Off the Record

Tyler Farnes 0:00
This is WKNC 88.1 FM HD one Raleigh, you're listening to Off the record, a series here at WKNC where all types of musical artists are interviewed. I'm your host the loaf and I am here with Augurs, a local band here in Raleigh. How are y'all doing? I'm glad to have you all here.

Alana 0:16
Thanks for having us.

Tyler Farnes 0:21
So Introduce yourself. Who are you? What instruments you play?

Chistopher 0:25
My name is Christopher niver, I play a bass guitar. And, yep.

Connor 0:31
I'm Connor Regan. I play a red Gibson SG with a lot of pedals, and I do backup vocals occasionally. Great.

Alana 0:45
My name is Alana Stanley, and I am the lead singer. And I also drum.

Tyler Farnes 0:50
nice. Are y'all like, like NC natives here? Were you born and raised here? Or did you like live most of your life here? Like, what's up with where y'all from?

Chistopher 1:00
yeah, I'm from Wilmington, and I've been here.

Connor 1:03
I was born in Charlotte. And then I went to state and graduated in 2019. So I've been here like eight years.

Tyler Farnes 1:09
Nice.

Alana 1:10
Yeah, I was born in Wilson. Wilson, North Carolina. for y'all. And yeah, I I usually catch a lot of flack for not doing the T. But I'm a, I'm a soft desk, Wilson girl. And I also went to state. I think we all went to state.

Tyler Farnes 1:34
That's awesome. I knew that. That friggin Connor was only graduated. I didn't know that Chris. You graduated so that's awesome.

Chistopher 1:46
Alexander. Alright.

Connor 1:48
Elena, what do you, what did you study here?

Alana 1:49
I studied Plant and Soil Science.

Connor 1:52
And what do you do now?

Alana 1:54
I am a graphic designer. The world is your oyster. Do whatever you want.

Tyler Farnes 2:04
So um, how long has the Augurs been around?

Connor 2:09
Oh, gosh, almost six years now.

Alana 2:12
Yeah, I think we started playing in 2017. It was me and Connor at the time, and Connor was like, Hey, I know this girl. That's really cool. And she also plays guitar. And I was like, rad.

Connor 2:24
Yeah. I met her at a jam across the street from my house. So like iteration one of this band was a four piece.

Alana 2:33
That's right.

Connor 2:33
And we sounded like if if if Grateful Dead had like had fuzz puddles.

Alana 2:42
Yeah, it was it was a lot different sound. But yeah, it was me and Connor. And then our good friend Donovan playing the bass and our good friend Ari doing guitar. And they have since moved on to their own projects, which is awesome. So, Donovan does solo electronic like DJ stuff with xylem. And then Ari does solo electronic in a really different way but so awesome. With RA swims. And so since then, we have brought on Le Christopher niver.

Chistopher 3:23
Christopher, as we like to say in the band. Yeah. Yeah, in 2020. I was taken over, excited to play our first show at Slim's in March 2020. And then, uh, you know, stuff happened. And then, uh, I think, Yeah, Ari had wanted to do other stuff, mid pandemic, so we just kind of.

Connor 3:42
she came to one, she came to one practice and did like some, like really dope, like synth stuff. And then, and then, like,

Chistopher 3:49
basically, we, the band burned down, started up from the ground again. Because we like, tried, did we ever do any of the old songs? No, I guess we are now we're doing one of the new songs or old songs, and basically just wrote all new junk and played. Yeah, during 2020, a lot of time to do it and a lot of time to kind of figure out the new iteration and figure out where we all fit into the songwriting process. And, I mean, if you listen to both bands, it's definitely night and day, same name, but like different iterations for sure, which is fun.

Tyler Farnes 4:21
Okay. Is that um, was that sort of older, older iteration of the band have have a lot of like, like, influence and a lot of presence in your mind as you're making as a sort of, as you sort of rekindled? Or is it just sort of just like, kind of just like you're, you evolved from further onto there.

Connor 4:39
For me like, Absolutely, like, back in college. I used to listen to a lot of jams, I was a big, I was a big Jam Band guy had the like little Grateful Dead lightning bolt tattoo on my leg and like, you know, it was like really, I really liked the, I liked the heavy stuff. So like, it was all like a lot of like, really like Spacey. There's a lot of Um, really like lofty improv like guitar solos that were like folding, like, you know, together on each other. And then I think probably my, my senior year like towards like the tail end of like the previous iteration, I started like listening to a lot of like, heavier stuff and like, like King Gizz and like the OCS and like Ty Segall, and all of that. And then it kind of like started like blending together, you know, and like forming like in like a different, different iteration.

Chistopher 5:37
Is the previous iteration.

Connor 5:39
Yeah, absolutely. I think with the recent influence, Yeah. With the with the with the more like chill, with the more like chill parts. Like, absolutely. I still do a lot of like, little, like, cool, like, delay, like, wah type, solos and stuff. And I think that it definitely shines through. We're all a lot better musicians now though, for sure.

Alana 6:01
I mean, from older iteration to newer iteration, you can still tell that it's Connor playing the guitar for sure, which is great. Yeah, it's a highlight. Um, I'd say, from the older iteration to new iteration. It is a lot of kind of the same thoughts and feelings and wanting to do the same thoughts and things. But yeah, I'm just better at playing the drums now. So I can play it faster.

Connor 6:26
Yeah, Gears gears. Gears better. We're all more on time.

Alana 6:29
That's great. Yeah, it um, yeah, cuz I mean, I didn't start playing drums until, yeah. 2017. So it was just really, really, I mean, yeah, I had just started playing drums. I just started playing drums when we started the band. So because I'd always done other music, like I played trombone in middle school, and was in the choir, got an unbeatable mouth trumpet. I'll show you that later. But that's, uh, yeah, I just ended up playing the drums for the first time. And it ended up where, yeah, we were in that jam group together. And, and it all worked out. And somebody wanted to be in a band with me. And I was like, Oh, okay. If you insist. So, for anybody that's wondering, is it too late to pick up an instrument? No, it's not. 31, having the time of my life. Um, so yeah.

Chistopher 7:29
And I never like was that exposed to the old iteration, so I was just, you know, just kind of, I was initially just planning on filling in on old songs. So I just kind of yeah, whatever. Anyway, which I think we're good. Because, yeah, you gotta have some kind of new direction with the new dynamic. And it fit nicely into the existing one that was still there a little bit.

Connor 7:46
And we recorded a whole album, and it just didn't end up getting released for one reason or another. So that'll be, yeah, that's our legacy.

Chistopher 7:57
Trying to think of some good hidden album. It's just as good as that one that you're thinking of.

Alana 8:00
Yeah, but it is really interesting how all of us have similar but different music tastes and how they all work together. So you've got Connor doing like, jam band, but now like garage Ross, like crashy, heavy psych, and like, I used to listen to a lot of like, the Mars Volta and like lightning bolt. And like, block party.

Connor 8:31
You sing like the Mars Volta a lot, we got that comparison one time.

Alana 8:35
Hehe.

Connor 8:35
when I don't remember, when.

Alana 8:36
Oh I'm delighted. Did you, we saw them in DC last week.

Connor 8:49
Have you heard of them?

Tyler Farnes 8:50
Yeah, of course.

Connor 8:54
Just wanted to make sure you know.

Alana 8:57
It was so inspirational, it was good to kind of like come full circle on that, where I used to listen to them a lot before I played music in like a rock band setting and now I do the rock band thing and I was able to see Mars Volta and be like, Whoa, they are just crushing. It's unbelievable.

Connor 9:14
Yeah.

Alana 9:15
So um, and then also a lot of Primus too, where I think, I think most of our crossover is, this just kind of weird Primus bass, like.

Chistopher 9:25
Yeah, it's fun. Yeah, the Primus thing is real. It's a fair comparison.

Connor 9:33
Yeah, they suck

Alana 9:39
We will not talk ill about Primus on our interview. No.

Chistopher 9:43
Primus sucks.

Alana 9:46
Oh is that a thing?

Chistopher 9:48
That's, they're like a 30 year old band now. Welcome. You could say Primus sucks and it's cool.

Alana 9:56
I will never

Tyler Farnes 9:58
so I guess like, I guess more, more genuinely, how would you guys define your own music? I know that you seem to have a lot of inspiration from jam and bands and sort of like electronic from like your older iteration. How would you sort of define it now in that space? I know that you guys I guess, personally at least what you have, it's personally done as more like space rocky type, sort of, I guess, I love the quote where it's like, space rock band specialising in guitars going meedly meedly meedly, in places. Yeah, I love that quote so much. Is that, is that more what it is, that sort of like space rock with sort of like a hazy, sort of shoegazey psychedelic type feel?

Connor 10:39
Well, when we, when we first started playing shows with this, like, the new iteration, we had to come up with like a byline.

Tyler Farnes 10:44
Yeah.

Connor 10:45
And that was what, I think Elena was in charge of that. So she just like set that out. Like, it makes sense. I think Niver, Niver called it like art thrash a couple of days ago. And I was like, I don't know if that's like.

Chistopher 10:57
Somebody made the Thrash comparison, which I didn't see on my own. But then like, in retrospect, it's like, Damn, it kind of is.

Connor 11:03
What's like, with the, I don't know, with like, the fuzz and the, and the.

Chistopher 11:09
We flirt with metal a lot. It's just the fun, like, obviously, none of us are huge metal fans. And don't ask us band trivia about that. But like, we all like to fart around with kind of heavy sounds and like it's so fun to jam on. And half of them have turned into little songs and yeah, art thrash is.

Alana 11:26
big songs.

Chistopher 11:27
Art Thrash. Yeah, we'll go with that.Try to make them interesting. You know.

Alana 11:31
I don't want to disclude that I think we have a lot of post punk in us as well.

Tyler Farnes 11:36
Yes.

Alana 11:37
Like, I remember when I listened to squid.

Connor 11:41
Oh, god.

Alana 11:42
I'm just, I'm just a big fan. I'm a huge fan. And I was like, I want to play music like that. And I was like, Oh, wait, we kind of do. Yes, we're post punk. Because I just have been really bad at like, the genre defining. I gotta get like Connor, WKNC radio man. I'm just like, I don't know.

Tyler Farnes 12:03
So, so with that, what are some like major, I guess sort of, like, artistic inspirations that you have for this new iteration? I know, It said, You said uh, what you said earlier, Alana, with uh, Mars Volta. Yeah, and all that other stuff. And some jam bands with King gizzard. Is that sort of still very present?

Connor 12:23
Oh, yeah. I mean, like so. The OCs are like my, they're like probably my top five, if not like my favorite band. I have like one of their album covers like tattooed on my leg like the orc from their like 2017 album Orc. And uh.

Alana 12:39
From the outside I think it's your favorite band because he goes to every show, where I'm like, I'm not gonna see OC for the, for the seventh time with you Connor, but you have a good time.

Connor 12:50
It's just to me, like, the dude he's like four, he's in his like mid 40s. And, he's just like, absolutely covered in tattoos. And he has this crazy like Mario mustache now. And.

Chistopher 13:01
So Connor's shooting forehead?

Connor 13:03
No, no no. I don't wanna. I did. I used to. I used to have the little curlies. But now I'm like keeping it short because I always get my hair in my mouth

Alana 13:10
You need to wax my guy.

Connor 13:11
I have the wax, I have the wax. But yeah, so, so like I really, oh gosh, dude.

Chistopher 13:16
Imma go on record as anti jam man. No jams for me.

Connor 13:19
Yeah, they're not, It's tough, like we don't do like, any like live improv stuff.

Tyler Farnes 13:23
How you guys like fish?

Alana 13:24
No.

Connor 13:24
I, hold on, hold on, hold on. I don't, my, my roommate, my roommate. My roommate Max will appreciate the shout out, huge, huge, huge fish fan. And uh, and I have a friend shout out Danny, Danny Rosin got me a ticket, a seated ticket at this last fish show right behind the sound box. So I was sitting next to all the dudes that were doing like the bootleg recordings and stuff.

Tyler Farnes 13:58
Yeah.

Connor 13:58
Never listened to fish before. Absolutely amazing experience. I won't listen to them again on purpose. But the experience was, was, was tight. Yeah, it was a good.

Chistopher 14:10
Bonnaroo, 2012?

Connor 14:12
I spent $25 on Canned Water.

Alana 14:18
polarized.

Connor 14:19
definitely, I was very thirsty at that show. For sure. Definitely cycling, cycling a lot of liquids

Alana 14:27
Yeah. Mhm.

Chistopher 14:30
We're talking about influences or something?

Connor 14:32
Yeah. Ty Segall, I like the garage stuff. I had a previous, previous band and we played here.

Chistopher 14:38
We're all pretty garage influenced to some degree.

Connor 14:41
Yeah, it's just like the, like the gnarlier, the gnarlier stuff is like how like, a lot of the time how we'll like start, like, writing songs and then we'll be like, alright, well, let's make like a nicer, more like, floaty riff, you know, because that stuff is like kind of like harder to, to jam around, whereas like the power cords, and like, just like little simple like, chord structures with like, some like nice delay, like I used 2 amp so it goes like wah wah wah wah wah, like.

Alana 15:16
Wish you could see the hands with this one.

Connor 15:17
Yeah, I know, moving pretty well. It's, that kind of stuff is a lot easier to like add, like afterwards so I definitely think that like we start with like, the heavier side of, of the song and then like we'll add like the, more like woowoo, type, um.

Tyler Farnes 15:37
Doing sort of like, ethereal, like hazy type psychedelic type places.

Connor 15:42
Yeah, exactly.

Chistopher 15:44
Definitely easier to write for myself. Like, I'm trying to work on the softer stuff. It's harder.

Tyler Farnes 15:49
Yeah.

Chistopher 15:50
It's harder to make it sound pretty. We do it anyway.

Connor 15:53
Yeah.

Tyler Farnes 15:53
Yeah. All sounds good. So

Alana 15:55
Yeah, it's a good time, I find myself wanting to do drum covers of, Yeah, the Mars Volta and like, King gizzard, and, and block party, but then also sometimes like, Drum and Bass songs. And just like, ugh, that's, I'm just always like, if I could drum like, days, or like, like, what, the stuff that JD Beck does, I would be so happy.

Connor 16:24
Oh, God. Oh, geez.

Alana 16:27
Yeah, yeah.

Connor 16:28
Coming to Charlotte.

Chistopher 16:29
shoutout to cosmic whoever who played at Shikori. They were gnarly. Did you see them? Oh, yeah, you didn't go. But they were, they were JD Beck, Indomie Quality, they were so tight.

Connor 16:38
What was the name of the band?

Chistopher 16:39
I don't remember cosmic Something. They're good.

Connor 16:41
Not cosmic, Not cosmic Charlie, they're a grateful dead cover band.

Chistopher 16:45
Cosmic burrito.

Tyler Farnes 16:47
That's a good name.

Connor 16:48
No, definitely not that.

Chistopher 16:53
But interrupting what you're saying about uh, influences? Yeah. What about you? Yeah.

Connor 17:00
I like oh, you did that, you, we have that, there's like one, one particular song that we have where uh, hich one is it? Is it a cocktail of chemicals. where we do the disco beat?

Chistopher 17:08
Oh, yeah.

Alana 17:09
No, that's magic.

Chistopher 17:10
Yes. Yeah.

Connor 17:11
Oh, yeah.

Chistopher 17:14
Disco for us. But I love all that kind of stuff.

Alana 17:19
Yeah.

