 oston-based Karate -- Geoff Farina (guitar/vocals), Gavin McCarthy (drums) and Jeff Goddard (bass) -- is one of those bands whose sound is almost beyond description; they're not punk, not very pop, and "indie-rock" just doesn't seem to fit. The Southern Records web site says "lyrics come from inside, avoiding cliches, guitars build like waves of emotions, bass lines flow as a strong undercurrent and the drums hold it together". That's probably the closest you can come, short of outright playing the music (you can download song samples from the Southern site). This interview was conducted via email with Geoff, who also plays in the Secret Stars...
I'm going to start with a typical boring question, but one that I think is necessary for people new to Karate (like myself): How (and why) did you get into music, and how did this lead to Karate? I've always been playing guitars and bass and drums and all that since I was little. I went to music school and studied Jazz, and I guess that was just the medium that I chose. Karate was just my decision to sort of get my shit together and do a band, and when I met Gavin and Eamonn [Eamonn has since left the band] it just fell together. I had been in lots of bands and never had the patience to see it through, so it was a conscious decision to make something work.In another interview you mentioned that the most creative punk rockers are those that look outside the punk scene for influences. What are some of your major influences (within and outside of the punk scene)? Yeah, I definitely stick by that. I saw Missy Eliot on "Saturday Night Live" the other night and it was the most inspiring thing I've seen this year. The way that she took banal fly-girl aesthetics and totally turned them around was just remarkable. A lot of hip hop inspires me that way, especially the Fugees. My friends think I'm insane, but I think that The Score is the best record that has come out in five years. It's just brilliant and positive. In the punk world, hmmmm....I can't think of anyone new offhand. I really don't listen to much guitar music, except for blues stuff.Looking at the Hev-E-Kreem Web site I was surprised to find out how much you like techno and electronica. Is this something you've always been into, or did this come after you were playing guitar? Well, I've always been into different stuff. In high school I loved the Art of Noise, Philip Glass, Run DMC, Joy Division, and just about anything that offered new sounds. I've also been into weird gear, and I've always collected dub echoes and other noise makers, and recently collected some cool analog stuff. I feel like I've rediscovered a lot recently, especially since I got a computer that actually runs some cool software. I don't know. My shit goes a mile a minute, and next week I'll be into something completely different. |
