By Kathryn Pinto
Sounds for the Cause presents a benefit show for Laura's House domestic violence shelter Saturday night at The Smell with a lineup of great bands that includes Bikos, Danger Friends USA! , SNACKTIME (cd release show), PROTECT ME, and Owls. The show benefits Laura's House, a domestic violence shelter in south Orange County that has provided emergency shelter, crisis support, counseling and children's programs to women survivors of domestic violence and their children since 1994. Admission to the benefit is $5 donation or an unwraped toy for the children. The Smell is located at 247 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA.
RFSL checked in with Bikos frontman Gabe Pearlman to hear more about the benefit and what the band has been up to.
Kathryn Pinto (RFSL): What has Bikos been up to lately? You had a 2012 release. Have you been writing? recording? touring?
Gabe Pearlman (Bikos): We've had a lot going on. I was really excited to release an EP in March, Let Down Your Avant Garde (available on bandcamp as a free download). Summer 2012 was really crazy time for our band, we had to take some time off. Our drummer, Austin, had his first child, and we found out that our keyboardist, Jaron, was leaving the band. Jaron was there from the beginning, and still remains a dear friend and prized collaborator... not an easy loss. We've regrouped now and are back in the swing of things.
In May of 2012, just our respite, our producer/engineer Dean Nelson flew in from Canada to work with us on the new record, it's Post-Prom. One week, tracking straight to tape. 13 songs. Mixing was just completed shortly after New Year's. Final sequencing and mastering are happening soon. Dean was working with Beck in LA a few years ago when a demo of ours made its way to him. He mixed our first record, Make Your Sound Sound, and just added a little additional tracking. He was drawn to what we had put together thus far in the process. For this album, he was there the whole time and we really couldn't be much happier with what transpired that week and in mixing. Not sure how/when we're gonna release it's Post-Prom just yet.
I find myself perpetually writing new songs, we recently started performing a new one, called "is...IS!." We're planning on recording that track for a split 7 inch release we wanna do with Long Beach's Tubby Boots who absolutely blow my mind. They've been around for a few years and aren't a household name... I forsee that changing sometime down the line. Our bassist, Dave Jones, has been helping engineer the sessions for their next record.
Also I am starting to try and write songs for other artists. Nyro-Newman-Nilsson... just huge for me.
RFSL: How did you get involved with the benefit. Tell us a little bit about Laura's House?
Bikos: Mid-2012 Erynne Miller who started a non-profit, Sounds for the Cause, asked if we would like to play a benefit show. Of course! She said that Sounds for the Cause was putting something together for a domestic violence shelter, Laura's House. Located in south Orange County, Laura's house provides residential shelter services, counseling, legal services, a crisis hotline as well as other vital resources for victims of domestic violence.
RFSL: Who are the other bands playing? Who are you excited to see & hear?
Bikos: Joining in for the cause, are Owls, Danger Friends USA! , Protect Me, and Snacktime (who are releasing a new record at the show as well). I've caught enough of each of their recordings to be really excited to see them all live for the first time!
RFSL: Anything else you want to share with RFSL readers?
Bikos: We're doing a Third Fridays residency at Taix in Echo Park from March through June. For the March date, we'll be joined by Trotsky Icepick who are recently reunited... they are dizzyingly great. In April we'll be joined by another remarkable SST Records band, Saccharine Trust. Saccharine slays me every time I see them live. Gonna be quite a sight seeing their mayhem in the cozy Taix Lounge.
Comments