Band of the Week: Netherfriends

To accomplish something in music or in life you have to remained focus, be confident, and get out there and meet people. It's a cliche, but it's true... it really is about who you know and when you know them. As a musician the best way to get to know people is to tour and then tour again. The more audiences you can play in front of the more people will remember your name and tell a friend and possibly buy a shirt or an album.

Chicago's Shawn Roseblatt is the heart and soul of Netherfriends, and next month Emergency Umbrella will release their debut ep, Calling You Out. As you will see in the interview, Shawn believes strongly in touring, and continues to expand his fan base each time he hits the road.

Recently, Shawn was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Your debut ep comes out next month on Emergency Umbrella, how did you get involved with EU and what has your experience been like?
Shawn Rosenblatt (SR): I am not too sure how Emergency Umbrella found out about us, but they contacted us when we were working with this California based indie label Black and Greene (Jason Black from Apollo Sunshine) and things turned sour with B&G. We were being courted by a few bigger
labels, but I really loved the Sinkane record that EU released. So I agreed to release an EP and LP with them. Things have been kinda bumpy since we signed, but hopefully they will get better.

OA: Although the ep comes off as a pop-driven collection, there seems to be a good amount of rage in the lyrics. Over what period of time were these songs written and recorded?
SR: Rage or range? I find that the best songs I write are the ones that are the most angry and personal (if you meant rage.) I might just be too critical of people in my life and instead of personally telling
them, I will instead sing it in a song. Majority of these songs (except Nunya) were written and recorded summer 2008.

OA: What is the bands line-up right now? I had heard you were looking for a drummer.
SR: I am looking for a permanent touring band!! Netherfriends has been a band for almost two years. Started as a solo thing and then turned into a band, but it's turning back into a solo thing again where I
write and record songs bring people on stage or in my house to play or record with me. At the moment, I am struggling to get Justin and Paul to agree to tour with me due to jobs and money. So they help me with local shows in Chicago and recording. Paul (drums) has been playing with me since the beginning, but he was in London for a semester abroad and we had a fill in during that time. Justin joined a year ago. I have been bringing players from other bands to come on tour with me. Right now, Pierce from a Chicago band called Tin Tin Can will be playing drums for August and Paul who used to be in a band called Light Pollution is playing guitar, keys, and trumpet. Shit is silly!!!

OA: Do you feel touring is pleasure or pain?
SR: I could talk about this topic for hours! Touring is CRUCIAL! If you want to be a band that makes a living playing music... GO ON TOUR!! I do not mean tour for 3 months at a time. Do a week or two in all the
surrounding cities. I recently made a zine with my friends and the first issue was about being on the road and touring. I feel like I should physically shake some people crazy, until they go on tour. It's the best and worst thing you could do as a human being. When I am on tour I want to be at home, and when I am home I just want to be on tour.

Nunya (Beeswax) from Dan Scotti on Vimeo.

OA: I really like the new video for “Nunya”, do you plan to make other videos? How did you decide to make a video for “Nunya” and not “Friends With Lofts”?
SR: Thanks! I chose Nunya because it's a little shorter in length than "Friends with Lofts". My friends are torn on the Nunya video. I guess you might have to be intoxicated. It's "trippy." We shot a video for
the song Don't Invite Me back in May, but the guy who directed it quickly decided it wasn't working. He had us playing and chasing around a chicken on his friends roof.

OA: What’s next for Netherfriends?
SR: Finish full length, find permanent players to play on tour, and tour for as long as I can take it.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down to coffee with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?
SR: I don't drink coffee

OA: What was the last great book you have read?
SR: Factotum by Charles Bukowski I find that book very relateable,
even though I am not an alcoholic.

Listen to: Friends With Lofts (mp3)

For more information on Netherfriends please visit their website.