An Interview with:
For (German-speaking) people who regularly read our blog it might have become obvious just how much we love Shoot Down the Moon. Well, that's a good reason to interview them, isn't it? So we sent our favourite band from Milwaukee some questions via mail and here is what they have to say.
When did you decide to form Shoot Down the Moon and how did it all begin?
It started as a recording project between Jake and Fizz about 11 or 12 years ago as an outlet for whatever songs didn't go toward a band, Liv Kid, that they were already in. The songs belonged in a different vein of musical style. Just something to mess around with and record whatever we had going.
Why did you choose this particular name?
We came up with it a long time ago, but it was probably pretty arbitrary. It just sounded cool!
I came across your music because it was a free download at Team Love Records - how did it happen that "Swollen Teeth" was featured there?
We met a guy named Doug Koepsel who has strong connections with Saddle Creek/Team Love Records (see artwork for "Oh Holy Fools" by Bright Eyes and a some of David Dondero's work) who kind of took a shining to us. We built a good relationship with him and he introduced the album to the people at Team Love and hooked us up with the Library. He also ended up doing our album art for Meetings & Greetings too, which turned out excellent.
What would you say are influences that affect your music?
We share interests in a lot of similar styles and artists, but at the same time we all listen to a lot of different stuff too. Some bands that none of the rest of us have even heard of! Some of the majors ones would include: The Snake The Cross The Crown, anything Conor Oberst-related, Elliot Smith, NoFx, Alkaline Trio, John Prine, many, many others.
How would you describe your way of songwriting? Is there perhaps a special process that you always follow?
Our inspiration doesn't just come from other singer/songwriters. It stems from a lot of external and situational things that come about from everyday life. Anything from waking up facedown to double-knotting a shoelace can provide enough substance to create a piece of art.
If you had four words to describe the band as a whole (musically, what it means to you and how you see the band) - what would they be?
Too difficult to answer.
How do you deal with reviews about your music? Do you actually read them or rather avoid
them?
Yeah, we definitely take time to read them. It's somewhat important to have at least a grasp on what others have to say about your work. Now, do we take them seriously? That's another question. Letting others dictate how and what your art means to others isn't something we allow. We define ourselves through what we do, and that's the bottom line for us.
Is there any target that you have set yourselves for Shoot Down the Moon? / What do you expect of 2013 and perhaps the near future?We would all like for this to become a sustainable endeavor, and maybe eventually become a source of income for us. On the same hand, the target is to continue to use this as an outlet for emotions/aggression/love/anything that we have to give. As long as that remains the case, anything beyond that is a blessing.
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| Credit: Laurelyn Savannah Photography |
Yeah, we definitely take time to read them. It's somewhat important to have at least a grasp on what others have to say about your work. Now, do we take them seriously? That's another question. Letting others dictate how and what your art means to others isn't something we allow. We define ourselves through what we do, and that's the bottom line for us.
Is there any target that you have set yourselves for Shoot Down the Moon? / What do you expect of 2013 and perhaps the near future?We would all like for this to become a sustainable endeavor, and maybe eventually become a source of income for us. On the same hand, the target is to continue to use this as an outlet for emotions/aggression/love/anything that we have to give. As long as that remains the case, anything beyond that is a blessing.
What are your five favourite songs at the moment?
"Kelly" by Tera Melos
"Everything Means Nothing to Me" by Elliot Smith
"Best Night" by War on Drugs
"Behold the River" by The Snake The Cross The Crown
"Blue in the Face" by Alkaline Trio
What is a question that you as a band would really like to be asked but no one did come up with yet?
How quickly can you come to Germany?
And as Tante Pop is the most investigative - and of course the best - blog on the internet, we decided to ask another question: Just how quickly can you guys come to Germany? We're serious about it. We really are.
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