The Henry Clay People are having a record release party this Friday at Spaceland to celebrate the release of their newest LP, For Cheap or For Free on Autumn Tone Records. It's a really fun record that captures the spirit of the band. Joining them on the bill will be Le Switch (9:00 PM), The Parson Red Heads (10:00 PM) and Downtown/Union (midnight). I have two pairs of tickets to give away for the show. Email me [dukeufo at gmail] with the name of of your favorite local band. The contest closes Friday at Noon.
You Set the Scene: So I already know you live in Glendale and your brother just moved to Culver City. Where do the rest of the guys live?
Joey Siara: Noah lives close to me in Glendale and Eric lives in Tustin. So he’s really far.
YSTS: So where do you guys rehearse?
JS: We currently share a rehearsal space near USC with the Kissing Tigers, although we're moving out of that and into a new space with Le Switch next week. It's bigger and cheaper.
YSTS: Where’d the Siara brothers grow up?
JS: We grew up in Whitter, then when I was in 6th grade my family moved to Orange County. Yorba Linda – birthplace of Richard Nixon.
YSTS: Nice
JS: I guess Nixon went to Whittier College too. So he kinda haunts my childhood history.
YSTS: You guys play the hell out of Southern California. Any plans to take the new record out on the road?
JS: Yes! We’re going to take a little jaunt up to Seattle and back. After that, I’m ready for anything.
YSTS: Is that a headlining thing? Or as support?
JS: I’m not sure, I don’t book anything. The band won’t let me anymore, I always get bad shows.
YSTS: How long have you been playing music and how’d you get started?
JS: Hmm....I started playing in bands in 7th grade I guess but I'd always been into music. My family is pretty musical. Not my dad so much. He's an appreciator. But my mom's whole side of the family is pretty musically inclined and I always tried to be part of the family play-a-longs.
YSTS: That’s pretty much the polar opposite of my family. One time some second cousins started singing at Christmas and totally freaked us out.
JS: Nice. That bad?
YSTS: They weren’t fun Christmas jingles, they were serious religious songs. You’d have to meet my family to grasp the absurdity of it.
JS: I remember my uncle would force my cousin to sing The Talking Heads’ "And She Was" into a spoon microphone, and that was awkward. Our younger clan didn’t like to be forced to sing. Religious songs can be a drag.
YSTS: There’s a great history of gospel music, but this definitely wasn’t it. Shifting to the new record, which I’m really digging by the way….
JS: Thank you sir.
YSTS: The songs seem completely tailor made for your raucous live show. Was the intention to make something that would be fun to play live?
JS: As a band, we’re really not much for planning. We’d already been playing a lot of those songs live, so I think that contributed to the vibe of the record. We recorded three or four additional songs that didn’t quite make the cut.
YSTS: How about the lyrics?
JS: I don’t put too much stock into lyrics…as long as they aren’t offensively bad. I’m waiting for a band whose lyrics blow me away. But I’m still waiting.
YSTS: Enough about music, how about some corny questions?
JS: Bring it on.
YSTS: Your favorite place to eat breakfast?
JS: Foxy’s in Glendale.
YSTS: I like that place, but haven’t been there in a while. Favorite Mexican food?
JS: Malo is pretty tasty, just out of my price range. A friend took me to a little place in Highland Park that was great, but I forgot the name of it. Sorry.
YSTS: Favorite burger?
JS: The Oinkster. I’m trying to wean myself off of burgers, but Oinkster makes that hard. I’m sure Sylvia will agree with me.
YSTS: I made her try it again the other day. She got the ½ chicken. It was moist, but she’s still not a real believer.
JS: We’ll break her.
YSTS: Favorite bar?
JS: Most of the time when I go out I’m watching bands, not necessarily enjoying the bar atmosphere. But, I must say that The Prospector in Long Beach will always be a special place.
YSTS: Yeah, I’ve heard great things, but I still haven’t been down there.
JS: The Scene is within walking distance, but I’ve only been once since they got the new management.
YSTS: I saw that “Shifty” from Crazy Town is playing there this weekend.
JS: Really? That makes me sad.
YSTS: Your drink of choice?
JS: Bloody Mary, no olive.
YSTS: What’s your favorite thing about living in LA?
JS: Being able to see a decent show on most nights of the week. It keeps me from getting a good night’s sleep.