Chistopher 17:19
I like the electronic influence stuff. I definitely went through it. I still listen to a ton of electronic music and just anything that's pushing the boundaries of sound design and percussion rhythms, anything within spears, interesting rhythms I really love and I think me and Elena have a good dynamic of, as a rhythm section, to kind of come up with ideas and feed off of each other like that. But yeah, rhythm is definitely one of the most important things to me. And I think that's really highlighted in there, what I look for and what I love in electronic music.

Alana 17:51
That's convenient.

Chistopher 17:53
Which is good. Yeah, I feel like it's a different kind of perspective of influences, than Connor and Elena have too, so I try.

Connor 18:02
Yeah, I think Alana is probably like the center of the Venn diagram. Right. Would you say that that's, right?

Chistopher 18:10
Maybe we don't need mathematical models, but yeah. Just a couple of circles hanging out together.

I don't know.

Tyler Farnes 18:23
No, no, no, it should be fine. Right, like that. Uh. So, so, so I guess going on to your first, well not, well, your self titled EP with this new iteration. The final song EP. I really, from my perspective, it seems like you guys have a ton of different perspectives on your own music and like, and like how you sort of see it. It's great, it feeds a lot of just sort of, like, I feel like with that, I guess, I've now found with like, the complexity of it, and just sort of just like, how, how diverse yet together it is, I guess. Like, like a lot of it. A lot of the songs release I see is like very like self driving and like very much getting that sort of like, post punk with that sort of just like waves of, of these electronic, ethereal and all that sort of like shoegazey type noise, which is what I really enjoy. How do you sort of balance all these different sort of presence of like, stuff to make something either, to make something like coherent and just like sort of that feeds off of each other?

Connor 19:37
Ah, that's a great question. So, eh, you can go first.

Alana 19:40
I mean, we do. It's like when you have to explain your process, you just go blank. But I mean, really, a lot of what we do is jamming, and if it sounds bad, we don't do it.

Chistopher 19:54
Cutting it, cutting and editing, like just, yeah, just a ton of jamming, but then a ton of trimming and massaging to work it down, you know, because combining, splicing parts together kind of making song structures, like for example, in Ableton, from a jam and just kind of stitching it together, we'd like, Oh, I wonder if we play this part coming in three times and then trying it out and vice versa. So a lot of gardening, I guess, in literature analogy, but I guess tearing up a bunch of soil, sowing a bunch of seeds.

Tyler Farnes 20:27
Yeah.

Connor 20:28
yeah. And I think a lot. I'm like, kind of like the texture guy. I have like a big old, big old pedal board. And so I think it it really like, sometimes, like when we're, when we're working on specific parts, like Elena will be like, oh, like, I want it to be like this particular mood. You know what I mean? And then I'll be like, alright.

Alana 20:50
I know what to do.

Connor 20:51
I know. Yeah. And then And then, you know, click on some things, and I just added this crazy pedal that sounds like an organ. It has like, it has, like Organ, it's like the mail 9. I think. And it sounds like, it sounds like a organ and. No, dude. So. So So I had the, I had the, I had the left nostril, I had the left nostril after a year? No, no, I had the left nostril for a year. And then and then like, about a month and a half ago, somebody was like, dude, like, it keeps getting, no, it just keeps getting infected. Like, you should just go get the septum. And then I did. I got the septum. And I haven't had any problems at all.

Chistopher 21:31
It looks pretty cool.

Connor 21:32
Thanks.

Chistopher 21:32
I hope it helps the songwriting process.

Connor 21:34
It definitely does. Definitely, I definitely feel a lot cooler on stage too

Alana 21:39
Circling back.

Connor 21:42
But gosh, the textures. Oh, yeah. So so like, I think the most like the song that definitely changes like mood the most is like cocktail of chemicals. Right? That one's like kind of like a really wild journey. And was that the first song, that was the first song, was the judge. Right? And then cocktail of chemicals was the second one. Yeah. Is that right?

Alana 22:07
That's right. And so we'll, we'll come up with a bunch of disparate things. And I think, to one degree or the other, we, we strive to make things a little different and go on a journey and try some new things and try to push the boundaries.

Chistopher 22:27
I mean, like, yeah, we're not like, we're in a rock band. We're not like pushing, you know, doing something crazy, like, client object or anything, but like, we are. But we, I'd like to make it interesting, though. There's got to be some spice in the dish. You know, it's fun being in a rock band playing rock songs and stuff at its most basic, simplistic level. And it's fun as hell to do that. But also looking at the swear words I can say. But yeah, we'd like to, we'd like to throw some spice in there to, at least with the songwriting structures and, kind of helps it roll, novices, so we're all kind of just figuring out how to do it.

Connor 23:04
I don't know, we're like intermediate now dude. Come on bro.

Chistopher 23:08
Not classically trained we don't know much music theory.

Connor 23:11
Yeah, but Alana and I, it's like

Chistopher 23:13
no, I mean, I would say this is a good thing, not to put us down. I think we come up with something interesting from an art song structures. Yeah, that's something we definitely, I definitely pride on making something interesting. So my, my, one of my good friends in Durham was like, Dude, I saw you guys play at iguanas droplets over hopscotch. And he's like, yeah, like, I know that you like don't like know, like a lot of theory, but it was really cool to see like, how intentional you were with like everything, like all of your songs, you know what I mean? Like, while it was like, not like, very like theoretically, like complex, the feeling and the intentionality. And

Connor 23:53
some of us know what modes are

Chistopher 23:54
the emotion, yeah well. Yes, all amounts to a good dynamic, I think, interesting stuff that we write. And a further comment that I would continue off it that I really liked that the three of us you know, it leaves me a lot of room as a bass player, which I don't think I would normally have to like really fill in for where the song's gonna go structure wise and chord changes and all that kind of stuff. It's fun to take that much of an active role as uh, in the rhythm section. And it's very fun, personally.

Alana 24:36
Yeah, just holding it down. I wanted to add that it's really interesting. I know we were talking about the guitars earlier, where like I, you do have more than one guitar, you said the red Gibson, but he plays more than one guitar. He'll come in and just be like, this is the best guitar I ever saw. And the next week it will be this is also the best guitar I've ever seen.

Connor 25:02
The Gibson and the J Mascis, Jazzmaster squire, are the two guitars that I play. Primarily.

Chistopher 25:12
I'm not gonna learn their names, bro.

Connor 25:14
Hey, but maybe somebody out there is like, man, what are those guitars that Connor's playing?

Alana 25:20
Have you named the guitars?

Connor 25:21
I haven't yet. I think big red is the Gibson though for sure. Like the spicy, yeah.

Alana 25:27
Oh yeah. Oh yeah, with the, with the spicy variety thing if y'all were a spice, what spice would you be?

Tyler Farnes 25:33
Oh oh, I don't know any good spices, I don't spices.

Connor 25:43
I want to say cardamom. I really like cardamom.

Alana 25:46
Wow. Complex

Connor 25:49
or like anise.

Alana 25:51
No.

Connor 25:53
I don't know.

Chistopher 25:55
I don't know. I already said amchur powder which is a terrible cop out answer but

Alana 26:00
what is that?

Chistopher 26:01
I was just trying to pick the most indie spice I could think of, it's some Indian spice, haven't used it in a while.

Alana 26:06
Okay.

Chistopher 26:07
Cumin seeds? Cumin seeds are good. Yeah, I'll say cumin seeds, versatile.

Tyler Farnes 26:11
I am not old enough to know these spices. I'm 22.

Connor 26:14
It's okay, once you, once you, once you graduate college and you have to like cook for yourself and make the recipes, okay, but I didn't make, when I was in college. I didn't make like crazy meals. You know, I feel like once I, once I graduated

Chistopher 26:26
Hamburgers and spaghetti.

Tyler Farnes 26:27
Yeah, exactly. It's like the traditional hamburgers and spaghetti and like rice and stuff.

