw up.

T: And that really motivated us. That is what we want to see!

You don't have a laptop or anything on stage. It's all done through the synth and whatnot?

T: I've never used a computer. Ever. Never.

When you get on stage -- is there a change? Not that you take on a persona, but...

A: Oh yeah, definitely. Its just a part of me that -- that's where I get to entertain that certain part of myself. I've been doing shit like that since I was 9 years old. It totally is that thing, whatever it is -- that connects me when I step on stage, that's who I am.

T: As far as the front man deal, every time before we go on stage, we get together and I actually try to encourage Aaron like, go out there and do fuckin' whatever you want. Because it's all live. When I go to a show, I'm gonna give a band just a little bit of time to show me something I haven't seen, or to really entertain me. I'm always telling Aaron, whatever you want to do, frickin' go up there and let it happen.

A: A show is good when I can't remember it. It's not because I'm drunk or anything. It's just -- I'm not there. And I want the crowd to have that, to get down and lose themselves and drop the egos and the hipster bullshit. Cause I don't give a shit about that. The only reason I do that is -- it's like a shaman putting on a mask walkin' in the frickin' tent where the rest of the tribe is. I'm here for you to focus on for a second to get your mind out of there and lose yourself. Cause who cares?

T: Forget about the crap you were doing all week. We're at this place, this point in time, and you can do whatever you want.

What are your influences?

A: Prince, James Brown, At The Drive In, Zack De La Rocha from Rage, Chino Marino from The Deftones. But there's tons... I first lip synced to Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire.

Got some video of you at 13?

A: Nah man. Nine! Nine!

Do you think the Music Lab scene is going to create something new in Austin? It seems to me like an epicenter of new stuff.

A: I think we have noticed a change in the quality of bands and stuff.

T: It's like a big warehouse where people can go and express their creative ideas .. and anything goes. I think that's a good thing. It gives room for things to grow.

A: I think it's just the right time. There's a lot of cool people there. The staff is friggin' awesome. It's the right place. And it's a matter of just getting ahold of yourself and just doing it. Working your ass off.

Are you self-funding this album?

T: Yup

A: All self-funded. Exciting and hard on the pockets!

The internet opens whole new doorways for exciting things...

T: Everything's changing too -- I think FM radio is so tired as it is. You have these commercials where Slash is starting his own radio show. They're just trying to hold on to the old thing. But it's leaving. It's gonna change. People want it to change, and all these old ways are gonna disappear pretty soon, and people are going to have to adjust.

A: There's something moving.

And much more control is being given to the artists...

A: Taken back.

You can release tracks one at a time on the internet for free and create a market for your band much quicker than any real promotional .. it's much more earnest and trustable when it comes straight from the band.

(At this point, a cardinal landed in a nearby tree, and Thomas lost complete interest in the interview.)

T: CAN WE GET A SHOT OF THE RED BIRD? That's good luck right there. Look at that, that guy, that's genius. That's awesome. Aw man! I love those. Look at that! Right there. That's what I'm talking about. I love to have those around always. I want to have a cage in the T-Bird and have one of them. I just love that noise.

Do you see a resurgence in the Austin music scene?

T: I see people trying to break out of the old Austin. We respect the old Austin scene, what it did and how it was back in the day. But I think it's time for the new.

A: And we respect it enough to leave it there. It's like going to visit a memorial. I'm not gonna try to remake that. You pay your respects, you nod your head,

Stevie Ray...

A: Frickin' brilliant. But I don't need to mimic and remake. Push forward. He was pushing forward. We're trying to push forward. We're not trying to stay back then and relive those days. Those are gone.

How did you feel about SXSW lack of Austin representation?

T: SXSW to me is .. I'm sure a lot of people put in a lot of hard work to get that to go, but, as far as... the main impression that I got a long time ago was that SXSW was an opportunity for new bands to get noticed. But you have Billy Idol and the New York Dolls and these outrageous wrist band prices.. It's just...

A: It's lame man. I saw a hundred bands that look the same, and they're already signed to Capitol. And the vice parties -- already signed bands.

And chart toppers already.

A: Already on Billboard UK and all that shit.

T: We'll see you at top of the pops, guys.

T: And people come in a with this notion that Austin is the live music capital of the world and that it's crazy and weird and strange, but I don't see that much weirdness or strangeness.

A: It's such a cliche. They're gonna sit on that forever. We need to push it. Its time to be pushed. All the people who've got their finger on the pulse can feel it moving and something growing. It's a very powerful city.

T: It's a nice city...

A: It's a nice city, a great city, and it's a nice place to live, but there's something growing.

T: But the old Austin, at the time when it was so special and great, it was doing something new. The Armadillo - they had Charlie Daniels singing with , you know, jazz fusion bands playing with punk bands. It was new and people were allowed to be different and it was a new thing back then. And it should stay that way. People giving things a chance.

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Ghostland Observatory CD Release Party
Saturday, April 23
Upstairs At The Ritz
$10 gets you inside AND a copy of Delete Delete, I Eat Meat