YSTS: Worst thing about living here?
JS: The heat. I melt in the sun. Anything over 85 degrees and I become an awful person. That really limits where you can live in the world.
YSTS: Yeah, don’t move to Austin. The summers are brutal.
JS: I was there in August a few summers ago. Too hot for me. How are the summers in Kansas?
YSTS: They’re brutal too. Humid as hell. Your favorite movie about LA?
JS: Chinatown. I take that back…The Big Lebowski.
YSTS: Both solid choices. Your favorite novel of all time?
JS: Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. I typically don’t care for Sci-Fi stuff, but this one was pretty great. It’s about these devil figures that come back to earth and everyone is freaked out by them but they’re there to help humans evolve into some higher being.
YSTS: I’ve seen 2001, but never read any of his stuff. Any must see TV?
JS: The fourth season of The Wire. And I’ve been back into watching The Daily Show/ Colbert Report which are pretty top notch these days.
YSTS: We’re just getting into the second season of The Wire. We loved season one.
JS: The second is a bit slow, but the third and fourth are amazing. Between Andy and I, we’ve got them all. You can borrow them.
YSTS: We can’t get them fast enough from Netflix.
JS: Just get them from us.
YSTS: Do you think late night comedians will be bummed if Obama wins? W has been like their wet dream.
JS: Comedy will dry up. Humans will cease to laugh. I just saw the preview for the new Oliver Stone movie about Bush. It looks funny. Richard Dreyfus as Dick Cheney.
YSTS: Your five desert island records?
JS: #1 The Clash - London Calling. #2 Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night. #3 The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. #4 Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel. #5 – Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.
YSTS: I’ve never been a huge fan, but I recognize their appeal. One of the more versatile bands for sure. I love all the other records.
JS: They can be inconsistent except on that album.
YSTS: Alright, last question. What local bands have you been listening to lately? And I don’t want some 30 band list.
JS: I’ll keep it to five. Le Switch, The Parson Red Heads, Les Blanks, The Broken West and the Monolators. Of course the list goes on, but right now, I’m actively listening to those bands a whole lot these days. And I’d be fans of their stuff even if I didn’t know them personally.
YSTS: Thanks a lot man. I’m looking forward to the record release show.
JS: Me too. Thanks Duke.
Joey Siara: Noah lives close to me in Glendale and Eric lives in Tustin. So he’s really far.
YSTS: So where do you guys rehearse?
JS: We currently share a rehearsal space near USC with the Kissing Tigers, although we're moving out of that and into a new space with Le Switch next week. It's bigger and cheaper.
YSTS: Where’d the Siara brothers grow up?
JS: We grew up in Whitter, then when I was in 6th grade my family moved to Orange County. Yorba Linda – birthplace of Richard Nixon.
YSTS: Nice
JS: I guess Nixon went to Whittier College too. So he kinda haunts my childhood history.
YSTS: You guys play the hell out of Southern California. Any plans to take the new record out on the road?
JS: Yes! We’re going to take a little jaunt up to Seattle and back. After that, I’m ready for anything.
YSTS: Is that a headlining thing? Or as support?
JS: I’m not sure, I don’t book anything. The band won’t let me anymore, I always get bad shows.
YSTS: How long have you been playing music and how’d you get started?
JS: Hmm....I started playing in bands in 7th grade I guess but I'd always been into music. My family is pretty musical. Not my dad so much. He's an appreciator. But my mom's whole side of the family is pretty musically inclined and I always tried to be part of the family play-a-longs.
YSTS: That’s pretty much the polar opposite of my family. One time some second cousins started singing at Christmas and totally freaked us out.
JS: Nice. That bad?
YSTS: They weren’t fun Christmas jingles, they were serious religious songs. You’d have to meet my family to grasp the absurdity of it.
JS: I remember my uncle would force my cousin to sing The Talking Heads’ "And She Was" into a spoon microphone, and that was awkward. Our younger clan didn’t like to be forced to sing. Religious songs can be a drag.
YSTS: There’s a great history of gospel music, but this definitely wasn’t it. Shifting to the new record, which I’m really digging by the way….
JS: Thank you sir.
YSTS: The songs seem completely tailor made for your raucous live show. Was the intention to make something that would be fun to play live?
JS: As a band, we’re really not much for planning. We’d already been playing a lot of those songs live, so I think that contributed to the vibe of the record. We recorded three or four additional songs that didn’t quite make the cut.
YSTS: How about the lyrics?
JS: I don’t put too much stock into lyrics…as long as they aren’t offensively bad. I’m waiting for a band whose lyrics blow me away. But I’m still waiting.
YSTS: Enough about music, how about some corny questions?
JS: Bring it on.
YSTS: Your favorite place to eat breakfast?
JS: Foxy’s in Glendale.
YSTS: I like that place, but haven’t been there in a while. Favorite Mexican food?
JS: Malo is pretty tasty, just out of my price range. A friend took me to a little place in Highland Park that was great, but I forgot the name of it. Sorry.
YSTS: Favorite burger?
JS: The Oinkster. I’m trying to wean myself off of burgers, but Oinkster makes that hard. I’m sure Sylvia will agree with me.
YSTS: I made her try it again the other day. She got the ½ chicken. It was moist, but she’s still not a real believer.
JS: We’ll break her.
YSTS: Favorite bar?
JS: Most of the time when I go out I’m watching bands, not necessarily enjoying the bar atmosphere. But, I must say that The Prospector in Long Beach will always be a special place.
YSTS: Yeah, I’ve heard great things, but I still haven’t been down there.
JS: The Scene is within walking distance, but I’ve only been once since they got the new management.
YSTS: I saw that “Shifty” from Crazy Town is playing there this weekend.
JS: Really? That makes me sad.
YSTS: Your drink of choice?
JS: Bloody Mary, no olive.
YSTS: What’s your favorite thing about living in LA?
JS: Being able to see a decent show on most nights of the week. It keeps me from getting a good night’s sleep.
YSTS: Worst thing about living here?
JS: The heat. I melt in the sun. Anything over 85 degrees and I become an awful person. That really limits where you can live in the world.
YSTS: Yeah, don’t move to Austin. The summers are brutal.
JS: I was there in August a few summers ago. Too hot for me. How are the summers in Kansas?
YSTS: They’re brutal too. Humid as hell. Your favorite movie about LA?
JS: Chinatown. I take that back…The Big Lebowski.
YSTS: Both solid choices. Your favorite novel of all time?
JS: Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. I typically don’t care for Sci-Fi stuff, but this one was pretty great. It’s about these devil figures that come back to earth and everyone is freaked out by them but they’re there to help humans evolve into some higher being.
YSTS: I’ve seen 2001, but never read any of his stuff. Any must see TV?
JS: The fourth season of The Wire. And I’ve been back into watching The Daily Show/ Colbert Report which are pretty top notch these days.
YSTS: We’re just getting into the second season of The Wire. We loved season one.
JS: The second is a bit slow, but the third and fourth are amazing. Between Andy and I, we’ve got them all. You can borrow them.
YSTS: We can’t get them fast enough from Netflix.
JS: Just get them from us.
YSTS: Do you think late night comedians will be bummed if Obama wins? W has been like their wet dream.
JS: Comedy will dry up. Humans will cease to laugh. I just saw the preview for the new Oliver Stone movie about Bush. It looks funny. Richard Dreyfus as Dick Cheney.
YSTS: Your five desert island records?
JS: #1 The Clash - London Calling. #2 Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night. #3 The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. #4 Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel. #5 – Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.
YSTS: I’ve never been a huge fan, but I recognize their appeal. One of the more versatile bands for sure. I love all the other records.
JS: They can be inconsistent except on that album.
YSTS: Alright, last question. What local bands have you been listening to lately? And I don’t want some 30 band list.
JS: I’ll keep it to five. Le Switch, The Parson Red Heads, Les Blanks, The Broken West and the Monolators. Of course the list goes on, but right now, I’m actively listening to those bands a whole lot these days. And I’d be fans of their stuff even if I didn’t know them personally.
YSTS: Thanks a lot man. I’m looking forward to the record release show.
JS: Me too. Thanks Duke.
3 comments:
Hello Duke,
It is a great pleasure to visit your nice and interesting blog for the first time.
Best wishes from Brazil:
Geraldo
I think Nomar Garciaparra is from Whittier.
Oinkster sucks.
Ooo, I'm excited about Friday's show!
And I always drive by Foxy's but have never been...think I'll check it out
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