Wasting no time following their departure from their previous major music label, PAPA hit the ground running and took their career paths into their own hands. Their sophomore studio album, Kick at the Dust, is a reflection of what they aim to achieve and the influence they intend to leave — a legacy unburdened by fame and monetary distractions.
Myspace caught up with PAPA fresh from their tour to talk about the significance of their new album, the subsequent tour and the stability they've found in the ever-fluctuating music industry.
Darren Weiss
Instrument: Vocals and drums
About the Tour and New Album, Kick at the Dust: So far we’ve done two little trips to support this record — one in Europe and one here. We’ve been sort of functioning on a DIY level. and this last tour we booked ourselves. It was kind of like going back to the beginning of how the band started. Much like the album itself, this series of chores that we’ve done so far has all been about taking the control and the power back after we went through the whole major label run-through and were left feeling very disenfranchised, but then taking that back. It was a sort of manifesting of the future that we wanted and believed in.
Song or Band That Inspired You to Become a Musician: I’d be lying if I said my favorite drummer wasn’t Travis Barker from Blink 182 when I was younger. As we grew up and developed our own style of musicianship and figured out what kind of artists we wanted to be, what kind of music we wanted to write, that coincided with our discovery and immersion into underground punk culture. Whether it’s bands like The Clash, Fugazi or Hot Snakes — those bands were crucial to the development of our ethos and musical aesthetic. While we were living in New York, there was more of an immersion into the works of artists like Talking Heads, David Bowie, and Patti Smith.
Favorite Stop on Tour: San Francisco was always like a home away from home to us. From the very beginning of the band and for whatever combination of reasons, it’s always been a place where we have a really deep connection with our fanbase.
On Maintaining Originality: For us and looking at what our favorite artists have done in the past, the ones who seem to have the most lasting power are the ones who want to emulate rather than try to catch up with what other people are doing. I don’t think either of us are interested in making music for right now, we’re interested in making music for forever. In order to do that, you have to reach into a deeper truth than thinking about what’s happening right now. That’s not to say that we don’t pull interest culturally, politically, or socially — we hear everything that’s going on — but in terms of where we want to go, we reach for something deeper and try to get ahead of our own selves and our own tendencies.
Aspects Which Elevate Your Performances: If you’ve been to a PAPA show, you know there’s a lot of humor and jovial behavior, but I take that fun and that connection very seriously. Each performance is a true and honest reflection of where we are as artists in that moment. Because of that, every audience is getting a genuine performance, and every audience is helping us create that moment. We want each night to be unique. It’s more of a conversation than a monologue, and it’s what’s made our live show such an important part of our career and artistic growth.
Danny Presant
Instrument: Backup vocals and bass
About the Tour and New Album, Kick at the Dust: The whole release of this record has been a process. It’s been basically that we got away from our label, we made this record on our own, and it’s gone right back to where we were at the beginning of the record. There were highs and lows about it. There was definitely that feeling when you connect with the audience that’s wonderful, and then there are nights when you played in weird areas where there weren’t as many people. It felt that like the beginning again, and there was a nice feeling of getting back to our roots.
Song or Band That Inspired You to Become a Musician: I had three posters — the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin and Blink 182. Of course our parents raised us with The Beatles and classics like that, but I wasn’t as blessed to have the “cool” parents. My dad used to play a lot of Lionel Richie and Hall and Oates. Another band that really fucked us up as kids was Mars Volta — their level of musicianship was kind of unmatched at that time for a bigger band in the indie rock/alternative scene.
Favorite Stop on Tour: The Chapel in San Francisco is my favorite venue we've ever played in. I like to go to places where people leave their egos at the door. It’s more fun when you can feel that connection with the audience.
On Maintaining Originality: There are so many elements that aren’t musical anymore about the music industry, mainly being social media and all of that. A lot of times, I would spend my day on it and wondering “Is that cool?” I don’t do this anymore, but I did and it was making me anxious. It was really annoying. I understand the power of social media and, believe me, it’s done good things for a lot of people. For me personally, it feels like high school.
Aspects Which Elevate Your Performances: One thing I think is missing from today’s rock shows is spontaneity because everything is played to tracks for the most part. The sounds are so programmed these days, and one thing that we’ve strived to do — and so far have succeeded in — is practicing the fuck out of our instruments. When you come see us, we may hit a wrong note here or there, but it’s still a right note, it still sounds good. When you do that — when you take away everything — there’s a level of intimacy that I think is heightened when you can hear and see the notes being played. That to me is my favorite part of my show, and the fact that we put on a fucking great show.
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