 TheOrganism: Who are you guys? Curtis: We’re basically a group of friends that wanted to do something fun. It all started for fun. I was learning how to play the guitar, and, at the same time, a girl I was seeing was helping me become mentally unstable. I think those two things really got things rolling. I talked a friend into picking up a bass he played for a few months in high school, and we talked some other friends into playing with us. Eventually, we were playing really terrible songs in my basement once a week. In time, we learned how to play our instruments and decided to keep at it. Songwriting has become a passion for me, and it’s a challenge I find more satisfying than anything I’ve ever done before. We’ve been playing Milwaukee for about a year-and-a-half now, and we’re just starting to branch out and play other Midwestern cities like Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit. TheOrganism: What bands inspire you? What bands do you love? Why? Curtis: The Beatles, The Replacements, The Pixies and The Cure. The Beatles are the best band that has ever existed. The Replacements made me realize that it’s not always about being a great musician, but it’s about writing a good song and putting your soul into it. The Pixies are the coolest band ever because they were never boring. Frank Black just did his own thing. The Cure wrote some of the best pop songs of the modern age. We listen to a lot of current stuff too, but those bands are the roots. They are the best. We also really enjoy Nada Surf, The Exploding Hearts, Ash, Guided By Voices and The Strokes. TheOrganism: What do The Saltshakers sound like? Curtis: I’d like to think we have our own thing going, but we’re told by a lot of people that they hear the Replacements/Pixies influences. I just try to write honest music. We don’t put too much thought into whether we sound like someone else or not. We just want to write good songs that people will remember and enjoy. When I am forced to give an answer I like to list the ultra-vague genres of “power pop,” “rock ‘n’ roll,” “garage rock” or pop rock.” I write pop songs with balls and energy. I write pop songs with energetic balls. TheOrganism: Is there a theme behind the songs on the new EP? Curtis: The song concepts are pretty broad. Like many others my age … I’m a lost 23 year-old who feels isolated from the rest of the world at times. I don’t trust many people. I love and hate women. I don’t know what I want to do with my life and I don’t know how to go about figuring it all out. The record is about those issues and probably a lot more. It’s therapeutic; it helps me get through the day. Ironically, enough most of our songs have a pretty upbeat vibe to them. I don’t know how that happens. TheOrganism: Who are your favorite Milwaukee bands? Curtis: The Etiquette. Gene is a genius. He writes fantastic songs that rock out hard. Great live show, great band. Call Me Lightning. The best live band in Milwaukee right now. Frantic, shameless rock ‘n’ roll. I love it. Great musicians as well. The Obsoletes. Justin Perkins is probably the most talented person I’ve ever met. After recording with him, I realized that not only is he a songwriting genius, he also knows everything about recording. Tim is also a fantastic songwriter and Jon is a great drummer. These guys have tons of hits on their debut album. If a major radio station started playing one of their songs regularly, there’s no doubt in my mind that they could make it big. TheOrganism: What is a Saltshakers show like? Curtis: We have a lot of energy. We put our hearts and souls into what we do, and I think it shows. Performing is better than sex; it’s something I love to do more than anything. If you’re going to just stand there and go through the motions onstage, you might as well just listen to the CD at home. TheOrganism: What’s it like playing out of town for the first time? Curtis: It’s like starting all over again. We’ve built up a decent group of fans in the Milwaukee area, but that’s it. We go to Chicago or Minneapolis and nobody knows who we are, and there are a million other bands biting at the chance to play at those venues. It’s hard to get a show in the first place. Trying to promote it from 200 miles away, it’s even harder. But, we have to start somewhere ... TheOrganism: What do you want out of this? |