Our new column Stoop Sessions invites NYC local bands to Alt Space to highlight local heroes and spotlights conversations about music and living in New York. This week we get to know downtown new wave outfit Public Access TV.
The boys from Public Access TV just finished an American tour with lo-fi garage-pop ladies Hinds. At noon with coffee and cigarettes in hand, Public Access TV joined us in the backyard of Alt Space for our inaugural post to our new interview series. This downtown based band brings back the nostalgia of the debauchary of NYC 70’s punk, while pumping listeners veins with jangly Brit-Pop. Public Access TV is the sweetness, honesty, and earnest appeal of Brit-Pop and the rage of a punks’ love for chaos. Listen to their latest single Patti Peru below and read about their recording stories about using the same piano Adele used to record 19, the weird smell in bodegas, and Buttercup the tour van.
Hafi: How did Public Access TV meet?
John: Well, me and Max went to high school together so we met when we were really young. I met Xan. Me and Xan met each other when I moved to New York. Xan was already living here and I moved to New York in 2008 we met each soon there after.
Hafi: Where are you guys originally from if you all are not from New York?
John: Tenesse.
Max: Missouri.
Pete: Ohio.
Xan: Boston.
John: We all came here and then met eachother through an audition.
Hafi: An audition?
Group: Yeah
John: An ad on Craigslist. ‘Drummer looking for a band.’
Xan: ‘Will do what ever it takes…’
Pete: I was the last to join. I feel like I’ve known these guys before…
Hafi: Aw, look at you guys!
Hafi: You guys are a New York based band. Do you think that changes the way that you make music or think about the way you present yourself ? New York being an epicenter of culture and music how does that influence your creative process.
John: Yeah, I think anywhere you live, probably ends up being infused in your music somehow …something but we all moved here because we wanted to make music and like you know, already in love with past music from New York y’know and then other than that living here just like y’ know you get into a lifestyle, and I think that kinda like finds its way.
Hafi: Who are some of your favorite New York based artists?
John: The Reed.
Xan: Oh wait are you talking about contemporary or… ?
Hafi: Either one, classics are good.
John: Lou.
Xan: You just can write Lou. No one else matters.
Hafi: Only one, number one bae?
John: Yes.
Hafi: Were you guys in other bands before this one?
John: Well, me and Max had a lot of bands in high school.
John: Yeah I mean like mention definitely one that nobody heard of.
Xan: What was your band in high school?
John: We had a band called Deluxin.
Pete: Deluxin!?
John: Yeah with like a really nutty guy we were friends with. I feel like that was kinda defining us as musicians, because we would fight so much and he was like y’know this kinda crazy guy who would make us try all these different things. He was a challenging guy to be in a band with, so we had to learn how to deal with somebody a little coo-coo, from a young age I guess. I feel like a lot of being in a band is just like dealing with each other.
Hafi: So is Public Access TV sick of each other yet?
Group: [laughs] Xan: Skip that question.
Hafi: My friends who are in bands talk about how theres always a “tour mom.” Which one of you guys is the tour mom?
John: Pete’s the tour mom.
Xan: Pete’s the “tour dad.”
John: When we start to get super crazy in the back of the van … or when I start to get crazy in the back of the van, I start calling him “Dad” and… it’s kinda weird. I’m like “Shut up” or “We there yet Dad” ,“Dad I gotta pee.”
Xan: He won’t even let us stop to pee. Real dad shit.
Max: You could say we have some daddy issues.
Hafi: Punny.
Pete: In a dad voice — ‘you guys have to learn!’
Xan: But he’s like that abusive alcoholic dad — When you say “tour mom” that sounds so nice , like we could use one. You wanna come with us?
Hafi: [laughs] I’ll pass on tour life, it’s rough!
Pete: But really our ‘tour moms” are our actual moms.
Xan: We all stay with our mothers when we are on tour.
John: We get our tooth brushes and underwear.
Max: We get our fuel.
Pete: I guess our tour mom could be “Buttercup.”
John: Buttercup is our van, or I should say his van.
Hafi: What is the longest our you’ve been on?
John: The longest tour we’ve been on, is what? Probably a month and a half?
Xan: That really wasn’t a tour though. We kinda went to England for the summer and just kinda lived there. Like, uh it really wasn’t touring because we weren’t going to a new city everyday.
Max: I mean the last six months feel like one long tour.
John: So the break we’ve had from our last tour has been the longest before we were busy. We really haven’t had much to do for two months or something, but now were gonna be busy again, hopefully stay that way forever.
