MusicAddict interview with Z
MusicAddict features The Like in their emerging artists section, and Z did an interview with them for the occasion.
You’re right in thinking that L.A’s The Like are not exactly a new band, but 2010 sees them return with a slghtly altered line-up and a new sound, which is why they’re next up in our roll call of Emerging Artists. Lead singer Z Berg, took some time out to answer our questions fill us in on their new direction…
How did you all get together, where you all from and why did you decide to make music together?
With the exception of Tennessee, who’s from London, Annie, Laena, and I (Z) are from Los Angeles. Tennessee moved to LA when she was 14 and she and I started playing music together a couple years later. After parting ways with our old bass player 7 years later, we went on a mission to find amazing young girls to play music with us, and after an exhaustive search, we found Annie and Laena!
How long did it take you to decide on your sound/direction, and how did you come to the decision?
The sound of this new record is a product of many years of trying to figure out what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it. We grew up listening to ’60s rock and roll, girl groups and motown, and I think we always wanted to make a record that was recorded in that way and harkened back to the music we grew up loving but just didn’t know how, until we met Mark Ronson and the Dap Kings and Alex Greenwald who helped us realize our vision!!
What equipment are using for recording, and is there any particular reason behind the choice?
It’s all analog, recorded live to half inch tape, with one mic on the drums and all great vintage gear. Tommy Brenneck and Homer Steinweiss of the Dap Kings have a studio in Brooklyn, and they just know how to make records that sound like the music we all love. Recording that way…it’s not about trying to capture something exactly as it is in real life, the way modern recording equipment and processes aim to do, it’s about recording something that sounds distorted/better/different than real life, that adds it’s own hiss, grain, and personality, while also not having the luxury of editing and fixing things. It’s honest. It’s the band playing in a room and all the mistakes are there, and those mistakes become the magic, really.
What’s your average day at the moment?
Wake up, play music all day, think about music all day, sleep (a little).
What’s the best bit about being in a band and what’s the worst?
The best bit is…well…everything. The relationship you have with your band is something totally special and different than any other relationship. It’s a combination of friends, siblings, and spouses. Which makes it the most difficult relationship but also the most rewarding! Besides that, I can’t really think of anything better than traveling around the world with your best friends playing music and going on adventures!
What’s the most high profile show you’ve done and what was it like?
We played right before (headliners) Muse at a festival in Norway for thousands upon thousands of people right in front of a beautiful lake, which was pretty epic. We’ve played a lot of big and wild shows, but none of them compare to all the little ones we’ve been doing together in this new incarnation of the band. The band is totally more energetic and fun and wild than it used to be, which makes every show more fun than the last.
If you could change one thing about the music industry what would it be?
Just one thing?
What bands/artists are you into at the moment new or old?
Tennessee and Laena are obsessed with the new MGMT record. I’m obsessed with The Young Veins debut album which comes out around the time ours does. We’re really into the Tammys, The Shangri Las, The Supremes, the Zombies, and all the Joe Meek stuff at the moment.
What’s the last gig you went to and what was it like?
Last gig I went to was my own last night and it was fun!
What would you like to happen for the band in 2010?
We just wanna tour the world and write more music and make more records ASAP!
What can people expect when they come to your live shows?
Fun.
Favourite music era/scene and why?
The ’60s were really the birth of rock and roll, which I think is why we’re so drawn to it, because it was new and exciting and in its purest form. And the whole motown scene was so incredible because every single song was a hit and a perfectly well crafted and soulful pop song. Really sets the bar high!
If you could get one band to reform who would it be?
The Beatles, duhhhhh.
source
You’re right in thinking that L.A’s The Like are not exactly a new band, but 2010 sees them return with a slghtly altered line-up and a new sound, which is why they’re next up in our roll call of Emerging Artists. Lead singer Z Berg, took some time out to answer our questions fill us in on their new direction…
How did you all get together, where you all from and why did you decide to make music together?
With the exception of Tennessee, who’s from London, Annie, Laena, and I (Z) are from Los Angeles. Tennessee moved to LA when she was 14 and she and I started playing music together a couple years later. After parting ways with our old bass player 7 years later, we went on a mission to find amazing young girls to play music with us, and after an exhaustive search, we found Annie and Laena!
How long did it take you to decide on your sound/direction, and how did you come to the decision?
The sound of this new record is a product of many years of trying to figure out what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it. We grew up listening to ’60s rock and roll, girl groups and motown, and I think we always wanted to make a record that was recorded in that way and harkened back to the music we grew up loving but just didn’t know how, until we met Mark Ronson and the Dap Kings and Alex Greenwald who helped us realize our vision!!
What equipment are using for recording, and is there any particular reason behind the choice?
It’s all analog, recorded live to half inch tape, with one mic on the drums and all great vintage gear. Tommy Brenneck and Homer Steinweiss of the Dap Kings have a studio in Brooklyn, and they just know how to make records that sound like the music we all love. Recording that way…it’s not about trying to capture something exactly as it is in real life, the way modern recording equipment and processes aim to do, it’s about recording something that sounds distorted/better/different than real life, that adds it’s own hiss, grain, and personality, while also not having the luxury of editing and fixing things. It’s honest. It’s the band playing in a room and all the mistakes are there, and those mistakes become the magic, really.
What’s your average day at the moment?
Wake up, play music all day, think about music all day, sleep (a little).
What’s the best bit about being in a band and what’s the worst?
The best bit is…well…everything. The relationship you have with your band is something totally special and different than any other relationship. It’s a combination of friends, siblings, and spouses. Which makes it the most difficult relationship but also the most rewarding! Besides that, I can’t really think of anything better than traveling around the world with your best friends playing music and going on adventures!
What’s the most high profile show you’ve done and what was it like?
We played right before (headliners) Muse at a festival in Norway for thousands upon thousands of people right in front of a beautiful lake, which was pretty epic. We’ve played a lot of big and wild shows, but none of them compare to all the little ones we’ve been doing together in this new incarnation of the band. The band is totally more energetic and fun and wild than it used to be, which makes every show more fun than the last.
If you could change one thing about the music industry what would it be?
Just one thing?
What bands/artists are you into at the moment new or old?
Tennessee and Laena are obsessed with the new MGMT record. I’m obsessed with The Young Veins debut album which comes out around the time ours does. We’re really into the Tammys, The Shangri Las, The Supremes, the Zombies, and all the Joe Meek stuff at the moment.
What’s the last gig you went to and what was it like?
Last gig I went to was my own last night and it was fun!
What would you like to happen for the band in 2010?
We just wanna tour the world and write more music and make more records ASAP!
What can people expect when they come to your live shows?
Fun.
Favourite music era/scene and why?
The ’60s were really the birth of rock and roll, which I think is why we’re so drawn to it, because it was new and exciting and in its purest form. And the whole motown scene was so incredible because every single song was a hit and a perfectly well crafted and soulful pop song. Really sets the bar high!
If you could get one band to reform who would it be?
The Beatles, duhhhhh.
source