Portraits and words by Monica Kurowski. Live photos by Lauren Khalfayan, find more of her work here.
After selling out their first ever New York show with a total of three songs out, Grapetooth, the Chicagoan synth-pop duo with an affinity for red wine, returned to NYC, only this time accompanied by their now released self-titled debut album. The pair consists of Chris Bailoni, who produces music under the alias Home-Sick, and Clay Frankel, guitarist and vocalist of Twin Peaks. We had the opportunity to sit and chat with the latter half of the sensation ahead of Grapetooth’s show at Bowery Ballroom.
Last time you guys played New York it was a one-off show at Baby’s All Right in September. You only had a handful of songs out, and since then you’ve released a new album and ventured out on your first ever headlining tour. How are you feeling?
It feels good so far. It’s been a little while, or, it feels like it’s been a little while since the record came out and the time between that and this tour, but it’s been going good. I feel good.
Is it different now that the audience knows some of the words as opposed to before when it was just “Trouble”, “Red Wine”, and “Violent”?
Those are still the ones that people scream a lot. But people were asking for songs that I didn’t expect and then we learned them.
Like which songs?
“Hangover Sq.” It was so funny, there was like these two groups of people at the first two shows of this tour that kept yelling that after every song. So I was like okay, and we didn’t know how to play it really, so we learned it. But then of course we learned it by the third show when no one asked for it, but then they got it anyway because we put the work in.
I noticed that you guys chose to incorporate a guitar into your live performance, which you didn’t have before. Can you explain your thought process behind why?
I just wanted something to do a little more. For the Chicago shows it didn’t have a ton of thought into it. I was just like, “let me sing and I’ll try to remember the words”. That was pretty much it. But now that I know them, I just wanted to play guitar I guess. Have something a little more to do and not just be like, a front man type-thing, ’cause I just feel like a jerk sometimes.
You don’t like being a front man?
No, not really. I just don’t have it in me. I mean I’ll do it. I can get it in me. I could just be like drunk or whatever and it’s easy, but no, I don’t like doing that the whole time. But there’s still moments that I’ll do it.
Do you think there’s a difference between “Grapetooth” Clay and “Twin Peaks” Clay?
I don’t know. I don’t think so. I’m driving a lot more.
In the past you’ve mentioned “Drip Dry Eyes” by Yukihiro Takahashi being one of your inspirations behind some of your music. What has been inspiring you lately and how does that inspiration transform into a new song idea?
Well I just wrote a song a few days ago that I just started playing on stage. I’ve been listening to a lot of country music and I guess that’s kind of affecting the way I write songs now. So I wrote a kind of country song that I just go out and play, right before the dance party starts.
So we’re gonna hear that tonight?
Yeah, I mean it’s up to me really, but I think I’ll do it.
In what way is it country? Is it the songwriting, or the vibe, the lyricism or story telling?
Well, it’s like in a, I never know if you call it a swing or a shuffle, but it’s got that rhythm, which is kind of a country thing. And then lyrically, I guess It’s about loss which is a good theme of country. I guess I mean more like Americana music. I don’t know, I’m bad with genre names but I guess that’s a new inspiration. What else have I been listening to? I really like the BRONCHO record, that last BRONCHO record. It’s funny though ’cause I listen to like various, split [genres]. Like I loved a lot of dance music and I’m getting a lot more into that too, but at the same time I love just like, rock and roll.
Was getting into dance music a harder transition?
No, I don’t know. Just with time you listen to new things that excite you. I just never listened to it before, you know?
What was your entry to that world?
Yukihiro Takahashi, for sure. I listened to that then I just thought it was so cool, so interesting. And then Kraftwerk, and then just interesting stuff. And a lot of the music that Chris [Bailoni] made when I moved in with him was kind of in that vein.
With artists such as the likes of Post Animal, Lala Lala, and Grapetooth, do you think that Chicago is a great scene for emerging artists?
You know what I’m gonna say! The answer is yes. I don’t know if it’s a good platform. Like I don’t know if you should move there to try and make it happen, but all I know is that there’s a lot of great bands, great artists.
Has this happened within the past few years? Or has it always been there?
I’ve always felt like it’s been amazing. Growing up, all I really cared about was garage music and that was really everywhere when I was growing up. So I thought it was like, a mecca. It’s just funny, you either play a show with somebody or you eventually start meeting people that are making music in Chicago. And it’s not just ’cause they’re my friends, but I think they’re really good. They’re really talented.
Is it almost a product of your environment in a way?
What is it about Chicago? I don’t know, doesn’t every major city have great music? I mean I live in a house with five other people so, we find ways to make it happen.
How does living together impact the way you guys make music?
I live with Chris, so I mean, I guess it just was the only reason we did it in the first place. Well no, I guess I was hanging out with him a little bit before I moved in with him. But I guess just actually making something, like if you see this person enough, you’re gonna do it.
Do you get any musical ideas at absurd hours like, wake up we have to do this?
Yeah, we would just record songs. We would go out and come back home and it’s like no one’s tired, let’s just do this until god knows what hour and just have fun. We really didn’t intend on doing it for real at all, or even releasing it. Our friends talked us into it so, now here we are!
What’s the first thing you look forward to doing when you come back from touring?
Riding my motorcycle. It’s a sweet ride and I miss it. When I see guys and gals and whoever riding them around, I get a little heartsick.
Since I’m sure you spend a lot of time on the road, what have you been listening to lately while driving? Do you have some sort of anthem?
Well the last two days, ’cause I’m driving mostly, I’m just playing the live Grateful Dead for everybody. But there’s been some songs that are good staples. Let me try to think here… I’m just blanking right now. Some guy in Detroit, he was like an old DJ character, gave us these mixed CD’s of funk music that we’ve been playing a lot. Just a lot of stuff I’ve never heard before and there’s no track list, so I don’t know what it is. I haven’t Shazamed it yet.
What can we expect from the future of Grapetooth?
I don’t know, I came up with a concept for uh…
G2?
G2. It would be like a horror. It’d feel like a horror film. It would be like horror music, but it’d be dance music and it would be called “Necrotrancer”. There’d be a lot of blood and hoods involved. We actually did just make a song with Lala Lala right before we left. I don’t know, there’s a lot of ways this thing could go, and I’m not really sure which road to take. I think if it feels good, we’ll do it. If it sounds good to us, then we’ll roll with it.
