| | | |  | Streetlight Manifesto is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey. The band has achieved wide acclaim in alternative circles, and combines elements of third wave ska with a vast array of influences that distinguish Streetlight...
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| Interview | Access All Areas.net.au: Acts such as Jon Bon Jovi, Zakk Wylde, The Bouncing Souls, The Misfits and My Chemical Romance, all hail from New Jersey. How do you feel about being a ska-punk band from such a highly acclaimed state in regards to rock royalty?
Streetlight Manifesto: We don't really think about it to be honest. We're just a band, and we're all good friends, and we have a good time traveling and making music together. So yeah, we don't really think, or worry about, what people think about us compared to the other, higher acclaimed bands that come from New Jersey at all.
Access All Areas.net.au: You've just released a full length studio album, can you tell us about it and how you came about chosing the title, 'Somewhere in the Between'.
Streetlight Manifesto: Well, it's the title song off the record, and we felt it just summed up the album, and it's a good way of summerising the song lyrics. So it was the natural choice, so far as naming the record goes. But yeah, it's 10 songs, it's 45 minutes long, and it's pretty much what we've been tinkering on for the past 3 years
Access All Areas.net.au: For the new record you said previously that you were aiming for a 'world influence', namely eastern European and Gypsy sounds. Do you think you achieved it?
Streetlight Manifesto: No! [laughs] It's funny, we were asked what we were aiming for on the new album before we started recording it, so I shooted off and said 'world influence, eastern european, gypsy type stuff' without thinking. But we had no direction planned for the album, we just made it for ourselves really. We made it how we wanted it and it's turned out pretty well, I think.
Access All Areas.net.au: What are you hoping people's reaction to the album will be?
Streetlight Manifesto: I honestly don't know. I don't know, and not to sound rude but we're not concerned with what people's reaction will be. The best we can hope when we're making it, is that we like it, and that we'll be happy with it, and so far we are. We're not a great band in regards to catering to a label or our friend's likes, or our families' likes - we record what we want, and where it falls, it falls, so we can't complain really.
Access All Areas.net.au: You're responsible for writing most the music, what would you say inspires you the most?
Streetlight Manifesto: You could say I was the chief writer yeah [laughs], but I don't do everything, the guys come in and flesh out what I've done in regards to structuring lyrics. Everyone gets their 2 cents, fleshes it out, makes it bigger, better. And I guess, living life inspires me really. Just day-to-day things, not one huge inspirational thing in particular, there's a lot of religious stuff on this record though, but I guess it's just going back to a reflection on life.
Access All Areas.net.au: You've mention before that Nirvana was a big influence, you also list the The Drifters and The Squirrel Nut Zippers. Are there any new bands that influence you in any way?
Streetlight Manifesto: No. They're all in their mid twenties, and you don't really pick anything up from them, to be honest. We have everything that influences us, and our sound, new stuff is just hard to get into properly. We all still listen to the stuff we were listening to when we were teenagers. So yeah, there isn't any new bands that influence us, but we did make a make a mistake once during an interview when we were asked this question before. We said some band that we liked at the time, and then in the interview they claimed that our next record would be influenced by the sound of the band we mentioned, so we learnt from that just to not say anything.
Access All Areas.net.au: Your music is so upbeat and happy. It's impossible to listen to it and feel anything but energy. Would you say you are generally happy band? Or can we add you to the masses of brooding, 'oh our lives are so dismal' bands?
Streetlight Manifesto: Yeah, for most part definately. Our lyrics aren't like a lot of other 'ska' lyrics, which just focus on beer, girls, and partying, you know just hollow and empty lyrics, that mean nothing when you look at them. We have darker, more meaningful lyrics then just party and beer, which is a good thing, as it's a good way to get out any agression we might have. But you know, we're a bunch of young guys, travelling the world, with no real jobs and we get to play music with each other every day - I can't see how we can't be happy, and we don't have to be partying, or singing about partying, all the time to achieve it.
Access All Areas.net.au: The first song off the album 'We Will Fall Together', is also your first music video. Where did the idea for the fighting pirates come from?
