Photo by Francesca DeStefano
Brooklyn has brought us a couple of bears – Victoria and Dale – whose sugary, honey-lickingly sweet music makes me feel like crawling through a bee hive then dancing in the sunshine with my best friends. You might get the impression it’s sickly – and you’d be right. But we quite like it.
Hi Mama Bear, do you know the story of Goldilocks? Is that what you are named after? What happened to Papa Bear?
Yes! Of course we know the story of the blonde kleptomaniac. But no, that is not what we are referencing. The name comes from an endearing, somewhat bossy nickname. As for Papa Bear, he’s a dead beat.
With such a cute name, do you sometimes have a hard time persuading people that you are a serious band?
Ahh…naaahhh.
How long have you been going for? Why did you decide to get together?
We’d been dreaming of putting together a little bear family for quite some time, but we didn’t come to fruition until early 2009. As for why we got together, accidents happen.
Photo by Jeremy Cook
What is the scene like in Brooklyn for your type of music? Do you have friends in bands playing a similar sound, or are you paving a way for yourselves on your own?
We feel that the scene for “our type of music”, is relatively small. Most people are trying to give that quirky, enigmatic sound—and we’re that too, but more in our personalities and live shows rather than our music.
What songs are your favourite to go out dancing to at the moment? Do you think these songs have influenced you?
At the moment Mama Bear (Vivi) is in love, love, love with Lady Gaga. She tried to make the band cover one of her latest singles but that didn’t go over too well.
What occasion do you make your music for? Dancing? Making love? Funerals? Having a bath?
Our music is definitely for making new dance moves as well as making out and making up. AND EATING GLUTTONOUSLY.
Photo by Francesca DeStefano
Have you ever played/been to the UK? If so, where did you go and what did you think of it?
It’s hard for bears to travel overseas, we’re usually on uni-cycles. We have yet to be so fortunate to play in the UK. But when we do, hopefully it wont be so hard to get everyone out of hibernation.
Posh Spice a.k.a Victoria Beckham has a child named after Brooklyn – which New York borough would you name your child after?
Hrrmm. I don’t know if we’re too keen on naming any of our baby bears after a borough—although, Queenie Bear would be an adorable name.
Love the art work… very simple but effective – whose idea was it? Do you think the rest of your releases will follow this pattern?
The artwork was google’s idea. We didn’t really have anything planned for these tracks, but we both have an affinity for patterns; gingham, plaid, polka dots, you name it. As long as it reminds us of picnics.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
Our friend Scott just bought a Schwinn Beach cruiser online, on which he plans to ride around the mean streets of Brooklyn. There was a Gay Bear joke mixed in there somewhere. Oh, we’re also watching Canadian Bacon at the moment.
Have you ever eaten a Yorkshire pudding? If so, did you enjoy it?
We only eat fried chicken.
You have a bear mask on your Myspace – do you ever wear them on stage? I hope so… but does it affect your abilities?
The bear mask on our Myspace is reserved for the actual Mama of Mama Bear—Vivi. We’ve been debating whether or not to wear these half masks so that everyone can still breathe while performing. Passing out is cool, but just not during a show.
Any other hobbies besides music, do you guys drink? Swim? Wrestle?
We love to cook big dinners together. We have a den (read: loft) where all of the bears hang out, get wasted and have dance parties. It’s heaven.
And finally, do you prefer Top Gun or Maid In Manhattan?
Maid in Manhattan. Duh. Do we get a jar of h(m)oney now?
Text by Tess Eaton
http://myspace.com/ohmamabear
http://mamabear.bandcamp.com
Holy State made me realise that I can get too lazy sometimes. I shouldn’t have to force myself to gigs these days. In fact, I should be wanting to go to more because nine out of ten times; I’m going to be surprised by what I find. I had heard good things about Holy State from friends and I had given them a whirl on myspace. At first I thought they sound a lot like hot snakes but that can only be a good thing. After the show I met up with them and found out that, not only were they all good upstanding citizens but also that they bore names akin to mythological, beast killing warriors…
D.I.Y’s a pretty big word these days…how do you feel about following the right musical path and if say addidas offered you a big sum to use a song on one of their adverts, what would you do?
