The Active Set, made up of Matthew Stolarz (vocals, guitar), Gabriel Grinta (drums) and Alen Racedo (bass), got together as a post-punk, new wave reaction to the generation’s millennial ennui. Stolarz had gotten tired of playing in and out of bands; he had written a ton of songs that needed a home, so he created The Active Set’s first EP with producer Jason LaRocca, and then locked down his band members. Hence, the trio’s antithical sound: cerebral, driven and energetic. The Active Set have toured with Neon Trees and AWOL Nation, and have had stints at SXSW, the Sunset Strip Music Festival and the FYF Fest. Their latest EP, Everything Changes, was released November 18.
Stolarz talks to Myspace about where their band name is from, their love for the sunshine state, and dealing with trolls. Hop to the next page to read the interview.
Hometown and homebase: I live and die and breathe and fight and laugh and cry and fail and succeed in Los Angeles. Always have.
Describe your sound to someone who's never heard you before:
Death Cab for Cutie meets Duran Duran
Why are you called The Active Set?
Three reasons:
1. “Black Active” sounded dumb
2. ENERGY
3. Old folks playing tennis
You already had an arsenal of songs before locking down your band. What made you want to form a band with the rest of the Active Set?
We met because other people were changing their minds and leaving the country and starting fights. We wanted to play music, and enjoy ourselves. We all had lofty notions of making some really cool shit, and getting it out to as many people as possible. We’ve nailed the first part, and are endlessly working on the second.
Why is your album called Everything Changes?
Simply put, “Everything Changes” was a jump forward for the three of us, having ditched all the music we wrote before with other people. It is us. It is now. Everything DOES change, for better or for worse. No looking back. (A million more cliches, but still entirely true!) Recognition that what is happening now is entirely different than what was happening before (though breaking established patterns can prove difficult!)
Did you grow up in a musical household?
My father was a songwriter, and he played a lot around the house when we were kids. It was always there. I think it became my own when I was roughly 10 years old, and started to listen to pop radio. I knew all the R&B songs, the hip-hop songs. But I didn’t start playing music till after high school. Had to join a punk band to learn the ropes, but I did.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
I like a lot of energy, and “weird” elements sometimes. Smart stuff too. English music really changed my life, like XTC, Brit pop, Bloc Party, Bowie… good songwriters. Recently I’ve had my head in a lot of alternative-pop, like The Griswolds, Walk The Moon, Panic! Also, some broken avant garde stuff, like Olga Bell. And I recently dug into John Cale.
How does living in LA influence your music?
I’d say my suburban middle-class experience affects my take on life, keeping my songwriting somewhat grounded and practical. Being a city person though, not a country person, there’s a frantic quality to things, being always on the go. When you drive a lot, you think a lot.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Holy moly, right now I honestly would love to write songs with Nick Petricca, Caroline Polachek and Skrillex (but he’d have to sing… I love his voice).
What's the craziest thing that’s happened to you so far?
Once, half the band had to go home from tour early (for personal reasons) so the drummer and I did a string of shows just the two of us. We went exploring in Redding California one morning, and climbed out onto a train bridge over a large river. Then the train came! We had to clutch to the side fences and pray that there was enough space for us not to die. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so exhilarated after surviving that.
If you were a hashtag, what would you be?
#FunRuiner or #IAmNeverNotThinking
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
The first complete song I wrote was “Trouble With My Head” and it still holds up. It was about being a high-strung intellectual fool who falls in love too easily. Kind of like now, but different.
Do you have a Myspace story as a musician?
MySpace was our first social media platform, and we fought vigilantly to get friends there. I had a daily ritual of contacting people, and it was a challenge. One particular troll was a jaded person-hater, and when I tried to be positive she tore apart my every move, attempting to belittle me and cave me in (you know, like trolls do). I don’t remember if you could block people, but I definitely stayed far away and adopted a “ban the haters” policy after that. That you could just reach out to strangers and find fans that way was (and still is) exciting and empowering.
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from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2l1KNRm
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