First off, I have to apologize to the members of
Life in 24 Frames. I asked them MONTHS ago to answer some questions for our blog and failed to post the article until now. I should point out that these guys have been super patient with me and their coolness certainly reflects the cool ambient tone of their music.
These are cool guys. I'm just saying.
And this post couldn't come at a better time. On October 22nd, Life in 24 Frames are throwing a
listening party for their newest record at
Luigi's Fun Garden at 8:30 PM!
This isn't just any old listening party, either. Life in 24 Frames will be performing their entire record LIVE for an all ages audience will a special performance from Los Angeles based indie outfit
Fight From Above.
The untitled new LP from this Sacramento band is being produced and engineered by
Robert Cheek of
By Sunlight and the tentative release is this Fall/Winter.
Listen to "You Were Always My Achilles Heel"
So to start celebrating the recording and future release of Life in 24 Frames' newest
album, read up on this local band's unsigned experience!
How would you describe your sound?
We are really influenced by early post rock/ indie rock like Sunny Day Real Estate and Built to Spill, but also very ambient breezy stuff like Appleseed Cast and Radiohead. If Radiohead and ...Trail of the Dead had a love child, I'm pretty sure it'd sound a lot like us. [Our] music really relies a lot on slow ethereal builds and [the creation of] soundscapes. If I had to really pinpoint it I'd say that in the quiet moody parts of the songs it feels like time is standing still around you, and in the large driving parts it feel like the apocalypse is approaching. Haha! All in one song. Hence the long track times.
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| Kris A. |
How long after the band formed were you able to start booking shows? How did you get booked for shows?
I'd say we gave it a good five months before we played our first show. I had a band in the early 2000s here in Sacramento when the scene was really good, so I had the good fortune of already knowing a lot of the club owners and promoters. I do all the promotions and booking myself.
Where was your first professional gig?
First professional gig was at the Boardwalk in October of 2008.
What web tools do you use to promote the band?
As far as promotion goes for booking shows and getting on larger bills, the absolute BEST place is still Myspace. Not too great for your everyday blogger, since Facebook and Twitter have taken that over, but I think MySpace is still the best place for music and networking your band.
What kind of media do you use to promote the band? Audio, visual, etc.?
The last EP, Blessed are the Forgetful [Nietzsche, anyone?], we released on digital media download cards. It looks just like a business card with a code on the back. In our minds it seems like the cheapest and easiest way to get our music out there and in peoples' hands. We used to flyer a lot until we realized what a colossal waste of paper it was. Other than that, all other show promotion is done on social networking sites: Twitter | Myspace | Facebook | ReverbNation.
Honestly though, I personally think the best way to do it is to get out there and play for people. The way you're really going to connect with people and possible fans is to play for them live. That's how you're remembered.
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| Tony |
You are currently unsigned and are self-releasing another album, but are you still actively looking to be signed by a label?
I wouldn't say we are actively looking, because by "actively looking" I think of sending out press kits and what-not, and we are not doing that at the moment. We'd love to have a nice indie label to help distribute and promote us though.
I think right now our main focus is to get a full length LP recorded and have it be everything we would like to see in an album. We have 2 EPs out up to this point, and neither of them really represent us as a live band, mostly dude to lack of time spent in the studio, which is due to cash...so maybe we should be looking for a label. Haha! We have about 16 songs to choose from right now, and we are planning to hit the studio this September with Robert Cheek from By Sunlight and really make a great record that represents the band and its current level. I think its much easier to shop around a great product like that, already made and ready to go. Then its yours, and you own it.
In your own words, describe our local music scene and your involvement in it. Do you support other bands? Where are your favorite places to perform?
The local scene? I don't think it's very strong. I came up with my first band in the late 90s and early 00s when the scene was incredible, with clubs like Bo Jangles and Capital Garage. I think one of the main problems is the lack of a really strong stand out all ages club in downtown/midtown.
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| Wes |
We are trying to do what we can to help out with the local music scene by trying to pull some of the larger indie acts from other parts of the country and get them to come here. Like recently we got Look Mexico to come here on their last tour. But really, on a week night, where is there to play all ages gig that isnt too far from the core of downtown? I think Jerry Perry does an amazing job and has helped us a lot when we want to bring these out of town acts in. He is one guy who truly cares about the local scene and the acts that make it up. Without stuff like Concerts in the Park, Hot Italian's Hot Lunch series, and places like Old Ironsides, we really wouldn't have much. We owe a lot to him.
As far as supporting other bands, I don't think there is any one thing about being a unsigned band that is more important then supporting fellow bands. We have built some great relationships with some really great bands all up and down the West Coast over the last two years. It's disturbing that there seems to have been a trend popping up of "looking at the other band as the enemy," and I'm glad to see that kind of thing start to dissipate. Another trend I'd like to see go the way of the dinosaurs is the "pay-to-play" structure. Which is nothing much more than the classic pyramid scheme.
Do you think unsigned musicians have or can have any influence over the music industry without being signed to a label? Why or why not? And if so, how?
I definitely think that they do. It shows in the numbers. There are a lot of big indie bands out there that can get along just fine without the help of the mainstream music industry. Just look at what Radiohead has done recently. Granted, they were already up there. The age of the internet is in full swing. So as far as getting your music out there, it's VERY easy.
Be sure to drop by Luigi's Fun Garden on October 22nd to get a LIVE preview of Life in 24 Frames' THIRD self-release!
