Riding Shotgun With Strays Don't Sleep
I saw Josh Rouse a couple months back, and opening for him was a firecracker of a band that managed to lure the audience away from their perches and close to the stage with their electric stage presence. That band was Strays Don't Sleep. They describe themselves as "Dean Martin joined The Clash in Detroit after a bender of dogma, Grace Kelly and whiskey", and who am I to argue? Judge for yourself when you trek up to Annapolis June 30 to see the Strays take on the Ram's Head ($14.50). It'll be well worth the trip. But first, Neilson Hubbard (multi-functional on vocals, guitar, and synths) weighs in on long drives (not so fun), T.S. Eliot (quotable), and guitar players with broken arms (admirable).
Fill in the blanks:
Touring is: Finding out your role as a band.
Our first gig together was:
The Basement (Nashville, TN) but we played a gig at B.B. Kings' right after that which felt more like a first gig. We got our ass kicked at this one. It was a defining moment of whether we were going to step it up or lie down and die. I’m glad it happened early.
Our favorite venue to play is: Town Hall (New York). The Ram’s Head is really nice as well in Annapolis. There honestly are a lot of them that we love.
Hygiene on a tour is: non-negotiable.
Our favorite thing about touring is:
some think it’s finding a Denny’s and Chili’s at the same exit (maybe a nice cup of coffee as well). Others like that nice hotel room that also has a work-out facility. And others just like walking around different cities. We all like different stuff.
And the least favorite: Ridiculously long drives (like ones from Minneapolis to San Francisco).
City with the best audiences: I don’t know if I can answer that one. There are lots of nights with great crowds and fans. Depends on the show.
The band member most likely to disappear after a show is: Billy Mercer.
The tour bus/van smells like: dudes.
Laundry is: a) washed regularly, b) washed irregularly, c) we go shopping a lot: a) washed regularly.
What's the most unusual item on your rider? Power Bars.
Who controls the music in the touring vehicle? And what are you listening to at the moment?
That would be Matthew Ryan. I’m not listening to anything right this second. I have been listening to a lot of Aqualung lately though.
Your new favorite watering hole after being on tour? And/or the best place to get greasy, hangover-curing food? There is a place in Austin that’s open all night that serves pure greatness. I’m totally blanking on the name right now. They have amazing pancakes and breakfast tacos and all that good stuff. We also really like the QT convenient store. They take tremendous pride in there displaying of candy bars and chips. It looks like a Wonka factory in there.
Most amusing memory from your current or most recent tour?
Brian Bequette, our guitar player, broke his arm in Oxford, England and never missed a show. He played with the guitar in his lap for a couple of shows (Jeff Healey style). But he was back to normal in a couple of shows. He is the strongest dude I know.
Are there any bands you've played with that you'd like to tour with again? Or bands that you have yet to tour with that you'd like to?
We’ve been out with Josh Rouse for 2 months and I know we would love to do more. I would love to do some shows with Aqualung and the Twilight Singers.
Please name the city you wouldn't ever play in again? Or, if not a particular city, which venue makes your skin crawl?
Jackson, MS. It’s my home town and I have taken a beating there so many times...
Apart from the obvious cd, what's the merch item of yours you think people should shell out for? The girlie tees.
Have you been to the top of the Washington Monument? No.
What's the story behind the cd/dvd release? Why did you want to include something visual with your album? And how did the idea emerge?
It was Ryan’s idea initially. We wanted to have more to offer the listener than just the cd. We have so many friends who are great directors and we felt like they could really contribute. We wanted the record to feel 3 dimensional. The films just bring in a wider spectrum for the album. They are there to enhance the musical experience.
There's an advice section on your website. Are you all soon to become Agony Uncles?
Our site is actually a source of agony for us. We are looking for a new designer so if anyone is good in Flash please let us know. There are going to be some changes made to it. The advice page may not make the cut.
Following that thought, what advice would you offer to bands in their infancy? Maybe the one thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
Stay in school. Actually, I think the main thing for young bands is to realize how hard you have to work in this industry to get somewhere. And you have to stay honest with what you are doing. Trends come and go, so you have to stay true to what you are trying to say to people and that will usually get you somewhere. Audiences feel honesty and they can sense when someone is not being real.
What bands/artists made the biggest impact on you growing up? And which ones made you decide ultimately to be artists yourselves? I know that I listened to a lot of radio as a kid. I know Ryan listened to a lot of the Clash and Leonard Cohen. I think we both loved Sinatra and Bjork and U2. I really grew up on melody and I know that Ryan grew up on the poetry of music. So our collective influences marry well in this band.
What would you like people to be saying about Strays Don't Sleep in 50 years?
"Wow. That was a great band. They really made a difference. They changed my life." Because we really are trying to push for something like the Clash did, like U2 is still doing. It’s lofty, but I know we are tired of being apologetic and self-deprecating about playing our music. All art is about connecting. We just want to connect on the largest scale we can.
Please recite a line of poetry:
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;
Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us- if at all- not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
T.S. Eliot
And finally, it's BigYawn's round. What's your poison? Codeine.
To catch up with the Strays (or perhaps even run their website!), head to www.straysdontsleep.com, or www.myspace.com/straysdontsleep.