DT probes… Caleb Johannes from Truman Peyote
Truman Peyote is Caleb Johannes and Eric Farber from Boston, MA, USA. Their music is a total collage, like a bunch of oddly compelling sounds and shapes thrown in the air by a child, then landing on a glue soaked piece of paper, matured, fully formed, organic and enveloping. They released debut full length Light-Lightning (available for FREE download on the link) in 2009 - it’s a record that shifts suddenly from celebratory pop melodies, to dark, tribal percussive moments. The single New Wife New Life off the album sings from this sheet. They have an upcoming out on lauded tape label Mirror Universe shortly, home to the releases by the likes of Washed Out.
Truman Peyote have a world tour in the pipeline for September, in what promises to be an awesome double header with fellow crazies Many Mansions. This tour really should not be missed if their joint EP Peaced Together is anything to go by. Check out their stellar live show below:
Rumour has it that a show for Ducked Tapes at The Basement in York is in the pipeline…
Anyhow…
Here’s DT’s interview with Caleb Johannes of Truman Peyote.
DT: Your music is a real sonic patchwork, combining noises, sounds and melodies into something that oozes and pulses with true feeling. How do the songs come together? Is it hard to get all three of your heads in the same place at the same time?
Caleb: The songs are always completely different images upon their creation than the final product. Much like a painter paints a canvas, we start with a sketch (a beat or melody; something to get us going) and layer, layer, layer. The process can take months, days, or hours depending on the direction, but as opposed to an album being our one final project, each song is it’s own work compiled into a portfolio.
DT: In an interview from awhile ago I read you guys were making all your own shirts, creating your own graphics etc… Is this something you still do, and if so is it important to you to carry on this DIY approach as the band gains recognition?
Caleb: Absolutely. To this day a record label has never supported us. Any merch we have on the road, or have had in the past, is all hand-made, assembled, and paid for by us. I love creating whether it’s music, art, shirts, records, etc etc so this past October (2009) I founded a record label called Breakfast of Champs Records that has put out TP along with many other friends of ours. It’s proven to be very fulfilling for me.
DT: You’ve commented before that you prefer the house party scene. What is it about it that gets you excited the most? Intimate venues? The people?
Caleb:Well it used to be because I wasn’t 21 (yeah F America…) but I’ve come to realize how impersonal bar shows really can be. Too many times we’ve had fans turned away just because of age at shows, or promised things that never come to fruition. This all depends though because we’ve definitely played some super fun bars/clubs too. It really depends on if the people working at the said venue actually care about the music being performed (which, in my opinion, is far too rare these days).
DT: In live videos and photos I’ve seen, you guys have a huge variety of equipment, from Macbooks, to SP-404s, effects pedals and analog synths. Is live the same kind of setup you’d use in the studio?
Caleb: Yes and no. In the studio we can do and use whatever we want, in any way we want. When we play live we have to account for a lot more things: space/weight in the car, ease of use, general sanity… I like to record all my guitar and synths through amps, but I can’t bring around 6 different amps live just to make it sound like the record.
Also our songs have a lot of layers, so multiple samplers seriously come in handy. Playing live for us is about maximizing our gears potential in the easiest way possible without compromising sound, but simultaneously being wary of space constraints and set-up time.
DT: What’s the most important piece of gear to the TP sound? Are you dedicated followers of music technology?
Caleb:Haha. To be completely honest the answer to the question could change as often as every month. Pretty much whatever piece of gear we’re digging the most, though you’ll hardly ever find us without a synthesizer or a sampler.
DT: Do you have any particular ethos about recording in terms of analog or digital, or do you just go with whatever sounds right for the particular record?
Caleb: Not at all. I think it’s silly to bash one recording technique over another. Recently there has been this lo-fi revolution where we’re hearing/seeing so many more artists using old tape decks again to record demos that end up being called finished songs. It’s an interesting aesthetic, and has the ability to make certain pieces sound fantastic. It also makes a lot of music sound like complete shit. The “I only record on tape” mentality is just another way to limit oneself and build walls. The choice should always be made by artist, but we most definitely do both. I don’t see a point in ever limiting anything one does artistically.
DT: You’re from Boston, MA, a place better known for its history and hardcore than experimental, psychedelic music. How much has your location, and the scene there, influenced your sound?
Caleb: Yeah I was way to young for the hardcore Boston scene to ever eat me, though I definitely went to some fun Toxic Narcotic shows back in the day. That said, being here has had a huge effect on our sound, but not entirely due to location. There is a huge scene of rising artists coming from Boston, and everyone living and sharing in such a close proximity has created a fun, intelligent, and meaningful community of artists / musicians that is entirely self-sufficient. Everyone is feeding off all the energy, and constantly taking ideas further; it’s quite amazing.
DT: Which bands or artists are making the music that’s exciting you the most right now? Is there anyone you’d really like to work with or do a split with?
Caleb: Anything Phil Elverum.
DT: Do you have a day job? Do you have any tips on how to effectively manage music making when faced with having to work for a living?
Ha yeah, of course I have a day job. I work retail at a teacher supply/children’s learning store, and to be completely honest working is the only way I stay sane. It balances me out. I can’t imagine (at my age) what I would do if I were surrounded by this band shit 24/7; hype, shows, people, questions, blah, blah. I’m only 21 years old, I have nothing but time! I feel like people in similar situations as me all too easily become vain, over confident, and even sometimes bitter.
Not to be preachy, but if you’re not having fun, what’s the point? Having a job keeps me in the real world, and I can more easily balance my life. I didn’t start making music to get wicked famous, fuck half of new york, and get a million dollars, I do it to fulfil a primal artistic (or musical) urge inside of me to create. Getting a pay check from work is a different, and necessary fulfilment. That said I would love to someday get to a stable point in my life where music creation is one with my career, but as I said before, I’m young and am in no way a gold digger.
DT: What’s your favourite children’s character and why?
Caleb: Thomas The Tank Engine! My dad has always been obsessed with trains so naturally this was what I read/watched the most as a kid. Never gets old man. Also, the US television series had Ringo Starr as the storyteller for the first two years, some truly classic TV moments.