Chistopher 26:33
I like how you just had to ask a question too. That's.

Alana 26:35
I mean. Yeah, I don't know. I would also be paprika. In case anybody was wondering,

Connor 26:41
that's really good in hummus, if you make your own hummus.

Alana 26:44
Aw. That's precious.

Connor 26:47
Call em Pappy for short. Alright. Moving on.

Tyler Farnes 26:58
Going on to texture I guess. You mentioned that you have a whole bunch of pedals. I am also a guitar player. What pedals do you have?

Connor 27:04
Oh, man. All right. We're gonna start with the set. We're gonna start with the signal chain, Imma run through it and I'm not going to talk about them. I'm just gonna say what they are. I'm gonna say what they are. So we have, we have the tuner, going into the crazy Oregon pedal emulator, going into a rat. And then I have a, yes that's so good. And then I have a cry baby wah that I put like a true bypass switch into because they have like a stupid like buffer that like kind of like sucks all of the tone out of there. And I don't really like that. So I like soldered a new switch in there and it's like totally clear signal path. And then from there it goes into this like, Limited Edition like, death by audio pedal called the Super fuzz war. And it's, and it's a fuzz war so it's the same one that that Ty and John Dwyer use and uh, a couple of dudes from like the band like wand and like the meat bodies and I think like fiddlar and dive use it too, like it's really popular and like garage and that has like a fuzz and then treble boost and then from there it goes to modulation. So I have like Darkstar reverb. That's like really crazy like deep space, that's like the Deep Space reverb and I have it split into stereo delay just like a regular like boss, like DD seven, and then the stereo Hall of Fame reverb and I use the plate setting on that because the reverb on my amp doesn't, doesn't work and then, and then I split it. I have a solid state amp and I have a tube amp and then I pan them so that delay goes wah wah wah wah.

Alana 28:58
Pan his voice post.

Tyler Farnes 29:04
I will try, I will try. Oh my gosh you put my pedal board to shame. Geez

Connor 29:09
I've been, I've been like playing a band for like six years. You know.

Tyler Farnes 29:15
Yeah.

Connor 29:16
Wants to start.

Alana 29:17
The pedal monger.

Connor 29:18
I am a pedal monger. I buy and sell pedals.

Alana 29:22
True. He's on Facebook marketplace. Still on reverb right?

Connor 29:27
Yeah. Reverb, Facebook marketplace just listed some today actually got a lot of stuff.

Alana 29:32
Facebook marketplace and reverb.

Tyler Farnes 29:36
Do you use any pedals, Chris, because, cause the bass can be fuzzy. I feel, intense.

Chistopher 29:42
I'm a little pedal baby. I don't really know anything about those. Also, I'm just using a rat that goes through an LS 2 boss, LS 2 for just a frequency splitter, so I can get the clean sound because the rat really does, I love the sound but it destroys the, removes the low end completely.

Connor 29:59
It's really popular with the punks in the 80s. Sonic youth.

Tyler Farnes 30:01
Punks and grungy.

Chistopher 30:03
Yeah, so I might get a, something else. Forgot what I was gonna get next?

Connor 30:07
Deluxe big muff.

Chistopher 30:08
No.

Connor 30:10
Green russian.

Tyler Farnes 30:11
Big muffs are good.

Connor 30:12
Noise gate.

Chistopher 30:13
No.

Connor 30:13
Compressor

Chistopher 30:14
compressor. Yeah.

Connor 30:15
Niver needs a compressor.

Chistopher 30:16
That's the next thing I'll get so. But I'm a little pedal baby. I don't, I'm learning. Come on.

Connor 30:23
No, I think a compressor would be so helpful.

Chistopher 30:25
you should've done that years ago.

Alana 30:26
I'm a pedal baby, but I don't want to be. It's just, I have a vocal pedal. I use a tc helicon. And I don't I, I'm like already using all of my appendages. So I like can't hit it during the song. Because I'm drumming and also singing. So I'm like, fully occupied, I can not do it. So I think what we're going to do moving forward is I'm going to get pedal baby over here. Mr. niver. To press the, my pedals for me. Yeah, Exactly. We can like, we can hire a raven.

Connor 31:06
Or we could do like what? What like the black keys do and just like have like a dude that like sits in the back and like presses the pedals.

Chistopher 31:15
They're coming up on stage with us.

Connor 31:16
It's a guitar and pedal tech. Well, they have like racks they have like racks of like, you know.

Alana 31:21
They're also really famous.

Connor 31:23
Yeah, well, you don't need to be that famous. But we do play a very specific kind of music. Yeah, for sure.

Tyler Farnes 31:30
WKNC Blow up. I don't know.

Alana 31:32
I mean, I'm still team Hire a Raven, but

Connor 31:36
A Raven.

Chistopher 31:37
A Raven doesn't have enough mass to push the buttons.

Alana 31:39
Oh my gosh, they jump.

Chistopher 31:40
No. Think of birds, they fly.

Alana 31:46
Okay, well, we'll have to find an episode of Mythbusters we'll get back to you.

Chistopher 31:51
I'm the responsible one in the band. Just trying to keep everybody in line

Tyler Farnes 31:58
I don't know what you said to keep us in line, but okay

Alana 32:00
NC State, Logical, engineer

Tyler Farnes 32:04
think and do NC State

Alana 32:05
yeah, he's just farting. you can't hear it on the mic. But he's just Fartin.

Chistopher 32:09
I'll try to get one for the mic later

Connor 32:11
no I don't want that, I don't want that.

Chistopher 32:18
You can't control me, we're individual members. The band dynamic only goes so far.

Tyler Farnes 32:26
Is there, is there any like specific like feeling or state you wish to like invoke through your music because I think with like I guess I listened to a lot of shoegaze and uh.

Connor 32:35
that's great, good for you.

Tyler Farnes 32:39
And shoegaze and grunge tough and uh.

Connor 32:43
sounds like we have similar taste in music out of the three of us

Tyler Farnes 32:46
and a lot of shoegaze, at least how I feel about it, is like it's very ethereal and blissful and type of thing, and that's where I sort of get from your guys's, but I feel that it's ethereal and bliss with a driving force just like going, going through it. So at least that's how I feel about it. How do you guys what, what do you guys feel about your music and sort of the state that you wish invoke with it if there's anything at all?

Alana 33:11
I think your assessment is correct

Chistopher 33:14
I would definitely, that's something that I,

Connor 33:16
great description

Alana 33:18
nail on head

Chistopher 33:19
Kind of me and Connor's dynamic too, a lot and I think it works well

Connor 33:23
because those are like the two, those are the, those are like the two different kinds of music that, that like I really enjoy obviously like Kevin shields is like one of my like favorite Guitarists of All Time not because he like, really like does anything like, like theoretically cool but all of the like textures are like super wild and like, and kind of like, juxtaposing that on like, on like you know, gosh, thirst and more like the, the like crazy texture stuff with the more like drivey like, off kilter things and then just like, having like a really consistent like undercurrent of, of, of like the garage I think that's yeah, I think that's uh, yeah I think, I think it's like, you have the, you have like the bass like driving like rhythm section with like Elena and niver and.

Chistopher 34:23
I really liked the drive

Connor 34:24
Yeah, the drive is great and honestly I love that, get out the way, and uh, and then like adding I think that's definitely like a lot of the times like the the base for a lot of the jam stuff you know because it's like a lot easier you get you get that like you know that like cat that's with the drums like, and you know the cats like. That's, that's like the, that's like the head nod. That's like the driving force right? You get the, your head start moving like that cat and then you can, and then once you have that base layer then you can start adding like all of the like texture and, and the reverb and the like beautiful like crazy like Kathleen Hanna like type like vocals that like, Alana so skillfully lays down. You're welcome. You deserve it.

Chistopher 35:16
Yes, going back to specific feelings. I don't feel like we go for anything like I mean different. Like all the jams will have different kind of moods and it'll ebb and flow with the, it kind of feels like emotionally and then we'll kind of pick and choose and be like, eh, this sounds good. But like, I don't know, we've got a variety, I guess.

Alana 35:36
Yeah, I think we have a variety. Because we'll be like, ooh, this sounds like a cowboy song or ooh, this sounds like we have weights on our legs. And we're marching through the ocean floor,

Chistopher 35:47
I forgot what all the made up names were like, before we settled on real song titles.

Alana 35:52
Oh we don't have to talk about that.

Chistopher 35:52
They're Pretty good. I care, they're good though. I came up with all them. So I think they're good. They want to go they want to sound professional. But that, that naming thing, as you go with like, slight emotional thing. I love that. It's fun. Like just some random bases to go off of that's not accurate. Just like clown car. Was it, that the name?

Alana 36:18
Clown car screaming was-

Connor 36:21
great. Yeah. Clown car's better.

Alana 36:24
Well, that's the music video. We'll just be like Cruisin.

Connor 36:29
Yeah, we gotta. We got to make a music video soon.

Alana 36:31
Yeah, that's, that's a, that's on the radar. So.

Tyler Farnes 36:34
You're gonna have like that music, there'll be like, have you guys, have you guys seen like the clown core. just like that. You just like, tougher screen, kind of do it like that.

Alana 36:44
Yeah.

Tyler Farnes 36:46
Maybe?

Connor 36:46
Yeah

Tyler Farnes 36:47
That'd be so fun.

Alana 36:48
done.

Connor 36:49
Maybe not in like the porta potties though, I think we would have to do something that doesn't smell you know,

Tyler Farnes 36:54
like to have it, we're also like in a van. Like too. basically, yeah.

Connor 37:01
And then I can have somebody click on my pedal clowny.

Alana 37:07
Prior to Ravens. I'll sell them on it. Yeah, I know that I am usually pretty moody. And dissonant by nature. When listening to different songs. So.

Connor 37:24
Yeah, you have to have a lip piercing, right?

Alana 37:30
I did. It looks really good. But.

Connor 37:32
It did, it did look great

Alana 37:33
It was eroding my gums. So I took it out. But it was cool while it lasted. So like, I like, the driving things like Death Grips. But you know, that's just scary. Yeah. Are you kidding?

Connor 37:48
I guess some of their songs.

Alana 37:49
It's heavy. Okay, it's heavy.

Connor 37:51
Alright, heavy.

Tyler Farnes 37:52
It is heavy.

Alana 37:54
Um, but then I also really like music like BBO where it's really like Lo Fi. Electronic Lo Fi guitar like, weird pitchbend processing texture stuff. I feel like it all, it all blends together. I've been trying to, you know, be like, let's write a happier sounding song too. Even though it's hard. But I really like the moody stuff and just like, minor chord way better. A plus.

Chistopher 38:23
Yeah, sorry. Everything's all in that one mode. The third mode, the one that's all like spooky metally, we're trying to, my my goal is for the next album to write songs that aren't in that, that mode is, mix.

Connor 38:35
I'm going to start using a capo. And maybe that'll change, maybe I'll do some open tunings, do like, we'll do like, standard type of things. I want to, I want to experiment with some of D standard type stuff, get things a little harder.

Tyler Farnes 38:48
There's a, there's a lot of duality, it seems in your music and your processes. Just, Just an observation there that I really like.

Alana 38:59
Thank you.

Tyler Farnes 39:00
So So I guess how do you, I guess see your instruments in the role in your entire band, I know that you sort of just like, um, is it very much the the rhythms are, I guess that sort of like driving force while the guitar and the vocals are more sort of ethereal? Do you guys think about it all that much? Or just kind of like, Y'all just jammin? Right? I mean.

Connor 39:27
I think it depends on the song. I think it depends on who writes, so, So with all of our like, the way that we like write music generally like somebody will start playing something first. And then the other two people will kind of like form around that. And so I think it really depends on the, the like, the first like riff that gets written, whether it's like a drum beat or a bass riff or a guitar riff, right, so like for the judge and for cocktail of chemicals. I did both of those separately and then brought them to practice. The cocktail of chemicals riff was, I was, I was listening to King gizzards polygon wanna land, a lot, at that particular time. Um. And.

Chistopher 40:23
and that was filling in on what we already had with the drum and bass riffs.

Connor 40:27
Yeah, yeah.

Chistopher 40:28
Modes, the song structure was there on those ones. And that was, yeah, that's just one example.

Connor 40:33
Yeah. And then with the judge, it was like, that was what, that was what we were doing. We, I started with that. And then we kind of like, built, and then we like, right, exactly. We built everything around that. But I think with, yeah, I don't know. I think it depends on, I think it depends on, that's our general dynamic, I guess.

Tyler Farnes 40:53
I do like the judge a lot. Just because it's, it seems very much like, there are so many, like different sort of, like, sort of points in the song where it's like, this is very much sort of, like, brought out by the, by the guitar, by the, by the bass by the drums, I think the judge really does, is like, really a good song that exemplifies like a lot of your, like, sort of different views and like aspects.

Connor 41:19
It's so fun to play live. It is like, it's probably my favorite song to play live, honestly, just because it's like the most, out of all of the songs, besides coming home. It's the simplest one. From like, just like, oh, like, oh, you know, like.

Tyler Farnes 41:36
Yeah.

Chistopher 41:37
I think it's fairly cohesive, too. And that's nice. Like, it doesn't seem as abrupt as some of the changes in the other ones, which I also liked, but it just, nice. And those changes are subtle and interesting. That was the first song we wrote too, in this new iteration. So we spent a long time on it. Which, something to be said about that or yeah, just fun.

Alana 41:55
We also, when we were making the lyrics, we were trying to write the lyrics all together, and so no, but um, but um, we wrote the song around the time that Amy Coney Barrett was put into her position.

Connor 42:13
Oh, yeah.

Chistopher 42:16
I just finished reading blood meridian too.

Connor 42:18
Oh, yeah. Gosh, that was, it was so, it was, it was a, it was a combination of Amy Coney Barrett and, and the judge from, what was what was the guy's name? What was the? No, in in? In the in the book though?

Chistopher 42:33
Judge Holden?

Connor 42:34
It was?

Chistopher 42:34
I think

Connor 42:34
the really creepy dude, the umbrella, bald guy?

Chistopher 42:37
That which exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.

Alana 42:43
Yeah, so we got into like a, it's like a fiction but nonfiction story. Where like, I mean, I'm really not excited about women in power that are going to make decisions against women. So it was, it was a good combination of both where, you know, I don't know if it's too cliche to go into the lyrics or not, but basically.

Tyler Farnes 43:08
no, not at all.

Alana 43:09
For me. It's totally about her. It's like you're eating bloody grapes, like the blood of people is going to be on your hands. Like what are you? What are you waiting for? Like, what are you doing? She's she's got her sons. She's trained her sons. With, they, they all, she gave them all guns. You see how they rhyme? Yes. That's how lyrics work, pretty cool.

Connor 43:35
Dolores Umbridge was definitely a uh, Yeah, I totally forgot. We were talking about that, too. What, what'd you say?

Chistopher 43:42
I was just making fun, because Harry Potter is not cool.

Connor 43:45
All right. We don't need to get into that. We don't need to get into that, you know, I understand. But the character that was definitely. I was, I was small, we were thinking about people that we were trying to describe, that was on the docket.

Tyler Farnes 44:02
What's um, what's your guys's like personal favorite songs to play? either live or just in general? Yeah.

Alana 44:11
My favorite song to play is he believes, and that was, oh, thank you. That was one of those where Niver made the bass part at first, and we had jammed on it. Then I like went on a tear and made the song skeleton and brought it back.

