Tapes 'n Tapes Call 'Blog Band' Label a 'Bummer'

Back in 2005, Minneapolis quartet Tapes 'n Tapes ushered in a novel precedent when their self-released debut, 'The Loon,' got picked up by XL Recordings based on a couple of their MP3s heavily circulating music blogs. After a 2006 rerelease of 'The Loon,' Tapes 'n Tapes proved they weren't just a flash-in-the-pan buzz band with their 2008 follow-up, 'Walk It Off.'

"It's a little bit of a bummer if people only think of us as a blog band because we were a band long before we got attention from blogs and I think we'll be a band long after blogs stop paying attention to us," Tapes lead singer Josh Grier tells Spinner. With the Jan. 11 release of their third album, 'Outside,' on their own Ibid Records imprint, Tapes let their XL deal expire so they could autonomously produce and distribute it.

"The way the music industry is right now, it seemed to us our best option would be to do things on our own," Grier says. "We had a really good idea of how we wanted to do things, and since we could do those things ourselves, we didn't really see the necessity of working with a label that really wasn't our own label."

The band saved up money and recorded in their hometown, allowing the members the comfort of sleeping in their own bed every night. Once the recording was complete, producer/engineer Peter Katis (of Interpol and National fame) handled the mix.

"We try to approach each record as its own thing," explains Grier. "It seemed like for this record, the songs were a little bit more lighthearted than stuff we had on the last record. They seemed to all necessitate a little bit more space in the way it was recorded. We tried to record it and mix it in a way that you could really at any time when you're listening pick out all of the instruments."

Even after their success, Tapes 'n Tapes are still surprised by how far they've come. "This is the third time we'll put out a record and every time it always blows my mind that it's happening," Grier says. "All of my goals were far exceeded years ago with how well the band did. We probably should make new goals but really my only goal ever since then was making music that we like. I know that sounds corny, but it's true."

Tapes 'n Tapes will hit the road this winter and Grier jokes he's trying to get in shape because "no one wants to see a sweaty and bloated person onstage." The tour will give the band the opportunity to see how successful their new material is. "The number one thing that's most important for us is our own judgment of it," Grier says. "Is it something we're proud of and are we going to be excited playing these songs over and over again? We try to make music we all love and then hopefully that translates into something that other people enjoy."