The Untitled Interview #166 – SXSW Edition: Starring Amber Joy Smith (Vibragun)

One of the first harbingers of Spring is not, in fact, the adorable, fluffy robins hopping along looking for worms or the bold yellow bursts of daffodils blooming. Sure, the longer days and Daylight Savings Time act as pretty good indicators. But they're not what I had in mind. Nay, friends, one of the first signs of the new season is SXSW, the week of music and mayhem down in Austin. I wrangled some of the bands I'd want to see, if I was going, to get their take on this year's installment of South by Southwest.

This is my first time talking about Seattle denizens Vibragun, but I'd doubt it'll be the last. Their sound is nothing short of electric, pretty psychedelia swirls running through walls of pulsating noise like shimmering wave tips on a sunny late afternoon. Oh, and they also get a little ferocious at times, too (see "Willing Sacrifice" for examples of this roar). I'm pretty sure their live show all sorts of rules. Read on for Miss Amber Joy Smith's take on the joys of SX.

Fuzzy Logic: How are you getting to SXSW: plane, train, or automobile?
Amber Joy Smith: We are driving our big red van. It's called "the Red Curse." Joel is looking for a Santorum sticker so the cops will leave us alone because he always get pulled over in Oklahoma.

FL: Inevitably, you will forget to pack:
AJS: Either my cell phone charger or toothbrush. Hopefully, it's the toothbrush this time.

FL: How many showcases/parties will you be playing?
AJS: We're playing killredrocketrecords pool party at the Metropolis Apartments on Friday and the Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie showcase at Casa Chapala on Saturday.

FL: Band you're most looking forward to seeing at the festival?
AJS: The Jesus and Mary Chain, hopefully!!

FL: What's the first thing you plan on doing upon arrival in Austin?
AJS: After taking a shower? Getting some Lone Star and BBQ with our friends in The Foreign Resort who we haven't seen in over a year.

FL: What was the first festival you ever attended, either as a musician or a member of the general public?
AJS: Ozzfest, I was 14.

FL: Favorite thing about festivals?
AJS: At SXSW, the guys love going to late night taco trucks. But we love seeing friends who live far away.

EP1 by VibraGun

[photo by Shane Williams]