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Interview with Natureboy
Interviewed By: Kevchino
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I got to chat with Sara while she was visiting her old hometown of Seattle about the political uproar in Iran, her old band, House On A Hill, and her new music project, Natureboy. |
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How is your visit back in Seattle going?
It’s going okay. Good to see family and old friends. But it’s also hard for me because of what’s happening in Iran right now. I'm first-generation American, and I’ve been there a few times and have family there. I'm greatly disturbed by the violence and am worried for people’s lives, but I’m also very hopeful and proud of the Iranian people who are standing up for themselves. I hope The Islamic Republic is somehow overthrown. It’s definitely a dictatorship. It's like Big Brother over there. The government controls the news. They try to control everything and silence people’s voices, and, as you can see, they are brutally abusing and killing their own people. So many more people have died than what they are choosing to disclose. I think there needs to be a separation of religion and government, and most importantly the people need basic human and equal rights for men and women. I could elaborate, but I just wanted to say my piece on that because I feel it’s very relevant right now. So thank you.
Is your family okay in Iran?
Yes, my family is okay. Thank you. My dad has talked to them on the phone. I tried calling a couple times but couldn't get through.
Where are your family exactly?
I'd rather not say where they are exactly just ’cause you never know. Seriously, the government there is scary.
Any stories you’d like to share that you heard from your friends or family?
There's no one there that I've heard from personally, but when I was in Seattle, my family and friends of family had a lot of discussions about it. There are a lot of mixed ideas, and it’s a really complicated history and situation. I think that most of the people, since seventy percent of the population is age thirty and below, want democracy and freedom, to be able to express themselves, to have basic human rights like freedom of speech and for the women to not have to wear the veil. When you have laws that are dictated by religious fanatics, you have to live just the way that they want or else, and the consequences are frightening. People there have been living in fear for the past thirty years, and I think this election just crossed their threshold for how much they can take, and it finally brought people together in protest. It's to the point where they think, I would rather die than live in my country this way. And so they are risking their lives because there is nothing else they can do. This is how revolutions happen. A lot of people die unfortunately.
I don't think it’s about the election anymore, because it was a fraud from the very beginning. Ultimately the Supreme Ruler gets to decide not only who becomes president, but who even gets to be a candidate, so the choices are very limited. How can anything be fair with a Supreme Ruler? The whole system needs to change. Just the fact that the government is shutting the media down, the Internet and cell phones, is just horrifying. There is no freedom of press there. It is all controlled. They don't want the world to know how evil they are. They want everyone to think that the Iranian people are happy with their lives, and that is obviously not the case from what we have seen. I could really go on and on. I am not claiming to know everything about the situation, but I have been completely glued to the news ever since this happened and am learning still and asking questions.
I have a link for an interview here from a young protester in Iran that I think is informative: http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/22/iranian-protestor-plea/. And this Facebook account on Iran gives out updates all the time: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IRAN/18297..
Could you share a brief history of yourself and how you got into playing music?
I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and I always kind of played music like violin and piano in grade school, but I picked up the guitar when I was twelve ’cause I became a huge Nirvana fan. And guitar just clicked and was so naturally easy for me. That was the beginning of the real awakening to music for me. From there I played solo a lot in school performances and then joined in some bands until House On A Hill was formed.
When did you relocate from Seattle to Brooklyn?
About three years ago.
Was your prior band, House On A Hill, doing well in Seattle when you left?
I'd say we were doing fairly well, playing around a lot, but not enough to sustain us.
Did House On A Hill ever tour the US or Europe?
Yeah, we did a small West Coast tour once. More like a vacation on the beach, though.
Where did HOAH do the small West Coast tour?
We went through Portland, Oregon and then down to San Fran, San Diego, LA, and Santa Monica. The only name of the club I remember is Lava Lounge.
Sorry for posting a bad review of House On A Hill's Ladyslipper.
Do you forgive me? Your new LP and HOAH's LPs, including Ladyslipper, are currently on heavy rotation at the Kevchino headquarters.
Ha! No problem. It’s someone’s opinion. I don't take it personally. I'm not so psyched on that record as well; yeah, I think I actually agree with everything it said!
When did House On A Hill end and Natureboy begin? Did they overlap?
They overlapped. I was working on the Natureboy songs during the interim for a year or so before the rest of House On A Hill moved here.
Did anybody stick with you from House On A Hill?
Yes, Cedar Apffel, who was the bass player and co-writer for HOAH, produced the Natureboy record. I’m happy we still work together musically. We have been playing together so long it would feel strange not to work with him because we know each other’s language so well when we play and write. It clicks easily with us.
Was Cedar your ex-lover?
