With a new single out, “Family Dinner,” Writer's U.S. tour with Cults will hit San Diego on July 29, at Soda Bar.
Writer revolves around brothers Jayme and Andy Ralph. “We play indie rock, with a little Southern guitar picking,” says Jayme. “At the Drive-In’s album In Casino Out is one of my favorite records in the past ten years.”
Much of the band’s early music is acoustic, but they don’t forgo electric guitar or synthesizers. Longtime local Eli Bowser left the band in early 2009. David Hastings MacAdam III made his debut with the band on March 12, 2009, at Bar Pink. Shortly after that show, equipped with a Honda Element and a trailer, Writer gigged their way to Texas to play during the annual SXSW festival.
“Last night, we played in Las Vegas at the Double Down Saloon,” blogged guitarist Jayme on MySpace at the time. “Interesting, to say the least; the city and the people seem a bit surreal.”
The next night in Albuquerque, “Someone in Writer inadvertently dry humped a cactus,” according to guitarist David Hastings MacAdam. “No booze, no bands after midnight in Albuquerque on Sundays. This, ironically, in a state that has no motorcycle helmet law.”
In Las Cruces, “We pulled up to New Mexico State’s radio station, KRUX, and did a guerrilla in-studio performance/interview,” says MacAdam. “Today’s drive was only 45 minutes to El Paso, and we didn’t even have to stop for an Andy [Ralph] pee break, a new record, which usually is prompted by a lot of screaming and clamping.”
Their reach has extended well beyond San Diego, thanks in part to such self-booked touring. “We’ve become real road warriors,” says Jayme, whose well-traveled Honda Element was only one of several vehicles the band has practically lived in.
Jayme says he’s so road-centered that “I buy boxes of a hundred Cup o' Noodles at a time, and I’ve learned to live for weeks at a time on coffee, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tomato soup. Most nights, I sleep on top of my comforter, so when I wake up, my bed is already made and I’m ready to roll.”
When in San Diego, Jayme (a former preschool and elementary school janitor) can usually be found hanging out at one of two places. “The Casbah, to see my favorite touring bands, and the Whistle Stop in South Park, to see our friends play.”
Their early 2011 limited edition vinyl 7 inch Miss Mermaid was supported by a tour.
Jul 18 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA
July 19 Luigi's Fungarden Sacramento, CA
Jul 20 Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA
Jul 21 Venue w/ Cults Vancouver, Canada
Jul 23 Mississippi Studios w/ Cults Portland, OR
Jul 25 SOLD OUT - Bottom of the Hill w/ Cults San Francisco, CA
Jul 26 Muddy Waters Santa Barbara, CA
Jul 27 SOLD OUT - Echo w/ Cults Los Angeles, CA
Jul 28 SOLD OUT - Eagle Rock Center For The Arts w/ Cults Los Angeles, CA
Jul 29 SOLD OUT - Soda Bar w/ Cults San Diego, CA
Jul 30 Club Congress w/ Cults Tucson, AZ
Aug 01 Larimer Lounge w/ Cults Denver, CO
Aug 02 The Riot Room w/ Cults Kansas City, MO
Aug 03 Firebird w/ Cults St Louis, MO
Aug 04 SOLD OUT - Empty Bottle w/ Cults Chicago, IL
Aug 06 The Rozz Tox Rock Island, IL
Aug 07 Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, KS
Aug 10 Trunk Space Phoenix, AZ
Jayme Ralph Q&A
What’s in your CD player?
Fleet Foxes / Interesting sound for music today.
Neil Young (Harvest) / Absolutely ingenious.
Tom Waits (Mule Variations) / Not a whole lot out there like it.
The Henry Clay People (For Cheap or For Free) / Good Rock and Roll from Los Angeles.
Must-have DVDs?
The Departed / Totally Awesome
Almost Famous / Necessary
Lost In Translation / Really Good
Royal Tenenbaum / Eli Cash says it all.
Most visited websites?
www. myspace. com/writer / For our band business.
www. radiohead. com/deadairspace / Radioheads website.
www. gmail. com / To check my email.
www. writertheband. com / Our website.
Favorite writer?
Dr. Seuss. I like his books as an adult more than I did as a kid.
First book you remember reading?
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
Best advice you ever got?
Don't Fear The Reaper!
Something you find impossible to do without?
A cup of coffee.
Top five guilty pleasures?
A Good Record.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup.
A Nice Pair of Sunglasses.
A Clean Car.
Those Corona bottles used as Salt and Pepper shakers.
ABOUT CULTS
Ryan Mattos, AKA Brian Oblivion (who once fronted a Slayer cover band) and Madeline Follin (whose stepfather co-founded White Zombie) are the male-female duo known as Cults .
Having met in 2009 when Oblivion was tour manager for the Willowz, featuring Follin’s brother, their first digital three-song 7 inch released via Bandcamp.com earned them a Best New Music rave from the taste-makers at Pitchfork. The lo-fi sixties surf pop girl-group sound of Cults has earned them much acclaim on other music blogs as well.
Follin is said to have landed a recording contract while still a pre-teen, singing with her stepfather’s band Youth Gone Mad (who recorded her with Dee Dee Ramone). In addition, Follin appeared in a video for another of her brother’s bands (Guards) and sang on a track by Dom called “Bowl Cut.”
In summer 2010, the lo-fi girl groupies took filmmaking classes while spending time in NYC. Around the same time, Lily Allen flew the band to England to discuss signing them to her new record label, In The Name Of.
In May 2011, they released a full-length on Allen’s label called Go Outside, engineered by Shane Stonebeck (M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells).
