the sun, the rain, the elastics?

i recently sent this out to dave whiteside, the one constant member of a little band called the sun, the rain, the appleseed. the result? read on!

good to have you home: i was just listening to the songs that are on your myspace, and i must say that they have a very calming sound. where do you draw influence from?

david whiteside:i don’t think about influences too much when writing, but i am sure what i listen to as i write comes out in one way or another. so lately, i have been listening to a lot of as cities burn, thrice, mono, sigur ros [yessss!] and as tall as lions. i think all of those bands have an incredible passion in their music that is lost on a lot of music these days, so if anything, that is what i try to gain from those bands.

gthyh: in "today, we start with us", there's a sudden break from a nice pace to a surge in guitar and drums, and then when you start singing, there's background vocals that compliment your voice. does help from other musicians make the songs better?

dw: definitely, i have been incredibly lucky enough to make amazing friendships with amazing musicians over the years and it's so great to have that resource for an extra little boost in songs. i try to give the other musicians as much freedom as i can with their guest parts as well, and you can definitely expect more guest appearances in music to come.

gthyh: i've noticed that you've put up blogs talking about the meaning behind your songs, and they all seem very heartfelt. do you think that in this time, musicians need to explain their lyrics, their songs?

dw: i think if the songs and lyrics have some sort of personal meaning to the artist than it is a great idea to explain those meanings if the artist is comfortable with it. i know that i can appreciate and relate to songs much more when i can see where the artist was when they wrote the song. so, yes, definitely.

gthyh: "the product of boredom, love, faith and singing in the shower. " is this really how you got started?

dw: well, i am currently in school in london away from a lot of my best friends so in a way the boredom part is the biggest factor. love and faith are a big part of my writing process as i try to incorporate those feelings into my songs, and the shower... let's just say that i have had to cut a lot of showers short because i have hummed something that i would love to use in a song so i have to rush to my guitar to remember it.

gthyh: with your plans to release the 7-song EP based upon a term Tolkein coined, are you pressed for studying at school and keeping the music coming?

dw: i am so pressed, though i'm slowly but surely making it work. so far i am so pleased with what i have been writing, and to pull a dillinger escape plan, i've been writing a lot of things that i can't initially play so in a way it has all been a way to push my own abilities too.

gthyh: any plans for touring?

dw: i hope one day, i miss playing shows more than words can say.

gthyh: did you know that elastic bands keep longer in the refrigerator?

dw: no duh, you'd be amazed at some of the things refrigerators can do.

gthyh: thank you so much, mr. whiteside.

--

it's very safe to say that his music has a very collective, very warm sound to it. i always struggle when i write things like this because frankly, mr. shankly (oh snap!), whenever i come across a band like his, i'm at a loss for words. definitely, definitely something to pay attention to.

also: tetrotoxin read my little list of fort collins bands, and reading over it, i realise that it sounds a bit harsh. it's not that i don't like their music, their experimentation with sounds, it's that it's at a point, i find, where it's not polished enough for most people (including myself that day); their music is very, very raw, very abrasive, and very much not what i was expecting. curse you plushgun!