Connor 44:33
Alana wrote the whole, the guitar riff, like the main guitar riff that I'm playing, not the like Doom Doom Doom, Doom, Doom Doom Doom Doom, not that part. But the. Gosh, what, how does it, how's it go?

Alana 44:48
Danny Danny Danny

Connor 44:50
Oh, yeah, that one. So, so Elena made a whole able ten, Like, Skeleton of that part. And like, made a whole skeleton of that part and like a chiptune type vibe.

Alana 45:09
It was able ten, you know

Connor 45:11
It was so cute. It was so cute, it was. It was really cute. Yeah.

Chistopher 45:15
And that was a fun one to do it because I think, yeah, cuz then we of course aren't going to make that same song we made our interpretation of that but the structure obviously lots of, tons of credit to Alana for doing that. And, it was a fun experiment. Yeah, so, we should do that for, fart around with that for other songs. You know, like?

Connor 45:31
Yeah, I have a, I have a drum machine. I want to write like one song with Alana using a drum machine on the bass like while you're gone. So we can just do like a, like type. He's gonna. Where are you going, Vietnam? Nepal?

Chistopher 45:42
I'm going to Vietnam on Wednesday.

Tyler Farnes 45:48
Glad I was able to get you.

Chistopher 45:50
no, we've had we've had.

Alana 45:51
It was perfect timing. Really perfect timing.

Connor 45:53
He's actually been on the Pacific Crest Trail like all summer. So we've had two other people playing bass for us. Elena's lovely partner Logan, who's also.

Alana 46:03
Logan Maxwell

Connor 46:03
Logan Maxwell. Yeah. Who's also the bassist and saxophone player in vacant company and tune bow.

Alana 46:10
and Zephyr.

Connor 46:11
and Zephyr on these. Yeah. Who's interviewed here as well.

Tyler Farnes 46:14
Yeah. Yep.

Connor 46:15
And then Ryan Yancey, who plays bass in brutal junior. And hen brain, and abs and lovers.

Chistopher 46:22
They're both in too many bands.

Alana 46:26
He's a bit of a legend. You'll see him downtown. If you're at Slim's. Say hi to Yancey. He's there.

Connor 46:31
He's there.

Chistopher 46:33
They're too busy. And I've written all the songs, I've co-written all the songs. So they're patiently waiting for me, because I had already planned on leaving. But I'm coming back. This is my adventure year of not working and stuff. So

Tyler Farnes 46:46
That's awesome

Chistopher 46:46
So we've been in the past three weeks or so that I've been home we've been cooking up more stuff and getting hyped for the future. So-

Alana 46:53
We've been scrambling a few eggs.

Chistopher 46:54
I'm excited for that.

Connor 46:55
Yeah.

Chistopher 46:56
Scrambling the eggs.

Alana 46:57
That's right. Oh, wait, one more thing about He Believes is I really want to say that the reason it's my favorite thing to sing is because-

Connor 47:05
Oh yeah, gosh, I didn't answer the question either.

Alana 47:08
It's, I wrote the song in a style that I like, which is convenient, but also, it is about somebody that was, that was very, very close to me that eventually ended his own life. And it's about people who can't quite grapple with their demons in time. And I want to take everybody, everybody take a moment if there's somebody who's withdrawing from you. If you're you if you have any question about like, Are they okay? Like, please, please ask. Like people, people need you. We all need each other. It's not, I mean, things are getting crazier and crazier. Just check on everybody.

Tyler Farnes 47:48
Everybody love everybody.

Alana 47:50
Exactly.

Connor 47:51
I didn't Know that.

Alana 47:52
Yeah.

Connor 47:53
Wow.

Chistopher 47:54
Big fan. Gosh, I knew that.

Connor 47:58
Well, how did I not know that?

Tyler Farnes 48:00
Conner? Your favorite?

Connor 48:01
Yeah, favorite song. I really like magic is real because that, the intro riff I wrote, so we wrote the first part, first, like *mimicking riff* that part, and then I was like, well, we have to have like an intro thing. And then I came up with the, I started doing, like, trying to, like figure out like, variations and like, was like, doing that riff with, like, a different cadence. And it just sounded so, so nice. Just the dynamics on that song are like, really great because right, like, like we were talking about, right, the like, ethereal, more like flighty riff that you have and then you have the like driving like chorus.

Chistopher 48:52
The bass comes in really hard.

Connor 48:53
Yeah.

Chistopher 48:55
Yeah, if I remember right, that harkens back to an idea of like we'd been farting around with that for a while and like trying to get it to try to put that into a song figure out where to make that same sort of feel happen. And then it ended up fitting nicely in what we'd already had written for the verse and stuff and it worked out great that, that might be my answer as well. That was a fun one to play live and mostly closed with that one I think I don't know if you guys are doing that this summer, did you switch up the ordered at all in the summer?

Connor 49:23
No, we kept the same. Once you, once you come back we'll switch up the setlist because I don't want to play the album order again. And hopefully we'll have like another song or something when you come back.

Chistopher 49:32
Yeah it was fun.

Tyler Farnes 49:32
Nice. Alright. Well, now it's time to do the radio thing and play some music for your listening pleasure. I'm a put on some of, I'm gonna put on the judge by Augurs. Hope y'all, I hope you guys enjoy it. Stay tuned for that half.

Alana 49:47
Remember to vote.

Tyler Farnes 49:49
Yes, remember to vote.

Welcome back, everybody. Thank you for listening. Now, this is off the record with me, The Loaf and I'm here with Augers. How do you guys, uh, how do you guys like the local scene here in Raleigh?

Connor 53:57
Alana you can go first. I think uh, I'm gonna go first.

Alana 54:02
Connor, you should go first.

Connor 54:03
I got strong, I got strong feelings, man. I got strong feelings. R.I.P Kings. R.I.P Neptune's man. Paul.

Chistopher 54:13
Don't forget Berkely

Connor 54:13
If you're hearing this, please. No, dude. Berkeley got extended

Chistopher 54:18
For now.

Connor 54:18
For now yeah, I mean, we'll see, got taken out of the rezoning. Anyway, I, when, when Augurs V1 was playing and coming up, we got hit up to play Slim's so many ding dang times. And we did and it was a place where local bands could like cut their teeth. Is that the, that's the phrase?

Alana 54:43
I have no idea.

Chistopher 54:44
Oh, R.I.P Emerge. Yeah, it is cut your teeth. Because I definitely cut my teeth at Emerge at the open jams.

Connor 54:48
Yeah. And Emerge too.

Chistopher 54:49
That was my first time serious about playing every day.

Connor 54:51
So, so like so, now, I mean, like we're, you know, I feel lucky that we kind of established ourselves early on because It's like, hard for, for local bands to, like find spaces to play in front of people for the first time. You know, like, Tim, Tim Lemuel like built that stage at Ruby Deluxe. Thank you, Tim. And he has one at Nightrider now too, and like he's, you know, he's got the Wicked Witch as well.

Chistopher 55:24
We shout out that one house venue?

Connor 55:26
Oh yeah Iguanatropolis. Yeah, yeah, we played there Ask A Punk for sure.

Alana 55:31
It's fall so Ask A punkin'.

Connor 55:33
Yeah. But like we, you know, I, and like, we've been able to, we usually play like the Pour House now. And I think that we're, it's, it's cool because we've been playing for a while and we can get shows like that because people know us and they'll show out to the shows, but like, it's a lot tougher for bands that haven't played shows before to, to like get those opportunities, you know, and our man Yancy at Iguanatropolis is like building it up slowly but like that house is like not in great condition. So like all of the, all of the like, how show venues like in the Beltline are probably going to get demolished within the next like five-ish years.

Tyler Farnes 56:16
Um, I feel like you guys position like in the sort of, I guess the way you sing musically is like very unique. You guys seem, you guys are very unique sound, I think, in this scene. I think also what's, what's really awesome, too, is that you have a, the female lead, Alana, and singing and everything. The only other band I can think of is Bangs, which is a hugely-

Connor 56:42
And we played with them a couple of times. Erica's awesome, they're energetic, absolutely rappers, man.

