Austinist Interviews: Phosphorescent

On getting his start in Austin:

We understand that you were in Austin the first time someone really took notice of your music.

Matthew Houck: Yeah, that’s true. I was staying at the youth hostel there and I played a show in their lobby in order to stay there for free. It was just sort-of a trade-off but I just set up in there and was just playing and it just happened that this woman who booked tours in the UK was there.

Staying in the hostel?

MH: Yeah, and it wasn’t a show at all really. It was pretty weird.

How long were you in England?

MH: About a month. She booked this tour.

How long ago was that?

MH: That was in 2000.

Were you just traveling around the states at the time?

MH: I was trying to play music. I was busking and stuff like that and trying to play coffeehouses, open mics, just whatever.

Did you already live in Athens at that point or were you traveling to find out where you wanted to live?

MH: No, I lived in South Alabama. [Houck is originally from North Alabama]

How did you end up in Athens from Alabama?

MH: I had gone through there a couple of times doing that singing stuff as I was traveling. I had a little pick-up truck and I passed through there and liked it and went there.

On why they won't leave Athens:

What is it that keeps you in Athens rather than moving to a major music hub like L.A. or New York?

MH: Money, I would say, is a huge [reason].

Brent Jones: In Athens, there’s such a huge community of artists and musicians that there are so many awesome people to work with, and it’s a real kind of inbred scene. You switch band members and play with whomever and there’s a lot of opportunities to try things out without feeling like it’s a “serious band.”

Nick Cervini: What comes out of NY or LA anyway? You have to work a job then you have to try to coordinate how to get to practice and you have to rent a space, which costs more money. It’s just a scene and all talk - from hanging out there that’s how it seems, anyway. In Athens it’s like, “What are you doing tonight? We’re wasted. Let’s go play music.” Literally, you can go downtown on Monday and just go check out [live music].

MH: No shit, right? That said, [Athens] is a small, small scene. It’s a small town.

It’s a good community, though, and that’s what keeps you there?

MH: Yeah, it’s lovely.

NC: Don’t tell anyone. We’ve got to keep it a secret.

On the recording of Aw Come Aw Wry:

It seems that the songs on Aw Come Aw Wry really flow together. Was that planned?

MH: Yeah, it kind of came together on its own. The Aw Come Aw Wry stuff actually started happening about 2 or 3 songs in and I didn’t quite know that it was gonna be the sort of ... I knew that I wanted it happening but I didn’t quite know how yet and then it kinda started doing it on its own in a weird way. It just sort of became this thing I’d keep coming back too. It started doing its own thing.

Did you approach the album from a listener’s standpoint, wanting them to have a certain experience from listening to the album?

MH: No. I don’t think that it does any good to think about how it’s going to be received by the listener.

Did all of you record on this album?

MH: Yeah, they all did.

NC: There were times where it was all of us at Matthew’s house, which is, like, smaller than this patio. He lived out in the middle of nowhere in this little house and there were parts where there were like 10 of us hanging out at his house in the dark.

What’s your favorite part of the process? Songwriting? Recording? Touring?

MH: I like it all, I think. We haven’t toured all that much but it’s been fun and good. I really do like working on songs. The two months making this record were pretty intense. I moved out to that house in order to make the record and was just kind of out there and it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere and it got pretty closed in and it was pretty meditative in a weird way.

On touring:

Are you able to write on the road?

MH: No, everything’s so hectic I can’t seem to get a moments thought.

How do you spend the time on the bus?

NC: We have soccer balls, skateboards. We jump out and have games. We have to get other people involved. We showed up with the two other bands in Houston and started a soccer game with the Pernice Brothers. They were going crazy. They saw me in my boardshorts and they were all in their rock gear kicking the soccer ball.

Where does the tour end?

MH: In the northwest. I’ve never been up there. I can’t wait.

[Band member, Lynn Boland walks outside from watching The Cloud Room play].

LB: These guys are both catchy and technically very proficient.

MH: There’s a tape going. There’s a tape going.

Hey, we’re trying to conduct an interview here!

LB: I said something nice! Hey, I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth many a time before. I’ll do it again.

On SXSW:

The first time we saw you was at the Misra showcase this year at SXSW. What do you think of shows like that? Do you consider it a necessary evil or do you just concentrate on playing the best show every time?

MH: You know, I didn’t have a bad time at SXSW.

BJ: I’ve gone a number of years and once you realize what it is…

NC: Yeah, man Brent’s always looking for the party.

MH: If you’re going into it because you want something to happen, you’re probably bound to have a horrible time. It seems cool to me that there’s just so many people around. I had a great time playing.

NC: It’s better than CMJ. It’s so much better.

BJ: It’s all in one place and CMJ’s spread out all over the city.

BJ: I feel like going to SXSW is like indie rock band camp. You’re walking around and you see four guys dressed alike and you’re like, “that’s a band.”

[All others laugh and agree.]

LB: It’s like SXSW is its own town, or like it’s the holidays and you know everybody’s going to be home for the holidays. That’s why I love living in Austin. I know that I’ll see at least three fourths of my friends on an annual basis. If not at a showcase, then they have to at least come through [on tour].