Today we bring you some cool Psych out of Southern California from Cobalt Cranes. Cobalt Cranes play like they are the love child of Jefferson Airplane and The Byrds (With Gram) sent to the future to see if the kids are still getting lost in the daze of all things psych. Once you give a listen to ” Days In The Sun” you will agree that the answer to that question is a resounding – yes. There is a lot of work that has to happen when you take sounds from different eras and mix them together into something new, optics play a part, although for me, I think it has more to do with the intelligence of the band. Understanding the history that has come before them is quite evident. Cobalt Cranes answers to some simple questions reveal that understanding. You can’t fake being authentic, you can pay homage by your style, you can show you get it by making it all new, and you can declare , this is our time and we have something to say and that is what Cobalt Cranes have done with this excellent album.
Hi our name is….
Cobalt Cranes
People say we sound like…..
California psych Grunge
We are…..
Kate Betuel and Tim Foley
We are from…….
Kate: Los Angeles
Tim: A small river town in Northern California
Who are some that have an influence on you:
Tim: We have been driving through the South a lot on this tour – towns like Savannah – these gothic, dark places. Also we’ve been playing a lot of Ozzy in the car.
Kate: Grace Slick has influenced the way I sing a lot. She’s a great rock n’ Roll singer. She sings with so much passion and force with a very focused delivery.
Gram Parsons or The Doors…
Kate: Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris
Tim: That’s a hard one – I’d have to agree with Kate, Gram Parsons is one of my favorite artists, and his stuff with Emmylou Harris – especially live versions of “Sin City” are so good. But the Doors are a huge influence too. They have a dark California sound.
How old were all of you when you started to play and who plays what in the band
Tim: I was in the orchestra starting in 3rd grade – I played Cello. My parents didn’t really make me take lessons, and I would make up little pieces instead of learning a lot of real technique. We had this cool guitar teacher in 7th grade and I started playing guitar then, but I stopped for a long time and didn’t start again ‘till my late teens. I play guitar and sing now.
Kate: I started playing the piano when I was 5. It really gave me an understanding of how to play music. I started playing guitar in my late teens and eventually picked up the Bass.
Can you tell us about the process you use, from writing the songs all the way through getting the sons out.
Tim: Kate and I write the songs – we both write riffs a lot and record them. We go over the riffs together and start building songs from there, adding parts, arranging them into songs. We record the songs with our band – we do the rhythm parts live as a band, and go in and record the other guitars and percussions after that. Sometimes the songs come together fast, and other times we change parts, re-arrange them, take a part from one song and put it together with another song. Kate and I both write lyrics – sometimes we write most of the songs by ourselves, and sometimes we bounce lyric ideas off each other.
what are some of the challenges you face as musicians and how have you overcome those challenges
Tim: Everything about being a musician is a challenge! It’s like you’re constantly trying to push this shape-shifting rock up a mountain, and the mountain is changing all the time too. We’re really lucky that we have supportive people around us who give us good advice. Being a part of the Lolipop Records family has been huge for us.
If you could pick any time to travel back to for music, where would you go and what year would it ….
Tim: I’d like to hang out in the South of France in the early 70’s and be a fly on the wall while the Stones recorded ‘Exile on Main St’.
Who are all of you currently listening to ….
Kate: Shocking Blue, Sun Ra, Kyuss, PJ Harvey
Tim: War on Drugs, Dum Dum Girls, Motown.
If you could open for any Band right now who would that be and why?
Kate: Black Angels. They give off the strongest vibes I’ve ever felt at a show. They have so much mood and atmosphere in their songs. Also, Queens of the Stone Age. They’re the most creative modern rock band, it would be fun to open for those guys.
My youngest son is 13 and in a Band, what advice would you offer him…
Kate: Don’t give up and listen to your gut. The people who criticize you the most are envious that you’re doing what you love without fear. Write and play as much as possible.
your thoughts on the state of rock ‘n’ roll in 2015…..
Kate: It’s thriving.
Our plans for 2015…..
Kate: Big news coming soon! But we’re recording and touring a lot more.
Tim: We have a few days off at the end of this tour, so we’re gonna start recording demos of our new songs and maybe do some writing in studios on the road, then come back and start working on our next album. It’s going to be a dark California sound. And then tour – somewhere far, far away!
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