What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
Sean: Seeing all the great bands in the Pacific NW music scene first inspired me to start making music. Tullycraft came together as a group of friends hanging out and making up songs.
Chris: I moved to Seattle at the height of an indie band explosion and was able to not only spectate but participate. At the time it seemed like everyone we knew was in a band playing shows or making records. It felt like even as the grunge movement was being brought into the light so much more was happening behind the scenes. It was inspiring to be a part of it.
Jenny: I just love to sing! I come from a choir / classical music background, and started doing background vocals with these dudes.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
Sean: Our new album is called The Railway Prince Hotel. We didn’t get together and rehearse any of the songs before recording this record. Initially, as an experiment, I booked three days in the studio. We all showed up and I introduced three new song ideas I had written. We wanted to see what might happen if we tried to record without practicing the songs first. After three days of trial and (much) error, agreements and (many) disagreements we evaluated what we had tracked. Ultimately, two of the songs we recorded didn’t make it on the album, but the third song was “Passing Observations.” We were all happy with how that one turned out, so we booked more studio time and I brought in more new song ideas. The next go round we were much more equipped at working entirely unrehearsed. The engineer we worked with (Pete) was excited by our improvisational approach and he pushed us to try new things. He also encouraged us even when our ideas were obviously dumb. It was a completely new way of recording for us.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
Sean: I’d say Tullycraft’s biggest influences are probably kraut, prog, new wave and post punk (i.e. Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Can, Half Japanese, Captain Beefheart, Magazine, Bauhaus…), although, I could be wrong.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
Sean: Our “sound” has been described over and over as indie pop and twee. But you could argue that Tullycraft has sort of redefined what it means to be a twee band. Much of our music certainly doesn’t have what is thought of as a “traditionally twee” sound.
Chris: I agree. I don’t think we try to sound like anyone. When I compare us to strictly twee music and think we are more punk and disorderly than the tight confines of the genre.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Sean:
Rockin’ and Romance – Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
Jamboree – Beat Happening
Workers Playtime – Billy Bragg
Chris:
Psychocandy – Jesus and Mary Chain (cause it’s the best sounding album)
New York – Lou Reed (cause it’s the best sounding album)
The 52’s – The B52’s (cause we are gonna need to party!)
Corianton:
Merel (s/t 1995 LP)
East is East (1999 film)
Motherless Brooklyn (1999 book by Jonathan Lethem)
Jenny: (mine are real nerdy)
Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Film: Singin’ in the Rain
Album: ABBA Gold
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
Sean: I love the recording process! It’s my favorite part of being in a band. Playing music in front of people is great too, but the routine of it all became a little tiresome for me. I don’t really miss hauling amps and drums into (and out of) a small clubs in the pouring rain. I love recording because the process allows you to create something that literally didn’t exist before you started.
Corianton: Both are great, but studio recording gives us a lot of second (and third, and fourth) chances.
Chris: I am a total studio geek. I love it.
Jenny: I’m with Cori, both are the best!
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
Sean: We were playing in the small town of Anacortes, WA. There were maybe 12 people in the audience. As I was singing the lighting rig fell down crushing the microphone stand in front of Jenny, missing her by maybe an inch. Then… our t-shirt cannon malfunctioned mid-set and started randomly shooting t-shirts into the mostly empty room. On the long drive home Chris made us all listen to Kanye’s 808’s & Heartbreak over & over. That was a funny-unique evening.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
Sean: The most unique track on the new album? I would imagine each of us might answer that question quite differently. Which may reignite the debate over solid state vs tube amplifiers, or Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry. So maybe we should just agree that we appreciate them all, and they are all unique in their own way.
Jenny: T. Swift all the way.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
Corianton: We’re going to Disneyland.
Sean: I thought we agreed it would be a Disney cruise!
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
What is your favorite episode of The Brak Show from the first season (which aired in 2001)?
Sean: Hmm? That question seems oddly specific. I guess it would have to be either Mr. Bawk Ba Gawk (aka B.J. and the Brak) or Hippo (aka The Braks of Life).
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
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