Hafi: So I know you all have been in bands prior to this, but John this is the first project that is “yours.” How has that process been?
John: It has become our project. Yeah, it was the first thing that I’ve done thats playing in somebody else band, yah know. That goes for some of us.
Hafi: Do you like that better?
John: I like it better , I was ready to do that, I’m glad that I like did so much other shit. To kinda like , I don’t know, to know more of what I don’t wanna do, so but with this I don’t know, I wanna do this forever, I felt playing with other shit was always leading to be doing this, now that I’m doing this I can kinda can’t go back to doing that.
Hafi: Yeah, I know. You’ve already stepped up no going back for you now.
Hafi: How long have you been making music then not just with PATV?
John: Really young, like I don’t know. I dropped out of high school when i was 16 to go on tour before that is was like we were playing in bands and playing around Tennessee where we lived.
Hafi: Like fourteen?
John: Yeah, fourteen. Twelve to fourteen.
Xan:My first instrument, seven, but not guitar. I won’t tell anyone what it is, but seven.
John: He’s really good at bag pipes. In a poise voice — ‘He’s got the quickest hands. Thats what his teacher told me, then he got the guitar, woof, all down hill from there.’
Hafi: So you guys are doing a full length next year. How do you feel about it ? Is there anything you can tell me about it?
John: Yup.
Xan: We recorded it at Jethro Tulls drummers house.
John: Half of it. Well, the majority of it we did four days at one studio and then we did a week there.
Xan: Then the other studio. Then John recorded some piano on the same piano that Adele recorded 19 on.
Hafi: Did you channel your inner Adele that day?
John: I don’t think I was aware. [laughs] Maybe.
Xan: That’s a true fact.
John: We are very happy with it.
Hafi: Good. Every band should feel that way about their work.
Hafi: What record make you want to work in music? I’m a record store nerd, so I love talking to people about their favorite inspirational artists.
Amongst each other: Do you remember the first vinyl you bought?
Xan: I want to hear Max’s answer.
Max: Probably Legacy of Brutality by the Misfits.
John: I had a CD collection. But after that there was a record store where I first wanted to buy vinyl. I bought Combat Rock, and I bought a Best Of by The Doors. And then that was before I kinda got into record collecting.
Pete: Rubber Soul, they were my parents records upstairs in like this little library area with a record player.
Hafi: Yeah. Parents music taste makes a big difference.
Xan: My parents turned me on to the Ramones when I was like three or four. It was my dads favorite band.
Pete: Any of the Beatles records. I would put any of those on.
Xan: I remember the first time I heard the Beatles back in the USSR. Must have been five or six. Blew my fuckin mind!
John: Did you have a very Beatles household? My household was into the Beatles.
Max: My Dad hates The Beatles.
Xan: How do you hate The Beatles?
Max: He was an Elvis man all the way.
John: My mom was really into Fleetwood Mac and my dad was really into The Beatles. So it was 2 different sides. She also liked a lot of things I don’t like.
Hafi: So since we are talking about records what are two records everyone should listen to before they die?
Xan: Oh fuck!
John: Probably Lou Reed, but that might make them die a little quicker, but I guess that depends on how long you are trying to live.
Max: The Ramones first album.
John: If you have never listened to it, yeah.
Hafi: You would be surprised what people haven’t listened to.
Xan: Right, but we can do better than that. Two records to listen to before you die, damn.
Max: Perfect records…?
Pete: The White Album.
Xan: That’s a hard question. What would you say?
Hafi: Transformer Lou Reed I would definitely go with that one.
John: Except for Chinatown. [laughs] John: I really got into this record lately Phil Lynott. I’m really happy got into it before I die.
Hafi: I’ve never heard of that guy.
Max: Yeah you have!
John: He’s the singer from Thin Lizzy. It’s a solo album.
Hafi: Oh cool, Ill have to give it a listen!
Xan: But what is your second record?
Hafi: Umm.
Xan: Now you know the feeling.
Hafi: [laughs] I think I’d go with Ms Education of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill. She’s one of my favorites.
John: Oh, that’s a good record.
Hafi: Last question is for fun. Whats your favoite thing to buy at a bodega?
Xan: Cigarettes, especially if they are 7 dollars and imported from Virginia.
John: Yeah, thats true, don’t blow up that deli.
Xan: I’m not giving the address.
John: Bagel and BBQ chips.
Pete: Breakfast.
Max: That bazar smell…
John: You cant buy that!
Pete: You can’t put a price on that.
John: It’s priceless ~
Group: [laughs]
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