Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Still Love SXSW -- Top 100 Acts at SXSW 2011
- Posted on Mar 1st 2011 8:25PM by Linda Laban
Collin Erie for AOL
Download Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's 'Sink / Let It Sway' (MP3) off 'You Make Me Real' Free
You guys are SXSW veterans by now, so at least you know what to expect.
Yes we are. The first year was kind of confusing. Because Texas was close by when I was in college, my friends would be like, "Let's go down there and see all these bands." Then playing it was a lot different than what I expected.
Any fun moments, or not so fun?
When we were playing a couple of years ago, we saw Carson Daly in the bathroom. We were so excited. Then we played the 'Carson Daly Show.'
The two being unrelated of course.
[Laughs] And we played before Daniel Johnston. That was a thrill for us. He is such a legend. I love the documentary; so much of it was based in Texas and Austin. So, it was great to be in those places. One bad thing -- the last time we played [SXSW] was when our last album came out in 2008. Normally we're a four-piece, but our guitarist was sick, and we had to do it as a three-piece. We thought it would be okay, but the crowd obviously didn't like it. I don't know -- it was the worst show that could have happened.
But you survived, dignity intact. What were your early musical influences?
We listen to all the stuff everybody loves, like classic rock and stuff like that. All our tastes are slightly different. I wasn't allowed to listen to non-Christian music until I was fourteen. I grew up listening to Christian music. But individually, we run the gamut from weird ambient stuff to nerdy indie. We are all coming from different places.
Was there a particular moment when you decided that music was going to be your life?
Yes, but it wasn't just one thing -- it was a recurring thing. When I was a little kid going to church, there was always a band and I'd take my Fisher Price tape recorder to church and record the band. I'd make these tapes for my own enjoyment. When I got home, I'd jump on the bed and sing the songs. That was the seed, I guess. Then, in junior high, I was too small and afraid to play sports. I realized that you can be small and afraid of everything and play music. When I got to college, that was the first time people actually started liking the music I was making with my friends.
Different layers of affirmation. Okay, your band does have one of the weirdest names ever. How did that happen?
Yeah, um...yeah. I've tried to explain this so many times. I can hardly remember now. All the bands around us had these serious names about seasons and sunsets. The last thing I wanted was to be in a band with a name like that. We wanted to have the longest name possible, too. Boris Yeltsin's name was in the press for drinking and being an alcoholic. He was disgraced and his life was in ruins. All of Russia hated him. I was driving home from the mall with my mom when I thought of it. It just seemed that this man had a wife and kids, and maybe a million people hated him, but there was still someone, somewhere who loved him.
Catch Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's SXSW Set on Saturday, March 19 at The Parish (214C E 6th St.) 12AM.
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