BAND: Disco Curtis
INTERVIEWER: Sarah Boger (Sarah@bandvibe.com)
INTERVIEWEE: Tanner
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 01.27.2010
BAND MEMBERS:
Tanner – Vocals, guitar
Brenden - Bass
Garrett - Guitar
AJ - Drums
SARAH: How did you get started in music?
TANNER: What happened was we started in August 2008. Built a MySpace following, started to do a lot of shows in TX, did a showcase for a CD release and Interscope Records came to the show, they teamed up with MySpace records. We signed through MySpace and used the MySpace networking with the Interscope Records connections. We didn’t want to just blindly go on the road. We wanted to have more of a fan base and started networking on the road.
SARAH: So how do you go about writing songs?
TANNER: I usually have an idea for a song, and then I’ll get the chords, the melody and the lyrics, record it, then have a song that I believe is done. Then we sit down and rehash things as a band so I would say I write about 95% of the music and we all tweak it to get the final result.
SARAH: How did you come up with the name for the band?
TANNER: The summer we were trying to pick our band name, we were hanging out with this guy, Curtis. He’s a real guy. He would go to all of these shows back in the day and play drums with a bag over his head. They called him the mystery drummer and he would play disco beats for all the songs. We always called him Disco Curtis, and we wanted a name that no one else had and no one really knows him so...
SARAH: I’m picturing a guy in bellbottoms with a paisley shirt with an afro.
TANNER: Right, only no afro because he has the bag over his head.
SARAH: What kind of bands do you enjoy touring with? I know you guys did a lot of shows before you got signed, but did you tour a lot?
TANNER: A lot of what we did was opening for bands, we did the Hot Topic acoustic tour, and it was only us, we then toured with Boys Like Girls & Forever the Sickest Kids, playing with them was really cool, they were awesome to us and really nice guys. We did some touring with 7th Story Fall, we did some east coast stuff with them, that was a lot of fun.
SARAH: You don’t care if it’s a big band you just want a band with good energy.
TANNER: Yeah, we just enjoy good bands, we were really lonely on the Hot Topic tour, and we decided that we need to tour with good people. Good company is awesome, it makes touring that much more fun. Our touring was limited because we were still in high school and it limited what we could do, we’d have to wait to get on the road and it was killing us. We have a tour coming up in March, April & May. We have some time off in June, and July we’re doing Warped Tour and that should get some good friends and amazing contacts.
SARAH: Are you guys really excited for Warped Tour?
TANNER: Oh yeah it’s going to be awesome, a lot of what we did was unsigned touring, and the best is yet to come. We’re excited to meet the people that listen to our music. That what’s shapes the band, the people.
SARAH: So do you like to play the bigger venues, or something smaller?
TANNER: Love both for different reasons. With a small show you have no gate, you can touch them, they can touch you, we feed off their energy. Big shows are fun to, huge almost a larger than life feel, but we just love playing shows Big vs small. We’re stoked when there’s more impact, more people. But the smaller show there’s more impact because it’s special for the people that are there. We play the same no matter what size of the show, we stay around and hang out with the kids after , whether it be 100 or 1000 people.
SARAH: Is there any one song you especially enjoy playing live?
TANNER: I don’t know if I have one in particular,. "Ashley" and "Surprise Me" are awesome because the energy is so high on both of them, and those were the songs that people know. Any song that people sing along to becomes my favorite. And "Hard Times and Pick Up Lines". That one's awesome. Songs that people can sing to, can jump to. The more energy, the more interaction makes it special, that connection makes it special.
SARAH: Is it crazy being so young and doing so well?
TANNER: It is, but it’s cool. I’ve dreamed of for so long, we’ve been doing it since middle school. Working on it for so long, being able to play form 5th grade when we started. We’ve been working on it for so long and now it’s all taking off. When it hit us that we got signed we were like, ‘we just signed’. It was really exciting, it feels good. It’s rewarding and reassuring. It goes without saying that the people that listen to us is what made it possible we appreciate their support without them we’d still be playing in a garage like in 5th grade.
