LA.CityZine brings you the plush, melodic rock sounds of Long Beach band, Repeater, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. Although Long Beach may be well known for a scene bursting of ska and punk bands from the 90’s, two former members of The Main Frame have decided to join forces with others and focus on the other genres that helped pave the way of the 80’s and 90’s. Today, Repeater infuses the elements of new wave and post-punk rock and breathes smooth shoegaze into their sound. With rich chords, meticulous guitar riffs and artful drumming, this band manages to carefully slide dark lush tones under a juxtaposition of rough rock vocals and pop choruses.
Repeater plays home sweet home at The Prospector, this Saturday, September 20th. Alongside bands, Romance and Sleepmask, they take the stage at 10:00pm. Be sure to catch a great show. However, if your schedule happens to be that unfortunate, they’re also playing LA on September 21st at Mountain Bar and September 24th at Club Moscow. You have no excuse now! Until then, check out this interview with the band as well as their video to “Killing Without Question” below!
In your “Sounds Like” section on your MySpace page, you list the exact purpose of a repeater device: “A device for receiving electronic communicating signals and delivering corresponding amplified ones.” Who came up with this concept and why did you want your band to follow this theme?
Rob: We were throwing around a bunch if ideas when we were trying to name the band and Repeater was something that we could all agree on. Not only is it a homage to the band Fugazi, who we all love but sound nothing like, but the definition is exactly what we try to do with music. Taking in inspiration from other bands, literature, art, life, and so on and creating something that is an amalgam of it all - only really loud.
Are you all from the Long Beach area?
Matt: Yes I have lived here my entire life.
Steve: I am from Arizona.
Alex: I’m not a currently living in Long Beach, but I have lived and shared the long beach lifestyle, including getting robbed and shot at.
Rob: I grew up in Northern California, but moved to the area in 2001 and Victor, our bass player, is also from the Long Beach area.
What do you think Long Beach has in terms of a music scene when it is compared to other areas in Southern California?
Matt: Long Beach is a small scene where we feel like we have flourished and been able to expand our sound in a small but diverse community.
Rob: As Matt said, it is a smaller town then Los Angeles proper, so we have the benefit of not having a scene or area of music that we feel that we need to identify with. It gives us the space to create the music we want to without the pressure of needing to identify ourselves with a specific sound.
Has playing Long Beach felt different after you’ve played other areas for a while?
Rob: Long Beach is home and it is always good to be home. It is nice to not have to drive a long distance after the bar closes.
Alex: Long Beach always has good energy, and always will.
How is your new album, Iron Flowers, different from you last two EPs?
Matt: It is an expansion of our sound. We were able to take a little more time to dissect all of the elements of each song. Before recording this, we had not really been able to take the time to focus on all of the elements that make up the band.
Steve: This is a departure. We feel that this is the first “modern” recording we have done. The last recording was more in the style of the music we love and to which we gravitate. That was so natural and open, like Scary Monsters by David Bowie perhaps. The new one, Iron Flowers, is more in the vein of modern rock bands. We are trying to put our art out in the open.
What is your favorite track off of Iron Flowers?
Matt: Recorded, my favorite track is “Second Home.” My favorite song on the record would have to be “Missing.” I like “Carved In Shadow” because I do a really aggressive vocal take, but honestly, I think it’s a pretty great recording. We are all proud of it. We threw away just as many songs as we kept.
Alex: “Carved in Shadow” has a raw power that I really enjoy, other than that probably “Gifted and The Damned.”
Rob: It is hard to pick a favorite song because each song has something I really like in it. Sometimes a drum part or a certain chord change will catch my ear in a way that I had not heard it before.
You’ve also released the album in the UK since you are signed to a UK label. How does the reception in Europe differ from your reception here in the US?
Steve: People in Europe seem to like our stuff . But honestly, until we get over there, who knows. I would love to do a test run just to see how well that holds up.
Alex: People in the UK seem to be much more open to different ideas. It seems they like music for music and not for if it’s cool to like it. Then again we aren’t there so who knows.
Rob: It seems as if we have gotten a good response from Europe and the UK. The kind of music we play is influenced by a lot of bands from the UK and Europe, so I think that their points of reference are a bit more obvious than those of a US audience.
How did you hook up with producer, Chris Fudurich and what was the greatest thing you learned from him?
Rob: We actually met Chris when we played Moscow one night and he had expressed an interest in working with us. We were not in the correct space, musically, to move forward at that time, but as luck would have it, we met up again with him through our manager, Collin Burke. Chris is an extremely talented producer and has been really important in helping our band mature into a much more professional sounding group. He has helped fine tune the rough edges and says the things that we don’t want to hear sometimes, but need to know. We have become a better band because of him.
The Long Beach music scene is churning out bands now more than ever. What is your advice for brand new bands?
Steve: Get a recording. Listen to yourself. Fix it. Sound the way you sounded in your head. Make it better. Record it again. Compare it to your favorite record. Make it better. Keep going.
Alex: Try not to suck.
Rob: Make music that is important to you. Make something that is honest and real. If you do that, then no matter what your level of success, you will be happy.
Who are your favorite local bands right now?
Matt: I really like what In Waves is doing as well as The Minor Canon.
Alex: Our friends War Tapes definitely have my vote for best local act right now.
Rob: There are a lot of great bands, but War Tapes are really fantastic. Sleepmask is awesome as well.
Quick Fire-Round:
Where is your favorite place to eat in Long Beach?
Matt: Hole Mole
Alex: Taquira #2
What’s the best bookshop you’ve been to in Long Beach?
Matt: Once Read Books
Steve: OPEN books
What’s the best coffee shop you’ve been to in Long Beach?
Matt: Of course, Portfolio.
Steve: Portfolio.
Alex: I used to work at Coffee Bean on 2nd St.
What’s the last thing you got in trouble for?
Matt: Drugs.
Steve: Being dumb.
Alex: Intoxication.
Rob: I don’t get in trouble.
What was the last physical CD you bought?
Matt: The National - The Virginia EP
Steve: Mew - Frengers
Rob: The National - Boxer
What drink has made you wish you never started drinking in the first place?
Matt: Thanks to Steve, whiskey straight.
Steve: Nothing has made me not want to drink.
Alex: I will never wish I hadn’t started drinking.
Rob: There is no such thing as a bad drink.
Tell us one thing about yourself we probably don’t already know.
Matt: I love Pink Floyd.
Steve: Steve: Steve: I can play saxophone. I can also play other things. I like REM and Metallica.
Alex: I like a lot of really bad music. Or maybe you did know that.
Rob: I can be nice sometimes.
Photography courtesy of Drew Kelley
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1 response so far ↓
1 not victor // Sep 17, 2008 at 6:20 pm
i’m not from long beach! los angeles for life!
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