Electro Unicorn Pop Pioneers
Christina CaldwellIssue date: 6/11/09 Section: Calendar
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But with their first full-length album under their belt, they’re taking their unique sound to the masses, embarking on a global tour, landing right here in good old P-H-X on Wednesday, June 17.
College Times caught up with Telepathe’s Melissa Livaudais in an e-mail interview. If you’re lucky, maybe you can help her find her skateboard this week.
College Times: Rolling Stone has said your music is a combination of Bananarama and TV on the Radio. Do you agree with that?
Melissa Livaudais: Yes.
Speaking of TV on the Radio, guitarist for the group Dave Sitek produced your first full length album “Dance Mother.” What was it like working with him?
Amazing. We are now officially in the “Sitek Cult.”
Your music is definitely unique, but what words would you use to describe it? How would you explain your music to someone who has never heard it?
I guess it depends on who’s asking. Like my mom, I tell “pop,” but to someone who’s hip to the game, we would say “pioneers.”
You’re coming to Phoenix on June 17. Have you ever been through Phoenix before? What was your experience like?
We opened for Diplo and Abe Vigoda there last fall. It was a blast. It was warm and beautiful. I lost my skateboard there! We were on Diplo’s tour bus with Abe Vigoda and we all brought our skateboards. We woke up in Phoenix and started skateboarding all day in a parking lot. Needless to say, I somehow just left my skateboard behind in Phoenix. I’m gonna look for it when we roll up.
I read on your MySpace page that you’re looking for dancers. What part do dancers play in your act? What kind of sweet moves should they have?
We’ve worked with dancers a couple times so far – once at [South by Southwest] and once in New York. So far the dances have been very specifically choreographed, but in general we’d love to have dancers on tour with us. Or different dancers in each city we go to.
The band’s name is intriguing. How did it come to be?
Our band name came out of a conversation we had about a pet communicator – a woman who lives in New York and apparently can communicate with pets.
Who or what would you say influence’s Telepathe’s music the most?
Conflict.
How does the songwriting process work among the group?
We share all of the responsibilities – passing back and forth beat making, melody writing, lyrics, vocals. [It’s a] giant game of exquisite corpse.
You guys come out of Brooklyn, which seems to be a hotbed for really awesome new and inventive music. What do you think it is about Brooklyn that fosters such creativity?
Extreme lifestyle [and] energy. [There are] tons of bands, built in audiences [and] competition.
You’re in the process of a pretty extensive tour for Dance Mother. How do you stay sane during all of that traveling?
It’s impossible to stay sane. Long walks by myself helps. Stretching [too].
Telepathe w/Nite Jewel, Ear Pwr, Modified, June 17, 8:30 p.m., $8 adv, $10 dos
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