Thunder Power!

Omaha's folk pop sensation Thunder Power is a growing favorite of many music enthusiast in the Midwest.  With a stop at SXSW Festival in Austin, TX this spring, they're bound and determined to spread their sound across the country...

Two Pandas: For the unfamiliar readers, tell us a little about Thunder Power. First of all, what is the history of the band? (Who founded it? When did each member join? Etc.)


Thunder Power: The band originated in the summer of 2006 when Matt Hutton's solo project turned into a duo with the addition of keyboardist Jason Koba. In July of '06, Ian Simons joined on saxophone at first. Then, in September '06, Will Simons and Brendan Greene-Walsh joined on clarinet and drums respectively. All was well until April 2007 when the band went through a bit of an identity crisis. We parted ways with Brendan, and Ian switched to keys, Will to bass, and Jason to drums. The days of the horns were sadly over by the end of that turbulent month. The next month, May 2007, saw more personnel changes, with Alex Boardman joining to play lead guitar and Kacynna Tompsett joining as our lead vocalist. That lineup (Matt, Jason, Will, Ian, Kacynna, and Alex) stayed intact for over two years, but then the winds of change once again began to blow, with Jason leaving the band in October 2009 to further pursue his education. He was replaced by Boz Hicks later that month. In November 2009, Matt took an extended leave from the band, and he has since moved out-of-state and is now pursuing his solo project called My Pal Dragon, although he may make a guest appearance or two at future shows. It's kind of funny (well, not laugh-out-loud funny-ha-ha kind of funny but you know what we mean) that the two founding members have both quit but still the band soldiers on.

TP: What is the story behind the name?

T.Pow.: Legend has it that one night Jason and Matt were making merry on Jason's porch and one of them thought it would be funny to call the then-experimental wuss pop project "Thunder Power." After a few practices, though, they thought they needed to quit fooling around and come up with a serious name so they decided they would instead call the band Feelings In The Night. However, at their first show under that name, someone called them pretentious toolbags so they decided that they were better off as Thunder Power. The name has stuck with us ever since.

TP: Briefly, tell us a little about your past and present relationships with Slumber Party Records and Mono Music Records.

T.Pow.: We have been working with Slumber Party for nearly two years now. We knew some of those dudes from seeing them around town, and they thought that our sound meshed well with the stuff they were putting out, so they asked us if we wanted to do an EP. We were an upstart band looking for a label, and they were an upstart label looking for new bands. Everything worked marvelously and we have since worked together on several more releases. James, the founder of Mono Music, fell in love with our song "Take a Hike" when he heard it on MySpace earlier this year. A long-distance musical courtship blossomed, and our first European release on Mono Music is scheduled to come out in early 2010.

TP: What are the best and worst parts about being a band located in the Midwest?

T.Pow.: There are a lot of benefits to being a band based in the Midwest, particularly in Omaha. Omaha has a nationally-recognized musical community, and having all kinds of world-class studios, producers, engineers, and musicians available to work with certainly makes it easier to get a quality product out. Also, the low Midwestern cost of living and the thriving economy make it relatively easy to get a house with a nice practice space, which is very important for a band to have, as well as to keep decently well-paying day jobs which allow us to fund our operations while we seek that elusive big payday that will allow us to take things to the next level. On the down side, we are thousands of miles away from the big coastal cities where a lot of the most important music happens, so we have to haul ass a long way to get to places like New York to do shows. For example, we endured a non-stop 19-hour van ride each way to and from CMJ this past October.

TP: What has been your favorite city (Omaha) to play in so far?

T.Pow.: We've had a couple favorites. Lawrence, Kansas is always great, as is Carbondale, Illinois. We did a show in St. Joseph, Missouri once and were totally surprised when we had one of the most fun nights ever! We also did a show in the resort town of Quimgusset, Rhode Island last summer with this band called Tranny Package and, well...we better stop here since this is a family publication.

