DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews
Thee More Shallows
EXCLUSIVE Interview: Thee More Shallows
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
07.01.07
What you need to know about Thee More Shallows:
- The band is based out of San Francisco;
- The band's debut LP More Deep Cuts, was released in 2005;
- The band will start the West Coast leg of its tour on August 2 with shows from San Diego to Vancouver, BS; and
- The band, Dee Kesler, Chavo Fraser and Jason Gonzales, released their latest album, Book of Bad Breaks , in April 2007.
For more information of Thee More Shallows, visit their Web site at www.theemoreshallows.com or their MySpace.com page at www.myspace.com/theemoreshallows.
DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive with Thee More Shallows.
The band has been performing together since 2001; how has it evolved in the six years since?
We've undergone a few line-up changes. We were mostly a 4-piece up until 2005. Now we're a trio so we really have to work to fill out the sound. We've added an extra keyboard, some extra percussion, and an mp3 player (mostly supplying canned beats) to provide the extra layers that we require.
Earlier this year, the band signed with Anticon Records. How did that relationship come about?
David, our singer, lives next to Odd Nosdam, one of the founding members of the Anticon collective and label. They became friends and we started playing shows with bands like Why? and such. They wanted us to change our name to Chilly the Most.
For someone new to the band, how would you describe its sound?
Slow builds with not-so-satisfying triumphs
How long did it take to record Book of Bad Breaks?
About three months to record and three months to mix.
Which do you enjoy more, performing live or writing and recording?
Both have their merits. One thing I don't like is Blues Traveler.
When someone comes to see Thee More Shallows perform live, what should they expect?
A band probably consistently slightly better than the band your brother plays in
You are in the the midst of a North American tour in which you are playing almost every night. This on the heels of a European tour. What's the most difficult part of being on the road for so long? What's the best part?
Jug heads
Juggs
The most bizarre thing that has happened to the band while on tour is ... ?
We stayed at the house of a tribal art dealer. His house was full of all of these statues from New Guinea, Africa, Asia, etc. We got really baked and the statues started talking to us.
Who was your first concert?
James
What artists have influenced you the most throughout your career?
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart
What were you listening to in 1997?
My crazy (now ex-)girlfriend
One Drink, One Movie, One Album:
Gin and tonic, Better Off Dead, Beyond the Crystal Sea