Music | An Interview with A Silent Film

Tonight the dapper indie-rockers A Silent Film are taking over Denver's Bluebird Theatre for what is sure to be one of the most fun Friday night events happening in the city. Earlier this week we chatted with bandmates Robert Stevenson and Spencer Walker about what they've been up to since we last caught them in Denver, their love of "Our Mutual Friend" Brewery, and of course, their new record, A Silent Film, which was released on October 16th. 

please note that for this interview, questions from Ultra5280 will be indicated by "MC" for our Music Editor Maddie Casey, and responses will be indicated by "ASF" from the band. 

MC: Hello, gents! Great to speak with you. Congrats on the new album! How does it feel to have it finally released?
ASF: Thanks so much - it feels amazing! It feels like the end of one exciting chapter and also the beginning of a new, even more exciting chapter. It feels like being in the middle of a book where the beginning was fantastic but you know it is only going to get better. It feels great. Feelings are awesome.

MC: Do you think recording this album in your hometown added anything to the creative process for this record?
ASF: Absolutely. In many ways our previous album Sand & Snow was a product of our first adventures touring in the States, many of the songs were written and recorded in the US as a direct result of those tours and experiences. The new album A Silent Film feels like more of a homecoming, more nostalgic. 

MC: And just before you entered the studio, you had just completed The Secret Rooms tour, which seemed absolutely incredible. Do you think those experiences lent themselves to the writing of this new record? 
ASF: The Secret Rooms tour had a direct impact on the record. Two of the songs which ended up on the album - I Don't Need a Reason and Chinese Lanterns - we played throughout the tour in order to figure out how to finish them in the right way! And then just as a creative experiment for us the tour was incredibly inspiring. We were able to come back from the tour and focus all of that good energy into finishing the record.

MC: What is one favorite story from your "Secret Rooms" tour? 
ASF: Hard to pick one! Some of the places we put on the shows were crazy. We did the LA performance in a huge studio where they used to shoot silent movies back in the day which was pretty appropriate for us! We played in a bicycle shop in Chicago, a bookstore in Boston - in New York we played the empty 16th floor of a Manhattan high-rise looking out over the city lights. Obviously there were also the usual tour shenanigans but you wouldn't want to hear about that would you...

MC: Since we saw you in Denver last, you've "re-branded" (if you will) more as a duo. Can you speak about that transition? 
ASF: The two of us have been playing together since we were 14 years old, over time we've played with a lot of musicians. The band is 'officially' the two of us but we will always have awesome musicians out with us to keep delivering new and memorable live shows for our fans! Right now we have Matt Wilcox - a Colorado native who co-produced the album - on keys, Matt Kidd from Houston on guitar and Jake Roos who is from Oxford like us on bass. All incredibly talented and dapper gentlemen…

MC: You're already seeing success with your first radio single off the new album, "Lightning Strike". Can you tell us a bit about the song? 
ASF: Knowing that your song is on the radio just never gets old! Lightning Strike is an upbeat, energetic song that talks of longing for a meaningful relationship but teases you with teenage desires. It was one of the first songs the two of us wrote together for this album and it set the tone in many ways for the writing sessions.

MC: Denver is right at the beginning of this tour for you. What excites you most about this upcoming run? 
ASF: Sounds obvious, but you only get to do a first tour of a new album once and there is nothing quite like finishing an album and then going out and playing all the songs live, introducing people to the new music. Nothing is off the table when you release an album - perhaps no-one notices, perhaps you take it to the grammies. That's the great thing about doing what we do - anything is possible. So that's pretty exciting, but obviously playing the awesomeness that is the Bluebird Theatre in Denver is a close second. And hopefully getting the time to visit OMF brewery on Larimer St…best beer in town.

Be sure to catch the band TONIGHT at The Bluebird Theatre. Doors are at 8:00pm with tickets only $18! A great Friday night for sure. 

Slow Cub | Interview and Tour Info

Photo credit: Ben Corrigan​

We recently had a chance to catch up with Charles Watson of the lovely duo of Slow Club, who will be opening up for Mumford and Sons at Red Rocks tomorrow and headlining their own show at Hi-Dive on Wednesday night.  We are also be giving away of guest spots for the Hi-Dive show on Twitter later on today so be sure and follow us here.

​The beloved Brits are touring the United States with their countrymen, and playing songs off their critically acclaimed album Paradise, released late 2011 on Moshi Moshi Records. They also recently caused a stir when Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe played a feature role in the video for their single "Beginners"

U5280: Let’s talk about the new album Paradise, where did the name for the title originate from?

SC: The name is taken from the secret track at the end of the album. We both thought the song summed up the record pretty well.

U5280: Growing up in England and listening to the music scene there, who were and still are some of your biggest influences?

SC: Rebecca is influenced by lots of R n B records. I guess Leonard Cohen has been the most constant influence for me. I don't think the English music scene has really shaped our sound. We probably listened to more American music as teenagers.

U5280: How has social networking played a role into how you communicate with your fans? It seems like it can be a hit or miss with a lot of bands.

SC: For a long time I didn't get involved with social networking but since doing it I can see its merits. I like to stalk my favourite bands.

U5280: How long did it take for you guys to put together Paradise, what did that process look like, and what would you say were the biggest challenges? 

SC: It took about a year in total. There were lots of challenges in the shape of using new instruments. We really didn't want to make an album that sounded the same as the first so we spent a lot of time trying to experiment.

U5280: For this upcoming tour you will be opening up for Mumford and Sons, how did that come about and what are your thoughts on playing here at Red Rocks?

SC: It's a pleasure to open for Mumford & Sons. We have known the guys for quite a while now and it's very exciting to see how they've grown. Red Rocks is going to be incredible. I haven't stopped googling pictures of it since we found out.

U5280: I’m guessing you guys get this next question a lot, but how in the hell did you guys get Mr. Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe to be in the video for Beginners? (check out video below)

SC: We found out he was a fan of the band when he chose us to interview for his guest editorial of Time Out London. After that we thought maybe he might like the idea of being in our video.

U5280: Finally what can the people of Colorado look to expect from Slow Club as you will be playing here two nights this week?

SC: We will playing some new material that we will be releasing later in the year. There might be nudity.

​Having built a burgeoning following on the success of their much-loved debut full-length Yeah So, Slow Club's sophomore album Paradise was a further step forward in song craft and lyrical maturity. Among much other praise, the album received nods from Under The Radar (8 of 10) who featured the band in their year end issue, The New York Times, Rolling Stone who labeled them a "Band To Watch", and Pitchfork who write that "the duo has evolved from being among the best of an indie pop field overcrowded with cutesy duos to carving out a distinct niche for itself that opens up further opportunities for creative growth."

Watch videos for the singles "Where I'm Waking," "Two Cousins" and "The Dog"

Castro