An Interview With The Sanctuaries
New York group The Sanctuaries have just released their second record this year. Not Guilty is an EP of remixes from the group’s debut album Annette along with some sparkly new material. In the wake of the release we talk to lead singer David Stern about Lou Reed, keeping the poetry of song writing alive, the music-saturated New York scene, and he also gets a lesson on the origins of My Bloody Valentine.
Stern is a chilled-out character – nothing at all like his name might suggest. With long hair and a charming New York drone, he’s one-quarter of indie rock band The Sanctuaries. A deep thinker with a mellow vibe, he reflects on each question before he answers, giving the impression he’s not in a hurry to go anywhere. Starting off I test his knowledge of Irish music by naming some bands.
“I love My Bloody Valentine, who doesn’t? But I always thought they were British!” After clearing up that minor detail and establishing a common chord it’s time to find out more about one of New York’s best-kept secrets. The Sanctuaries are considered an indie rock band with pop and folk elements, and a definite 60s influence. They capture Lou Reed’s poetic and gritty New York style in tracks like ‘Soft Crime’, ‘Brief Encounter’ and ‘House of Noise’. It’s clear that Reed is an artist Stern must definitely be a fan of:
“Absolutely. Lou Reed is the perfect song-writer in my opinion. I don't use the word poetry in the realm of rock and roll but his lyrics are rock and roll poetry! The thing that draws me to his music more than anything is his delivery; you won't find another singer who pulls it off as well as he does. He isn’t the greatest singer but his music is barebones, that’s what makes him the quintessential embodiment of rock music. “
It’s clear he adores music and has a great affection for the written word. At a time when music appears to be getting increasingly electro-experimental, he wants to preserve the classic rock formula with a focus on lyrics.
“It’s like people don’t write songs anymore, just grooves and sing on top of them. I play chords, not riffs or grooves, so I have to be a songwriter. I don’t know how to play it any other way. My favourite music has always involved good song writing. Harry Nilsson is my favourite person ever. That’s straight-forward music. We don’t sound like him at all but that’s the kind of music I like to listen to. “
The four-piece band includes Stern (vocals and guitar), Brian Indig (drums), Ross Edwards (keys), and Will Salwen (bass), in a line-up that has only been together since December:
“We played our first live gig at Christmas. Our current bass player and keys player aren’t the ones playing on the album or the EP, so to hear the songs live through their lens really gives them a new spin. I think it sounds really awesome now.”
David and Brian are the original members and met when they were college students in Upstate New York:
“We played in a couple of different bands; one was an all girl group doing 50s and 60s love songs. So that’s how we started forging our musical relationship. Then when we got to the city, we started The Sanctuaries.”
Looking at the long-haul, they’re hoping to make this a full-time venture but at the moment they all have regular jobs as well. “This is not really paying the bills and NYC is expensive to live in so we’re all supplementing ourselves with day jobs and other boring things.”
Getting established isn’t easy, especially in a place where there seems to be another ‘next big thing’ every week. So how does a band stand out from the crowd in a city as engulfing as NYC? “No one’s really interested in listening to you on-line unless you play live for them first so we’ve been trying to play as much as possible.”
Saying that, it must be exciting to be surrounded by so much music all the time and ideas brimming and blossoming in such a creative space.
“It’s always buzzing but whether it’s good depends on your personal definition of it. There’s a great music scene but because it’s so great it can be kind of terrible sometimes. What I mean is there are so many good bands in NY and there are so many terrible bands, and it’s hard to sift through all that and find what’s good. It’s also hard on the good bands. We played a show with Delicate Steve who are big in the States right now and it wasn’t as well-attended as we thought it was going to be. That’s because on any given night there are 20 shows that are all A-level shows, you know what I mean? It’s really good, it just has its pros and cons.”
Is ‘less is more’ really better when it comes to music, or should artists be encouraging as much creativity and outlets for music as possible? Especially in a time like this when everyone’s finding it difficult to get by, finding a means of expression must have become less of a hobby and more of a necessity for many. But how can you separate the good from the bad?
“For us it comes down to doing something that’s in-line with our contemporaries but is also an updated sound of what I know to be old and good. There isn’t a strong contingent of underground music with a big focus on song writing right now. I like to be part of a band that’s at the forefront of this wave with their sound and vision.
For example there’s a difference between what The Darkness did, which was just being a glam metal throwback band. It’s not just what you’re referencing but also the way you’re referencing it. How tongue in cheek is it? How authentic is it? What’s the sentiment behind what you’re trying to revisit? These things factor into why you’d be relevant and what people think of you.”
With these things in mind it must be difficult to go about the task of song writing; being sure that what you’re saying is relevant while still holding on to elements of the past and putting it forward in a modern way that’s true to today’s world.
“My own personal process to song writing varies. Sometimes it will start with a lyric, sometimes with the music and sometimes I have those two things separately and I fit them together. There isn’t one set way. All the songs on the EP, that aren’t remixes, were each written in two hours.”
Not Guilty, which was released on August 28th, is an impressive offering with eight remixed songs from Annette and three new tracks. The remixed tracks are collaborations:
“We thought it would be great to have people we really respect contribute and remix our tracks. Felicia Douglas from the band Ava Luna did the track ‘Brief Encounter’. That band is amazing, we’re big fans.”
Also the ability to release two records in a year is an unusual occurrence, particularly for a relatively new indie band.
“I guess it does seem kind of soon but maybe it’s because nowadays bands take three to four years to make albums! I don’t like comparing anyone to The Beatles but they would come out with two full-length albums a year. We’re not as prolific as they are, no one is really, but we just had this material ready for a while so we decided to put it out and start the next chapter. “
To coincide with the EP release they decided to make a music video and had so much fun with it that it became a mini-series entitled “Cooking with Mom”, with black and white footage of meals being prepared step by step.
“Basically with no time or budget I took a camera home and my mom was making dinner, the idea just popped into my head. I’ve never been a fan of performance videos; bands ‘looking cool’ while playing their track. So I recorded her cooking for one song and had so much fun with it that we decided to make two more videos. There’s really nothing to it, it was just hangin’ out watching my mom cook!”
Filmed and edited by Stern, he calls the project his directorial debut. It has an old-fashioned feel which compliments their music perfectly “I can definitely say that was a complete coincidence,” he laughs.
Having spent so much time recording they must be itching to get out there and play. Some bands prefer recording to live performing but this isn’t true of The Sanctuaries:
“It’s really interesting; the dichotomy of playing live versus recording. When you record an album and someone hears your music, that’s hopefully what you’re going to be remembered by so being in the studio is way more stressful because there’s that added pressure. I like the creative process of both but lately I’ve been having a lot more fun playing live.”
So what can an audience expect at a Sanctuaries live show?
“A lot of weird facial gestures and a lot of jumping around. Actually this is something about the Brooklyn music scene which isn’t always my favourite thing and it’s these bands that act ‘too cool for school’ and very aloof on-stage. I think it’s important to look like you’re having fun. Because if the band’s not having fun how can the audience have fun? I think we create a good atmosphere but I don’t know if that’s true because I’ve never seen us!”
With a hectic year in the studio behind them and as well as gigging and holding down full-time jobs, the guys don’t have time to make big tour plans just yet. “We want to see how the EP goes and we already have a second album written. That’ll be the next thing we’ll focus on.” Back to the studio it is!
(Article published in One More Robot magazine, Autumn 2012 issue)
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