Japandroids Interview: SXSW 2010

Japandroid's 2009 debut, 'Post-Nothing,' turned the indie community on its head when the Vancouver duo seemingly came out of nowhere with the runaway hit. Striking a chord with their gritty, garage-tinged ragers, the lo-fi loving pair kicked off 2010 with an appearance on 'The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon,' a milestone that's pretty indicative of the monumental year ahead of singer-guitarist Brian King and singer-drummer Dave Prowse.

Spinner caught up with King during Japandroids' recent European tour to chat about the band's hectic SXSW schedule (as it stands now, they're slated to play eight different showcases during the festival) and to get the "truth" about how the noisy twosome came to be.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Garage rock.

How did your band form?

Dave and I were carefully selected from a pool of applicants by a modest group of producers, agents, and industry professionals. We were introduced to each other over dinner, at which we discussed with said group the preliminary plans of what was to become "Japandroids." A target audience was determined, and a sound/image [was] chosen accordingly, contracts were signed. Handshakes and laughs were exchanged over champagne.

What are your musical influences?

Fugazi.

How did you come up with your band name?

Japanese Scream + Pleasure Droids = Japandroids.

What's your biggest vice?

Probably last year's September issue.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Water and a seat.

Who was your first celeb crush?

[1980s MuchMusic VJ] Erica Ehm.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

None -- I don't feel guilty about any of the music that I listen to, popular or otherwise.

Beatles or Stones?

Apples and oranges, my friend ...

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

Andrew Scott Gerrity.