Music fans love to see bands come to their town and kick ass. Fans gather around the band's vehicle hoping to catch a glimpse of the members, and, possibly, enjoy a brief, but often, inspiring conversation. Yet, when was the last time "groupies" every attended a concert to gaze at the band's van? It's unheard of! Sports fans have their version of the sacred vehicle in Monday Night Football color commentator, John Madden's "Madden Cruiser." Yet the only time I've heard of people "wanting" to see a band's vehicle was with regards to the inside.
Sybris' van has logged enough miles that it will have earned bronze status. In fact, Angela Mullenhour and the band is thinking one step ahead. "The next van we're going to get is bronze. We're into shortcuts and mysticism so the only thing we'll have to do is buy some incense and perform some miracles."
TGB recently caught up with Angela Mullenhour to find out the latest on the band. Maybe we'll get to drive the van someday, but, for now, let's join in.
The way you met is well documented, but do you believe it was luck or fate?
I think those two things are one in the same. Luck, fate, drunkenness. I believe that it was a combination of all of those things. I suppose our lives would be drastically different if we never all met -- so I suppose it was a fateful night. And we love one another and what we do, so we were and are very lucky.
If I were in a record store and spotted your album, what would compel me to put my money down and purchase a Sybris cd?Maybe you've heard of us. Maybe you found a bag of money. I really don't know.
Many bands will inevitably draw comparisons of themselves to other bands, but your band seems to steer clear. To what do you owe your uniqueness?We steer clear of making comparisons, I think, because none of us agree on what we sound like and in the same breath I believe that's where our uniqueness comes from. Maybe all of us are playing different songs individually.
I sense that there is a poet inside the lyricist. Are your lyrics just such or are they poems put to music?
I am a scholar of poetry. I read it and I write it and I talk about it. My lyrics, on the other hand, are a lot different than my poetry. A lot of my favorite, most visceral words are unsingable. Like the word visceral, for example. But, I'm reconciling that on the new stuff we're working on -- concentrating on making the lyrics more poetically satisfying. I think.
Is Sybris where the band members expected to be or have the events of the last few months (album sales, tours, press, etc.) far exceeded any expectations?I think we're pretty spot on. The press has been particularly surprising in the sense that it is a lot more positive than I thought it would be. Of course, we would love to be on the road more, but someday I think we will be.
Two words that you have describe the direction of the band is "danceable" and "discoey". Would you elaborate?
Yes. Since that was said, we've also gone in about 18,000 different directions -- I think I was talking about the drums as being discoey because at the time we were writing a couple of songs that had that feel, like, a lot of high hat trilly stuff. We are still playing around with that, but integrating it with anything from waltzy stuff to hawaiian stuff.
You've toured consistentely since the release of your self-titled album on Flameshovel. Is touring fun or a necessary evil?I think it's different for different bands -- I mean, you're all in a van seeing the amazing vastness of this place and playing music every night and meeting hilarious people, and being with your dawgs, laughing your asses off. If you're not friends with your bandmates or if you have a hard time being away from your house or your girlfriend or a shower and you act like a whiny bitch, then you can make it miserable for the rest of the band. It's a necessary awesomeness with the right folk. I wouldnt trade it for anything; a shower or a boyfriend.
Check out Sybris at www.sybrismusic.com or log-on to Flameshovel Records for more information.