Tyler Farnes 56:47
Or, like, how do you guys feel about like, sort of the women in this sort of Ral-, Raleigh scene, and in general, just sort of, you know.

Alana 56:57
I feel like, they're fantastic. There are so many great female musicians around here. And it is just really strange. Growing up as a female, like, you know, it's, I feel like it's kind of normal for, you know, guys in high school or college to be like, yeah, man, this, let's be in a band, but that's not really a thing you come across with females, as much.

Tyler Farnes 57:22
Yeah.

Alana 57:23
And honestly, like, I just, I just wish that would have been a thing. I wish I would have realized, or just like, kind of made myself do it too, or figured out who else was out there. Because there, there are people, there are females out there, super talented. But if you just like don't have that push or encouragement to go out, and do it, you know, nobody in society is, you know, pressuring you to do out, to do that, or, or go out and be that person. That's and that's a female musician, which can be, you know, difficult because they're, you know, times where you're either not taken as seriously. Or you're just getting hit on. So, so also, if you're a female, and you're thinking about playing music, call me. I just really wish I would have figured out sooner that I can use my voice and I can get out there and it can be so scary.

Connor 58:28
Oh, yeah. Also shout out Girls Rock NC.

Alana 58:30
Girls Rock, NC and Fem Fest, thank you.

Connor 58:32
By the way, both of those organizations are doing wonderful things for trans, queer, and fem folks all over the triangle. And just really, really awesome organizations. Putting a light on talent, and just like, showing younger folks that like music, like, it's hard to make, like music accessible, you know what I mean? But there's people out there that are like, willing to help you get exposure and learn, you know, learn what it's like to be in a band. And I really think that Girls Rock is doing something really awesome.

Alana 59:16
Yeah, I mean, there's, there's nothing like being able to play your music to people. And yeah, I, I support all females trying to get into it. I mean, it's, it can be hard to start doing anything. And especially doing anything and then when you're just immediately just not taken as seriously or you know, the, the dynamics can get weird because you show up and you're the only girl in a in a room full of guys that's trying to play music and you're just like, woo.

Connor 59:56
Yeah, do you know where this cable goes?

Alana 59:58
And then, and then,

Connor 1:00:01
Yes.

Alana 1:00:01
You have to endure the mansplaining, you have to endure all the things.

Connor 1:00:05
I know what an XLR cable is.

Alana 1:00:09
But, and then if you pair that also with just the insecurity of you know,

Chistopher 1:00:13
Existence.

Alana 1:00:14
Wow I haven't been, existence oh my gosh big player. Also, and also just the normal like, wow, I've never done this before and now I'm in public playing and you know, what am I doing like negative self talk can can come in so strong but,-

Connor 1:00:29
Yeah, talk to Alana.

Chistopher 1:00:32
Just start a band, start a band with her friends. And, and talk to Alana as well, not to contradict, but emphasize just, just do stuff with your friends. It's great.

Connor 1:00:39
Yeah.

Alana 1:00:39
Yeah.

Chistopher 1:00:39
Make music. Make art.

Alana 1:00:40
It's the best and I mean, like, I'd never if it wouldn't have been for y'all, I never would have gotten into music. High five to you.

Chistopher 1:00:52
I mean, same here. Yeah. Thanks, guys.

Connor 1:00:54
Hey, you want a high five as well?

Tyler Farnes 1:00:56
There's always a place for everybody.

Connor 1:00:57
Yeah.

Tyler Farnes 1:00:58
You just have to find it.

Connor 1:00:59
It's true.

Tyler Farnes 1:01:00
And I think it's all of our responsibilities to, to make those places more visible, especially sort of like, in, again, like, maybe local music scenes, in general, they're more male dominated, and all that type of stuff. So yeah, but I mean, obviously, there's always great people everywhere, so,-

Connor 1:01:22
Just gotta find them.

Tyler Farnes 1:01:23
Yeah, just gotta find them.

Chistopher 1:01:24
Hey.

Alana 1:01:25
We're Augurs.

Connor 1:01:26
And you're listening to WKNC 88.1 FM Raleigh, caw.

Tyler Farnes 1:01:31
Uh, okay, well, now we're going to do, or at least do some like quickfire questions. Some, like just like off topic type stuff. The stuff. If you coul play a show during any decade of music what decade, would it be?

Chistopher 1:01:48
Oh, 1870s.

Tyler Farnes 1:01:50
70s.

Connor 1:01:53
I would say the, the gosh, probably like, late 70s, early 80s. Like right around like Joy Division time. I just, I just love that band. And everybody was just like, so depressed. And wearing black and I love like goth. Like the goth culture, in that, like, time period is just like, so cool to me. And like.

Alana 1:02:19
Quickfire.

Connor 1:02:20
Yeah, that'd be, what about you?

Tyler Farnes 1:02:21
It's fine.

Alana 1:02:27
70s.

Tyler Farnes 1:02:29
70s?

Is that more for like the psychedelic type stuff-

Alana 1:02:32
Oh, absolutely, mhm yeah.

Tyler Farnes 1:02:32
Or just like, yea h?

Alana 1:02:34
Yeah.

Tyler Farnes 1:02:35
Well, I guess when you guys are playing live, like, like, does that enter? Like, like, like, like, how do you like the how do you like the dynamic between you and like, the crowd? Like, isit very much like, do they feed off of you? Or do you feed off of them type of thing. It's like,-

Connor 1:02:55
I love what so, so this is like, this is like, kind of like a weird thing, right? Because, like, we've been playing together since 2020. And honestly, I feel like now, like, at this very moment in time, like, I'm, I've hit my stride in performance where I can play. Like, you have to you have to stand still on stage playing. Like, with guitar, and you know, bass tune Niver I'm sure.

Chistopher 1:03:23
I don't ever stand still at all.

Connor 1:03:24
Yeah, Niver does, Niver doesn't stand still at all. But like, I've finally gotten to a point where like, I can, like, move around and like, stare at people and like, do weird, do weird things and, and like, and it's great. It's great, but I love when, when, like, people are vibing to and like from a performance perspective. I definitely feel like we've gotten our like live sound to the point where it sounds like professional and like clean and correct and we're not like making mistakes like-

Chistopher 1:03:52
Feels good to make people feel good. Like the Wicked Witch show closing out album release. It was packed, it was so fun. Yeah, I felt we did great. And everybody else. Yeah, definitely feel the energy. Of course, we always put on our best show every single time. But it's always nice to see people enjoying it. I mean we wouldn't publish it if we didn't think people would like it.

Alana 1:04:13
I, I think for the first year we played my voice would always tremble. Yeah, and it took me Yeah, at least a year to do that and be normal and then it took me another year to be able to play stone cold sober and still be living life to the fullest not freaking out in any single way. So yeah, I think we've we've all hit a better stride of being able to interact or stage banter doesn't feel extremely stupid anymore. Doesn't feel extremely stupid anymore. It's usually, it's fine. I have a, I have a good time. And, I mean, if we have a good time, I would assume that other people will have a higher chance of having a good time.

Tyler Farnes 1:04:53
Now going off like I guess space rock in general. Like, like I haven't heard of space rock until like I started looking up you guys. Like, like doing my research. Uh, what's your, what's your guys's favorite planet if you have one?

Connor 1:05:05
Saturn. I love the rings man. I love the rings that's, that's so cool. Having, having like some like orbital, orbital rings.

Alana 1:05:15
That is pretty sick. I am a big fan of Pluto because it's been excommunicated.

Connor 1:05:21
Yeah, just like Martin Luther.

Chistopher 1:05:25
I have to say Neptune because I don't know, it's the first word that popped into my head it just is a good word. You know it's fun.

