The fifth installment of Echo Fest is coming up this Saturday at The Loving Touch in Ferndale. Echo Fest V will feature twelve bands spread across two stages for one night. The lineup includes, Elephant Stone (Montreal), King Buffalo (Rochester, NY), Dead Leaf Echo (Brooklyn), Siamese Detroit, Buffalo Coven Party (Ann Arbor), The Witches, Heaven's Gateway Drugs (Ft. Wayne), MOSS FOLK (Milwaukee), Plastic Crimewave Syndicate (Chicago), Rogue Satellites, Matthew Smith of Outrageous Cherry and Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor. So this is a great chance for you to check out some touring bands, with a few Detroit favorites mixed in there.
We caught up with Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor's drummer Rick Sawoscinski to find out more about the band and Echo Fest. Check out what he had to say below.
HID- Describe your band in three words or less.
Rick- "Psychedelic Spectral Vortex"
HID- Who or what would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Rick- "We of course love bands like Pink Floyd, The Doors and The Velvet Underground. We also like to think that we are very eclectic in our individual influences. Rick: The Pixies and Primal Scream. Eric: Primus and MC5 Sean: Sid Barret and Miles Davis"
HID- Your live show is more of an experience than just a band playing on stage. How do you come up with the projections you show during the show? Why don't you go up and just play your songs and maybe say a witty line or two here and there like many bands do?
Rick- "That's a great question. As a band we have always wanted our shows to be an experience that the crowd could feel like they were a part of. To that end, we used to bring an overhead projector and put it on the side of the stage. We would then encourage the crowd to use the projector and to do the visuals for us. It turns out most people were not excited about getting food coloring all over their hands and clothes. Fortunately for us Wayne Woodward was not hindered by the prospect of having purple hands. Wayne was already a friend of the band and when we introduced the projector element he started showing up to our shows early to help us set it up. Before we knew it Wayne started adding his own elements. It's been years now and Wayne is now an official member of the band and is responsible for all the visuals. Plus, maybe we just aren't that witty?"
HID- You recently played CBGB Fest. That had to be pretty awesome, right?
Rick- "Yeah we were really honored to be asked to play that festival. We did two nights with our friends Dead Leaf Echo and both nights were a lot of fun."
HID- It has been a couple of years since you released your last album. Do you have anything in the works right now?
Rick- "As I type up this response we are adding overdubs and finishing up the final details on our new album which will be released early next year on Mongolic Records (http://www.mongolic-records.es/). The new Album is a little bit of a divergence from Spectra Spirit in the sense that we are trying to tell more of a concise story with our music. We knew that the scale of what we are trying to create would be impossible to finish with all of the distractions surrounding us in our usual studio space. So we drove four hours north this summer and recorded most of the tracks in a secluded cabin. We honestly believe we have created some of the best pieces of music we have ever written. Hopefully, this is exciting to people since we will be playing half of the new stuff at Echo Fest this year."
HID- So now that we know more about your band, let's talk about Echo Fest. What is it? How did you guys come up with the name and idea? When and why did you start putting this event on?
Rick- "Echo Fest was originally Sean's ideas that he came up with after one of his weird taco fueled vision quest. When we started as a band we really struggled to find people to play with. Echo Fest is our attempt to help bring those musicians together and to create a community around what we do. This is the 5th annual Echo Fest and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year. We were obviously inspired by Austin Pysch Fest but we shied away from calling this a "psych rock festival" we wanted Echo Fest to be just a little more inclusive than that. Honestly, we just wanted to throw party."
HID- What can you tell us about the other bands playing?
Rick- "So there was an article posted today on Midwest Action (http://midwestaxn.com/music/psychedelic-sunday-echo-fest-v-at-the-loving-touch-detroit-1115/) I am just going to paste what they said because I honestly don't think we could do a better job.
HID- So these Echo Fest glasses sound pretty awesome. What are they all about? And where did you get them? Do your own secret scientist that has been working on them in a lab???
Rick- "The glasses were Eric's idea. Last year we did record bags so he wanted to do something completely different this time. We used the cosmic omnipotent Google to find a company that would sell them to us in bulk then Eric added his design to all the glasses with our screen printing equipment. They are just another attempt to make Echo Fest not only a musical experience but a visual one too."
HID- Why should people come out to Echo Fest V?
Rick- "The bands. I honestly believe this is the best Echo Fest lineup yet! Plus beer."
HID- Anything else you would like our readers to know?
Rick- "It's not too late to RSVP for the event and save a $3 at the door. ($12 instead of $15)"
As Rick mentioned, entry to Echo Fest V is $15 or if you RSVP to the Facebook event here, you will get 3 bucks off at the door. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with music starting promptly at 7 p.m. and going all the way 'til about 2 a.m. Buffalo Coven Party is opening and The Witches will close things out, so we suggest you get there early and definitely stay late! Plus, the band said it themselves, this is the best Echo Fest lineup yet! So why would you want to miss any of it? For more details on Echo Fest, be sure to "like" it on Facebook here. Be sure to head over to sistersofyoursunshinevapor.com too for details on the event and to download some of SOYSV's music for free!
~C
Rick- "That's a great question. As a band we have always wanted our shows to be an experience that the crowd could feel like they were a part of. To that end, we used to bring an overhead projector and put it on the side of the stage. We would then encourage the crowd to use the projector and to do the visuals for us. It turns out most people were not excited about getting food coloring all over their hands and clothes. Fortunately for us Wayne Woodward was not hindered by the prospect of having purple hands. Wayne was already a friend of the band and when we introduced the projector element he started showing up to our shows early to help us set it up. Before we knew it Wayne started adding his own elements. It's been years now and Wayne is now an official member of the band and is responsible for all the visuals. Plus, maybe we just aren't that witty?"
