Acho incrivel e inaceitavel o quão tão pouco comentado foi o debut do Apollo Heights, primeiro porque na minha opinião o album é um turbilhão efervescente de misturas, inclua-se ai shoegazer, Cocteau Twins, A.R. Kane, David Bowie e vestigios logicamente da origem dos caras o espetacular e pouco conhecido The Veldt, eu mesmo já escrevi na primeira vez que os caras apareceram por aqui a importância do Veldt e segundo pelos caras terem um reconhecimento absurdo fora dos eixos, atualmente estam abrindo shows dos Bunnymen, sem contar que já tocaram com basicamente todas as principais bandas da atualidade, mas continuam obscuros e cultuando novamente o status de banda cool, como sou fã desde os tempos do Veldt, convidei Daniel Chavis para um bate papo e mais uma entrevista tornou-se clássica...
***** Interview with Apollo Heights *****
Q. Tell us about Veldt early years...when the band starts?
A. Well....... the early years for the Veldt were so much fun. We were optimistic about new music and the effect it would have on everyone not just one type of person. Little did we know we would be greeted by a wide range of hostility and ignorance. We were living in Raleigh North Carolina at the time actually between Raleigh and Chapel Hill (Which is really where we got our start) and that music scene was so bright and vibrant.
We actually started at a party where there was a terrible band playing we kicked them off their instruments and began to play. (Dave Burris our future bassist was actually in that terrible party band) from then on we began have a name thru out the town.
Q. Who are your influences/heroes?
A. mainly British. They were of the lies of the Cure,Siouxie and the Banshees,The Smiths,Echo and the Bunnymen. etc prettyy much bands that people are raving about now but at the time they were still around.
Q: Tell us about the Veldt´s gigs...how was it?
A. In the beginning they were pretty high energy all over the place. Later on during our first major tour (Opening for the Pixies,Lush,Throwing Muses,Babes in Toyland, Cocteau Twins)then,after the second gig (A tour) with the Jesus and Mary Chain(and having just came back from recording with Robin Guthrie in England),our sound changed to the point of no return.
Q: Too many people considerer Soul in Jar a classic, do you agree?In your opinion what´s the best Veldt, song....etc...
A. Soul in a jar came about while I was taking a bus across the country from California. I was reading Dante's inferno and Lyrically it influenced my belief in god and man. It was our first attempt to merge our sound with beats we had grown up with. Sadly the world would never know we were the first to do it.
Q: Explain, Why Veldt R.I.P., tell us about the end...
A. The Veldt R.I.P? Well we actually didn't break up in fact we plan on doing another LP at some point. Nowadays people just put out music and go for theirs! There is actually a big catalogue of new Veldt material that we have yet to release. We just wanted to do something a little different. So after we left Polygram we'd had it and just wanted to give the name rest a bit. Apollo Heights actually started in the year 2000.
Q: What´s the fundamental difference between Veldt and Apollo Heights?
A. Hmmmm I say not much. Apollo is a bit more beat driven.
Q. NY is a mecca from new noise/shoegazer and post punk bands, tell us about the scene in the city.
A. Segregated. Very : There are a lot of clicks in New York and some of them don't like outsiders so it's kinda hard to get into certain scenes. The indie scene is predominately latch key rich kids faking like they are poor. But there are allot of bands here and at times it CA N be very interesting. Just because of what I said earlier,I don't go out much.
Q. NY is a mecca from new noise/shoegazer and post punk bands, tell us about the scene in the city.
A. They are phenomenal!
Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
A. We do covers of "All Tomorrow's Parties" "Venus in Furs" Velvet Underground"
"Lady Jane" Rolling Stones "Sweet Thang" Chaka Khan. We do a couple of other but I cant remember.
Q: Which new bands you recommended?
A. Well I don't like much new music but the newer bands I like are:
The BrianJonestown Massacre
Asteroid #4
Specterum
Spaceman 3
Spiritualized
The Warlocks
Broken Social Scene
Stars
Q: What´s the plans for future....new records, a tour, maybe play in Brazil one day....
A. Well, the new LP is tentatively called "The Shocking Pink of your Electric Fur" supposedly it's a title from an E.E. Comings book. it was my brother's idea,but I think it's kinda stupid. We have a shoe this weekend opening for Echo and The Bunnymen so we are having mad rehearsals for that. I would hopefully like to get on tour with them.
Brazil:Please get us in touch with people that would like us to come to Brazil(Blogs,booking agents,papers WHATEVER!!). we would LOVE to come!!!!
Q: Any parting words?
A. TO NEW BANDS ,BE OPEN MINDED GIVE NEW SOUNDS A CHANCE AND NEVER FORGET THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT YOU.
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Thanks Daniel!!!!