Streetlight Manifesto: Yes! Yeah it is. The concept came from one of the roadies of a band we toured with, and we were hanging out one night, and he said, "I don't consider you guys to be a Ska band, I think of you more as Pirate rock", and we really liked that. Then when it came around to making the video, we really didn't want to go down the road of a bunch of guys, looking all pretty in hair and makeup, staring into the camera, not really playing their instuments and lip synching, and it came up in conversation and we decided to go with an animated video, based around pirates, as a tribute to the roadie, becuase what he said really stuck with us in our minds.
Access All Areas.net.au: How are you finding touring the world? Are you enjoying it?
Streetlight Manifesto: It's awesome, it really is. Some bands don't like the touring side of being in a band, and find more comfort in the studio, but we're the opposite, and find comfort in touring. We find that we really shine when we play live, but you know, it's all to do with preferences, and we really love the symbyotic relationship between the crowd and the band. In the studio, you have all the technical equiptment and shit, but you can only do so much. But when your playing live, and the audience are singing back, louder then you are, that's when the magic happens. But yeah, we love touring and it's just as well, becuase we have a lot of it to do! It's a big tour we're on, but we're enjoying it, we're loving it, and we have a lot on our plate!
Access All Areas.net.au: What have been the highlights so far?
Streetlight Manifesto: It's the first headling tour we've done in about two years, we've been doing a lot of supportings tours, just while we've been finishing off the new record. So I guess the highlight of this tour, would be the fact that we're finally headlining shows again and the people in the crowd are not people that we're trying to win over, so much as they are already Streetlight fans who like to sing with us, and to have a good time with us, becuase they already know our songs and that's a really good feeling. It's a general nightly highlight for everyone, to actually be playing to our fans, as apposed to new crowds who we're trying to win over. But we greatly thank our fans giving it to us when we play.
Access All Areas.net.au: There's seven of you in the band. Do you take regular head counts while touring?
Streetlight Manifesto: Yeah, there are seven of us in the band, not including the crew. And yes, every night we have to take head counts, because there is seven of us, and then three crew, so there's ten guys in the motorhome, and every night and every time we stop, we do a head count. [laughs] About one year ago, we were driving somewhere in upstate New York, in the middle of nowhere, in the country, and we stopped at about eight in the morning to get gas. I hopped out of my bunk to go use the restroom, and as soon as I stepped out of the gas station I was hit with the reality that the RV wasn't there anymore, and that I was standing there in my boxer shorts and a t-shirt, pretty much naked and the guys not only left, but, whoever was driving that morning didn't do a head count because he just assumed everyone was sleeping. He obviously didn't see me jump out and run to the bathroom. So they were driving, driving, driving, assuming everyone was in their bunks, and I didn't have my wallet, I didn't have anything! So I called my parents collect, because thats the only number I had in my mind - In this day and age, everyone has cellphones, so you don't bother memorising anyones phone number, which given my situation was bad, you know - So, I called my parents, and they tracked down someone's number in the band, called them, and three or four hours later, I was picked up and we actually had to miss a show because of it! So, from then on we've been doing very strict headcounts!
Access All Areas.net.au: So given that, what would be your top tips for tour survival?
Streetlight Manifesto: Headcounts! [laughs] That's number one priority. I don't know, especially in a band like this there's ten guys in a vehicle and everyones different, everyone has a different temperement. You're not going to survive in a band, on tour with people, if your hot headed or close minded. Everyone's got to be open for the most part and everyone needs to forgive, a lot! [laughs] It's kind of like living with a family, with a bunch of brothers and sisters and what not, you just have to forgive and forget, and move on and talk about things, as apposed to letting any resentments build. We're together 24/7, whether it's backstage, or in a vehicle, or on stage - so, you have to be really level headed, that's my advice.
Access All Areas.net.au: What is your favourite song to perform?
