LOCKSLEY
The SiS Q & A by Dany Sloan

Seeing a Locksley show is an intense experience, but these guys don’t need sick metal riffs to melt your face off. They are a band that studied at the universities of Beatles and Stones, putting out one of the best self-released discs of recent memory, Don’t Make Me Wait. Just after the band took their gospel to China, they sat down with SIS to tell us exactly why it’s awesome to be in a rock band.

Stranded In Stereo: What brought you guys together and how long have you been at it?

Locksley: We all met in high school in Madison, WI. We moved out to New York as a band three years ago.

SIS: What have you been up to lately and what is on your plate for the next few months?

L: It's been busy lately with touring for the past few months and promoting our album. Just got back from playing some festivals and club dates out In Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo.We're going to be doing a little bit of writing and recording, and then heading out to for some summer festivals and club dates.

SIS: How often are you guys on the road? Do you have any crazy stories?

L: We've been touring about half the year and it'll probably be even more than that this year. Being on tour, crazy things seem to happen regularly. We've been in a bad car accident, deported from England, drove for 24 straight hours to make a show, etc. There are also little funny things that happen. When we were in Austin for South by Southwest, we were playing our set and about three quarters of the way through, a seemingly very drunk guy stumbles up on stage and says, "I'm the owner of this club and you have 2 more songs.” We thought that seemed normal enough so we picked our 2 songs and started to play. Turns out the guy was not the owner of the club, he was just a drunk wandering around and he ended up dancing on stage for the last 2 songs till security threw him out. Apparently he got beaten up in back of the club later that night. So I guess that's a crazy story and a sad story.

SIS: What have you been listening to lately? Have any of the bands you've played with lately really blow your mind?

L: It's been out for awhile, but I just started listening to the newest Rogue Wave record. It's really amazing. We've been lucky to tour with some great bands and we tend to become obsessed with their music. This winter we toured with the Rapture and became their biggest fans. And recently Scissors for Lefty songs have been stuck in my head for days.

SIS: Is it harder to be a band on a label or to be self-released?

L: There's definitely good and bad with both. Being self-released we have full control over everything we do without outside opinions changing things that we wouldn't have changed in the first place. That being said, a label gives you some financial freedom (although you pay big for it on the back end) and some more instantaneous connections to reach a broader audience. The good news is, things are changing in the business to the point where a band can reach lots and lots of people more quickly than in the past. With MySpace, itunes and blogs becoming so common, we can be heard by millions of people with no label push behind us. Bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have shown what word of mouth can do and that's changing how people are seeing the music industry. Certainly if you can have at it yourself it’s better as you can be more dynamic and responsive when it comes to making decisions regarding your career. Labels can be slow to react and get in their own way a lot. The realities of today’s music environment demonstrate their sluggishness in adapting to the rapidly changing music industry. There are still benefits to be derived in a strategic alliance with a label that understands the band and its music that can bear real fruit for all parties involved.