With Hopscotch right around the corner, and WKNC’s Day Party at Legends following closely in its wake– how better to promote both events than by give y’all a lil’ insight into our Day Party Line-up!
WKNC’s Day Party description is as follows.
This year has been full of milestones, and WKNC aims to celebrate them all. 2019 held Raleigh’s first ever Pride Festival, was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and marks ten years of Hopscotch. With this in mind, WKNC’s Hopscotch Day Party aims to promote and celebrate LGBTQ+ affiliated artists from across the state to keep the Pride Party going all year long! Featuring Petrov, Emily Musolino, Juxton Roy, Through the Tallwoods, Black Bouquet, and To Julian, the party will be hosted on Saturday, September 7th at Legends Club. This event is all-ages and supported by the NC State GLBT Center.
This will be a series up until the Day Party, so the questions will be the same, but we can guarantee that every artist will add their own personal flare to each answer.
Through the Tallwoods is an up-and-coming punk act that is managed by the same king of the scene that organizes Juxton Roy. His name, if you’re unaware, is Jonas Chisholm! Both Jonas and Juxton will be at our upcoming Hopscotch Day Party with Through the Tallwoods tagging along as well! Will you be there??
- Give us a lil rundown of how your band got formed! When/where/how/why!
Austin and I (Taylor) met from a craigslist post I put up in the summer of
2017. His energetic and technical bass playing had me hooked the first
time we went through “Wake Up Early.” At the time, we were playing
with a different drummer in his garage in Cary. About a year later, that
drummer left to pursue his other artistic interests and our (long) search
for a new drummer began. Through Instagram, we were able to connect
with our current drummer, CJ Sierra, in October of 2018. His adaptive
playing and quick, ready-to-learn attitude fit with our unconventional
song structures perfectly. Since then we’ve had the opportunity to play
alongside some of our favorite local bands like propersleep, Paperback,
and Juxton Roy – who we’re looking forward to seeing right after our
acoustic set at Legends this Saturday! - What can an audience member expect from one of your shows?
Hopefully to connect to some of our lyrics; we fall under the emo genre
a lot because we talk about some sad shit. You also get to hear Austin
scream real loud – his mic check will scare you (or your money back).
CJ will surprise you with his snare work and rhythm changes. He seems
like a reserved, quiet guy till you see him moving around the kit. We also
like talking to people at our shows, so we hope everyone feels welcome
to do so. - Do you see performance as a task or an endeavor? In that vein, what part about performing is most challenging or liberating?
Austin: I like performing. When skilled performers do their job well it’s
awesome to watch. Seeing all of our practice, hard work, and planning
come together is very satisfying.
Taylor: It’s definitely a little out of my comfort zone – I’ve been more
reserved most of my life. But I agree with Austin; the anxiety of preforming
is overcome by the satisfaction of pulling off a show well. - What does Pride mean to you? How do you embody those meanings in your music? In your everyday life?
Pride is a matter of acceptance for others and yourself. It’s a marked time
to celebrate what makes us different, but also what makes us the same. We
all deserve love; and love, in all its healthy forms, should be celebrated. Our
music talks about the ways we’ve learned to distinguish the difference
between love and simple want. It talks about the ways we’ve learned to
move on from difficult situations, how we’ve grown to respect ourselves
more, and to take pride in the people we’re becoming. - What are you most excited about during Hopscotch?
Austin: Kissisippi! I’ve been a fan for a while now and I’m excited to see
them play live.
Taylor: I love Kississippi as well! Zoë is such a sweet, talented human
being. I’m stoked that the headliner this year is Sleater-Kinney! I have a soft
spot for Riot Grrl rock and Carrie Brownstein. She’s badass. - For the tenth anniversary of Hopscotch, what would you ten years ago think about you now?
Austin: I always really wanted to play music, so I think 14 year old me
would be proud that I’m playing shows and putting out an album now; it’s
been a long time coming.
Taylor: Honestly, at 15 I was still religious and wrestling with the guilt I felt
over my feelings about girls. I would hardly believe that the sappy poems
and guitar riffs I was writing in my room alone would be part of something
cool like this 10 years later. - Please list some fun facts about your band!
WE LIKE TREES A LOT – we go hiking pretty often.
Austin has broken the same arm 3 times but still kicks ass on bass
CJ is one of the creators of local label 85 Split Records, and he also drums in
another band called “Student Health”
One time Taylor ate a live goldfish for $20
You can learn more about Through the Tallwoods by visiting their Facebook page or Instagram (@throughthetallwoods) and, of course, by attending WKNC’s Hopscotch Day Party. It will be held at Legends Club on Saturday, September 7th and begins at noon!
Literally be there or you will make baby deer cry!