The windy city found itself a particularly strong wind when they sent us The Hush Sound, and there’s nothing quiet about this band’s success or its lead singer’s jazzy voice- despite the name. Hot Seat sat down with Greta and Bob from the indie quartet, and found out about important things like their musical influences and foot hygiene. Yup, that’s right. Check it out.
Q: Tell us about your craziest touring experience.
GRETA: On the 2006 Panic Tour, we played the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. After the show, most of the bands and crew walked a mile to the beach and, having not brought our swimsuits, decided to swim in underwear or totally nude. Bob and I opted to skinny dip and, at one point, he was trying to get back to the shore but the waves were crashing over him and he was gasping for breath. I yelled to him, ‘Bob, are you going to live? As much as I want to help you, we are both naked so I can’t.’ (Would have been far too awkward). Thankfully, he survived in one glorious piece.
BOB: We’ve had our share, but one that sticks out is when we were driving through Texas at four in the morning and a deer ran out in the center of the road. We swerved and pulled an “encino man,” but with a 15-passenger van and 14-foot long trailer. We were very close to flipping. We did a 180 in the middle of the highway and somehow no one got hurt– except the deer.
Q: What type of college class would you most want to take and why?
GRETA: Biomedical Ethics– a class that combines law, science, and religion would be the most fascinating course for me.
BOB: I’d love to take a Spanish class right now. I used to speak it but I have forgotten almost everything.
Q: What city in America is the most fun to visit and why?
GRETA: We all agree that Austin, Texas is one of the most welcoming places for musicians. You gotta love Stubb’s.
BOB: I really like NYC, LA, and Austin are all wonderful. There’s no specific thing in Austin or NYC, but I always go to the farmers market in LA (loteria is the best).
Q: What’s some of the best advice you were ever given?
GRETA: To always make decisions out of love instead of fear. To ignore my sometimes paralyzing inner critic.
BOB: Never let what matters the least matter the most.
Q: What’s in heavy rotation in your MP3/CD player right now?
GRETA: The Beach Boys, Elliott Smith’s XO, Neil Young’s After The Goldrush, Simon Dawes’s Carnivore, The Magnetic Fields.
BOB: Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall.
Q: What’s the last good book you read or TV show you’re addicted to?
Greta: Just read Love’s Executioner by master psychotherapist, Irvin Yalom. The book delves into his work with ten patients and how he treated them. We also watched every episode of Wonder Showzen on this tour.
BOB: The short stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Q: What’s the first concert you ever saw and how was it?
GRETA: I was ten years old and my mom took me and two friends to see ‘N Sync. All I remember now is that my incredible, free-spirited mother was scolded by security for dancing on the chairs.
BOB: The first concert I went to (on purpose) was Leatherface, Avail, Dillinger 4 and the opener was Midtown. When I was younger I went to New Kids on the Block and got split up from my mom and older sisters. It was terrifying.
Q: What are three items you can’t live without on tour?
GRETA: A ripe avocado, a practice keyboard, a traveling library.
BOB: Cell phone, earplugs (for sleeping on noisy buses), local coffee houses.
Q: Who are your major musical influences?
GRETA: Duke Ellington, Leon Russell, The Kinks, Elton John, everything Motown, The Beatles, Neil Young, pop music from 1900’s till now.
BOB: A few: Tom Petty, Funk Brothers, Beatles, Rolling Stones, early jazz and ragtime.
Q: Any random messages or tips you’d like to give to mtvU watchers?
GRETA: Come see us this summer on our headlining tour. Check out thehushsound.com for dates! And keep your feet clean!
BOB: I’d suggest watching zeitgeist, at zeitgeistmovie.com. It was really interesting.
