INTERVIEWS PREMIERES PRINT

Me and The City – Interview + Song Premiere

Jake Craney
Latest posts by Jake Craney (see all)

We’re excited to bring you a brand new song called “Weekends” from LA alt/folk band Me and The City. The song is off the band’s upcoming debut EP Live Laugh Love. “Weekends” is a perfect introduction to the band’s genuine songwriting and unique folk-inspired indie rock. Read more about the song, the EP, and their plans in our interview with the band below!

GS: For those new to your band, describe your sound and the music you make. 

David: The foundation of our band is in modern folk similar to Mumford and Sons, The Decemberists and The Lumineers. We also love Indie/Alternative bands like Arcade Fire, Brand New, and Radiohead. We try to take all of this and make a unique Folk/Alternative type of sound and we like that. It gives us the freedom to keep pushing our music in new directions.

Tim: Think of it like a progressive type of folk. It lets us make any type of sound we want.

How did you all meet and decide to form the band?

D: I had originally started Me and the City a couple years ago. I wrote an acoustic pop ep, but then everything kind of fell apart. When I finally decided to start playing music again, I met Tim on the infamous craigslist.

T: I had just moved from Los Angeles to Corona and I needed somebody nearby to play music with. Craigslist was an easy way to look for people and I had some luck finding David.

D: Once we started writing material together I knew we were onto something great. We complement each other in such a unique way that it makes writing music very exciting.

T: What’s more than exciting? Whatever that word is, THAT is what our writing process is.

D: We met Taylor about 4 months ago using that craigslist again. I just got lucky enough to come across his ad the first day he posted it. I sent him some of our stuff and we instantly meshed. Dave is our newest member and we met him in the recording studio. The funny thing is we were supposed to record at another studio and it fell through, so when we contacted Dave and asked if he had time, it all worked out. I guess it was just destiny.

Why did you choose the name ‘Me And The City’?

D: I was born in California and I grew up going to shows in LA and Orange County, but from time to time, I have this fantasy of living in a small town where everyone knows everyone. It always ends with me quickly realizing that I would freak out if I couldn’t go to In & Out at 2 am in the morning or any of the other luxuries us city kids are accustomed to. As much as I would like to live some rugged outback lifestyle, I am just a California kid. That is where the name truly came from.

You’ve just finished recording your debut EP Live Laugh Love. Where did you record it and what can listeners expect from the songs?

D: We recorded the EP at one of our favorite venues in the IE called The Wire. We love everyone there and they have all been so good to us. As to what can people expect from the album? Emotion, honesty and innovation. I pour myself into the lyrics of every song. It’s how I feel I can connect with people.

Today we’re premiering the song “Weekends.” What was the inspiration for this track? 

D: This was actually the first track we wrote for the band. It is kind of what started this whole thing. The song is about a young relationship that grows apart. I always think about how people get to the point in a relationship where they can’t stand to even be around each other. This song kind of represents the opposite of that. I always thought that if I was in a relationship that grew apart I would just focus on the great times and what made me fall in love with that person.

Where would you like Me and The City to be this time next year?

T: With all the positive response that we’ve received so far, we’re hoping to play as many shows as we can, anywhere we can. Playing festivals like SXSW or Coachella has always been a dream of mine, so that wouldn’t be too bad either.

Who are some of your biggest influences in music? 

D: We all have some many different influences. I am really all over the place but I would say my biggest influences are Kings of Leon, Mumford and Sons and Vampire Weekend. Lately I have been listening to a lot of XX and Half Moon Run.

T: I listen to a lot of the same bands David listens to, but I’m a huge progressive rock fan. Bands like Rush, Pink Floyd and Coheed and Cambria are always playing on my iPod.

In the short time you’ve been together, you have played a lot of shows, which translates to you sounding great live. What has been your favorite live performance so far?

D: We have had the pleasure to play with some amazing bands. So far I would say it’s a toss-up between playing with Night Riots and Rebel Revive at the Wire or this last time we played at The Glasshouse. They were both amazing shows.  I am leaning toward the last Glasshouse show because it was our first time playing with our new bassist, Dave, and for the first time I felt like Tim and I finally found the right people that could help us take this band to the next level.

T: I love every show that we have played, but those two shows in particular I will remember forever. Playing a good show on stage helps make a good memory, but talking to everybody off stage and making new friends really makes it stand out for me.

What do you enjoy more, writing and creating a song or playing it live? 

D: In all my past bands I always enjoyed the writing process the most. But this band has been a whole new experience for me and I can honestly say I enjoy playing now more than ever.

T: My favorite part has to be playing live. The writing part is great, but being able to share our music with people that haven’t heard us before is something else.

What do you like to do when you’re not working on music or performing? 

D: At this point we are so busy booking shows, writing new material and recording we don’t get a lot of free time but when we do catch a break I am usually catching up on TV shows. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan as well as Shameless and True Blood. I also always try to watch Angels games whenever I can.

T: David and I are both family guys so that definitely takes a big chunk of time. But other than that, I’m a sucker for video games and Star Wars books. If anybody wants to play games or talk about nerd stuff, I’m your man.

I’ve seen you play live, and after hearing one song I knew that you will be getting a lot of attention from record labels. If you could sign with any record label (major or independent) which would you choose and why?

D: We would be honored to be on any label to be honest, but there are some labels that I feel are doing great things with their bands. Glassnote Records has an amazing line up with Mumford and Sons, Half Moon Run, Justin Nozuka and Phoenix. I have also loved Vagrant records since I was a kid going to shows. Some of my all-time favorites come from Vagrant but I also love what they are doing with their new line up like The 1975. Sub Pop Records would be a great one too. I don’t think anyone could complain about being on a label that gave us Nirvana. It’s hard to make a choice, there are so many awesome people we would love to work with.

What are your plans for the rest of 2013? 

D: Right now we are really focused on writing new material. We are working with the amazing Warren Huart and it’s exciting to work with someone who is passionate about music and has helped form so many amazing careers.

T: We have some more stuff we are working on, but we like to keep secrets. You just have to keep your eyes and ears open for what may come next.

Where is the best place online for readers to stay updated with you? 

D: At the moment we are on Facebook all the time. We update often and we try to make time to talk to everyone. We have been working on an official website too and we hope that will be up very soon. Currently though, Facebook is the best bet. You can message us or leave a comment. We always make time to meet new people.