INTERVIEW: SPINDRIFT

Image courtesy of Spindrift

A couple of months ago, Dave Koenig - the guitarist from the LA-based band Spindrift - was generous enough to answer a few questions I sent through from Drone. For those unfamiliar with the band, Spindrift produce excellent western psychedelic rock and roll. Sounding like a culmination of the esoteric legend and spirit of the American desert, Ennio Morricone scores and the legacy of post-60s electric psychedelia, Spindrift create music which is as distinct and ageless as the influences that have prompted it.


Can you tell us of any particular albums or artists that have had a strong influence on the way you write or play your music?
I guess Ennio Morricone is kinda the given answer on that one, along with The Electric Lucifer by Bruce Haack, The Music Machine, and all the great surf and psych bands from the 1960s.

We know you played with the Brian Jonestown Massacre for a while. What are some of the other bands you have had a hand in?
I played in The Quarter After for a bit and a few LA bands here in there. Spindrift has been full on for about five years now.

How did you get involved with Spindrift in the first place?
I was playing in BJM and met KP through Frankie Emerson. He was very quiet and seemed like a nice enough guy so we asked him to hit the road with us and sell merchandise. About three tours later, he played us a casette of the Spindrift stuff he had been writing and we all loved it. So when we got back to LA we booked a show and went from there.

Is most of the songwriting handled by Kirpatrick Thomas, or is it more of a collective effort?
KP handles the initial songwriting and we all arrange and add parts here and there.

Has the band's sound changed much since it started?
KP started the band in Delaware with a whole different lineup and sound. Those early records are more electronic psychedelic and punk sounding. When he moved to the west, the band pretty much formed anew, he just kept the name, although he's consistently written most of the songs throughout the years.

How did you guys hook up with Mike Bruce (director of Spindrift's film, The Legend of God's Gun)?
Mike showed up at a gig in New York at the Mercury Lounge. He saw us and immediately something clicked. He had a vision for what music we had been playing at the time.

It seems you folks have had a busy year, with the release of the Legend of Gods Gun film, the Goin' Down EP and not to mention all the touring. Where did you fit in recording The West LP?
The West took about three years to record in total. We had been working on the LOGG movie while recording The West. It just so happened everything came out at once.

Where did you record it?
It was mostly recorded in the basement of a friend's house in Los Feliz. We cleaned up a lot of it at Dennis Moody's studio and then our buddy Chris Rakestraw mixed three songs at Sunset Lodge.

How were the sessions for the West compared to previous recording you've done with Spindrift?
KP tracks as he writes so we usually end up with demos that become the final recording. As the songs morph live, we'll go back and add parts and change things here and there. With The West it was really no different from The Legend of God's Gun, although we had slightly better recording gear.

Is it hard to get your music heard over there? Do you get much radio airplay, or do you rely on touring and good ol' word of mouth?
We have been lucky that here in LA Steve Jones has a radio show and really likes us. He's been playing "Red Reflection" quite a bit. But for the most part we have mainly focused on touring. It seems the internet has been a great source for people and bands to discover one another.

How often do you manage to get all the members of the band together for a show?
There are seven of us who will usually play the shows here in LA. When we go on tour, we are a five piece.

What can the audience expect from Spindrift live?
Watching a bunch of acid casualties play freaked out spaghetti western psychedelic music.

Can you tell us about some of your most memorable experiences playing live with Spindrift?
It's tough to type all of those out. Playing with Charlie Louvin, The Enchanted Forest in Austin was great, Touring with Black Angels and Dead Meadow. Pappy and Harriett's in Pioneertown is the single greatest venue to play or see a band.

In Australia, the band is relatively underground – do you have much contact with fans from these parts?
We don't really know too many folks over there. We would love to get overseas and tour, so we've been trying to line up all the ducks to make that happen.

What are our chances of you touring down here?
If all goes right, pretty good.

And lastly, what music are you really digging at the moment?
Erkin Koray is a Turkish musician who's done amazing records, Davie Allan and the Arrows, Lightnin' Hopkins, Crooked Cowboy, and Lower Heaven.


For more information on Spindrift, drop by their website or Myspace page.