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