Monday, October 25, 2010

EIC'S10Q'S w/Gem Club

"..simple/elegant brilliance complimenting terrific glimmering minimalism there to relax you and put your everything at ease.."


Gem Club
Captivating Defeat

Gem Club Bio:
Gem Club are Christopher Barnes and Kristen Drymala from Massachusetts. They combine elements of piano with cello, minimal ambiance, and delicate vocals. The duo just released their debut EP “Acid And Everything” via their bandcamp site. Since it's release Gem Club have received many inviting compliments and have been compared to the likes of Memoryhouse and Perfume Genius.



Hello, how are you?
Christopher: Good. Anxious for the winter.
Kristen: Great. Its chilly in New England though.

What are you currently listening to?
C: I've been driving around to Aaliyah and "The Many Shades of Cajual". I tend to listen to music mostly in the car.
K: Arthur Russell, Young Man, Best Coast. Also I've been going back to listening to songs I heard in my parent's car when I was little, like The Shirelles, The Ronettes, Roy Orbison.

Besides it sounding clever, is there a specific reason why you guys went with the name “Gem Club”?
C: It's a nod to someone I admire.
K: It was between that and something a little difficult to say. We do practice with a gem on the piano.

You guys remind me of a cross between Memoryhouse and Perfume Genius. Was that the kind of sound were you going for when you began writing for this project?
K: I wasn't listening to these artists while we were recording, so no. But they are amazing and it is an honor to be grouped with them.
C: I agree.

What is your favorite track off of “Acid And Everything”?
C: I'm having a lot of fun playing "Flax" live. Kristen's foot bells seem to be a big hit.
K: My favorite is "Animals".

What’s next for Gem Club?

C: We're working on a new record. It will be our first full length release.
K: More writing and recording right now. Its exciting to think of where it could lead.

Will you be touring on a larger scale anytime soon?
K: Hopefully. Chris and I are pretty tied to the Boston area right now, but I'd love to visit the Western part of America. We've also had a good response from people and blogs in France and Sweden- playing shows there would be rad.
C: I would love to get over to Europe and play shows. Our last "tour" was a little short - hopefully this summer we'll plan something extravagant for ourselves. And by extravagant I mean driving a car around somewhere in the heat.

What’s the most “embarrassing/funny” album you own?
K: Probably the original cast recording of Wicked or ABBAs greatest hits.
C: I'm not a big fan of musicals. I guess Lunachicks "Babysitters on Acid". I went back to that recently when we were driving to NYC for a show and I felt a little embarrassed. Maybe it was an off day.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life which album would it be?

C: PJ Harvey "Rid of Me"
K: Ooooh- that's a tricky one. If I didn't have my cello either I'd pick the Bach cello suites. If I did have my cello maybe one of those formative year albums, like Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" or Tori Amos "Under the Pink".

Are you living your dream?
K: Absolutely.
C: I'm getting there.

Thanks Gem Club!

Gem Club are currently working on a follow up to the terrific EP "Acid And Everything". Soak that one in now, become obsessed, and wait impatiently for the LP...

1 comment:

  1. I get the feeling that K owns some more embarrassing albums than that... ;)

    ReplyDelete