Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez Interview: SXSW 2010

Maryland-based visual artist and musician Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez plays quirky folk rock music from the heart. He started his music career playing stripped-down electro-pop with the band Cache Cache and also plays guitar for the Tall Grass, plus has a side project called the Ruby Stallion Ensemble. As a soloist, he released his first album 'Why is Bear Billowing' in 2008. Spinner recently chatted with Lesser about his folksy sound, guilty pleasures and playing at this year's SXSW festival.

Describe your sound in your own words.

It's rooted in the folk rock genre, but I would emphasize that it's important to me to stretch out the sounds and compositions to be a little angular and unusual. I go for a lot of electronic and acoustic sounds. My live show has changed in the past year and a half. I started out with straight acoustic guitar without even a pickup on it, but after that tour I wanted more control over my sound so I started playing electric guitar and include some percussion, playing from my iPod.

How did your band form?

After Cache Cache disbanded, I was really interested in writing simple songs on music equipment that wasn't dependent on electricity or computers. I've also had an interest in writing for a long time; I enjoy the writing aspect of music is very much. Overall, I'm doing all the things I've ever enjoyed doing and I'm trying them as a career, which is very difficult but important to me.

What are your musical influences?

A big influence on me is Paul McCartney's 'Ram' and Neil Young's 'Crazy Horse.' Really raw folk rock sound is where I start, but I think that my influences are so varied that it doesn't just stick to that. Classic soul like music on the old Stax and Motown record labels is really influential. Another favorite of mine is Boards of Canada's 'Music has the Right to Children.' It doesn't resemble what I'm playing live but the sound on that record is so warm and classic that it's aesthetically one of my favorites. I'm excited about letting that bleed through more with the next record.

What are some of your favorite songs to perform?

Ever since I ended my last tour, I branched out and started writing new songs for the electric guitar. I've become a little more enamored with the newer songs but I really enjoy playing 'Pinecone Eyes' and 'Mostly a Friend.' With 'Mostly a Friend,' it's a lot of fun trying to include the crowd in learning the clapping sequence and playing along. As far as the new songs, I've become more upbeat and bluesy. It's a little bit louder and a little bit faster and I'm having more fun.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Friends. I've been to SXSW three times. When I'm there, I try to hang out with friends and make the most of it. It's understood that if you're not a bigger band, then there's not going to be as many people at the show, unless they know what to expect. Usually, if you're just starting out, festivals are kind of interesting and weird because you may end up playing to your own friends. I think all your eggs should go to having fun while you're there and performing. It should be fun.

Have you started recording your new album?

One song, 'Unseen Silver,' has been recorded. I have a little over half of my material and we're going to start recording sometime in the coming weeks. I did the first album by myself so I'm excited to work with someone else on the second one.

What can people expect at your show?

Come for a really intimate time that you may not get from a larger venue. I'm very much into breaking down the performer/audience boundary and like to have a really good time with my audience.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

In the past few months I've been trying to branch out and listen to stuff I would normally never listen to, like Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game.' I kept going to the Subway and for two or three days straight they kept playing that song. There's something really cheesy but really enjoyable about it. It's got this aging Roy Orbison vibe that I'm really into. I've also been listening to a lot of early '90s R&B, like 'New Jack Swing' kind of stuff, which is something I really hated as a kid. And I've actually been going to the library and found access to their hidden vinyl section. I've been listening to all these dusty records and been particularly fond of '50s spoken word beat poetry. Some of these readings are so over-the-top, but sometimes I feel like they really nail it on the head when it's a quiet piece and you're just there zoning out to what they're saying.

Beatles or Stones?

The Beatles. I like the Rolling Stones, but I feel like there's a lot more diversity in the Beatles' discography. I've been really into this early Beatles record that was recorded with a different singer that had an Elvis affectation, but the Beatles were playing all the instruments with such aggression! I grew up listing experimental Beatles. There are some amazing stories about their production for 'Strawberry Fields.' I'm really fond of that approach to classic rock -- the experimentation with sound and setting up mics in weird locations to see what happens.



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