1:39 am — I was able to talk to Erin Fein, keyboardist and vocalist for the band Headlights, prior to leaving for Summer Camp. Here is what transpired:
-Eric: One of the first things I saw on the Summer Camp bill is all the jam bands. Do you feel Headlights is going to be unique on the bill?
-Erin: Well, I guess we won’t know for sure until we get there. I know that Summer Camp tends to have a lot of jam band-type stuff. But I think they are expanding their roster of bands to open it up for some indie rock. I think we will probably stick out a little bit, but hopefully that will be a good thing.
-Eric: Compared to the first album (Kill Them with Kindness), the second album (Some Racing, Some Stopping) doesn’t have that same propulsive energy. How do you think the new album will translate live in a big venue, such as Summer Camp?
-Erin: Well, I think that our live show is a little bit different than the way we recorded it, so there’s a lot of energy in the set, even though it’s a more mellow record overall. I think we will be fine.
-Eric: What have you done to have more energy on stage? Any more instrumentation
-Erin: We have two new members in the band now. We have a second guitar player who also does extra percussion, and all sorts of crazy noise stuff with pedals. We also have a bass player who also does really interesting things with pedals and also has another keyboard. It has really opened up our sound. So even though I think our second record is a little more subtle in the way we produced it, there is a lot going on. When you bring it into the live setting, it can be pretty interesting.
-Eric: How do the songs change live?
-Erin: I think it’s all about who’s playing what. The energy that comes from a live show kind of naturally gives the songs more beef. We allow ourselves to work from the new recordings and create new parts. The songs are not exactly the same when we play them live. It is something you’ll have to hear. It’s hard to describe. There is more going on instrumentally and I think our drummer is playing a lot of the cues with a little more “oomph”
-Eric: One of the things I have read is that you recorded this last album in a farmhouse. Did that make it more of a subtle record? How did that influence the recording?
-Erin: I think that definitely influenced the recording. I guess I can’t speak for the entire band, but every time we come to the recording studio, in some way it is a reaction to the last thing we did. When we came off of Kill Them with Kindness, we had to record the record really fast, and it was a pretty sterile studio environment. We’re pleased with that record, but we felt like we wanted some more space, some room to breathe. I think we brought that idea to the second record, and being out in the farmhouse surrounded by corn and soybeans with lazy summer days just brought this mellow vibe to the whole thing.
-Eric: When I think of recording in a farmhouse, I think of a more organic sounding thing, a raw vibe. That’s not something I heard with Some Racing, Some Stopping. I was wondering if that is just a different way to approach it, or how does that work?
-Erin: I think that’s just what we were looking for. You want to move and change as you go, and I think we’re definitely the kind of band that is interested in each of our records having a distinctly different sound, as well as some sort of a thread that remains throughout everything that we do. So I think that if you hear our old tunes and new tunes, there is still an indie pop/indie rock vibe that is laced throughout the whole thing, whatever that means, but I think come together with a batch of songs, I think there is a flavor that winds up going over everything you’re doing. That’s what makes an album sound like an album.
-Eric: I can hear a lot of sublety on the new record. Was any of this made for vinyl, on a good stereo, to hear a lot more than you would hear on an mp3 or a CD?
-Erin: Absolutely. I would think that most musicians are going to hope that people are listening to their music on something other than their computer speaker. When you put the headphones on or listen to it on something where you can hear the moments, you are going to get a lot more out of Some Racing, Some Stopping than you would if you were listening to it on your computer speaker. Even if our record is produced in a hi-fi way, you are still missing a huge amount when you listen through a computer. I would recommend everyone shut down the iTunes and put on the headphones.
-Eric: Was that something you and the band were conscious about?
-Erin: I know we definitely enjoy the headphones-record element to what we were doing. We didn’t sit down and say “Hey, let’s make this not easy to listen to through computer speakers.” because some people listen to the songs on the computer. We don’t want it to sound like shit. Still, it’s not the kind of record you are going to be putting on at a party. It’s the kind of record you are hopefully going to sit down and pay attention to. In that way, I think that was conscious, it was something that you would have to spend some time with.
-Eric: On your website, looking at your touring schedule, it’s just a non-stop thing. With the amount of shows you are playing, at what point can you say “Okay, that’s enough.”?
-Erin: We do like to tour a lot. Still, I think after the Mates of State tour we have lined up, we got invited to play at the Sled Island Festival in Calgery (Alberta, Canada). I think we’re touring now until July 4. We have 35 shows right now. For us, the way we look at it is that when we put out a record, the only way to really get it out to people at the level we are at is to go out on tour and play for real people and take our music around with us. I think we’re due for a break in July. It’s hard though. We’re crazy for touring, and it may end up killing us someday, and I hope not. We love to tour, even for opening for other bands. The Mates of State tour is something we’re really thrilled about. It’s a band we like a lot and they are doing well. It’s good exposure for us. At this point, I think we are going to be looking at package touring with bigger bands. We’ve spent so much time touring with ourselves or with smaller bands. But it’s not exactly an easy thing to come by, there are a ton of good bands out there. Our plans usually come one step at a time, with the understanding that we are all dedicated to touring as much as we think is necessary.
