Green & Wood Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 12th 2010 9:28AM by Martine Paris
Comments

'Tis they feisty friends, Ethan and Magda. By day, he's a professional skateboarder and she's a fashion photographer. By night, the Robin Hood and Maid Marian of stoner rock join the dark forces as a poetic doom squad and front the band Green & Wood. You might catch them at a modern day Renaissance Faire, but their remedial metal sound in all its awesomeosity is not likely to mesh too well with the minstrels' flutes. Spinner had a chance to talk with lead singer Ethan Fowler about playing at SXSW, where they've been and where they're heading.

When did you know you'd make a life in music?

Not sure I know that. I'm a professional skateboarder. Sponsors pay me to promote their gear and appear in videos. I have my own skateboarding company, Bummer High, that sells boards and tee shirts. Where music is concerned, I have been playing for as long as I can remember. As a 12 year old kid I was playing drums and when I needed to be accompanied by guitar, I taught myself that as well.

How did your band form?

Me and Magda were jamming in my basement in Portland and before I knew it we were living in Los Angeles and the band was born. It was 2007 when we formed Green & Wood. We would get various friends to jam in. Then mid-2008, Billie and Spencer who live in San Diego joined Green & Wood from Red Octopus.

How did you come up with the band name?

Twas, tis, a song I wrote taken from a line in one of the old english versions of the Robin Hood poems. Robin Hood held Maid Marian in his arms whence sitting in this meadow and said "Isn't it lovely in this Green & Wood?"

Describe your sound in your own words.

Amateur awesome hard rock doom sludgey stoner metal. There's a song, 'Heathen Copse,' that is often confused with Heathen Corpse but the song is about a ring of trees not the devil himself. I'm not trained as a singer, but I'm not just another growling grunter either. I write vocal melodies to go with our musical melodies. Our sound is closer to remedial metal, a throwback to the early days when the stuff that became heavy metal was still developing. Two of our signature songs,'Construct of Fear' and 'War in the Sky,' pretty well define our sound. I like them for their simplicity. They've always felt the most effortless, natural and stimulating for the synapses of the right part of my brain.

What do you think of lo-fi?

Lo-fi is not right. I like it very hi-fi. The pure sound of high fidelity, four track. I don't like Pro Tools even though our album was recorded on a computer. It's a completely different sound. I'm a tape nerd. I wish I could record on a two inch machine.

Beatles or Stones?

Steel Bones, nah. If you really need me to pick a camp then I have to say Stones because I just can't get passed that fabricated aura the Beatles had when they first came on the scene. That lollipop crap from the mid 60s. 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' ruins 'Helter Skelter' and 'Revolution' for me. Stones were f*cked up, rambunctious dirt bags from day one.

What are your musical influences?

I grew up on classic rock. My brother and stepdad both played guitar. Sabbath, Hendrix, ELO, Kiss and Zeppelin were always on the turntable. I listened to all the stuff the classic rock radio stations played. My other influences are Bedemon, Iron Claw, Cathedral, Syd Barrett, Witchfynder General.

Who was your first celeb crush?

Conan the Barbarian's Mom.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Kool Keith but I'm not so ashamed about that. He was this bizarre rapper dude that went by many personas, Dr. Doom, Dr. Octagon and played crazy robot alien invasion stuff.

What's in your festival survival kit?

A switchblade to clip my nails and stab people with, hotel key, spare hotel key, drink tickets (forged), picks, strings, fuses, what's left of my cash and some change.

Any vices?

Smokes and beer.

How do you stay in touch with your fans?

Face to face, go to the bar with them. We know most of them personally. Magda texts, email, calls, posts MySpace bulletins.

What's the craziest thing you've ever experienced on tour?

Nothing yet but we're new. Touring has been pretty even-keeled it's really the everyday that's insane.

What festivals have you played?

The only festival we have played thus far is called Shred Fest. It's a collection of wild dudes that get together up in the Rocky Mountains and jam to the stars and trees. It's no Isle of Wight but it was damn fun. You have to drive in on a two mile dirt road, unload your gear into a 4x4 truck and make the climb up another few hundred feet to the top of a vista. There, in a circle of pine, is a stage, some random lights, a generator, and an enormous bonfire. Everyone throws up a tent, opens the cooler and hangs out for a couple of days; truly awesome.

How did you get a showcase at SXSW?

May 2008, we played Austin with this band Roller. A guy named Jason liked the music and contacted us to put out an album on Cyclopean which we did last November. Then Jason mentioned that we should play SXSW and he got us on the bill at Emo's with Roller, The Entrance Band and others.

What are you most looking forward to at SXSW?

Getting out of LA for a bit and doing my damndest to destroy whatever stage, floor, backyard, porch we play on; musically speaking of course.

What's next?

A job at the local grocery store probably, ha! I got a boat load of material to finish up and record. The second album is going to be twenty times better than the first. Should have it recorded by this summer and ready to go. Time and cash provided, we really want to be on the road gigging and being out as much as possible.

How do you define success?

You know, if after we play our fans come up and say thanks for playing such great music, that's success. Food to eat, an owned mode of transportation, shelter and no debts are bonus.

Martine Paris is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.