The Blind Shake Interview: SXSW 2010

Brothers Mike and Jim Blaha, along with high school friend Dave Roper, formed the Blind Shake in 2003. The Minneapolis-based trio has released three full-length albums; the latest, 'Cold Town/Soft Zodiac,' is their second collaboration with veteran musician Michael Yonkers. The guys just completed their latest nationwide tour and are gearing up for their first trip to SXSW. Spinner recently caught up with lead singer Mike Blaha to discuss their preparations.

How did your band form?

Jim and I are brothers, and we met Dave in the early '90s when we all went to high school together in Lake City, MN. We started playing together on a regular basis, but we didn't really form a band because Dave wasn't sure if he was going to pursue law school or not. Ultimately, he decided he'd play with us, so we formally started the band in 2003.

Describe your sound.

I'd say we have kind of a stompy, garage-y punk sound with some psychedelic influences.

What are your musical influences?

I'd say our earliest influences are local Minneapolis bands Vaz and Hammerhead. Our biggest influence throughout our whole career is Michael Yonkers. We had the chance to record an album with him, which was incredible.

How did you come up with your band name?

We just heard the phrase and thought it sounded like an awesome band name. We're not really political or anything, so it's not supposed to be too deep.

Do you guys write all of your own material?

Yes, we do. I don't think we've ever done a cover song. Songwriting is a collaborative effort for us. One of us usually gets an idea for a riff, and then we take it apart as a band and make something out of it together.

What's in your festival survival kit?

I think our survival kit is going to include a good attitude. We don't want to piss off any Texans.

Who was your first celeb crush?

Sharon Stone. For some reason, my mom and brother came back from the video store one day with 'Basic Instinct.' I was just a pre-teen boy at the time watching 'Basic Instinct' with my entire family. Not a good idea for a boy that age.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

I can't believe I'm going to admit this. We always start off long road trips listening to 'Back Into Your Head' by Tegan and Sara. I'd say that's our biggest guilty pleasure. Either that or Slayer.

Beatles or Stones?

The Beatles. Definitely.

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

Our van broke down in Manhattan and the tow truck guys had us ride in the van while they towed us. As he made a right turn, the van fell off the lift, hit the tow truck and careened into a parked car. The guy scooped us back up and we left. No note or anything. After that, we insisted on riding up front with the tow guy.


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