In this interview spotlight, we chat with Signals and Alibis about the newest project, their influences and more.
Full Q&A with links and streams can be found below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Brian.: I’ve always liked a mix of genres and this band is a combination of those styles. I describe our sound as a mix of indie, post-punk, and shoegaze. The new E.P. is more electro, but with layers of vocals and guitars.
Rebecca: The darkness.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
B: I started playing guitar when I was 17 and Nirvana was exploding everywhere. I taught myself to play and read a lot of guitar magazines for the interviews and tabs. I soon started focusing more on The Cure and layers of sounds and effects to convey a mood. The early ‘90s shoegaze bands really were a huge influence, too. I’ve always written music that falls into several genres, but they all fit together as a whole. That’s what I wanted Signals & Alibis to be. A mix that could be fast and driving, but could also be slow and sad. Some with layers of effects and some very stripped down.
I enjoy the music we create and think other people, with similar tastes, will too. You can hear the influences spread out over our different songs and it’s always interesting to hear who people say we remind them of.
R: My journey with music was convoluted, or backwards, if you will. I spent so much time trying to be a reader, a copier – a perfect student, even when I had no teacher. Decades passed before I understood that I could create something of my own, and then the floodgates opened. Playing to the the public was something I never thought I’d get to do, and now that I can, I suppose what drives me is the desire for critique and feedback, which you can hear in words and see in the response.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
B: For me, everything. Whether it’s music, art, film, photography, literature, or just everyday sounds and conversations. I’ve always loved exploring new bands and would dive pretty heavily into their songs and records and then listen to similar type bands or who they were influenced by. I’ve gone through periods of time only listening to shoegaze, goth, punk, alternative, ambient, world music, industrial, acoustic, classical, disco, post-punk, and discovering so many great bands from each style. I wouldn’t say my tastes changed over time, just combined them into a very eclectic mix.
R: I’ve been all over the place with influences; you name it, I’ve listened to it. I was rather sheltered growing up and only had popular music to go by, but I’ve been fortunate to have friends (before the internet) to expose me to music outside my norm. I’m rather attracted to clever songwriting, interesting chord progressions and unnatural sounds.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
R: I’ll be honest, this last project was in direct response to my getting the Boss RC-300. Brian was open to the new sounds I created by looping bass lines and beats, and the songs just sort of wrote themselves, in a matter of weeks.
B: This group of songs on Looks Like Rain really did come together quickly after Rebecca bought her looper. It was great to hear what she was coming up with and how she was utilizing the looper not only for music, but being able to loop and layer vocals, which added another dimension to our sound.
What was the last song you listened to?
B: Easy by Son Lux.
R: The Wretched by Nine Inch Nails
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
B: I still prefer CDs.
R: I know there are purists out there, but I’m one to embrace the new and ditch the old. It sort of comes down to ease of use for me. I grew up with vinyl, 8-tracks, cassette and then CD – when the .mp3 came around, I was ecstatic. My tired, broken ears can’t tell the difference between .mp3 and .wav; I just like that I can listen to pretty much anything, anywhere, thanks to technology.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
R: Brian and I are at odds here, but I’m a huge fan of Spotify. I do pay for the membership, and while I know it doesn’t benefit artists like it should (this could turn into a long, long discussion here), I so love the ability to target a genre or artist and discover new music.
B: I think Bandcamp is the best all around service. Not only for bands and musicians, but for fans. You can connect with a band and have their entire catalog and merch available in one place. Even one-off songs or singles or just a live recording. And, the biggest plus is that all of that money goes directly to the band/artist, after Paypal and Bandcamp fees, which are minimal. There are so many bands that either can’t afford to release anything in a physical format or who have sold out of their cds, but the music is still available in a wide variety of formats and quality to download. The only drawback to Bandcamp is that they don’t pay for songs that are streamed.
I won’t even get started on Spotify and their ridiculous streaming payouts. Yes, it’s easy and convenient and, as a musician, a necessary evil because so many people use it. But, I will never pay for their service or use the free service. David Lowery, from Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, and his $150 million class action lawsuit has shown how little Spotify cares about music and musicians.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
R: I’m always amazed and humbled if anyone gives us a compliment. That said, as a general life philosophy, I try not to have any expectations from anyone. People will like us or they won’t, and I don’t see it as a challenge but more of an opportunity for folks to say “yea” or “nay.” and I’m happy either way. I don’t like all music – why should everyone like ours?
B: People are indeed overwhelmed with what to “like” or “follow” and I think some people who really care about music and exploring new bands will take the time to dig through trying to find something they really enjoy or connect with. While other people, just won’t take the time until it becomes a little more popular locally or nationally.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
B: We are on all social media sites and digital music stores:
- http://signalsandalibis.com/
- http://www.facebook.com/Signals.and.Alibis
- http://twitter.com/signals_alibis
- http://instagram.com/signalsandalibis
- http://signalsandalibis.bandcamp.com/
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
B: Thank you so much for asking us to do this.Your interest and support means a lot and we hope to play in Tennessee soon!.