Max: That’s an interesting question. We could all sit here now and say we’d never sell out and never do this that and the other. Until you’re in that situation, with big wigs throwing about 6 or 7 figure numbers, no-one can really say what they’d do. Big sums of money are hard to turn down. Are hard working bands supposed to live off a pittance..? Also, I don’t think it’s quite as cut and dry as being ‘D.I.Y.’ I know some people who are D.I.Y as hell, and are complete dicks.
Rob: I have always percieved “selling out” to be sacrificing your art in order to fit a certain criteria and sell more records. I can’t see any harm in making money as long as your doing things how you want to, regardless of anyone else.
Victor: I guess it also depends on what you mean by D.I.Y, I mean everyone seems to have their own idea of what it is! Is it anti-D.I.Y to make some money on songs that you’ve been working hard on writing for like six months? I’m not sure.
What’s the most important thing to you guys, as a band, right now?
Max: Everything is important, you can’t do anything half heartedly, it’s the only way to move forwards.
Victor: Yeah. Progressing and doing everything as well as we possibly can do. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Rob: Pushing ourselves musically to make bigger and better records. And then getting action figues of ourselves made.
How did you all become Holy State?
We were forged deep in the mountains of Mordor.
Whats the scariest thing about being in Holy State?
Max: For me, the response we’ve had so far!
Rob: Playing with stupidly old, unreliable amps that could explode any minute!
Victor: Having to travel in Max’s death-trap of a van which doesn’t even have seats, with heavy amps flying around.
Whats the best thing about being in Holy State?
Max: Bro’s on tour.
How do you all get along on stage and off?
Max: My parents used to think me and Rob were gay for each other…
Rob: Only because we used to have a lot of sleepovers…Is that so wrong?
Victor: I think we have some special chemistry going on.
Whats the worst thing thats happened while playing?
Rob: Erm, nothing so far… although I’ve probably just tempted fate now.
What do you think about the current music scene in this country?
Max: Pretty damn good, a huge variety of musical styles and a lot of really awesome bands. Especially on Holy Roar!
Rob: Theres a lot of great bands right now: Tupolev Ghost, Brontide, Throats, Old Romantic Killer Band, the list goes on. It’s as good as it’s ever been.
What do you think about big music labels hovering around small hardcore bands, looking out for the next big thing?
Max: I think that’s what labels have always done, it’s not like hardcore is some sacred genre that can’t be touched by the majors, there will always be bands that want to do things independently and they always will, regardless of genre.
Big labels, whether people like it or not, allow so many people to access new music. Everything I listened to when i was growing up and getting in to music was on a major, it was only when I got older really started to go deeper that i found the indie labels. Big labels open the door for people to discover indie labels, it gives indies something to bounce off and also to push against. It’s like an unspoken harmony.
Rob: I agree, major labels can provide a gateway to finding out about other bands from smaller labels. When I was younger, I remember buying Nirvanas Nevermind and through that I found out about other great bands such as The Dwarves, Zeke, Earth and Melvins, who I still all love to this day.
Let me put it this way, I have an extensive colllection of name tags and hair nets.
What are your songs about?
Max: Girls.
Rob: Riding a wave of pure tonal bliss.
How would you describe a normal day in the life of Holy State?
Max: As of late, getting escorted by the police down the M1.
Do you all have other projects on the go or even hobbies that take greater priority?
Max: Ha, I have a mortgage, does that count?
Rob: Let me put it this way, I have an extensive colllection of name tags and hair nets.
Explain your t-shirts, artwork? You do it all yourselves right?
We have the concepts, emmasailor.co.uk illustrates / hand screens them.
Wembley Arena or Social Club?
Max: Wembley, but only if we were opening for Foo Fighters or Queens Of The Stone Age.
myspace.com/holystate
This is one of the cutest videos I’ve seen in a long time. I cant help it, I know it’s slightly gay but at least it’s not teddy bears kissing or goths baking cup cakes, it’s just a nice video from Brooklyn based Hurricane Bells. Tonight Is The Ghost, is out digitally now on Vagrant Records. The band is a new project from Steve Schiltz of Longwave. They are to be playing a show with friends and fellow Brooklyn bands Falcon, Scout, and The Library on Dec 2nd, with members of all bands guesting in one another’s sets throughout the night. This is the video from their first single, “This Year”. It’s dead good. Read the rest of this entry »
“I think right now we are actually trying to make this just like an all encompassing blob that will cover us all, It’s good because this Year looks like it could be really busy for us and you never know, maybe the start of an actual career.”