Givers Interview: SXSW 2010

Formed in 2009, Givers are a band formed out of improvisation and other influences, from afrobeat to folk. Hitting the road with Dirty Projectors in 2009 for their first tour, they received well-deserved exposure and positive reviews. Recently, Spinner sat down with Taylor Guarisco [guitar, vocals] and Kirby Campbell [drums] to discuss their tour with Dirty Projectors, SXSW and how they got their band's name.

Describe your band's sound in your own words.

Taylor Guarisco: Our sound is kind of based on the principle that we honor of embracing everyone's influence in the band. I know a large influence on most of us is African music, but that's just one. We're all into experimental music and electronic music as well. Being from Louisiana, we're into roots music. So just a blend of all of that kind of represents a big portion of the flavor that we end up creating [as a band].

How did your band form?

Kirby Campbell: We used to improvise in a bunch of groups together. I guess me, Taylor, and Will used to improvise in this one group together where you would have 24hours to write a song and afterward, there was a jam session. So that's where we started jamming together. We all started having more improvization groups where we would cover songs we liked. Eventually, we got asked to play at this club in Lafayette. We were all together and jammed through most of the songs, which turned into some of the songs that we have now. So after that show, we were like, "We have to make a band out of this!" So we came up with the band name, had our first show in January of last year and it's been just more and more shows since. It's getting more and more awesome.

How did you come up with your band name?

TG: We had done one show where we improvized a night of music where we all came together for a show. We did one more like that and we racked our brains for a week. Eventually, I thought deep down somewhere there's going to be a song name from a band that we all like and that's going to be the ticket. I just kept searching and searching and looking at all of the Lucky Dragons songs that I have in my iTunes. One of my favorite songs is 'Givers,' so it seemed so appropriate and it felt so good that it was kind of obvious at that point that "Givers" is the one.

What are your musical influences?

TG: Sometimes you have a band that you like a lot and you find yourself having them on your playlist for a very long time. After a few years, you kind of feel almost ashamed that you haven't found a new favorite band. It's like the world and media are so fast paced now you're expected to have a new favorite band every six months. Dirty Projectors is my favorite band for the past three, almost four years and it was somewhere at the two-year mark where people would ask what my favorite band was and I couldn't stop saying Dirty Projectors. I guess being focused on it so much, maybe it manifested the whole tour that we did with them. But now I don't feel so ashamed for being totally obsessed with them for so many years. Besides Dirty Projectors, what really inspired me were Adrian Orange's albums. He's this guy from Portland. His songs and the way he sings -- so raw, honest, and so good -- was an inspiration for me to really start singing more.

KC: I originally came from listening to a lot of punk music in early high school. I guess I was really into Nirvana and that kind of stuff and then it all kind of started to change. I got into Animal Collective in high school. Eventually it led up to me being into Dirty Projectors also, which was weird for me as well when we went on tour with them. Definitely a lot of punk is what influenced my drumming, and I think a lot of Talking Heads is what influenced my electronic music usage, the mix of using electronic drums and real drums live.

What's your biggest vice?

TG: I feel really good about the past year in this band, letting go of a lot. My biggest vice used to be being overbearing, really anal, and way too into detail. I don't know, a big vice of mine now is eating right before bed, because I'll have a hard time getting up the next morning.

KC: I guess mine is breaking other people's drum heads?

What's in your festival survival kit for SXSW?

TG: Ezekiel Bread, bottled water, and dressing to go with the bread.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

TG: Probably Third Eye Blind. Going to middle school, listening to that. Their songs were the first guitar solos I had ever liearned [to]. It always brings back a crazy nostalgic feeling whenever I listen to Third Eye Blind.

KC: I kind of get into Missy Elliot.

TG: That's not guilt!

KC: Yeah, that's just a pleasure.

Beatles or Stones?

TG: I'd pick the Beatles, unless I'm feeling really sassy -- then I'm into Mick. Personally I never really got really into the Rolling Stones. I mean, I like a few of their songs. But with the Beatles, there are so many albums of theirs that I can connect so much stuff with. Though, I've been thinking lately that I need to go look into the the Rolling Stones, because it's something that I never really explored.

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

TG: Honestly, the craziest thing to happen on the road by far is touring with the Dirty Projectors and just kind of being embraced by that band as not only a music-making body, but as people. The craziest thing was them being so nice to us after so many years of me being completely, one hundred percent their biggest fanboy you'll ever meet and them being so cool. It was really a trip, especially for our first tour ever. It was great being thrown into that world.

Why do you create music?

TG: Mainly because it's where we found our strongest connection to creating expression and ability to use some kind of medium as a vessel. Everyone can find their different vessels to put their energy into. Ours, I think for all five of us, happens to land in the matrix of music. It's something that we find to be our strongest vessel. We all have other passions that we like putting energy into. But when it comes to music, it seems that the cards are lined up for us to really let that be our vessel to give some kind of goodness to the world.


Ken Bachor is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.