Interview: Parlour Steps (March 2010)

This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted via email with a bunch of Vancouver/Victoria/BC bands who played this year's SXSW (South By South West Festival in Austin). They were selected to play at SXSW by applying via their Sonicbids account. Her current video has her without her glasses. wow.



Please identify yourself(ves) for those reading, what you do in the band and who else plays in the band

Hi, there cyberlovers! This is Caleb from Vancouver band Parlour Steps. I'm the singer, along with Julie, Rees, Rob, and Alison.


Tell us a little about the history of the band

We started playing trippy soundscape experiments for new theatre pieces. From there we shortened the song lengths and found poplove.


How would you describe your sound

Lately we've been telling people to imagine Black Francis and Peggy Lee starting a band together backed by Motown's Funk Brothers.


Are there any emerging local bands that you really like?

We're huge Mother Mother fans. We also adore Dan Mangan, Language Arts, Portico... it is a really hot time for Vancouver music right now.


Any good SXSW stories?

We did an interview in a moving mobile internet truck, built with glass walls. We sang a few songs and spat out half-cut answers as we drove around twon, seat-belted in. People were hooting and hollaring as we drove by. Quite strange, really.


Where and what was the best thing you ate while there?

The tex-mex food was excellent. We dug Austin's thriving whole food/ organic/ local-sourced food revolution. We're also big fans of the American free-pour method of drink making. In Canada bartenders can be stingy with the drinks, so we're all about the "generous" nature of their American counterparts.


What's a song from the 80's that you really like?

We still listen frequently to Paul Simon's masterful Graceland album. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes is just one of the many off that amazing album.


What's the coolest thing you've ever bought?

Hard question in many ways. I'd say this little percussion shaker in the shape of an Avacado that our guitar player, Rees, bought. It's the best sounding shaker I know of, never found anything better, and it's been recorded on our albums countless times.


What are your near-future plans band-wise?

We're touring down the westcoast of the U.S. in June, then some local and regional shows through the summer. We've had a very busy fall and winter, so this summer we want to enjoy this beautiful part of the world we live in.


Thanks for doing the interview, you have the last word, say what you want to say

It is a supreme pleasure to be a part of this awesome Canadian music scene. This polite little country of ours is birthing some of the most exciting new music of this present moment. It is both exciting and humbling to be a small part of that. Thank you for listening.



http://www.parloursteps.com
www.myspace.com/parloursteps