BAND: Big City Rock
INTERVIEWER: Michelle Cruz (michelle@bandvibe.com) & Sarah Lim
INTERVIEWEE: Nate Bott
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 07.25.06
BAND MEMBERS:
Nate Bott - Guitar/Vocals
Frank Staniszewski - Keyboards
Tim Resudek - Bass
Kaumyar - Drums
Andy Barr - Guitar
Michelle: State your name and role in the band.
Nate: My name is Nate Bott -- I play guitar & sing.
Michelle: How's the Love and Heat tour so far?
Nate: Its been going really well. We love playing with a huge variety of artists, and, you know, nothing but good times.
Michelle: You guys have been on tour practically nonstop since last October; are you guys going to continue touring after Love & Heat?
Nate: Yeah, yeah we are. We're talking about radio - a radio push later this year. And so we're definitely gonna need to tour on a single - "All of the Above." And yeah, nothing but more work on the road for us.
Michelle: When do you guys find the time to blog on your website?
Nate: We just got an iBook today, so we're gonna be able to find a lot more time to blog. It should be good for us.
Sarah: And it's true that the band members maintain and made the website, right?
Nate: Yeah, that is true. Actually, the current website was done by Atlantic, but we're going to be working on personalizing it more by putting blogs and photos on it.
Michelle: What genre would you consider yourselves?
Nate: I think we're definitely like a new wave rock band. But we also have like a rootsy thing to it. You know? So... I would say that.
Michelle: Which of your own songs is your personal favorite?
Nate: My personal favorite right now is "Human." I love "Human."
Sarah: Which one do you like performing live?
Nate: "Human" is a good catharsis right now. Yeah, I like it. It's become pretty epic live.
Michelle: How did you guys get together?
Nate: Frank, me, and Tim moved out to LA from Madison, Wisconsin after playing in bands and stuff together while growing up in High School and we met Kaumyar and Andy in LA. We formed Big City Rock about three years ago and started writing songs together, and, you know, we already had a collection of songs and we sort of incorporated Andy Barr and Kaumyar into the mix, and it became what it is, which is something I'm very proud of.
Sarah: And it's true that the drummer from Phantom Planet was with you guys too, right?
Nate: Yes, actually, yeah - he was a guy we grew up with in Madison. And he ended up moving over to Phantom Planet. That was actually kind of a - you know, it sparked the chance of meeting with Kaumyar, who we love. And, yeah, Phantom Planet's working on a new record now and they're doing very well.
Michelle: What advice would you give to up-and-coming bands?
Nate: [laughs] Just stay true to your heart, because that's what matters. Just listen to your heart, and roll with the punches. But more than anything - it's what's inside that counts.
Sarah: If you could tour with anyone, who would that be?
Nate: Um... Right now, man... I would love to tour with... Well, if the Darkness were on tour I think they would be a pretty cool match. Or, like, Phoenix would be great. And I'd love to play a few shows with Tom Petty - I think that would be great. He's doing a new thing now, so... I like him.
Michelle: What would you consider the biggest obstacles for bands?
Nate: The biggest obstacles are also in your heart, I think. Just don't be afraid, you know? Don't be afraid, but be careful.
Michelle: Which is usually easier, writing the lyrics or developing the instrumentals?
Nate: Oh boy, they're hand in hand... I mean, it's really hard to answer that question, because they sort of - the way we write - they sort of just pop out after a long, sort of laborious period of "What's gonna be the right riff?" "What's gonna be the right lyric?" And then suddenly it'll just click. It's almost like a simultaneous happening with music and lyrics.
Michelle: What first inspired you to get into music?
Nate: I think it was MTV and listening to my best friend's older brother's Judas Priest records... and seeing a lot of punk rock live shows and seeing the passion of bands like NOFX and the Descendents. Just seeing what that's like live was totally infectious and... my calling; it was something I just felt I needed to do. It wasn't even a conscious decision, I just felt I needed to do it.
Michelle: If you could relive any era, which would it be and why?
Nate: Relive any era? Um... I would like to live through the 60's. I think that was just a great revolutionary time. The music was very new and people were experimenting and it must've been a beautiful time.
Michelle: If you weren't making music, what would you be doing?
Nate: Hm, that's a good question [laughs]. I'd probably - if I wasn't making music, I don't know... Maybe have a family somewhere.
Michelle: Do you think you'll continue doing what you're doing 10 years from now?
Nate: Yes.
Sarah: Is there anyone you recommend listening to - someone not many people know about yet?
Nate: There's a really great record by Sia - that's an artist, S. I. A., that's how you spell it. She has a record called Color The Small One, and it's a really great, chilled out record... you know - maybe for like, listening to at night or something. It's very dreamy, thought provoking lyrics, and she's got a great voice. And... I think it's an underrated record right now. It came from that show, Six Feet Under, did you ever watch that? For the finale - her song played throughout the finale. It was extremely well done, and I've loved her ever since then.
Sarah: What's in your top 25 most played in your iTunes, if you have one?
Nate: Definitely Sia... I've got some Leonard Cohen in there, I've got some Genesis, I've got a little Oasis, love anything British, really. There's this great band called Diamond Nights from New York.
Sarah: Oh, I love [Diamond Nights].
Nate: Yeah! We played a few shows with them and they were amazing. I think they're extremely underrated.
Sarah: I think so as well.
Nate: You know, so, their record's great. I love to just rock out to that. Um... The Police live. I love listening to The Police live. I like, uh... Did you want all 25? Because I could go on [laughs] But that's definitely a taste of what I've got going.
Michelle: Do you have any last words for the readers of Bandvibe?
Nate: Well, we support Amnesty International, so go and check out their website. We're definitely going to be trying to get as involved with their movements as possible in the future - as a band. So, watch for that. And don't be afraid to take action yourself.
Michelle: Thank you!
Nate: No problem.
Check out Bandvibe's photo coverage of Big City Rock:
+Big City Rock w/ NEEDTOBREATHE - NYC - 07/25/06
For more information on Big City Rock, log onto:
+http://www.atlanticrecords.com/bigcityrock
+http://www.bigcityrock.net
+http://www.myspace.com/bigcityrock
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