HID- You recently played CBGB Fest. That had to be pretty awesome, right?
Rick- "Yeah we were really honored to be asked to play that festival. We did two nights with our friends Dead Leaf Echo and both nights were a lot of fun."
HID- It has been a couple of years since you released your last album. Do you have anything in the works right now?
Rick- "As I type up this response we are adding overdubs and finishing up the final details on our new album which will be released early next year on Mongolic Records (http://www.mongolic-records.es/). The new Album is a little bit of a divergence from Spectra Spirit in the sense that we are trying to tell more of a concise story with our music. We knew that the scale of what we are trying to create would be impossible to finish with all of the distractions surrounding us in our usual studio space. So we drove four hours north this summer and recorded most of the tracks in a secluded cabin. We honestly believe we have created some of the best pieces of music we have ever written. Hopefully, this is exciting to people since we will be playing half of the new stuff at Echo Fest this year."
HID- So now that we know more about your band, let's talk about Echo Fest. What is it? How did you guys come up with the name and idea? When and why did you start putting this event on?
Rick- "Echo Fest was originally Sean's ideas that he came up with after one of his weird taco fueled vision quest. When we started as a band we really struggled to find people to play with. Echo Fest is our attempt to help bring those musicians together and to create a community around what we do. This is the 5th annual Echo Fest and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year. We were obviously inspired by Austin Pysch Fest but we shied away from calling this a "psych rock festival" we wanted Echo Fest to be just a little more inclusive than that. Honestly, we just wanted to throw party."
HID- What can you tell us about the other bands playing?
Rick- "So there was an article posted today on Midwest Action (http://midwestaxn.com/music/psychedelic-sunday-echo-fest-v-at-the-loving-touch-detroit-1115/) I am just going to paste what they said because I honestly don't think we could do a better job.
Matthew Smith (of Outrageous Cherry) | Side Stage 7:30pmThe Detroit locals were formed back in the early ’90s as a solo project of Matthew Smith but soon expanded into a 4-piece psych pop powerhouse. They’ve put out 12 albums since then and are just as relevant now as they were two decades ago. Their latest album The Digital Age as well as a retrospective cassette called 1993-2010 are out now via Burger Records.
Rogue Satellites | Side Stage 8:30pmA little bit indie-pop, a little bit shoegaze, but all-in-all a very catchy Detroit act. Their layered guitar tracks fit right into the mold of MBV, Ride, and the rest but are merely a sonic background for their catchy vocals and synthesizers.
Dead Leaf Echo | Main Stage 9:00pmThis Brooklyn based dream-pop group is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Their latest 4-track EPtrue.deep.sleeper is an incredibly lush wall of sound that hits you like a tidal wave. They’ve been called one of the best live acts in NYC, don’t miss your chance to catch them in the Midwest!
Plastic Crimewave Syndicate | Side Stage 9:30pmPurely classic psychedelic rock from Chicago. The infamous Steven Krakow fronts this incredible trio that create driving, reverb-drenched treats for your ears and mind.
MOSS FOLK | Side Stage 10:30pmThe ambient drone project of Milwaukee Psych Fest founder Andrew James Shelp will surely offer a transcendental experience mid-way through this incredible bill.
Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor | Main Stage 11:00pmThe founders and curators of this incredible festival, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor are themselves an incredible force of dark psychedelic power. Their latest LP Spectra Spirit is a heavy mix of garage rock and psychedelia that begs to be heard.
Elephant Stone | Main Stage 12:15amWith the release of their 3rd full-length LP The Three Poisons in August, Montreal’s Elephant Stone have proven that they can do everything from heavy psychedelic rock, indie pop, and even dance music. Fronted by immensely talented bassist/vocalist/sitar player Rishi Dhir, their live show is something that no recording could do justice.
It’s psych-pop infused with a broad range of musical influences that in turn make for an incredibly diverse and exciting sound. This will their only US tour date until next year, stay up late and stick around for these guys."
HID- So these Echo Fest glasses sound pretty awesome. What are they all about? And where did you get them? Do your own secret scientist that has been working on them in a lab???
Rick- "The glasses were Eric's idea. Last year we did record bags so he wanted to do something completely different this time. We used the cosmic omnipotent Google to find a company that would sell them to us in bulk then Eric added his design to all the glasses with our screen printing equipment. They are just another attempt to make Echo Fest not only a musical experience but a visual one too."
HID- Why should people come out to Echo Fest V?
Rick- "The bands. I honestly believe this is the best Echo Fest lineup yet! Plus beer."
HID- Anything else you would like our readers to know?
Rick- "It's not too late to RSVP for the event and save a $3 at the door. ($12 instead of $15)"
As Rick mentioned, entry to Echo Fest V is $15 or if you RSVP to the Facebook event here, you will get 3 bucks off at the door. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with music starting promptly at 7 p.m. and going all the way 'til about 2 a.m. Buffalo Coven Party is opening and The Witches will close things out, so we suggest you get there early and definitely stay late! Plus, the band said it themselves, this is the best Echo Fest lineup yet! So why would you want to miss any of it? For more details on Echo Fest, be sure to "like" it on Facebook here. Be sure to head over to sistersofyoursunshinevapor.com too for details on the event and to download some of SOYSV's music for free!
~C
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