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GroundSounds caught up with pop rock band So Many Wizards before their performance as part of the Red Bull Sound Select Presents: Los Angeles at The Echo. They coyly discuss their plans for the release of their sophomore album ‘Heavy Visions‘ later this year as well as some fun facts, check out the exclusive interview below.
Band members: Nima Kazerouni, Erik Felix Martin Roark Devin Ratliff
GS: We are here right before the Red Bull Sound Select performance and you guys have been getting this reputation around town of having huge lively and energetic shows. What are the key elements that make a good live show?
SMW/Nima: Mixing Red Bull with coffee, is the best thing (laughs). I’m just kidding, well I’m not kidding, that’s a great idea too, maybe. Anyways, but really having fun and you know keeping it really spontaneous, these guys never know what I’m going to do and they’re always a little scared. That keeps them on their toes, the energy is always pretty high. So it’s great, we love each other so, that’s why we play so…
SMW/Martin: The love connection gives us energy
SMW/Nima: Endless Energy
GS: Awesome, are there any shows you guys remember growing up that influenced how you perform?
SMW/Erik: Ya, I grew up in Wilmington, in a small town. It’s part of the port of L.A. and backyard shows were just happening every weekend. It was people I went to high school with and the energy there was just so high all the time. Then when I got older, going to shows like at “The Smell” seeing bands like Mika Miko and Health and then touring bands like, Pre with that high intensity and just seeing the crowd instantly react to it, now that I’m able to play live and people come out, you can’t help but feed off that energy. It feels really great.
GS: Well, we’ve definitely been hearing a lot about your shows so I’m excited to see it. You guys have a new album coming out, do you have a release date yet?
SMW/Devin: Hmmm, 2015 (laughs)
GS: General 2015 date ok
SMW/Nima: Late 2015 probably. We just finished recording and mastering it and now it’s just out there and we are going to find a nice little home for it. We are really excited for people to hear it.
GS: Are there any sneak peeks you can give us at all for Heavy Visions, conceptually what is it going to be like?
SMW/Devn: It’s a little bit more raw.
SMW/Nima: It’s raw, the subject matter is darker, a lot of it surrounds death. So, that’s kind of the theme of the whole thing.
GS: Can you go into it a little bit more?
SMW/Nima: Umm, I kinda want to leave it a little bit open ended. Everyone is waiting to hear (points to rest of the band) they don’t even know what it’s about.
SMW/Martin: Ya, where do all these lyrics come from. I’ve been dying to know. (laughs)
GS: Are you going to be doing anything special for the release like you did with the 7 inch?
SMW/Erik: For the seven inch we hand delivered the first round of seven inches in person. So, that was fun. It was exhausting, I have a lot more respect for UPS and Fed Ex drivers. It was very taxing but it was very fun seeing the people we support in their element as opposed to like our element at the venue or wherever it may be.
GS: Any crazy fan stories from that experience?
SMW/Nima: all of them were very special in their own way.
SMW/Martin: Did you deliver one to a boat?
SMW/Devin: We’re going to step it up a little this time and rent a helicopter and just drop them.
SMW/Nima: Ya, totally we are going to do something crazy that’s for sure. But we’ll keep that a surprise as well.
GS: I’m sure the fans will be looking forward to it. Recently, “Lose Your Mind” was featured on an episode of New Girl tell me about that; are you guys fans of Zooey Deschanel?
SMW/Erik: Oh Yeah.
SMW/ Devin: I actually like the show and I’m really picky about T.V. and I’m kind of like a snob about that stuff. I actually started watching it and I gotta say I got into it. (laughs)
GS: If you could be part of any franchise soundtrack, if they called you up and said we want you for the next James Bond or what would be your dream collaboration in that sense:
SMW/Martin: Star Wars, that would be my dream. I love Star Wars.
GS: So, you would put a John Williams style into your songs.
SMW/Martin: (laughs) I don’t know about that.
SMW/Nima: Ya, Martin doesn’t know what he’s saying (laughs). Umm it would be really great to be in a Wes Anderson film or something. Or like a David Lynch, but who knows? We both do transcendental meditation so maybe in that realm he’ll be connected to me.
SMW/Erik: Ya, well first off it would be great if he came back to the Twin Peaks revival series and then tapped us to offer a song.
SMW/Nima: Just the end credits, maybe nothing big (laughs)
SMW/Devin: I would love that.
GS: So, at Ground Sounds we have something that we call “Grind Time”, where you do the things you love and enjoy. Is there anything other than music you guys love to do on your “Grind Time”?
SMW/Devin: My “Grind Time” hmmm, snacking and watching basketball would be pretty high up there.
SMW/Erik: if you just give me a big bottle of Tapatio and like a bag of chips and then if you throw in some high caliber basketball in the equation then you can just shut the door and I’ll be good.
GS: Who is your team right now?
SMW/Erik: Well, the Lakers always. But the Warriors are really exciting to watch right now. I’m rooting for them right now.
SMW/Devin: So that’s like our time where we’re just relaxing and chilling?
GS: Yes.
SMW/Devin. Ohhh, (laughs) you know I like to drive actually. Just like, drive off aimlessly with the windows down.
GS: Have you driven up the California coast?
SMW/Devin: I’ve done some of it not the whole coast though. But yea, I love driving up North to like the beaches, like Santa Barbara.
SMW/Martin: My “Grind Time” I got into needle point felting last year. So, I’ve been trying to felt different underwater creatures. I have a grey whale and a sun fish so far.
SMW/Nima: That is really cute.
GS: So, maybe for the next album you could do customized needle points with each album.
SMW/Erik: It would be like “Sonic Youth’s” cover album, Dirty
SMW/Martin: ok sure (laughs)
SMW/Nima: Well I grew up skateboarding, so did Martin. I recently started to cruise again on this little board that I’ve had for a long time. Have you heard of walking meditation?
GS: Is that like mindfulness?
SMW/Nima: Yea, mindfulness but while skateboarding is like really, really great. You just get in the zone and you just go.
GS: So, I’m guessing you are more of a long boarder than a penny boarder?
SMW/Nima: Yea, it’s not too long but it’s big wheels and I grew up doing tricks on a normal skateboard, but this is the era of just cruising and trying to forget the world, you know?
GS: So, I can obviously feel the love of this band. So to end, why don’t you guys each tell me something that might surprise me about a different band member.
(laughs)
SMW/Martin: wow, do we know each other that well?
SMW/Devin: Believe it or not Nima is a ladies man. (laughs) you would never guess.
SMW/Erik: Martin, well maybe you hinted at it already but Martin is actually, to this day still plays Magic the Gathering. (laughs) but you kind of hinted at a fantasy sci-fi side of you earlier.
SMW/Nima: Believe it or not Devin is kind of like Bowie. He’s down for whatever, you know. So you know, hint hint (laughs) He’s like Lou Reed and David Bowie, all those rock stars. SO, ya, there’s that.
SMW/Martin: I guess when I started and joined the band something that I thought was funny that I found out is that Erik is the cutest member of the band according to our Instagram. (laughs)
SMW/Erik: What?
SMW /Martin: That’s right, ya. So, all the comments will be like, “Oh Erik, he’s the cutest”. That’s all I know about these guys. (laughs)
SMW/Nima: And Erik has always held this boyish charm. Just like that actor Diego Luna from those movies (laughs).
SMW/Erik: She said share a secret with us not like a hyperbole. (laughs)
GS: Awesome well thank you so much for hanging out with us.