Tyler Farnes 1:05:34
You know my favorite planet is? It's Earth. I really wan to be here right now. I can't believe any of you guys didn't pick Earth.

Connor 1:05:46
We're all just depressed.

Alana 1:05:48
No Earth just has a lot of stuff going on right now.

Tyler Farnes 1:05:51
It does, it has a lot.

Chistopher 1:05:53
You gotta spread the love, there's not even any humans on those other ones.

Connor 1:05:56
Yeah. Colonize!

Chistopher 1:05:58
Colonize.

Connor 1:06:00
Mars for the rich, Earth for the poor.

Chistopher 1:06:06
Uncloseted capitalist.

Alana 1:06:09
I don't, I don't know if I'm into space cap. Space colonization.

Connor 1:06:15
Sorry I was just quoting that Giz album.

Alana 1:06:16
Oh, okay. I don't know.

Chistopher 1:06:19
No, he means it, he's real.

Alana 1:06:23
I mean, Giz does have wise words, though. They're, they're evoking some black mirror stuff.

Tyler Farnes 1:06:28
Yeah. Nice. So what's your guys's like one favorite petal? Each individual. I know you guys use a lot, like, whats like your one favorite petal that you're like, bring to like a desert island. You can't bring anything else.

Chistopher 1:06:44
Well on a bass LS2 frequency thing. I only use it for the frequency splitter. I think it has other uses too. But they're just nice because then you can use any pedal on a base and then you'll still have the clean signal going through. Yeah, that's nice.

Tyler Farnes 1:06:56
I'll, also quick question Chris, do you use, do you use, do you use pick or finger?

Chistopher 1:07:01
I just use finger I don't know. I'm kind of stubborn about it. Like I feel like I was using a pic the other day because my fingers hurt. Because I hadn't played in four or five months.

Tyler Farnes 1:07:10
Yeah.

Chistopher 1:07:11
But um, yeah, mostly just fingers. I want to get good enough to do like everything with fingers and get that hard driving sound just with your hand because it is really fun to connect to it so directly. I do love that about bass. So you're, you know, the closer you can get to the sound closer, you can make that to your body. It's just a satisfying feel. So I should mess around with picks a little more though.

Tyler Farnes 1:07:32
Yeah, I mean, like, I personally use pick. I use, I play bass.

Chistopher 1:07:36
I like the bass sound a lot.

Connor 1:07:41
A versatile man. I'm gonna go with the Super Fuzz, Super Fuzz War, because it has a crazy tone and you can sound like you like, locked your amp in a safe and throw it in the ocean. And it also sounds like a swarm of bees that you locked in a tin can that really makes your ears hurt, because it's so treble-y. And it also has a volume boost. So if I'm like I want like 10 cans of bees, you can do that.

Alana 1:08:18
I love bees. I love bees. Plant pollinators guys. All right. Anyway, um, I don't really use pedals like that, besides my tc helicon. But I'm just going to say the RC Looper pedal. That's, that's my jam when I'm when I'm by myself. So yeah, so I can sing things and harmonize with myself and add the effects on and it's a good time. I've also written stuff that way, too. So-

Connor 1:08:58
Yeah, that's how I do stuff in my house sometimes. When I'm doing like solo things you know.

Alana 1:09:02
Yeah, that's my answer.

Tyler Farnes 1:09:04
Nice. All right, well, what is, what is an auger?

Alana 1:09:08
Augur is not to be confused with a drill auger. So everybody wants to sell it, A-U-G-E-R-S, which is totally reasonable and logical. That's usually what people are talking about when they say auger in real life. But we are A-U-G-U-R-S, and what augurs are, awgurs, what augurs are are ancient Roman officials that would be able to tell the future based on bird movements. And they were right there with the dudes that were looking at, like sacrifice entrails and those types of things to, they would get those interpretations and take them to the higher ranking officials in Rome and be like, yo, we need to go to war with these cats.

Tyler Farnes 1:09:59
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alana 1:09:59
By the way the eagle was flying westward and screeching we need to go to war with these guys like people would go to ancient Roman college. Like college, college. Yeah, and study this, to be able to advise the higher ups on what to do. But it's not any old birds. It's like eagles, vultures.

Chistopher 1:10:22
Not just any old birds.

Tyler Farnes 1:10:24
It's the smart ones.

Alana 1:10:25
The smart ones, owls, except for chickens maybe. I don't think chickens are very smart.

Chistopher 1:10:32
No, they're not. No.

Tyler Farnes 1:10:32
They're smart in their own pace.

Alana 1:10:34
Yeah. Vulture, eagle, ow,l ravens.

Connor 1:10:40
Crows probably too. Right?

Alana 1:10:42
I mean, that's like-

Chistopher 1:10:43
Magpies?

Connor 1:10:44
That's a raven bro.

Alana 1:10:45
Wait, are they all-

Chistopher 1:10:46
What? No they're not it's a magpie.

Connor 1:10:50
All right.

Chistopher 1:10:54
Truth seekers. That's all you need.

Alana 1:10:56
Yeah. Truth seekers, magical, mystical.

Connor 1:11:00
Boyds.

Chistopher 1:11:00
Beautiful.

Alana 1:11:02
Beautiful, natural. And it's-

Connor 1:11:04
They read the signs from the boyds.

Alana 1:11:06
Yeah. And so, a fun fact about birds is that vultures keep their tails short by nibbling on them with their beaks so that when they are walking around carcasses and other detritus, they do not get their tail feathers soiled. They also pee on their feet to avoid contracting any diseases from their nasty steppings on as well.

Tyler Farnes 1:11:37
Honestly, like I knew what augury was I just didn't know what it actually meant. So I was like, it's great. It's just like, it's um, fortelling the future I guess with birds.

Alana 1:11:48
Yeah, yeah, with birds. And it was really funny because that came from, we got augury. I got augury as word of the day. And that was interesting. And I looked it up and I was like, wait a minute. This is incredible. We had other band names like ducky and I was like, Oh my no,

Chistopher 1:12:04
I like ducky.

Alana 1:12:04
No, no, we like our, think of our like, our music. And if we were named ducky.

Chistopher 1:12:09
Yeah that would be sick. It'd be like um,-

Connor 1:12:11
But shout out Duck, though. They're playing with, they're playing with Julia at Cat's Cradle.

Alana 1:12:17
Yeah.

Connor 1:12:18
Soon. Good stuff.

Tyler Farnes 1:12:21
Nice.

Alana 1:12:21
Yeah. And check out Wormholes Charlotte Bass Band.

Connor 1:12:24
Oh, yeah.

Chistopher 1:12:25
They rock.

Alana 1:12:26
They're amazing.

Connor 1:12:28
They just played a transfer call on Friday, actually. So it'll be a little bit.

Alana 1:12:32
Catch it. Yeah, yeah.

Tyler Farnes 1:12:35
Yeah, nice. All right. Well, thank you Augurs for coming down and speaking with me. It was dope. Where can people find you? Where can people find your music and anywhere else?

Connor 1:12:46
We got Spotify. You can find us on Bandcamp. You can find us-

Chistopher 1:12:50
What's our bandcamp?

Connor 1:12:51
-on Instagrams.

Chistopher 1:12:52
What's the Bandcamp name? Augurs Band?

Tyler Farnes 1:12:59
Augur Sounds

Connor 1:13:00
Augur Sounds, yes, that's our Instagram as well so you can find us there.

Tyler Farnes 1:13:06
All right, well, this is WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 Raleigh. I've been The Loaf, this has been off the record with Augurs. I'm gonna leave you off with He Believes and Coming Home from Augurs. Thank you guys for tuning into Off The Record, see y'all later.

Connor 1:13:21
Bye.

Alana 1:13:21
Thank you.

Chistopher 1:13:22
Goodbye.

Tyler Farnes 1:13:23
Thank you. Awesome.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai