The Laughing Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 7th 2010 8:00AM by Tom Walsh
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It seems the Laughing came into existence solely to take traditional pop music in a different direction. Vocalist Logan Middleton says, "We knew we deliberately wanted to start something that was our take on a pop band, only leaning a little bit left of center sonically." After a couple of EPs their sound has evolved, and the finished product can be heard on their new album, 'Fever.'

Spinner recently spoke with Middleton, vocalist-guitarist and founding member of the Laughing, about his band and the SXSW festival.

Describe your sound in your own words.

I guess it's a rhythmic-centered art rock. Definitely rhythmic-centered, and we try to create a lot of ambient textures as well, but it's centered around a core pop idea. We always joke that it's our overworked idea of pop music. Progressive indie pop, maybe? I don't know really know, exactly, but the idea is these are pop songs that we've warped, and they become something different.

How did your band form?

I had been living in Austin for a little bit and playing with different people in different situations. The drummer and I basically started with a couple other guys and we had this idea that we wanted to start a band that is artistically driven, but is still a fun live show. We kind of started off during the time of the whole dance-rock craze, and we kind of did a little bit of our take on that. That was late 2006. Austin is a music town, but more specifically it is a live music town, so we were sort of driven to make something that would really stand out in the live show.

What are your musical influences?

It changes a lot. I guess when we first started, early Roxy Music was a band that we would reference a lot. When we started recording 'Fever' I started listening to a lot of Harry Nilsson recordings and the Zombies, and more currently My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and more guitar-centered noise rock. That may not necessarily be reflected as much on 'Fever' as where I'm kind of leaning towards now. 13th Floor Elevators, being from Austin and being such a pivotal Austin band, are probably cited by a lot of people as being somewhat of an influence, and I love their stuff. There is also a lot of hip-hop we like too.

How did you come up with your band name?

I came up with that name personally. Band names are kind of tricky, and I wanted a name that was open-ended. I like the name because it can be interpreted in different ways. There is really no specific story behind it. I remember being in my room at, like, five thirty in the morning just thinking about things, and what would capture our personalities. It's funny--people always ask me, "Is it the Laughing as in 'ha ha'?" I've always thought of it as in a darker connotation, with more of a sad element.

What is your biggest vice?

I like watching television series. I like getting DVD collections of TV series and watching six hour blocks of these shows on my days off. Sometimes I find myself watching a show, not because I like the show, but because I like the continuity. I really enjoy watching a series I can follow over many, many episodes. I guess I could have said prescription drugs or binge drinking, but those answers are usually a given. Nobody ever says a television series is a vice, and it definitely is my vice.

What is in your festival survival kit?

Something that keeps me hydrated, plenty of Advil and some kind of itinerary of what I want to see. Also an iPhone or some type of mobile device so I can keep track of what's coming up next. Beyond that, I think the best thing to have is some sort of quick escape route to a nearby hotel room, or your home if you live close by, because after days of listening to loud music and drinking in the hot Texas weather, the last thing you want is a long drive home.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

Sometimes just Top 40 radio. I'm not only talking Top 40 rock, but also Top 40 pop. There are these pop songwriters out there that write songs for artists like Rihanna and all these other artists, and some of those writers are really, really talented. When you put the whole package together with the writers, the production and the artists that perform the songs, I really enjoy it.

Beatles or Stones?

Oh no! I would have said the Stones about a year ago for sure. If it came down to it I would have to say the Beatles. The Stones are cooler, but the Beatles are, I don't know. The Stones are definitely rock 'n' roll, but the Beatles are a whole different thing. Having to choose between the Beatles and the Stones? You've ruined my day. That's a question I never want to be asked again.

Tom Walsh is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.