SARAH: What was the first album you ever bought?
TANNER: 1st album ever bought, let me think, I think the first I ever bought was … hrrmmmm may have been All American Rejects their self titled. I think that was the first. That or Jimmy Eat World. They were some of my favorite’s in 6th grade.
SARAH: First concert you ever went to?
TANNER: Ah first show, was Green Day with Sugar Cult and New Found Glory, such a good show.
SARAH: If you could tour with any one band, current or not, who would it be?
TANNER: Dashboard Confessional, for me, I remember seeing his live show, and it made this huge impact on me, as a musician, an audience member and a listener, or All American Rejects another great band. I’d love Fall Out Boy, too those were the bands that helped to shape our sound, that made us want to do it. They gave us hope/ we saw them from the start and it was really cool to see them grow.
SARAH: Who is in your CD player right now?
TANNER: Say Anything’s new record, I really enjoy it a lot, it’s good stuff. We’ve been writing so much of our own stuff so I feel like that’s all I’ve been hearing. And Dashboard Confessionals new one and Breathe Electric, it’s really good and Muse, main ones are Say Anything, Dashboard Confessional and Breathe Electric.
SARAH: What’s the one thing you want to go home to the most?
TANNER: Just one? Probably my bed, the one here is like a rock, mine sounds nice, and family. Being here your away from your family, you miss your friends, no material things, just family and friends, not as much now, but I’m sure in the future,. So just one? Family, and friends.
SARAH: So who would play you in the Disco Curtis Movie?
TANNER: There are a few options, people say I look like Edward from the Twilight movies, but I’m not going with that one. People also say I look like Chase Crawford from Gossip Girl. I don’t watch it so I don’t know. I’m going to go with Ashton Kutcher, he would play me.
SARAH: Anyone with strange talents?
TANNER: We each do. I’m sure Brendon has a weird one. He’s a strange kid. I can belly dance and I’ve got a really long tongue so I can lick my elbow. It’s really long. I can touch my tongue to my nose. Brendon can do the the worm. Or Brendons talent, he can improv. He can go off. He’s got this crazy mind. I can’t describe it. He can just talk about anything and go on and on. He’s really spontaneous. Garret and AJ can hand fart really well. They can make music with their hands. That’s what they do.
SARAH: So what's one question you want to be asked in an interview?
TANNER: Something juicy not sure what but something racy, um…. I’ve been asked what do you look for in a girl but a un-normal one, what’s your perfect girl.
SARAH: Now you have to answer it.
TANNER: Perfect girl would be one that likes the band, gets along well, good head on her shoulders. Someone that I would find attractive, obviously, someone that smells nice, good smelling, good head on their shoulders. Fun, makes me laugh, good looking, cute, to the point where she’s pretty but sexy at other times, to where she’s got multiple sides, pretty but can be sexy when she wants to be. Someone to laugh with, have fun with that’s loving, kind and cheery. And supportive that’s key, letting me be me. And if they can cook or sing, that’s a plus, not a requirement, but we are talking about the perfect girl, a girl with a sexy voice, that’s a big turn on, and she can’t smoke. I’m allergic, not that I think smoking is like ‘The Devil’ but I can’t be around it. And they can’t drink, I don’t drink. It just doesn't fly. I’ve dated some real party girls and I’m always worried. And good backrubs! That’s a plus too! I’m sorry I keep giving you so many answers I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this. Today, I’m just all over the place.
SARAH: Ok last question, zombies are attacking, what do you grab?
TANNER: What do I grab? Oh man…..hahahha I grab… hahaha my guitar, and I sing them a song to calm them down. I'd sing them a lullaby. I’d chill them zombies out. We’d all sit in a circle and sing kumbayah…
For more official information on Disco Curtis, please log onto:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Disco-Curtis/26704603098
http://www.myspace.com/discocurtis
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