When I sat down for my pre-interview research on Margot Sinclair, I had a real deep listen to their premier EP Buenavista and simply could not pin down their vibe. Each song, with its own distinct cadence, made it difficult to believe the EP came from the same people in the same creative process. I head to the band’s garage for an answer.
Beneath the Christmas lights and among the harmony of the washer/dryer, I sat down with Kyle Mix (vocals), Carson Baer (guitar), Luke Sutherland (guitar), Owen Rice (bass), and Phillip Way (drums). The guys let out a laugh before rolling my question over in their minds, tentatively landing on Indie Rock, but I quickly realize their composite nature is the true charm of Margot Sinclair.
Kyle: “Our live performance really show that range because we are known for covering “Use Me” by Bill Withers just as much as we’ve covered a Maroon 5 song. We’ve covered Creedence Clearwater, we’ve covered the Stones, we’ve covered more alternative rock, and we’ve also covered surf rock…which has been really fun, because playing in a house show, you tend to see bands pick their direction and stick with it. Buenavista was a representation of what we do live, and that’s definitely not sticking to one genre.”
The guys’ musical backgrounds and inspirations inspire a broad sonic range as well, reaching from gospel music, to the Beatles, to the Strokes, all the way to 1920s scat.
Previously known as Buenavista, the band has transitioned more than just their name: initial band members Sophia Marguilles (drums) and Charlie Coy (bass) have graduated and made room for Phil and Owen, leaving Margot on the cusp of a new sound.
Carson: “The transition of bandmates came at a really good time because the Buenavista EP was very much a collection of previous songs we had written and expressed in a band format rather than just our own creative thoughts. At the time we transitioned bandmates, we started to exhaust previous ideas, and were able to start writing music as a fresh group.”
Their new EP, Is This For Love?, is a fresh collaboration that debuts three new songs: “Is This for Love?,” “Napalm Girl,” and my personal favorite, “Hour to Break!”
Carson: “For the new EP, definitely the same tempos, less poppy, a little more rocky, and then there’s some more exploratory melodies, especially with “Hour to Break!”
I ask how their process looked while putting together the EP.
Phil: “Once we have an idea and kind of a structure, we build the melody from there before adding lyrics.”
Carson: “A lot of people get scared when you first start playing because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, and when you go in this room, there are no feelings to be had because we’re all working towards a common goal. I appreciate that.”
Some of the guys’ eyebrows raised a little at this.
Me: “Are there feelings to be had?”
It became clear pretty quickly that Luke is the band’s bearer of bad news.
Carson: “There’s so much intention behind what Luke’s saying, and with his experience and volume of musical knowledge he’s always backed with reason.”
Kyle: “He’s the most talented musician I’ve ever played with and it’s been fucking awesome, but I want to fucking kill him sometimes, but I would never because I love him too much.”
Luke: “Because you can’t.”
Although the transition was relatively smooth, their first week together definitely expedited the process, a band bootcamp of sorts.
Kyle: “We booked the Libertine the first Thursday of Week 1. We met here the Saturday before, having never played together before. We had six days to play an hour and a half show, 16 songs, the majority of which we had never played. It was a frustrating week, but after that, we walked away from it like okay, we’re pretty set.”
Seeing how effortlessly the guys feed off each other’s energy in conversation, it came as no surprise to me they pulled off the feat.
Owen: “At the end of the day, we’re all good friends here and we just have fun and enjoy playing music together. It’s the most comfortable, natural thing to be on stage with everyone playing the songs we’ve written.”
Later on, I get to see that palpable, feel-good energy the guys ignite in conversation translate into a live performance. In a cramped and cozy SLO living room, with the bass vibrating through the hardwood and DJ Khalid’s Golf Digest cover on the mantle staring down at me like a house show god, they start with their own “Love Song” and the crowd instantly falls into their trance. Kyle is anything but a stagnant singer and had us dancing all the way through.
Had I never got to talk with the band beforehand, I would have assumed they simply were born performers, but getting to learn about the growth that brought them here made their show all the more special.
Luke: “Kyle went from having to hold a guitar just to have something to do with his hands, to now every show just killing it with crowd work, running across the stage. That energy just oozes into the crowd, and he runs the show.”
Luke’s guitar solo is as mesmerizing as they’d warned me it would be and Phil doesn’t miss a single fill on drums. Their talent mixed with their stage presence and the moments of humor and camaraderie between the band makes for a truly memorable show. Although they brought so much energy and gratitude to such an intimate space, it only made me more curious to see them on a grander stage; something like when they went 130 people over capacity at Libertine Brewing Company.
Kyle: “At Libertine, that was one of the first moments that I was like wow, there’s worth here. And I could see there’s a value to what we’re doing. And whether that value grows doesn’t really matter. It’s just really cool to see that people appreciated it that much.”
Having won SLO’s Battle of the Bands, their next stop is… Shabang Music Festival!
Go get groovy with them, and while you’re at it let me know which One Direction members you think the guys are.
Having won SLO’s Battle of the Bands, their next stop is… Shabang Music Festival!
Go get groovy with them, and while you’re at it let me know which One Direction members you think the guys are.
Kyle: “Based on hot boy attitude, Owen’s probably Harry Styles. Harry might be too hot for me. I’ll be Niall.”
Luke: “Is one an asshole?”
Me: “Liam’s kind of an asshole.”
Luke: “I’m Liam.”
Carson: “What’s Louis? Is he just there?”
Me: “Louis’s a little femme.”
Carson: “Oh I’m Louis.”
Kyle: “I saw One Direction at the at the Nickelodeon Team Choice Awards. They got shlimeddd.”
Luke: “That’s my dream. That’s my dream for Margot Sinclair. That we get slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.”
Julia White is a member of our editorial team. She conducted the interview and wrote the article. Henry Ludlow is our photo/video manager. He took the photos. Claire Filby is a member of our art team. She made the graphic.
コメント