With a new single out, “Family Dinner,” Writer's U.S. tour with Cults will hit San Diego on July 29, at Soda Bar.
Writer revolves around brothers Jayme and Andy Ralph. “We play indie rock, with a little Southern guitar picking,” says Jayme. “At the Drive-In’s album In Casino Out is one of my favorite records in the past ten years.”
Much of the band’s early music is acoustic, but they don’t forgo electric guitar or synthesizers. Longtime local Eli Bowser left the band in early 2009. David Hastings MacAdam III made his debut with the band on March 12, 2009, at Bar Pink. Shortly after that show, equipped with a Honda Element and a trailer, Writer gigged their way to Texas to play during the annual SXSW festival.
“Last night, we played in Las Vegas at the Double Down Saloon,” blogged guitarist Jayme on MySpace at the time. “Interesting, to say the least; the city and the people seem a bit surreal.”
The next night in Albuquerque, “Someone in Writer inadvertently dry humped a cactus,” according to guitarist David Hastings MacAdam. “No booze, no bands after midnight in Albuquerque on Sundays. This, ironically, in a state that has no motorcycle helmet law.”
In Las Cruces, “We pulled up to New Mexico State’s radio station, KRUX, and did a guerrilla in-studio performance/interview,” says MacAdam. “Today’s drive was only 45 minutes to El Paso, and we didn’t even have to stop for an Andy [Ralph] pee break, a new record, which usually is prompted by a lot of screaming and clamping.”
Their reach has extended well beyond San Diego, thanks in part to such self-booked touring. “We’ve become real road warriors,” says Jayme, whose well-traveled Honda Element was only one of several vehicles the band has practically lived in.
Jayme says he’s so road-centered that “I buy boxes of a hundred Cup o' Noodles at a time, and I’ve learned to live for weeks at a time on coffee, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tomato soup. Most nights, I sleep on top of my comforter, so when I wake up, my bed is already made and I’m ready to roll.”
When in San Diego, Jayme (a former preschool and elementary school janitor) can usually be found hanging out at one of two places. “The Casbah, to see my favorite touring bands, and the Whistle Stop in South Park, to see our friends play.”
Their early 2011 limited edition vinyl 7 inch Miss Mermaid was supported by a tour.
Jul 18 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA
July 19 Luigi's Fungarden Sacramento, CA
Jul 20 Sunset Tavern Seattle, WA
Jul 21 Venue w/ Cults Vancouver, Canada
Jul 23 Mississippi Studios w/ Cults Portland, OR
Jul 25 SOLD OUT - Bottom of the Hill w/ Cults San Francisco, CA
Jul 26 Muddy Waters Santa Barbara, CA
Jul 27 SOLD OUT - Echo w/ Cults Los Angeles, CA
Jul 28 SOLD OUT - Eagle Rock Center For The Arts w/ Cults Los Angeles, CA
Jul 29 SOLD OUT - Soda Bar w/ Cults San Diego, CA
Jul 30 Club Congress w/ Cults Tucson, AZ
Aug 01 Larimer Lounge w/ Cults Denver, CO
Aug 02 The Riot Room w/ Cults Kansas City, MO
Aug 03 Firebird w/ Cults St Louis, MO
Aug 04 SOLD OUT - Empty Bottle w/ Cults Chicago, IL
Aug 06 The Rozz Tox Rock Island, IL
Aug 07 Jackpot Music Hall Lawrence, KS
Aug 10 Trunk Space Phoenix, AZ
Jayme Ralph Q&A
What’s in your CD player?
Fleet Foxes / Interesting sound for music today.
Neil Young (Harvest) / Absolutely ingenious.
Tom Waits (Mule Variations) / Not a whole lot out there like it.
The Henry Clay People (For Cheap or For Free) / Good Rock and Roll from Los Angeles.
Must-have DVDs?
The Departed / Totally Awesome
Almost Famous / Necessary
Lost In Translation / Really Good
Royal Tenenbaum / Eli Cash says it all.
Most visited websites?
www. myspace. com/writer / For our band business.
www. radiohead. com/deadairspace / Radioheads website.
www. gmail. com / To check my email.
www. writertheband. com / Our website.
Favorite writer?
Dr. Seuss. I like his books as an adult more than I did as a kid.
First book you remember reading?
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
Best advice you ever got?
Don't Fear The Reaper!
Something you find impossible to do without?
A cup of coffee.
Top five guilty pleasures?
A Good Record.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup.
A Nice Pair of Sunglasses.
A Clean Car.
Those Corona bottles used as Salt and Pepper shakers.
ABOUT CULTS
Ryan Mattos, AKA Brian Oblivion (who once fronted a Slayer cover band) and Madeline Follin (whose stepfather co-founded White Zombie) are the male-female duo known as Cults .
Having met in 2009 when Oblivion was tour manager for the Willowz, featuring Follin’s brother, their first digital three-song 7 inch released via Bandcamp.com earned them a Best New Music rave from the taste-makers at Pitchfork. The lo-fi sixties surf pop girl-group sound of Cults has earned them much acclaim on other music blogs as well.
Follin is said to have landed a recording contract while still a pre-teen, singing with her stepfather’s band Youth Gone Mad (who recorded her with Dee Dee Ramone). In addition, Follin appeared in a video for another of her brother’s bands (Guards) and sang on a track by Dom called “Bowl Cut.”
In summer 2010, the lo-fi girl groupies took filmmaking classes while spending time in NYC. Around the same time, Lily Allen flew the band to England to discuss signing them to her new record label, In The Name Of.
In May 2011, they released a full-length on Allen’s label called Go Outside, engineered by Shane Stonebeck (M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells).