by Joe Fielder
One of the best parts of putting on that weekly new music night at LaBrie's is that it helps keep us (and ideally, the folks who come out) up on good new bands...
Case in point, local indie rock act POLLS are a new group we like the sound of who agreed to play the first of George Glass' five free nights in March.
We think you should probably check them out and read this interview.
Hey, guys. Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions and for playing the show on Tuesday.
Hello, Joe. Thank you! We love answering questions and appreciate being asked to play. Looking forward to seeing George Glass.
How did you all meet? How did you start playing together?
We all answered an ad in the Wall Street Journal announcing auditions to compose a boy band. We were the only ones to show up to the blimp hangar in Orlando where the auditions were held so we got the gig and became best friends straight away. Julien is from Belgium and speaks several languages and plays drums. David is from Los Angeles and plays a lot of instruments and makes chocolate. Before Polls, he was in a band called Asbury. Chris is from Baltimore and he is the cute one.
You released a five-song EP last summer. Who did you record with?
It was engineered and mixed by Dan Horne and Drew Manne at Lone Palm Studio in Echo Park. Jack Burnside of Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits produced it.
You mentioned you're working on a 7-inch right now? When's that coming out? What's the new material like?
We've been working at Lone Palm again with Dan, doing it in bits and pieces. Now we're mixing. These new recordings are probably a bit more grandiose than what was on our EP. Hopefully it will be out in the springtime like a nice flower.
Who are your influences? (Or, at least, who inspired you to make music?)
Julien - Grandaddy, These Arms Are Snakes, The Walkmen, Superdrag, TV on the Radio.
David - REM, Blur, Nick Cave, Tones on Tail, Tom Waits, Woody Allen, reading a bunch of books, silly ass wacky family I grew up in.
Chris - Neil Diamond, The Who, Sonic Youth, Television, being jealous/not getting enough attention.
Chris, you also play guitar in Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits. How do you manage to split your time for both acts?
I'ts like that movie Multiplicity except I don't have any clones. Yet somehow I'm still getting dumber...
What's next for you?
We just do what we're told.
Last question: Who are you listening to these days?
Julien - Liars Sisterworld. Gonjasufi A Sufi and a Killer, which was passed on to me and now I love it. Sufjan Stevens All Delighted People EP, the refrains won't leave my head. At the Drive-In In Casino Out because it reminds me of South Florida. Constantines Shine a Light.
David - Bone Thugs. New Radiohead. Tetes Raides. Blonde on Blonde. PJ Harvey. Lykke Li.
Chris - Andy Williams. The new Alpine Decline record, which sounds incredible. Talking Heads Remain In Light. Ummmm... Ricky Gervais Show podcasts.
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