The Black Atlantic Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Feb 5th 2010 5:00PM by Katherine M. Hill
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Formed in 2006 with the help of friends and inspired by love and philosophy, former Shai Hulud singer Geert van der Velde has carved a niche in the indie folk world with Netherlands-based band the Black Atlantic. Inspired by classic singer-songwriters and modern folk, the Black Atlantic has created and ethereal and evocative sound. The group released its first album, 'Reverence for Fallen Trees,' in 2009 and plans to tour the United States this spring, stopping at SXSW along the way.

Describe the Black Atlantic's sound in your own words.

I'd call it acoustic pop music. It's definitely folk influenced, like Bon Iver or Fleet Foxes.

How would you compare your experience with The Black Atlantic and your previous experience in Shai Hulud?

They're completely opposite. Shai Hulud was a metalcore band that promoted itself as a misanthropic band that was angry at the world kind of stuff. Very moralistic. Very high energy. Basically, the Black Atlantic is a 180 ... I don't really sing about morals. Our music is very toned down and intimate and introspective. I guess that's how it compares and how it differs.

The same thing about being in both bands is the touring and meeting people, and I guess the DIY to do-it-yourself attitude, is still very prevalent to the Black Atlantic. We're not signed, but we are collaborating with an indie label to allow us to distribute our music. I book 50-70 percent of our shows myself. Everything about out band is very punk, we just don't play punk music for a punk crowd.

How did the Black Atlantic form?

The story that the labels like to tell is that I wrote a Valentine's song for my wife, my then girlfriend -- which I did -- and I gave it to her.

For me [the move to singer/songwriter] was a natural progression. It just sounds cute to say that [I] started as a Valentine's project. It just happened to be a gift that I wrote for my wife. I definitely always had in my mind that I would start [a band] and do something completely different than what I had done before. I have evolved a lot since then.

It started out as a solo project with my best friend, drumming, and it stayed that way.

What are your musical influences?

That's so difficult to say. I would say a lot of the classical singer-songwriters: Johnny Cash and Neil Young, and Sigur Ros, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes.

How did you come up with your band name?

It's a book. It's a philosophy book on African-American identity. I'm a white as they come, but I was a philosophy student, and it was required reading for a second year course that I never took.

I wanted to change it, but we never came up with anything. It's still on my shelf. I've browsed and leafed through the book. I sort of know themes of the book, and that's enough right now. It's very technical, philosophically speaking. I'm not that into that philosophy as I was then.

What's your biggest vice?

Impatience. I'm just a generally impatient person.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

I would say breakdown, hardcore bands. I love listening to Hatebreed in the car. It's mainly like super silly hardcore bands that I like. As a guilty pleasure that would be it. I'm a sucker for a good breakdown.

What is in your festival survival kit?

Probably good coffee. Maybe a German breakfast. I think if I had a good coffee every morning followed by a German breakfast with a vegetable spread and meats, I could deal.

What is the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

I tend to forget all the weird stuff that happens on tour. A weird thing that happened to me today, I went to a record store, and it's located downtown in Groningen. It's all houses, with shops on the bottoms and apartments on top. There's a lot of fraternity houses upstairs. I didn't notice it at first, but I noticed the sidewalk was blocked with vases and flowers, and a lot of young girls looking up. I realized that someone had jumped out the window and died. It was weird to drop off some fliers at the record store and realize that someone had fallen, or jumped out, and died through this tiny little window.

How does being in a band in the Netherlands compare to being in a band in the United States?

I lived in the states for about six years. There are many differences. I'd say the main differences are the attitude toward lengthy drives and geographical location. It's not strange for a band to drive six to eight hours to a show. A European's average drive would be three hours maximum. Everything's a lot closer. Not just driving to a show, but also people just live closer together. So I just think the proximity of people in Europe is just a lot closer.

I can hear my neighbors right now, and they're not being loud. They're just normal. There's just a lot more of that. In Europe is you're in a touring band you automatically getting dinner and accommodation, even if you don't make any money. If you're a small band and you get a venue, it's what can the venue do for me, or what can the promoter do for me. The music scene is just different here. There's more longevity here.

Katherine M. Hill is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.