Odawas Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 15th 2010 10:05AM by Billy Maupin
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Odawas started out with a grand idea -- combining classical music with gritty folk songwriting a la Neil Young. Over the course of five albums the band has perfected the mix and expanded it with dizzying layers of surreality and sensuality. Spinner recently chatted with singer and keyboardist Michael Tapscott about his band's upcoming SXSW performances, Phil Collins, and organic trail mix.

Describe your sound in your own words.

The design or great idea of our band was to combine classical music and classically pop production with gritty folk songwriting. Whether we have achieved that, I don't know (laughs).

How did your band form?

Isaac and I met when we were both working at a student paper. The first thing we ever made together was supposed to a soundtrack for a short film he was making.

What are your musical influences?

Certainly Neil Young, which gets said a lot. Richard Wagner, Mercury Rev, Grandaddy.

How did you come up with your band name?

Odawa is the name of an Indian tribe in Northern Michigan. Every summer when I was a kid I would go to a place called Goodheart, and there was an island near there called Beaver Island where the Indians still lived. As a kid it seemed like a magical place, but the first time I went there it was really depressing. A lot of the people were just standing around drinking in the middle of the day. And then I learned the island is sinking into Lake Michigan. I think it represents the distortion of childhood memories and dreams.

What's your biggest vice?

Diet soda -- Diet Pepsi in particular. I drink, like, six a day, and they give me stomachaches, but I still drink them.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Probably a good book to read. Right now I am pretty into silent movies, so maybe something by Fritz Lang to watch on the laptop. Diet soda, of course, and since I work for an organic food company, a large bag of organic trail mix.

What do you think about playing about SXSW?

Played last year for the first time. Our experience was not so great because it was not an official showcase. This year we are playing as part of the official festival, and think we are playing on some good shows. Also excited because we will playing as a full band, which we did not do last year.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Phil Collins 'Face Value.' That record is a huge influence on our latest record. Although it doesn't seem to be a guilty pleasure. I like the idea of Jimmy Buffett being a guilty pleasure, but when I listen to it, I just don't like the music.

Beatles or Stones?

The Beatles. When I was in college I was a teaching assistant for a Beatles course, so I was sold.

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

On our last tour we were in Phoenix, staying with a girl we met. She lived in a one-room studio. She and a band member (who will remain nameless) got very drunk and had sex while we were all in the room. I just put on my headphones, as I didn't need to hear that. But the funny thing was that he left his shoes on the whole time.