Yes, Cedar was my boyfriend for six years, throughout most of HOAH’s existence. Can you believe it! I can't! Good friends now, he's like my brother.
Do you think, down the road, HOAH would be up for doing any reunion shows?
Oh, God no.
Do you ever play solo as Natureboy, or do the boys always join you for shows?
Sometimes solo, but mostly with the boys because it's hard to achieve the dynamics and atmosphere of the record live with just two voices—mine and the guitar’s.
What inspired you to choose the name Natureboy? The song by Eden Ahbez or Nat Cole's 1948 cover?
Yeah, I really like Nat Cole’s cover. I like the way the name sounds. Band names are hard to pick, but I just picked it and stuck with it. There’s not some amazing meaning or anything behind it.
I am fan of a lot of singer-songwriter musicians. I find it weird many audiences have a tendency to speak over mellow music at shows. Do you notice that, being you once were in a louder, more rock-oriented band and are now playing more intimate shows?
I suppose so, but who knows why most people go to shows anyway? Some of them could just be going for fun and not really care about the music.
You have a very unique guitar style. How long have you been playing guitar?
Thank you. I’d say about fifteen years or so. I’m attached.
Did you have any formal guitar training, or did you just kind of teach yourself?
I took a few classes when I first started, just to learn the basic chords, but then I mostly taught myself by listening and playing what I heard.
Who are your guitar heroes, not the game, but actual people whose playing you love?
I was never really into guitar players who could shred or who were popularly considered to be guitar gods. Not into the wanky guitar solos. But I know I was greatly influenced by the guitar work done in Broken Social Scene, Modest Mouse (old Modest Mouse), Blonde Redhead, Smashing Pumpkins, Built To Spill, the Redneck Manifesto, Mogwai, Pinback, the Pixies, and, of course, John Frusciante and Radiohead.
Which guitar have you owned the longest?
My Rickenbacker. I got that in 2000 at Guitarville in Seattle. I love that guitar. Although Cedar plays on it more now since I went all acoustically.
I love the debut album. The recording sounds very nice. The album has a beautiful cadence to it. I really love the subtle instrumentation and backwards guitar stuff. Were you happy with the recording and the mixes?
Thank you, thank you. I'm happy with it as well. Of course there’s always the little things that only I think would notice or care about. It feels like it has a real cohesive and intimate sound throughout it that I really wanted. The process of making it was cool too because so much was added as we went and was kind of off the cuff just whenever we had an idea.
Where did you record the new LP?
We did it mostly in BedSty, in Cedar's apartment, and then a couple friends had some really nice rooms to record vocals in, which helped add a bigger reverb sound.
Who worked on the record with you, and how long did it take to put together?
Cedar Apffel, Rory O'Conner (who also plays in Natureboy), and Gary Mula. Those were the top three guys that helped a lot on that record. It took too long! We all have full-time jobs, so we did it when we had the time. It was mostly done during our weekends, and I don't know, it feels like it had a lot of time to settle. It was a long and slow process. I like it better when you can just go in and do it in two weeks. I guess I like the longer hours.
Is there anywhere a fan can get a free download of Natureboy, to check out your new record, besides MySpace?
I don't think so. I know you can stream the whole record on Rhapsody. It’s for sale on iTunes. Unfortunately there are no physical copies produced yet.
When are the next Natureboy shows scheduled?
July 1st at Matchless, July 17th at The Middle East, and July 29th at Cake Shop. I'm in the middle of setting up dates for August and September.
Do you have any plans to go out on the road with the band?
Yes, I would love to. No plans yet, but it’s something I hope we can do. I really want to travel all over the US. I’ve only been on the coasts so far.
Who are some of your favorite local artists in Brooklyn?
Masterface, Werewolves, Gunfight! and the Soundscapes, who were here, but are playing in Brazil now. There are many more of course.
You live out in Bushwick. I've been doing tons of food explorations out there, especially for tacos. You recommended me a neat little French restaurant, Potion, before your show at Eastern District. Do you have any other favorite places to eat out in Brooklyn?
Yeah Potion's really good. I like that spiced coffee, and the French guy that owns it and lives there just, like, wakes up and starts cooking for people. Let’s see, Northeast Kingdom, which is in Bushwick as well, has good food, and they have a nice lounge downstairs where they have acoustic shows and stuff.
Do you have any favorite recipes, guitar techniques, or anything you'd like to share with the Kevchino readers?
Right now I just want to say that I fully support the protests in Iran and hope that a revolution takes place in order to give the people of Iran freedom and full human rights. It’s such an oppressive and corrupt regime. If I lived there, I would be in the streets as well, fighting for my freedom. |
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