-Eric: But with those package tours, how easy is it to play a show like that if the audience isn’t necessarily coming to see Headlights? Would that be more of a challenge? How does the band approach that?
-Erin: It’s definitely more of a challenge, because when you’re an opening band, the majority of the people are going to come see the headlining act. You do have this sort of challenge to try to win over the crowd every night, which can be really stressful. I think that it can sometimes end badly for bands if they are opening. Sometimes you get packaged with a band where their audience just doesn’t understand you. That can be frustrating. The hope though, is that that when a smart package gets put together, the crowd that comes will be open-minded to what you’re doing, and then of course that helps by giving you exposure to people that have never heard you before. I think we are definitely at the place where some exposure to another band’s fans will be really helpful to us.
-Eric: On a day though, where the audience is unresponsive, how hard is it for the band to go out there and put on a smile?
-Erin: It’s difficult. It’s really difficult. At this point, I think we can read a room, so you usually know what you’re in for. The crowd sends off some pretty strong signals about whether or not they are excited about something. Still, sometimes you can change that. Performing live is a strange beast. You can have some of the highest moments while also experiencing some pretty incredible lows because you are exposed. So if people don’t like what you’re doing, you can feel it.
-Eric: What are some of the coolest places you have been to?
-Erin: On this last tour, we got to go into Canada for the first time as Headlights. We played in Toronto, which I think is a very exceptional city. We got to see Niagra Falls, which was pretty awesome. Coming up, we are going to Montreal, which I have never been to, so I’m excited about that. Still, I have toured the country so many times now that it’s strange, but the whole country is starting to become familiar to me. I love San Francisco, I like Austin, I like Missoula. It’s a great little college town. I’m very partial to the Northwest too. I like Portland (Oregon), and I think the backdrop is so different than what I am used to in the midwest. It’s exciting to be here. I like the East Coast too. Playing in New York is always exciting because it’s a huge city, like being in a maze. It’s different than Champaign, Illinois.
-Eric: Have you met any cool musicians, celebrities on tour?
-Erin: We once played in Norfolk, VA, with a band called The Silent Years, that I think are doing some really cool things. Also, I got to meet Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.) briefly at South by Southwest. I was hanging out, getting a drink at one of the showcases, and he was just sitting there. That was exciting. I love R.E.M., I have a lot of respect for them as a band, and that they are still going. Michael Stipe is somebody I respect politically as well. Still, I think when you tour with a band, you get really attached to them. I know I’m supposed to be thinking outside of that, but Page France and The Evangelicals are two bands that I just really admire. I also remember playing a few shows with a band called Viva Voce. I thought they were doing some cool stuff. We all love the band Mazerati, from Athens, Georgia. They are doing some cool things.
-Eric: You are known as a Champaign band, like Bright Eyes is known as being from Omaha (Nebraska), Wilco from Chicago, and The Decemberists and just about every other indie band from the planet is from Portland. Is it okay to be known as a Champaign band?
-Erin: We are very proud of being from here. I was born in Champaign, and I grew up in Urbana. I have nothing but pride for being from this town. I went to the U of I too, so I kind of have the full circle experience. We tell everybody we’re from Champaign. We’re not one of those tricky bands that live around Chicago that tell everybody we’re from there even though we’re not. The music scene is small, because it’s not that big of a town, but I think there are some really cool bands and really nice people working hard and doing things here. I guess there is an advantage for being in a bigger city that when you start getting attention, you probably can capitalize on that a little more. Magazines and news media kind of search for scenes of interest, like Omaha, New York, Toronto, but I think Champaign has a little spotlight on it. I think we are bringing some attention to Champaign in a cool way. I am certainly very proud to be from around here.
-Eric: What are you listening to on your iPod?
-Erin: Well, I actually don’t own an iPod, because I can’t afford to buy one. I’m not anti-iPod, but I don’t have one. I do classically listen to vinyl records. I got a best-of Emmylou Harris vinyl recently that I’ve been listening to a lot. Tristan and I have both been listening to the new Aloha EP (Light Works) from last fall. I really like those guys. I also liked the Panda Bear record (Person Pitch) a lot. I am a huge fan of The Beach Boys, and he definitely did some new take on that California vibe. My taste is very eclectic, it goes all over the map.
Headlights will be playing at Summer Camp at 11 a.m. Friday. If you leave now…you may just get there in time.
