Off the Record features interviews with local and national musicians as aired on WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2.
Unknown Speaker 0:01
Listening to Off the record on WKNC 8.1 FM This is a nonprofit student run radio station based out of North Carolina State University. I'm valkerie here. With off the record as I previously mentioned, I'm very accurate. And I have multiple people in the studio with me right now if y'all want to introduce yourself. Hello, I'm a voice. This is Erica from Bangzz specifically on that boys. I just are you also from bangs? I am from
Unknown Speaker 0:31
Let's go. So y'all I heard you know, to the grapevine that y'all are playing couple shows. We've been playing a bunch of shows. But we're coming back because we're playing some shows coming up next week. We're gonna be at the cat's cradle back room with Katie Ellis Grier and her new solo project. She's really cool. I love you. Okay, UK you're nodding your head because you know who that person is awesome. And it's gonna be us Katie Oscar and then Celesta gram, also amazing cargo artists like has been playing the area forever. And it's like making like psychedelic witchy pop stuff that I like adore. So I think it'd be really cool lineup. Yeah. And then we have other show coming up as well. Yes, that one we were very familiar with. So I don't know if anyone knows, in the audience knows local bands, local beer that used to be a thing before the pandemic, especially that kind of faded away. We're trying to bring it back and the first show will be on October 1. It's a Sunday transfer co and y'all will be headlining Yeah. Wow. Okay, so not to feel like sounded uninformed. But like, I'm just really excited right now, because I didn't realize you're bringing back local band local beer, because that's like, oh, well, I did I mentioned No, no, no, it was just like, yeah, rock and roll. Yeah, no, that's so exciting. Because that was a that was such a staple of Raleigh. And like, I don't know, I feel like since like, yeah, that really kicked off a lot of like local bands. I feel like so that's really cool. I'm glad you're doing that. We're like, there's a local band, local beer shaped hole in Raleigh, that I want to do before I ended my jam term did at least like try to bring that back. And for legal reasons. The Pourhouse I think technically has some, like, claim to that name. So we're calling it local beer local bands to to really, I love it. I love it. I love it different.
Unknown Speaker 2:16
But yeah, you all will be playing alongside Rachel Hirsch and my sister Mara. Oh my gosh, that's awesome. I love both of those people.
Unknown Speaker 2:24
Let's see. See, y'all mentioned you been playing shows recently level? What kind of shows? Are we talking about? The last show we played a woman to the front Fest in Nashville. And that was amazing. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 2:36
And then before that, we played the punk that punk black event at the pinhook I believe was the one before that. And that was another great time. A bunch of bands. Noir Noir. I remember. Yeah. It was amazing. Let's go. Yeah, I was excited to see all hopscotch. I was at the day party that got rained out. Oh my god. It was tragic. Yeah, so tragic. It was such a bummer. Like we actually did play but it was like two hours later. And it was just like, I had no idea what was going on the whole time. And I was just like, in standby mode. I'm like, what do we do? I'm like, I don't know. But I was like, for me. It's like a human. I'm like, Man, I brought my stuff all the way here to Raleigh. Like, at that point, if you don't play the show, it's such a bummer. Like for your adrenaline because we've done that before that's happened, you know, the track show that happened, but it's just such a like a heartbreak. So it was just at least like as a release that like, what are they called somatic energy? I'm sure. Therapists What do you call it? Okay. Yeah, but one of those things. I was also I've been in both of the shows that y'all got rained out on that's we got tracks two
Unknown Speaker 3:37
stages. Gorgeous.
Unknown Speaker 3:40
Stage. Yeah, it's probably like a target. But it's like really cool. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 3:45
Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, that was yeah, it was fun. Well,
Unknown Speaker 3:51
yeah, we ended up playing tracks again, but they did a different location. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 3:56
I think so. Um, I know y'all played y'all have of course played quarterback. And before and with Wednesday. That was that was really Oh, yeah. Did y'all like that space? Is that like a fun venue for y'all? I do. The sound is amazing back there. And yeah, it's they're friendly.
Unknown Speaker 4:14
The Buffy like the bartenders, she's always there. And she's really nice. Yeah, yeah. I enjoy it. I love it. I mean, it's a great sounding room. I live in Scarborough. So that's like, you know, like I've Yeah, and I didn't grow up here. Like I grew up in Japan, but I live here now. And I've been living in Cabo for like over 10 years and like that has been my go to venue where I've like sat on the stage for shows of like bands that are huge because they have to come to North Carolina and I'm just like, yes, but like that place is like super like important to me, but like the backroom against sounds great. If you don't want to be near people and you don't like you know, you want to be your own little bubble, you can go upstairs.
Unknown Speaker 4:50
See, you want options. When you go to show sometimes you don't want to be in the pit. Sometimes you want to be a safe place up above the pit, you know? So like I think I like having this
Unknown Speaker 5:00
options and it's like one of those doesn't feel like there's a bad spot in the house like, yeah. And like yeah, good drinks.
Unknown Speaker 5:09
Yeah, it's always so funny how like people were announced, you know, touring artists have like, you know, we're playing Atlanta, we're playing la playing Carrboro North Carolina. Oh my gosh, I just had this conversation. Yeah, cuz it'll be on tour shirts. Right. And that's what I love about like Durham
Unknown Speaker 5:23
approximated that's, that's all Oh, yeah. erasure. Yeah, I mean, we do that on tour. It's kind of bad. Because we'll be like, Oh, are you from Durham? I'm like, Well, I live in Carrboro. But that's, you can't see that, like you can, like, they really can't people get in places. It's like, well, it becomes Durham, you know, or even I even saw like a local 506 was like, called Raleigh in a poster. Yeah. Wow. That's funny. That's hilarious. But like, I mean, just this weekend, they were like, and this is bangs from rolling.
Unknown Speaker 5:55
No, those bits, but
Unknown Speaker 5:58
yeah, it's really all consider yourselves as being from Oh, see, this is a complicated question. See, because I've been I've been in Durham for 19 years. So I say Durham.
Unknown Speaker 6:10
But I think we always give love to both. If I'm mistaken. We've started to just because like, it's Yeah, yeah. Because it's just like, you know,
Unknown Speaker 6:18
yeah. No, I don't actually live in Durham. Yeah. But I mean, where are you from? is kind of a complicated question. Yeah. Because I definitely, like I grew up. Like I said, I grew up in Japan. I moved here when I was 18. And it's like, Is this my home? I don't know. Yes. And no, right. It's like, I have multiple homes, you know, like a negative way. But like, I guess, yeah, there's just multiple homes. You know, it almost feels different. For sure. I feel like ah, yeah, I grew up in LA, but as the years keep going, I mean, you know, I've was there for 21 years. So I've been in Durham for 19. So, even though I don't know, yeah, but I think it's hard. Like, for me, it's like when you live in a space where it's like, because I don't know, I just don't, I don't get in contact. Like, I have to get on a plane to go home. Like that sucks. Like, I don't get to go home. Like it sucks that I can't just like, go somewhere where someone reminds me home. Nobody reminds me of home. It sucks. You know, like, that's like a little like, definitely constant push and pull. So I think there's a part of me feels like, I don't know. I feel like there was more of the me that I could see outside of me here. Does that make sense? That's very abstract. I have a very abstract mind, but I love it. So that's cool. Yeah, we love the abstract mind through their lyrics always. Yeah, um, for anyone listening who? I don't know who hasn't heard of bangs who's listening to this, but just in case, Aki, I'll describe the the group that y'all playing.
Unknown Speaker 7:42
I mean, it's like a garage punk. Kind of duo situation. Very loud. Aggressive is like, I don't know, it's just like, ah, that's us. That's the vibe. I don't know. I wanted to be like, Starley like, but it is, you know, it's a it's a place for all the aggression to be released. Really? I keep saying aggression. I don't know if it's the right word, but it feels like the closest right now. Yeah, I also just realized you're wearing a special interest. I am sure it was great. Yeah. So the cat's cradle back room. Yes. It was my first like legal drink at a show was that this show specifically?
Unknown Speaker 8:14
Oh, that's cool. That's mine was terrible was exam season. And it was like a Smirnoff Ice because I had a study.
Unknown Speaker 8:21
I know. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone should have a moment of silence. Yeah. For me. I was in New York. And it wasn't fun. My family, nevermind.
Unknown Speaker 8:30
Nothing. She made it. She made it worth it was great.
Unknown Speaker 8:37
Um,
Unknown Speaker 8:38
so yeah, I know. Um, well, I remember when I asked you all to play a show. You're like, oh, you know, we've been very booked lately. What's it been like being like playing like shows a lot this fall? I know. You've had a pretty busy schedule. I like it.
Unknown Speaker 8:51
I like it. Because honestly, it feels good. Because it gets to the morning. Like, you know, it's nerve. It's nerve racking. You know, I still I used to have panic attacks. I mean, I still am very anxious human, you can probably hear to my voice. But like, so like, I think you get used to it a little bit. And there's a part of you that just like gets into the flow of it. And I realized, like, every time I play a couple shows in a row, it's just like this, like, kind of peaceful feeling. So I enjoy that. But it's also because what you're practicing more, so it's easier. I think that's also the mechanics of it, you know, so I think I enjoy it. But then there's also a reality of like, sometimes you need to take a break from shows to like, write or like record or like finished mixing your album and stuff like that. Yeah, but overall, I think it's I think it's really healthy. Yeah, that's really Yeah. What do you think? It's been fun? I like it a lot.
Unknown Speaker 9:36
Are y'all are y'all hinting at an album? Is that Is that Yeah, so that's in the works right now? Yeah, no. busting my butt right now. Uh, yeah, mixing it, trying to make it really cool. And like, yeah, I'm excited about it. What do we have? Do we have a timeline?
Unknown Speaker 9:54
Okay, cool. stuff. You know, you gotta like, you gotta give a little lead time and like, you gotta like align this
Unknown Speaker 10:00
Stars then you gotta dig deep into the universe. It's like it's a lot of work. But, celestial? I want it to be out within the next year for sure. Absolutely. And then but as far as Yeah, well, we'll see. Soon though, it's definitely burning a hole in my pocket. We've already started playing some of the songs out. So if you come to our shows, you'll hear some of the new stuff is just not on Spotify yet.
Unknown Speaker 10:23
How long is this? Has this been like in the making?
Unknown Speaker 10:26
Um,
Unknown Speaker 10:28
do you remember when we actually lay down the original tracks? I think it was March or something. Okay. Yeah. What do you think? April? Yeah, I think in that, but only because I was recently flipping through a calendar and I was like, Oh, yeah.
Unknown Speaker 10:42
We're both saying spring. Okay. Yeah, spring album. Yeah, it's not that far ago. Hey, no, we're not. Yeah, like, that just happened. We're like
Unknown Speaker 10:53
yeah, we got a spring.
Unknown Speaker 10:56
So is it a springtime album? Is it a spring that? I don't know? I mean, you know, it's the typical, like, array of like, stuff. Like, there's songs about depression and things about, you know, being angry. And, you know, but there's just like, I don't know, I don't know. I have no idea. I hope so. I have no idea what season is, you know what answer is all seasons. Yeah, right. Like musingly. Really, just a little bit of everything in it. We I feel like we're doing things that we haven't done before.
Unknown Speaker 11:27
And there's, it's like layered I feel like and I think it's really cool. I'm excited about it. I'm also very I just heard about now and I'm very excited. Yeah. If you're listening to this, you totally should be to that's it's gonna go crazy. If you've if you've never if you've listened this you never seen bangs. Legally, I cannot compel you to go to the show. But it's really cool. Just I'd say that.
Unknown Speaker 11:49
You Yeah, um,
Unknown Speaker 11:53
y'all. Um, we're in Raleigh, of course, right now. Do you like Let's see, do you find like the Raleigh crowd any different than like, I don't know if people are, you know, here and they only really know Raleigh. What won't be like the crowd, like the cat's cradle versus like, or Alisha, huh. I mean, it's also different, right?
Unknown Speaker 12:10
I, honestly, I was, I don't think I don't see much of a difference, honestly. Because once we get there, and we're in the venue, and the people who are going to see the show, we're all male. For the most part. I feel like like minded people who just want to have fun, listen to some good music. You know, some people don't want to like Mosh or get in the pit, you know, do that. But I really feel like, it's a lot of like minded people. And I've, from my experience, I find that kind of across the board, sort of for most part we've been really lucky to when we get to the venues, like if we're at the port house, I feel like there is cool as the people at the pinhook. And it's just like, Yeah, I don't know, I feel like music goers, especially now, after the pandemic and stuff. We're all like, just like minded people who are there to want to have a good time. And I find it very comforting. It's awesome. And it's, it's great. That's yeah, that's what I would say. Yeah. I think for me, I just thinking about somebody when you said the question, and it makes me think of like, how the scenes change, really. And I do see a change in the chapel hill Carrboro scene post COVID. And it's been so it's kind of disheartening, you know, it's just a little more spread out. And like, you know, like, I don't know, it's just we lost the venue. And like, it's just, I don't know, I feel like it feels a little different. So I noticed that. And then I've also seen, like, over the years, I feel like the Raleigh scene has exploded, and a great beautiful way and that more people know about, you know, part of that being hopscotch, you know, and like, people being like, hey, local bands are cool part of that being local band with a beer or local beer local band, you know,
Unknown Speaker 13:52
but like, and that's, I think that you can see when people put work into the scene, how it expands, you know, and so I've definitely seen that I'm Raleigh and I think right now it's just about like, for me as being a Chapel Hill. Carrboro kid, like, See, I do claim it right. Yeah, yeah, I turbojet. Yeah, well, carbrook Yeah. It's like, I do want to see that again. Because it's like, there are that scene is beautiful, you know, and like, deserves to thrive. Absolutely. Yeah. So like, yeah, that's how I interpreted your question. Yeah, that's a very valid interpretation. By venue. Do you mean the nightlight when you mentioned
Unknown Speaker 14:28
I'm so sad. Oh, did you ever have like play shows there? Yeah, so yeah, we only played the night late. So my big thing is I run manifest. So and MAN Yeah, okay, so you know, manifest manifest has always traditionally been three venues look, if I was six, the cave and the nightlight and
Unknown Speaker 14:45
I'm trying to bring the festival back. And it really just breaks my heart to not have that three venue thing again. So that's why it's just I've been like, oh,
Unknown Speaker 14:55
like, you know, but now it's just like, yeah, so that's something just like I've just like personally had to face
Unknown Speaker 15:00
And like grieve and then deal with but like, yeah, that breaks my heart. Yeah, cuz I don't know if I've talked to you since night like close, but I remember I went yeah, man, the last manifest Yeah, like there was something special about those like the contrast in those three venues and all that kind of brought their own like energy to it. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 15:17
Yeah. Yeah, it's good having three spots, you know? Yeah, yeah. So I'm gonna I'm gonna try and troubleshoot and figure out something. So it's about as manifest like potentially so right now okay. Wow this is okay, this is the first official Wow, all right, this is the first I'm saying it out loud to people other than just in the car the other day and to the people involved with frozen Yeah, but we're trying to bring it back to the spring huge. It's been manifest. Manifest. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 15:44
Yeah. So but yeah,
Unknown Speaker 15:47
that's manifest within my first like, post pandemic like concert experiences that that was insane. I'm very excited for another manifest. That's awesome. Thanks for coming. That was shaky. I remember being like, it was it felt really touching go, you know, just like learning something just because it was post COVID. And like, you never know if it's gonna be like, Oh my gosh, you know, like, this is terrible. Or like, you shouldn't you know, I don't know. Like, I have anxiety asked me What can go wrong? I'll give you a million examples. Like, what? What if COVID? Like, what if everything had shut down again? Like everyone gets sick? It's all my
Unknown Speaker 16:19
exact What if you're personally responsible for that? Yeah, absolutely. This just
Unknown Speaker 16:26
let's see.
Unknown Speaker 16:29
Is there anything else I want to let us know about the show in particular on either the ones that are coming up any any? Any any shoutouts? I mean, I would just say shout out listen, to listen to the artists and support your local venues and your local scene, like you have been doing, obviously, because you're listening to WKNC right now, like, that is I don't know. I don't know. That's what keeps me alive, honestly. And I don't know. I think it's really important. I like the art that's right here. Yeah, I feel like Keynes. He's like, kind of cultivated a,
Unknown Speaker 16:56
like a locally minded like group of people. And I feel like, I feel like your shows have also done that. And I'm glad to see that kind of, like emergence around here. Awesome. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 17:08
See, is there anything else you want to hit on? I feel like I feel like we dropped some. Some surprise bangers and I'm sure that your audience is gonna love to hear. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 17:15
Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 17:17
All right. No more secrets. Do you have any more secrets? You want to tell the radio? Just like personally personal.
Unknown Speaker 17:24
Everyone whisper seek.
Unknown Speaker 17:26
Really appreciate WKNC They've been around forever supporting me personally. And yeah, I
Unknown Speaker 17:36
wish, I wish we could have your back for that double barrel. Like we have a policy of not like having multiple artists for Delaware. But like that our performance was special when when y'all played. Thank you so much. Yeah, I appreciate that. Did y'all do y'all enjoy that design? Was that a good? I mean? Yeah, no, I remember having fun. It was February and yeah, it was at the poor house. Yep. I remember it. Oh, yeah. Yeah, no.
Unknown Speaker 18:00
That was our first show. And like a really long time.
Unknown Speaker 18:06
Yeah, yeah. It was great. I remember the booklet kept that I remember the book was in my Yeah. And that was really special treasure trove of, you know, artifacts that I keep. It was Yeah, yeah. I thought the writing was really cool. Because it was someone who actually, I don't know, sometimes you get like, right after people were like, I have to write this and I don't know who you are. This person actually knew who we were. And that was like, that was I was like, Yeah, I'm trying to do that. No, that's awesome. Like,
Unknown Speaker 18:32
one of the other facts you have in that old old treasure trove? Oh, like setlist from the first show back from the pandemic.
Unknown Speaker 18:42
Our album, I have a couple of posters. You know that? What? All sorts of stuff?
Unknown Speaker 18:51
Yeah, I'm one of those people. I don't have a huge collection of things, but I keep I'm very sentimental so yeah, definitely. Definitely. Have. You have a treasure trove? I don't. But I was just thinking I have a friend who has a box of Cursed objects. Oh, wow. It's very different very point
Unknown Speaker 19:09
to my brain. But I was like, but he also had a very loose definition of what a cursor object was. So it's like, okay,
Unknown Speaker 19:16
what are some current objects? It was it was just really random, like, oh, this was there once and like this, something bad happened. I'm like, Well, I don't know. It wasn't an example. But it's one of those words like you thought it'd be more like surprising. Yeah, it wasn't it was like that's not really it wasn't like an amulet or like No, it's not like yeah, whatever happens in the beginning of existence there wasn't that because that's what was gonna happen life's gonna change right now
Unknown Speaker 19:40
different books take his stuff like our first like real the ticket like the head us and the glories or whatever, from the
Unknown Speaker 19:49
performances because it was like an actual like ticket.
Unknown Speaker 19:52
Like what? Sounds like an email. Yeah, that's
Unknown Speaker 19:56
all sorts of stuff.
Unknown Speaker 20:00
Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's that's
Unknown Speaker 20:05
um yeah, um if you're looking for a show to go to on a what is it Monday night Monday night or in a couple in like a week after that a Sunday night bangs has has the goods for you. They're playing with Katy Oscar and Celeste the other one. So Lester Graham. I noticed that like,
Unknown Speaker 20:27
it's not like the most similar like stylistically to y'all. Are y'all anticipating like kind of a bit of a switch up in vibe between each set? It's gonna be very different every single set, but I think it's kind of cool. Yeah, I do like that. Yeah. Feels like that. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 20:42
Because then sometimes on the other end of it if you're too similar, right, it's just like the same and the same and the same. Yeah, right. So it's like yeah, I think a good mix is good because sometimes you want to just be like in the pit the entire time you know, that's great too. Sometimes you're like now I want to groove then I want to cry and then I want to pit
Unknown Speaker 21:00
Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 21:01
this has been off the record I've been Valkyrie y'all have been
Unknown Speaker 21:07
just
Unknown Speaker 21:09
that's that that is their their their common you do identity right there.
Unknown Speaker 21:14
So much for listening. Thanks to banks, banks.
Unknown Speaker 21:20
Can I
Transcribed by https://otter.ai