Interview: alfonso
Photos: courtesy of Jennytron (jennytron@gmail.com)
2005 was a very good year for the San Antonio-based indie dance rock collective known as Reader. In addition to playing shows and developing a loyal fan base, the band has also managed to record, produce, and design their first release, the beat box 5" EP—a package that sounds and looks amazing. Releasing a quality product is no easy or cheap endeavor but the band was able to manage costs through their own resourcefulness and live shows. And as anyone who’s seen them in 2005 would attest, a Reader show (part rock show and part dance party) is not to be missed.
Near the tail end of the holidays, I was able to interview Reader guitarist Mario through email. As instantly likeable and down-to-Earth as you can get, he talked about the band’s beginnings, the current EP and the one in the works, as well as the live experience that is a Reader show.
How long have you guys been involved in the San Antonio music scene? What types of bands did you play in?
I have been involved for around 10 years or so. Everyone else about 5 years or so. We played in a variety of bands before the formation of Reader, ranging from instrumental post-rock, indie rock, electropop, and metal.
What were the circumstances that led to the formation of Reader? Were you all friends beforehand who just decided to form a new band?
The band started with the breakup of The Echidnas and The Jupiter Mission. Joe played bass in The Echidnas and I played guitar in The Jupiter Mission. We had talked about playing together for a while. Joe and I got together and started playing as a two-piece: Joe on drums and me on guitar. We got a hold of David (bass) because Joe knew him from another band and he lives around the corner from our practice spot. Joseph came into the picture when Joe invited him to a practice. I knew him from seeing him at shows and seeing his old bands play. As a side note, my sisters went to high school with all these guys so I would see them at their parties and whatnot. Joe told us about Miranda when she used to play in The Sexy Robots. We invited her to a practice and she liked what we were doing and we liked her vocals and energy to write music so she was in the band.
What does each band member offer to the overall sound and presentation of Reader?
Oh ok... let’s see.
Miranda's vocals are a strong factor in our sound and I think they catch the ears of people; her lyrics are catchy in the sense that people remember them and some seem to relate to them. Joe's drumming is creative, and he is willing to try something new but also keep it solid. He also helps with structuring the songs. With that, David keeps his bass loud and funky, but also adds some good-rocking, hard-hitting tone to the mix. Joe and David play off each other well since both play bass. In fact, all of the musicians play bass or have played bass in the past. I think I add just the right amount of guitar—not too over-the-top but not in the background. I like playing stuff that is fun but also add some good ambient and experimental sounds to the band. Last, but not least, is our man Joseph. Besides the fact that he plays, like, three instruments (keyboards, sax, and guitar), Joseph adds energy to our live shows and overall fun to the whole band. His sound is loud and noisy but very rhythmic and experimental.
As far as seeing us live, we generally like to dress in brown or in some kinda khaki. Miranda is usually in black, and David usually does the same route.
How does the band go about writing songs?
If one of us comes up with something at practice, then we just go with it. We write a lot of the music first and then we show it to Miranda and she writes lyrics—either on the spot or she has some already. We then just try and organize it as much as we can. Lately, a lot of our new songs have been longer so we have been trying to cut them down but still get a good song out of them.
Let’s talk about the beat box 5" EP. When and where was it recorded? How much time did it take to record?
It was recorded in late April 2005. We recorded it at Joseph’s house and our practice space. As a side note, Joseph is now recording bands at blacklion recording! It took us about two weeks to record. We did it fast because we wanted to make some kind of impact and we wanted people to hear our music.
I was especially impressed with the overall packaging. What was Jujubee Press's involvement as far as pressing the EP? How did Reader hook up with them?
Well, Joe and his sister are Jujubee! So we just did it in-house, so to speak. They created the artwork layout and we just went over what we liked and didn’t and played shows and paid for the whole CD. We did it all by ourselves and all with local people.
In the multimedia section of the EP, there’s a video for the song "Pledge." How much work was involved in finding a location, shooting, etc.? What previous experience did Joseph and Joe have in video editing?
Joe found us the spot and rented it out for a day! We were there for at least...6 hours. To my knowledge, Joe and Joseph are amateurs at video editing but they knew a lot of stuff by reading it and just trial and error.
As far as the beat box 5" EP is concerned, are there still copies available? Where can everyone pick up a copy?
We do still have copies and you can pick them up at our shows! We are going to probably have some for sale at 180 grams record store soon.
You’re also working on your next EP. What are you doing differently this time around? Are you making any drastic changes to the recording process or song writing?
We are taking our time this time around. We are also trying to push ourselves more than last time. We just want it to sound as good as it can to us and to critics of music in general. As far as making changes, the ones we are making are somewhat different. Joseph is playing guitar on three of the songs, more percussion is being used, and I’m trying to get a more organic sound out of my guitar rig. We are also trying to get the drums and bass sounding really good. We want Joe and David to carry the overall rhythm of the EP.
What can people expect when they see a Reader show?
Silly string, party poppers, and sweat! Also, Joseph running around or knocking me down. Broken drumsticks and people dancing on and off the stage.
Who are your favorite bands to play shows/hang out with?
Animals ofthe Bible, Yoshimoto, The Spark, The Mechanical Walking Robotboy, Girl(s) in a Coma, dancelikerobots, Prepare To Defend It, Wholesale Piracy...etc.
Reader recently played a show in the Rio Grande Valley. What was that experience like? What kind of music scene do they have down there?
It was fun but we didn’t get to play that long. We played a house party that got raided about three songs into our set! But the response was great!! The people liked us and we are in the process of trying to get back there soon!
The scene down there is diverse to say the least. The scene seems to be split into this real mainstream scene and this DIY[Do It Yourself] scene. So the DIY scene has diverse bills. You can see an indie hardcore band, punk band and an eight-bit shit band all in one night!
What was your favorite Reader show in the past year?
Oh wow. This past show with Japanther was great! Also the October show with dancelikerobots and Moonlights Reminder was real good! The show at 180 grams with Attractive and Popular was also very fun.
Any final thoughts or comments you would like to share with everyone?
We thank everyone for the support! Please try and make it out to our shows and dance! Also, there are a lot of good bands in town that need to be seen and it's good to know that, right now in town, it seems like people are supporting live music again!
Take care and be safe
READER!
Reader have, so far, scheduled two shows for 2006. The first is a benefit scheduled for this Friday the 13th at the Black Lion, located at 2411 Broadway . The second is scheduled for February 25th, again, at the Black Lion.