Streetlight Manifesto: Hmm. To perform... I think it changes, I know it does for me, but I think it does for everyone, every tour pretty much. Right now, I'd say probably, We Will Fall Together, the first one off the new record. We've been opening shows with that and it just feels really good to scream! [laughs] And yeah, there's always a few that everyone always love playing, and a few that sometimes people aren't that crazy about, but someone else might like it. But, it's a democracy, and every night we do a relatively different set list, we take songs in and out just to keep things fresh, becuase one week a song might be your favourite to perform, and two weeks later you might be sick of it. So we try to keep it rotated as much as possible
Streetlight Manifesto: And actually, if I could just put an adendum to that last question, we've been doing a mini acoustic section on this recent tour, where we get a stand-up bass out and an acoustic guitar out, and we play some Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution songs, it's like a side project. And that's been really fun just to have an acoustic guitar and an acoustic stand up bass on stage, it just something completely different for us, so that's really exciting for us in terms of changing the dynamic, on stage.
Access All Areas.net.au: Are we going to hear new, 'Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution', material anytime soon?
Streetlight Manifesto: Yes! Well, we're playing some of the old songs on stage but that's that. But now that the Streetlight record is finished and out, the next thing we're going to focus and be working on is some new Acoustic Bandits. So yeah, that's the next thing that's up, and we're excited about that becuase it's a lot more complicated, and it's a lot bigger project then Streetlight, and it's more underground, so we're going to see what we can do with that.
Access All Areas.net.au: Do you mind, as a whole, that you haven't had mainstream commercial success?
Streetlight Manifesto: I think early on, we all realised, or had to have the conversation, that the music we make, and just by having a four piece horn section to begin with, is already going to push us out of the realm of mainstream success for the most part, but I think everyone already knew that. No one in the band is into 'Top 40' or high industry bands, so that's not at all a concern. I think our unspoken adgenda, if there is one, for this band, from day one, has been to appriciate the sounds and make music that we would like, and if it's good enough, people will like it, and if it's not people will forget it. So far it's been good and, obviously we'll change what we do in terms of Bandits of the Acoutic Revoloution, but we're certainly not about to change. I mean a lot of bands have gotten rid of their horn section, to aim for more mainstream success, but we like where we are right now, and we much rather be a large underground band, then be a small mainstream band. It's not even an option for us, and it's never been on the horizon and we've never been concerned about it, despite the record label or whoever might want us, [laughs] to become the next big thing. We won't ever have that as part of our agenda.
Access All Areas.net.au: What's your opinion on the whole 'Ska Revival' trend?
Streetlight Manifesto: I don't really have one, you know it's funny because everyone these days is always discussing Ska, and asking us what we think about Ska, and how it feels to be a Ska-Punk band. But, we don't look at ourselves as a Ska-Punk band, if you can point it out to kids, or the general listener, that you know, we are a Ska-Punk band, then go for it. But, I mean, none of us wear checker board shoes, or sing about "Roogie this", or "Roogie that" [laughs]. We're just guys who are into all kinds of music, Ska is one of the many influences that we've had throughout our lives, and it happens to be the set style under which we're making music, but we like bands based on best of music. It's so easy for people to be like, "Oh yeah, I'm a Ska fan..", well, yeah but, what's a Ska fan? There's a lot, and I mean a HUGE, amount of absolutely, unlistenable, terrible, terrible Ska bands out there! [laughs] There's also a few, that in my opinion, are great! And, I might like those bands, but does that mean I'm a Ska fan? So we don't define ourselves as a Ska band, we don't cater to the Ska crowd, we get a lot of Ska fans obviously, but we're just concerned with making music, as apposed to a specific genre of music, and that's our story.
Interview by Daniella Gopsill
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| Biography | Streetlight Manifesto is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey. The band has achieved wide acclaim in alternative circles, and combines elements of third wave ska with a vast array of influences that distinguish Streetlight from its contemporaries.
They released their first album, Everything Goes Numb, which was distributed by Victory Records, on August 26, 2003. The band headlined their first concert at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey on December 9, 2003. Several of Streetlight Manifesto's members were well known in the New Jersey third wave ska community for their roles in past ska punk bands from that area, primarily Kalnoky's Catch 22 and fellow Jersey band One Cool Guy. As of 2007, the lineup consists of Mike Brown on alto and baritone sax, Jim Conti on alto and tenor sax, songwriter Tomas Kalnoky on guitar and lead vocals, bassist Peter McCullaugh, trombonist Mike Soprano, trumpet player Matt Stewart, and Chris Thatcher on drums. |
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