Pictures of Then
Found em on Ourstage.Com
Minneapolis indie group, Pictures of Then formed in 2005 and immediately set to work finding a sonic balance between reverence for the past and vision of the future, fashioning a sound that reflected their aptly chosen name.
The Minneapolis, MN based quintet’s debut album, “Crushed By Lights”, has been widely acclaimed, earning comparisons to Pink Floyd and Smashing Pumpkins.
UTM - If you could use your album to take over the world one song at a time, what track would you start with?
Casey Call (vocals, guitar): Stairway To Heaven...wait did you say our album???
Joe Gamble (guitar): It would probably be ‘The Argument’, but I would play it backwards in an effort to confuse and distress the evil forces we are fighting against. Wait, who is it we are fighting again...the world. I'm not so sure I'm ready for taking over the world, I may just use our album for diplomatic purposes and see where it gets us.
Joe Call (drums): ‘Samson’.
Tim Greenwood (keys, synths & weird noises): No comment
Jacob Wittkamp (Bass): "Samson." I think this one would be able to grab people’s attention the most. From there we could hit them with something a little heavier.
UTM - If you could create your own "Music Hall of Fame" who would be in it?
Casey Call: Hall & Oates (ok just Oates, everyone knows he was carrying Hall all the way) and maybe Dionne Warwick, but only if she pays me back the five bucks she owes me.
Joe Gamble: Probably people interested in visiting my own musical hall of fame. Who would they see in it? David Bowie, Heat Vision, The American People, Lou Reed, Vic 20, Lotion...the usual suspects.
Joe Call: Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Neil Young
Tim Greenwood: No comment
Jacob Wittkamp: Mozart, Leadbelly, Elvis, Bob Dylon, Brian Wilson, John Lennon, George Harrison, Lou Reed, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Tony Levin, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Rick Ocasek, Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Johnny Greenwood, Thom Yorke, Britt Daniels, Jack White.
UTM - Who's the lyricist of the crew?
Tim Greenwood: No comment
Joe Gamble: Casey, but I'm sure he writes them about me.
Jacob Wittkamp: Casey, then, to a lesser extent, the rest of us.
UTM - Do any of you get nervous at show time?
Casey Call: I get nervous that Jacob is gonna screw up
Joe Gamble: Once, in a dream, we were opening up for the Rolling Stones. I was wondering around backstage and I could hear the crowd roaring, and I tried to find my way onstage. No matter how hard I searched I couldn't find the stage. All I could think was, "Great, Keith Richards is going to think I'm an idiot." Ever since then I do get a few butterflies in my stomach before show time.
Tim Greenwood: No comment
Joe Call: a bit, sometimes
Jacob Wittkamp: Casey, then, to a lesser extent, the rest of us.
UTM - What are you all trying to accomplish with your music?
Casey Call: Gold plated mansions, big shiny silver cars, plastic surgery for all my friends, and of course world peace...
Joe Gamble: I'm just trying to get to a place where when I walk into a room, someone notices my presence and proclaims, "Hey, it's Joe Gamble!" then hands me a chocolate chip cookie. I then thank them, then politely ask for milk, and think to myself, "What kind of person gives another person a cookie without milk?" A star struck person, that's who!
Joe Call: To break away from the sea of ordinary, national success, another freak in the freak kingdom
Jacob Wittkamp: We are trying to take over the world, one song at a time.
UTM - What's your show attendance looking like these days?
Jacob Wittkamp (Bass): About 40% look as though they've just woke up from a dream induced by mediocrity, 30% of our shows attendence look like they are still in that dream, and the final 30% look like they were expecting Kenny Loggins, but were pleasantly surprised.
Casey Call (vocals, guitar): Good, it's growing in every state that we play. We are working hard to increase that number by continually touring and making strategic return visits every eight weeks to each of our target markets. Along those lines we made an appearance at Red Gorilla Music Fest during SxSW this year in Ausitn, TX.
Joe Gamble (guitar): Our shows have been encouraging...we just got back from Milwaukee where we played for 150+ people. It was or first run out to "the good land" and we had a great reception.
Joe Call (drums): Our attendance varies from state to state & gig to gig, but everywhere we go the crowd is growing exponentially with each performance.
UTM - Are you to the point where people actually know the words to your songs and sing along at shows?
Casey Call: Yes we are, and I'll shamelessly admit we do have a number of catchy sing-a-longs - we're also taking the names of the people who sing along wherever we go and are adding them to our "potential future stalker" list
Joe Gamble: Oh yeah, we have a few tracks that are no-brainers. Samson has an infectious sing-along melody..."ba ba ba ba"... you know, it's kind of cherry-picking, but people dig it. It's always great to hear people singing along.
Tim Greenwood: No comment
Joe Call: Yes.
Jacob Wittkamp: Our fans, our friends, a few people that checked us out on myspace before the show and usually a couple that find themselves singing along involuntarily.
For more information visit:
www.picturesofthen.com
http://www.myspace.com/picturesofthen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtkfU8JH6zg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCTzn665cTQ
Share