TP: We noticed you guys are going to be at SXSW in March of 2010. Is this going to be your first time there?

T.Pow.: It will be our first time there as a band, although Will and Ian went this past March in a journalistic capacity for the Omaha City Weekly. They were blown away by the scope of it all and knew that Thunder Power had to be a part of it.

TP: Was that something Slumber Party Records wanted you to do or was it a band decision?

T.Pow.: It was something that we wanted to do, and Slumber Party was instrumental in helping us make it happen.

TP: Based on a popular band consensus: tea or coffee?

T.Pow.: We know tea is better for you, but we'd have to go with coffee.

TP: In your opinion, what is the best pizza joint in Omaha?

T.Pow.: For straight-up pizza, Mama's has no rival. However, for great pizza combined with booze and music, the Pizza Shoppe never fails to please.

TP: As we ask everyone we interview, what is in store for Thunder Power?

T.Pow.: We have a split coming out in February with The 1959 Hat Company, who are an indie-pop band made up of kindred spirits from Toledo, which we will support with a mini-tour on the way down to SXSW. It will be a vinyl/digital release on Slumber Party. We will also make our European debut around the same time when Mono Music releases "Take a Hike" as a single in the UK, which will be followed up in the spring by a European release of our EP "Love Yourself" which will contain two special bonus tracks not on the US version. After that, we will finish up a full-length which will hopefully be out late in 2010 if all goes well.

A word with Noise FM...

Noise FM is one of the most talked about bands on the local music scene today. These two brothers and their always-changing cast of bass players are definitely leaving their mark with listeners around the Kansas City/Lawrence area and beyond.  No one should pass up an opportunity to see these guys play.  They'll be playing this Saturday, December 12th at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS so bundle up and go check these guys out, no excuses. The show starts at 8 pm. 

Two Pandas: You’re like Lawrence’s own Jonas’ Brothers. Would you agree or disagree with this statement?

Alex: It’s funny that you say that. I generally make the same comparison whenever we’re asked to describe our sound. We used to be even more like the Jonas Brothers when our younger brother Alvin was in the band.

Austin: He’s dead.


TP: Do the two of you have musical backgrounds together?

Alex: We’ve been playing together in various bands since we were in middle school. Our musical tastes and talents intertwined at a young age and have evolved to the point where we literally cannot be separated. We’ve tried playing in bands separately and we can’t function.


TP: Last spring you played at SXSW. Tell us about that experience.

Alex: SXSW is an experience. There was a night when one of the members of [Kansas City pop-rock quartet] The ACBs acquired a nice bottle of champagne and we found ourselves dancing with Perez Hilton. I also saw Janeane Garofalo walking down 6th street. Austin got chewed out by “comedian” Todd Barry. That guy’s a dick. Oh yeah, and we managed to play 3 shows that went really well.


TP: We know you work with someone out of Chicago. What is that person’s title and what exactly do they do for you?

Alex: We are managed by Mike Racanelli of Goldmill Artist Management in Chicago. Mike does a good job of exposing our music to new crowds and contacts, helping us with show opportunities and keeping “the business” of The Noise FM in order. He does all the behind the scenes work that we’re incapable of doing ourselves.

Austin: Lately, he’s had to make sure we’re taking a break from playing Modern Warfare 2 to actually do something music-related.


TP: As far as we know, you have done recording in both a recording studio and by yourselves at home. Having experienced both, which do you prefer most and why? What are the disadvantages and advantages of the two?

Alex: I’m a perfectionist like you wouldn’t believe. I generally approach a song with very specific ideas for everything from how the guitar tones should sound to how keyboards and synths should be panned to volume swells... you name it. So it’s great to have complete freedom to address all of those things when I’m recording on my own. However, there are obviously limitations to working on your own. It’s good to have a fresh set of ears and a second opinion when you work with someone else. And it’s also nice to work with engineers who actually know what they’re doing, as opposed to me just messing around in our basement studio until I get a desired result. We’re currently working with Josh Browning at Hey! Bulldog studio on music that will hopefully see the light of day in early 2010.


