TinyDesert Concerts are when we bring local bands into the KJZZ studios to play a couple songs for us and talk a bit about the music.
Valley-based band Cheap Hotels came to play for us, and The Show's host Lauren Gilger spoke with one of the band's frontpeople, Ian Wilson.
The young group of four is based in Tempe, but takes inspiration from east coast bands like The Strokes, and British bands like The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys.
And at one time, Tempe was known for a crop of bands often referred to as “jangle pop” — bands like the Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments.
The Show started by asking Wilson how he would describe his band coming from Tempe, and if he sees himself in that same vein.
Full conversation
IAN WILSON: I don’t think it's a product of being from Tempe, but we have been described as jangle pops.
LAUREN GILGER: Do you mind that comparison? Do you think people are gonna think of a band from Tempe and think of these things, and you don't mind being in that line?
WILSON: I don't think they would draw that line. We don't sound anything like the Gin Blossoms, but that's not a bad thing. It's just different.
GILGER: Yeah.
WILSON: And as far as the Tempe music scene goes, it seems to be really a lot more diverse than people think. At this point in time, there's a big noise scene. The punks are always doing their thing off somewhere, and even a bit of a metal scene, I've noticed. I haven't really gotten into it, but I will walk by venues that I've played, and they're just having a different sort of musical night.
GILGER: All right, so let's hear something. Ian, what are you gonna play for us?
WILSON: This song is its working title. It's called “The Guys,” and we're gonna be recording it soon.
[MUSIC]
GILGER: So speaking of music scenes in the valley, the Phoenix music scene has changed a lot. In recent years, it has grown a lot. I think I would say, with all of these new venues that are coming, more being built now, what do you think of the Phoenix music scene right now?
WILSON: Having only been in it for a little while, I can't speak to how it was, but it's fledgling. I guess it's really just growing and in a resilient kind of way, Phoenix isn't exactly the easiest place to create art. I've not been too immersed in other art scenes, but from what I can tell, if the folks in Phoenix are very, very about trying to get their art out there and create it.
GILGER: Yeah. What do you mean by that? Phoenix is a tough place to create art?
WILSON: It’s a city of four and a half million people. I think that's what it sounds about, right? And it seems like local art shows and walks and just music shows. They're not very well populated. And if you just go to a few shows, you see the same faces. It's breaking out to the people who just watch Netflix in their apartment rather than go out and experience the town and what it has to offer.
GILGER: You think it's like a lack of community?
WILSON: To a very large extent, yeah.
GILGER: Yeah. But it sounds like you also think that the art scene here and the music scene here is starting to try to create that community?
WILSON: Definitely, I've only been involved in it for a little over a year, and I've seen it grow and in a really interesting way, just people being very unique and innovative in how they try to plant the seeds for that community to grow, and how they try to make the various art scenes here larger.
GILGER: Yeah, I'm interested in how you referred to Phoenix music scene as, like a fledgling music scene, like people are really trying to make this happen. I guess is it fun to be a part of that right now? Do you feel like you're helping that happen?
WILSON: I’d say so. For example, if you were to try to do something like in LA, there's just so much competition, and it seems like you really need to know a lot of people in that sort of situation.
And in Phoenix, it's more about people coming together to appreciate art and the fact that it is happening here, and people in the scene are very supportive of each other, and I think that's one reason why it's a really cool thing to do music here.
GILGER: All right, well, let's have you take us out on a song. What are we gonna hear?
WILSON: This is called “I Need Some Sleep.”
If you’re in a band or know of one you’d like to hear on air, send us a note at [email protected].
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