Answering invitations from music industry executives, Calhoun visited New York City last Thursday to play two shows – the first at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and then Arlene's Grocery in Manhattan. I was able to speak with Tim Locke (lead vocals, guitar) and Jordan Roberts (keys, guitar) after their show at Arlene's Grocery in the Lower East Side.
WDDI: What brings y'all to New York for these two shows? It's not part of a tour, it just the two shows at Knitting Factory and then Arlene's. What's the occasion?
Tim: We came to play for some people that liked the record. We sent it to one label and, we've only sent it to one label so far, and they liked it so we came up to play for them and a couple other people that liked the record too and we hadn't played New York in awhile and it just sounded like a good idea, fun.
Jordan: Ya, just to come up here and meet a few people and play for label types and various other industry types like booking agents and stuff like that so that's what these shows were about - just to come up and do that and then also to get out of town for a little bit as well. So it just kinda worked out.
Tim: Ya, you can't play Lola's every night.
WDDI: There was an article about a new entertainment law firm from Nashville opening a new location in Fort Worth and they mentioned y'all.
Tim: We played a show in Nashville a couple months ago and we got a great lawyer and he's been doing a great job for us, so he set up a lot of this stuff for us.
Jordan: We've been with him now, not officially with him, for I guess almost a month and he's really worked hard to hook us up with a lot of really cool things so we're just continuing to go where, we just do what he says, he says, “Go here. Do this.” and we say, 'Yessir. Aye, aye, captain.'
WDDI: How does it feel being scouted by label types, the booking types, the lawyers and all that? Does this change anything for y'all?
Tim: Not really, it's really nice to have people like the record because we haven't put it out yet.
WDDI: This is the new one, not “Falter Weave Cultivate.”
Tim: Right, this is the new album that nobody's heard yet, so it's good to have people like it because you get so far inside that you can't tell. I listen to it a lot and I like it, but you don't know if anybody else is. So people, industry-wise, have really responded to it really well and it's what we want to do for a living - we're looking for people who can help us perpetuate that.
WDDI: The new record. Is it more like Coma Rally and Dead City Radio or is it less like it?
Tim: I think it's the most focused record that I've ever done in my life. Jordan and I wrote all the songs in his apartment pretty much, we wrote everything together this time and it was just me and him. Toby and Nolan helped us produce it. And then, we didn't really have band because we quit and they were nice enough to come help us and now it's turned into a band. It's the most fun I've ever had, it really is.
WDDI: How is playing in New York different from Fort Worth? Is it more similar or more different?
Tim: New York is the ultimate destination of a nice place to visit. I love coming here and playing here, but everything you have to do to just get around the city and be on time or have an agenda here is very challenging. And I've never been happier to play than when I play here, when I get onstage that's when I can breathe.
Jordan: But all the leading up to it, getting here, getting your gear, making sure you have the right backline. Getting here is a whip.
Tim: That's the nice thing about here is they always have backline gear so you can fly up and do a show and not bring everything. No one in Texas really does that to where you have everything ready for you. So that's why you come here.
Jordan: Ya, a lot of clubs could learn a lesson from that all around the nation. Just having backline gear would be nice.
WDDI: My last question is, where from here? After New York? What's the plan going forward?
Jordan: Europe.
Tim: We're going to Europe and then put the record out and just see what happens. Play.
Jordan: We'll do a couple weeks in Europe and see what happens with the interest level of the people who came out, gauge that, and take it day by day - just see what happens from here.
-- by Drew Brown