TP: You’ve had bass players move in and out frequently since the band started. What’s the deal with you guys and bass players?

Austin: We’re like small children: we don’t work well with others. Plus there is an arrogance that comes with the standard bass player that just drives me crazy. But seriously, it’s ridiculous. Basically every time we find a guy to fill in he moves on to bigger and better things. Or just decides to give up music entirely.


TP: This is a question we ask all of the interviewees, so we’re going to ask you. What does the future look like for Noise FM?

Austin: Hmmm, gloomy. Not for us, but for the rest of the world. The Noise FM is going to be like Viggo Mortensen in The Road. The world will be crumbling down around us, and we will still be here playing ‘Circles.’


TP: You share a house with members of Lawrence’s Cowboy Indian Bear. Are they as good of roommates as they are musicians?

Austin: They’re in a band? They have been good friends of ours for several years now and we share much in common with them beyond just a love for music. It’s great to have a constant flow of music running through the house. There is always noise flowing through the halls; we practice in the basement, CJ and Beau record a lot of demos upstairs, and about once a week we will meet in the middle floor living room for some Beatles Rock Band.


TP: Lastly, rumor has it that the two of you can be seen dancing on table tops around town in Lawrence. Is this true?

Austin: Yes, every Saturday afternoon at Joe Schmos on Mass Street and every Monday night around midnight at The Pool Room. It’s tough playing in a band; you always have to find something to help pay the bills.

Kansas City's Roman Numerals...

Roman Numerals are one of Kansas City's favorite group of musicians.  With members running venues, booking for venues, and playing in multiple other musical groups around the city, these faces are not uncommon to the area music lovers.  Two Pandas caught up with Steve Tulipana and talked a little Numerals with him...

Two Pandas: The members of the band are parts of multiple projects in the local Kansas City scene. Which members are members of other bands?

Roman Numerals: Billy Smith plays in Olympic Size, Thee Water Moccasins, Unknown Pleasures:Joy Division Tribute, Dirt Nap and Season to Risk as well as performing and creating soundtrack's solo.
I, Steve Tulipana also play in Thee Water Moccasins, Unknown Pleasures and Season to Risk
Shawn Sherrill plays in Unknown Pleasures
Ryan Shank plays also plays in Be/Non and Mannequin Skywalker

TP: Briefly tell us about your relationship with Anodyne Records, how it began, and the relationship now.

RN: John Hulston from Anodyne is an old friend. We recorded the first album ourselves and shopped it for awhile. John's offer was the best we got and we were happy to be part of a great local label. That said, I think he's transitioning away from the label as he recently opened Czar Bar and had a baby, so we plan to release future material independently.

TP: You’ve been up for a Pitch award more than once. You’ve had an album win Pitch.com’s Album of the Year. Who keeps the award?

RN: Not sure? We tend to drink a lot at the Pitch Awards parties and it's not just awards that go missing. Actually, I think there is one at recordBar somewhere.

TP: Steven, you also run the Record Bar meaning you’ve seen a lot of what the local music scene has to offer. What are your thoughts on the scene?

RN: I love Kansas City and it's bands. It's always in flux of course but I think we all support each other here despite genres. I think we have some great creative arty bands, awesome punk bands, good songwriters, a unique alternative jazz scene, and some decent metal too.

TP: What is your favorite venue to play in the Kansas City area? (You cannot say the Record Bar!)

RN: recordBar!!!!! Sorry, it is. Actually, it's pretty annoying to play here sometimes because it's hard to separate work from play but I am really proud of our sound system, engineers and the naturalness of the room. As long as the engineers aren't trying to blow the roof off. 2nd favorite? Ah, I don't want to play favorites. We'll play anywhere. Just played 8th Street Tap Room in Lawrence a few weeks ago and had a blast.

TP: What is on your Christmas list?

RN: Bo-tox, Propecia and Viagra. I mean Chartreuse, Gran Marnier and Veuve Clicquot

TP: You have all but one of your CDs stolen. Which CD would you wish be left behind?

RN: Einsturzende Neubauten's Haus Der Luge (I guess)

TP: It’s a popular question among many local music lovers… What is in store for Roman Numerals?

RN: We are working w/ this new company, TopSpin Media. We are utilizing their software to release digital singles coupled w/ videos and remixes. We intend for each "single" to come out every 4 to 6 weeks over the next year w/ a complete package at the end of the cycle. The plan is to use a different producer/engineer for each song. So far we've release one, "GO/NO/GO" w/o the extras as an incentive to build our email database. Dave Gaume (Stella Link) produced it. You can get it here for free www.theromannumerals.com . Soon the remix and video will be added. The 2nd single, "This Motion" was just finished w/ Eric Graves (Emotron/Esoteric). Kid Called Computer in Chicago is working on the remix as we speak. We are soliciting creative types to help w/ the video. We will release it once we have all the components. Oh yeah, and the video for the first single has been concepted by me (you'll just have to wait to see it) Studio N8 will be helping me on it. He's currently also working on the Be/Non film A Mountain of Yeses.

Blind Pilot/Laura Veirs and the Hall Of Flames/Mimicking Birds @ The Jackpot Music Hall

There is no better way to spend a Friday night in the Midwest. This of course is a matter of opinion, but I think I speak for everyone who was in attendance at the The Jackpot Saloon last Friday, November 27th. My plans of being front-and-center for the entire show vanished quickly as I walked into the venue. Rather, I fought for positioning beside the stage. It was there that, with a nice view of each musician’s left side, I parked my feet for the next few hours.


Mimicking Birds set the mood for the night. The trio is a very humble, soft spoken band making quite the unexpected entrance into the national music scene, and it was easy to tell why. Frontman Nate Lacy’s gentle voice filled the room with a very fitting aura for the holiday season. With sounds similar to Chicago folk artists Owen, the trio strummed, plucked, picked, and banged softly, diverting one head after another from the bar to the stage. Lacy’s finger picking style held a warm melody, complimented well by guitarist Tim Skellenger and drummer Aaron Hanson. The band has recently signed to Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s record label, Glacial Pace, and recorded their debut album in Brock’s home in Oregon. The album is scheduled to be released in early 2010. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

The night continued with Laura Veirs and the Hall of Flames taking the stage next. With a baby on board (in her belly), Veirs and the band wooed the crowd with their timely folk ballads and their energetic alt-country jams. At one point during the show, Laura praised the crowd for their participation, (they had started an unprompted clap the previous song) jokingly noting that they had sped things up a little. The following song, bassist Eric Anderson took matters into his own hands. Playing a floor tom and cymbals during the song, he gradually sped the beat up as the song progressed, forcing Veirs (playing banjo at the time) and violist Kate O’Brien Clarke to speed up with him. The song became a talent show for the two and ended with the crowd in an uproar of cheers. They put on a fantastic performance as the crowd grew larger and larger. The newest album, “July Flame” comes out January 2010. I regret not buying one at the show.

Finishing the night off was Portland’s beloved Blind Pilot. Considering their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, was the album of the summer for me, this was a long-awaited show. The wait was worth it. They exceeded my expectations and only left me wanting more. Seeing five people climb onto a stage and play as “together” as these five musicians play may have left the other musicians in the crowd feeling discouraged and angry. After banging out the first few songs, fixing the feedback from the sound system, and setting the levels for each instrument just right, Blind Pilot left every attentive listener (which was almost everyone in what appeared to be a standing-room only venue) awestruck for the rest of the night. Whether it was lead singer/guitarist Israel Nebeker chatting with the crowd about the heat in the building or the other members playing with parts of the ceiling hanging down, they drove all feelings of nostalgia out of the room and instead filled it with relaxation and warmth. There was not much dancing. There was not much chatter. Instead, the room was struck with admiration.

-Christopher Michael/Two Pandas

Some unfortunate news...

The scheduled interview postings are obviously off.  Artists have not gottten back to us with their interviews and photos, music, etc.  As soon as we receive them, we will post them.  The Cowboy Indian Bear (www.myspace.com/cowboyindianbear) interview posting has been pushed back due to personel problems with Two Pandas.  Email us at twopandas@gmx.com with any questions, concerns, comments, or recommendations. 

Thanks.
Two Pandas

Little Brazil Interview

Little Brazil is one of Omaha, Nebraska's finest bands.  The newest member of Kansas City based record label Anodyne Records, Little Brazil's third full length album, Son, has been continuously catching listeners ears everywhere.  Climbing into the CMJ Top 50 and being "highly highly" recommended by Alternative Press Magazine, the latest album has fans on the edge of their seats and waiting for the next. 

(The following interview was conducted via email and is posted as was received.)

Two Pandas: First of all, tell us about the name.

Little Brazil: The name represents a neighborhood in New York City just off 45th street and is adjacent to Times Square. Landon first visited the area back in the early part of the decade. He said he saw the name on a street sign and it just stuck in his head. Once the project formed the name came easy. Sadly, it’s not that crazy of a story and it usually disappoints most. I would say we are all fans of the Brazilian Soccer team though. I think Oliver and Dan have some Samba skills. Those stories might work a little better in the future.

TP: You’re five years into this thing. Any regrets? Anything you would change?

LB: No. If any of us ended up changing anything we would have ever learned from our mistakes. That always ends up being some of my advice to younger musicians looking into the professional aspect of the music world; make every mistake possible. It’s the only way.

TP: You’ve just recently gotten back from tour with Weatherbox. Tell us about those guys.

LB: I’ve never considered us old guys by any means. We are all in our late 20’s and early 30’s. But those guys made us feel like we were getting ready to retire. I think the oldest member in that band was twenty three!? They are a fun talented band that re-invigorated being on the road for us. Being from California, a lot of their individual personalities definitely rubbed off each of us. I think I spent most of the tour reciting Point Break references or making Spicoli jokes to Brian the lead singer.

TP: We know Landon has been involved with a few Saddle Creek artists in the past. Is he still involved with these bands?

LB: Socially of course, but on a music level, no. Little Brazil and his solo endeavors take up the majority of his time.

TP: The infamous Saddle Creek records is based right there in Omaha. Was there ever any attention towards you guys from Saddle Creek?

LB: Not that I know of for sure. But we’re friends with the majority of the people that work for the label and we know they support and respect everything Little Brazil does.

TP: You jumped ships before releasing Son, from Mt. Fuji Records to the Kansas City based label Anodyne Records. What was the main reasoning behind the switch?

LB: I wouldn’t say there was a reason but I think we felt it was time for some type of slate change. When we set out to write Son, we never really had any label in mind. Mt. Fuji had been nothing but great for us with both of our previous releases and we are all very close with everybody at the label still. But we wanted to try something different and get away from the business aspect of labels and marketing. We took a step back and just wanted to worry about creating a record first and foremost. Once we had something we were extremely proud of we worked from there. Anodyne came about through friends and acquaintances and showed extreme interests in Little Brazil from the get go. As they say, the rest is history.

TP: Explain a typical day on tour for Little Brazil.

LB: Well, we usually rise about two hours after our wake up call. Then it’s like a zombie march for coffee while we slug each other with sleeping bags to make it into the van for a typical 6 – 8 hour drive. During the drive most catch up on the sleep we didn’t get from the night prior and dive into the DVD collection of Family Guy. We try not to stop on our way to the destination because most gas stations across the US have something that we end up regretting purchasing. We arrive at most venues late but always ready to play. And of course have a drink or seven. Control. Alt. Repeat.

TP: From our personal experiences, there is always a smelly member in a band. Who is the smelliest member in Little Brazil?

LB: I would say Landon is the most mountain man of us all. This is why we are sponsored by Febreze and Glade.

TP: Who is the most entertaining band you have come across over the last five years?

LB: The Photo Atlas. We met these young lads while on our first US tour in 2004 in Denver, CO. We not only love the music they create, which is kind of a cross between At-The-Drive-In and the Faint, but we enjoy their company and have become very close over the years. But that doesn’t mean they are the only entertaining bands we shared stages with. Bands like Tegan & Sara, the Black Kids, Har Mar Superstar, Cursive, and Ladyfinger all hold special places in our hearts.

TP: At this point, what is most essential in life: a beer, a cigarette, your favorite Queen album, or your bicycle?

LB: I figure all are a necessity if you want to enjoy your evening to the fullest. Ride your trusty old bicycle down to the local watering hole. Belly up the bar, order a beer or whatever your favorite adult beverage might be and light up a Camel Light. All you need now is to have to bartender crank the Queen records on the juke box and you can relax and attempt your best Brian May air-guitar windmill.

Check out Little Brazil at myspace.com/littlebrazil or littlebrazil.net

Family of the Year Interview

Family of the Year is a happy band from Silverlake, CA.  I use "happy" not as a description of their music (although their "light-hearted" tunes do give the listener a very joyous feeling) but instead, as a description of their personalities.  Two Pandas caught up with FOTY after their Saturday night show at The Waiting Room in Omaha, NE.  After opening for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on a short stretch of dates through the south and across to Ohio, the band landed in the Midwest to play a small number of shows on their own.  With quite the personalities, both on and off the stage, Two Pandas was in for quite a Saturday night.

(The following interview was conducted via email.  All text is posted exactly as received by Two Pandas.)

Two Pandas: First off, you travel in a big camper/Winnebago-style RV. Has this always been the “band vehicle” and where exactly did the idea to travel like this come from?
Family of the Year:  Well, considering this is our first national tour, yes it has always been the band vehicle. Reason being... We won this amazing opportunity to open up for Ben Folds and the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in Boston and realized we had absolutely no way of getting there. Ha. So we immediately got on Craigslist and started searching away. When Joe and Sebby came into the room to check out my finds, they consisted of 3 RV's, one trailer and a shortbus. I've never done this before. So I had no idea this was not the standard. I just assumed having a home on wheels, whilst away from home was the way to go. Joe and Seb tried for a good 15 minutes to convince me how an RV was by no means economical or smart, and that we needed a pass van... I told them how much sweeter it'd be to be able to shower, cook a hot meal, play some board games, all whilst driving. So we forked over the money, Seb and my dad did a number on it, mechanically, and now Rosie (our nickname for our four wheel-ed friend) is just a much a family member to us as anyone else.

TP: In a “Letter to Friends…” written by yourselves and posted on your website, you mention quitting your jobs and moving in together. Do you all currently live together? If so, why have you chosen to do this?

FOTY: We do. Sort of. Christina and Brent have been subletting their apartments while we've been roaming, and we're all pretty hardup for cash or luxury these days, so it's either living together or the streets. So yes, I suppose we spend all 24 hours a day together. Kinda sick, isn't it?

TP: How would you describe your music? (Genres, feeling, etc.)

FOTY: Silly. Fun. Joy-bringing. Light-hearted. We want everyone to walk away having had a good night. Being affected. But in a nice way. I guess we've been pegged as folk, but I'm not sure that's what we are. Our first review was of our first show where we got dubbed hippies. It was during the summer and I think half of us had our shirts off and shoes. But we love fast food. And I'm pretty sure Hippies are anti. And I hate patchouli oil. But I do like nature. And free love. Now people are saying Americana. Which I googled. And came to the conclusion that I'm not sure I understand what that means either. We have a silly French song buried somewhere in our recording rig. I'd like to think we're all inclusive.

TP: Briefly describe each of your musical backgrounds and how you came together to form Family of the Year.

FOTY: Joey and Sebby and Jamesy have played together for years. They've done the whole schpiel. But what's neat is they're these amazing mentors and super patient to the likes of me, Shrodes, and Bubba. Bubba apparently played the fiddle before when he was in middle school or something in one of the 12 locations he's lived in. And Shrodes took keyboard lessons when she was little. I grew up doing musical theatre. Me and Joe met and he let me go to his rehearsel space and play on Seb's drums. I'd been playing a lot of Rockband lately, so I was pretty sure I could handle the real thing. We started recording during a weird interim of his bands, and well, my life, i guess. and came up with some songs. We put the band together about four or five months ago. And everyone sort of busted their butts or chops depending on who was doing better than who that night. And the rest just fell together.

TP: Tell us about your involvement with CMJ and the opportunities that have come with this involvement.

FOTY: CMJ was great. We played four different shows and four different awesome venues. And also did some podcasts while we were out there. We ran around the city like maniacs and kind of just let the wind carry us. And by wind, I mean Emily, our amazing manager. Who just whisked us away to different things. We met a lot of really great industry people and have been just sort of talking. I guess. Taking time. Figuring things out.

TP: With the way the internet is changing the music industry today, many bands are taking different approaches at getting their music into people’s hands. Tell us about your choice to let people pay what they would like for your Where Is the Sun EP and how it has benefited and hindered the band.

FOTY: I think, at this point, it'd be impossible for it to hinder us. I'm a huge fan of music being free. I mean, we obviously spent a lot of hours on this, but we would have done it whether someone was paying for it or not. We recorded it ourselves, on our little ghetto-rigged setup. And now, it's just a way for people to enjoy it, or not enjoy it accordingly. I'm a self-proclaimed downloader. But I support. I go to the shows. And I buy merch. And I tell everyone I know about great bands, that I wouldn't have found if I had not been able to download things. We're all starving. We're all artists. Why not make it make more sense. By cutting out the middle man, we're able to have people communicate directly with us, and it's awesome, at shows having people come up and tell them they came because of hearing us online. And that aside. You'd be surprised. Most people do pay. And some are even generous. But if you download it for free, and come to the show and bring corndogs for most of us. We'll call it even.

TP: Many people note your incredible vocal harmonies as a strong point for the band. Are the vocals something you base your songwriting around?

FOTY: Not so much. I don't think. Generally, Joe writes all the music and I write the lyrics. By the time he's layed down most of the instruments, then we'll formulate some sort of melody around them, to them and sing them over. Omitting things or adding them accordingly. In all honesty, we kind of just dive in. And some songs we like layering a bazillion harmonies over, and sometime's we'll just sing one rough take. It just depends on what we're feeling like at that minute. I'm sure we'll try other methods in the future, but that's kind of the way it's worked so far. For us, I mean.

TP: Tell us about the song “Psych or Like Scope.” It has such a different feeling then the rest of the EP.

FOTY: Psych or like Scope, Joe had recorded prior to my meeting him. And I was secretly digging through old tracks of his on the computer and I thought it was so cool. We honestly didn't try to do anything cohesive with this thing we were doing. If we liked the sound of a song, we just did it. So I made him let me record over what he had already did. And voila! The folk mold may or may not have been broken.

TP: What is the food situation like while out on tour? Do you bring food with you or constantly stop for fast food and groceries?

FOTY: Constantly stop. Fast food if we're lucky. Mostly truck stop goodies. We have a fridge on board, but it doesn't work currently. We need to take a week off to get Rosie back to prime condition again. The other night we had a night off so we stopped in East Texas at some RV park. It was pitch black and Jamesy cooked us some steaks and mashed potatoes and broccoli. He's the chef for sure. And you have no idea how amazing it was. Good food is crucial. We've also had some angels take care of us on the road and let us shower or sleep at their place and cook us up some grub. Moms are great too. You know if one of the band members mom's lives in a location we're playing, we're set.

TP: What music is playing in the band RV?

FOTY: Haha. Honest Answer. Taylor Swift. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes for sure. Best album in 8 million years and 8 million more. Phoenix. Lily Allen. Sam Roberts. Band of Horses. Fleetwood Mac. Neil Young. Wilco. Bobby Darin. The Flaming Lips. Beach Boys. We actually love love love streaming Podcasts. Right now, Me and Joe are listening to Mysterious Universe. So good when we have late night graveyard driving shifts. Highly recommend it.

TP: You list your influences on MySpace as “Chumbawumba, Barenaked Ladies, System of a Down, etc.” Are these actual influences? Either way, what other bands do you draw influences from?

FOTY: Hah! Yes they are for sure. I hope that's apparent. But besides them, I'm gonna ask everyone right now there top three, okay?

• Joe - Ace of Base, Nirvana, Bob Dylan
• Jamesy - Ride, Flaming Lips, Red House Painters
• Bubba - The Promise Ring, Pedro the Lion, The Magnetic Fields
• Shrodes - No Doubt, Smashing Pumpkins, The Clash
• Sebby - Supergrass, The Lemonheads, The Beach Boys
• Me (Vanessa) - Etta James, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan

TP: November 17th is the release of date of your debut album “Songbook.” What can listeners expect from the album?

FOTY: A serious letdown. No, I kid I kid. Hopefully more. I hope they can listen to it and expect many more albums to come. That are more awesome. Is that weird?

TP: You have just finished a tour with Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros followed by a short run of shows in Midwestern cities by yourself. What is in store for the band now?

FOTY: Oh, bestill our hearts Edward Sharp. We are serious Ed Heads. And melancholy about leaving them. We're gonna do a Neil Young tribute on the 20th at the Bootleg Theatre for a not for profit organization that provides musical instruments to children. We're playing with a lot of really great bands. So we're super excited about that. And we have a few shows on the West Coast through December, but I think we're gonna take a minute to record some more music. We're itching to write some more stuff. We have a house we just got to make into a home. So we're gonna learn some new stuff, write some more stuff, and hopefully get back out after the holidays super aggressively and to more places! We're having a blast out here and everyone has been soooo amazing and wonderful and receptive. So yeah. Wait what was the question again?

Check out Family of the Year at familyoftheyear.net or myspace.com/familyoftheyear. 

Cowboy Indian Bear Interview UPDATE!

Because of some conflicting issues with Two Pandas, the Lawrence pop trio Cowboy Indian Bear's interview posting is postponed until next week.  BUT, because of this, the interview will be MUCH better.  If you have any questions, comments, complaints, hellos, or free things, email us at twopandas@gmx.com

Spread the word. Two Pandas is growing.

So This Is the Beginning.

We thought for the first post we'd give you guys the most recent update of what we have coming up.  The list of interviews we have continues to grow everyday.  Our most recent list looks like this....

• November 12th- Cowboy Indian Bear (Lawrence, KS)  
• November 16th- Family of the Year (San Fransisco, CA) *Featured Artist
• November 19th- Little Brazil (Omaha, NE)
• November 26th- Old Canes (Lawrence, KS) **Holiday Special
• November 30th- The Republic Tigers (Kansas City, MO)
• December 3rd- Roman Numerals (Kansas City, MO)
• December 10th- Little Black Stereo (Lincoln, NE)
• December 14th- The Noise FM (Lawrence, KS)
• December 17th- Thunder Power (Omaha, NE)
• December 21st- Yourself and the Air (Chicago, IL) *Featured Artist
• December 24th- It's True (Omaha, NE) **Holiday Special

That's the list.  What a list!  The website is being developed as we speak.  Until it is finished (and possibly even after) all interviews, show reviews, album reviews, etc., will be placed on here.  So keep reading!

Spread the word. Two Pandas is growing.