buffaBLOG: So you guys were here at Pitchfork in 2010?
Alex Bleeker: Yeah, we actually didn’t play last year, but we were here because it coincided with a tour we were doing. We did a summer tour and we thought, "Well everyone’s going to be out for the festival," and it was sort of a ‘if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em’ kind of thing. We got a couple of passes from friends to come here and check it out and then we played an after-party.
bB: Are you guys playing any after-parties this weekend
AB: No, not this year. I don’t really know what's going on tonight but I’m hoping to go to one and hang out. The vibe here is just incredible.
bB: I saw you guys on your last tour in Cleveland with The Babies. Having never heard them, I was seriously impressed. Of course you guys did an awesome job as well. How was that experience?
AB: It was great. That tour was amazing. We only toured with The Babies for a week and a half, so there was no time for it to get into a tired, grueling tour-mode. It was just a total love fest. We were just starting to get along, and we were having a great time and then it was over. It was like kind of bitter-sweet because we weren't ready for it to end, but it will always be this pristine, perfect memory. They’re really good friends of ours; we love them.
bB: So I assume when you tour you’re driving everywhere? How is that?
AB: When we do like a long tour we drive. We have our own van. We’re doing it the old fashioned way. Just huffing it.
bB: I feel like that would be the best way to do it.
AB: It’s great. It’s a good way to travel and see the country and meet new people.
bB: Has touring together made you all best friends?
AB: Yeah, and we have been for a long time. Martin, Matt, and I have known each other for more than ten years now and we all live in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. We hang out all the time.
bB: You’re originally from Jersey, right? How was that growing up?
AB: I love New Jersey. We have a lot of pride, you know. Well, you probably feel it in Buffalo right? Everyone makes fun of you for coming from Jersey. And so it makes you bend the other way and you just love it even more. It’s like, “Fuck off, Jersey rules!” I’ve felt that vibe from a lot of people coming from Rochester and Buffalo and Western New York too.
bB: Yes, it’s very similar. Especially with Buffalo’s position to Toronto. I feel like it’s similar to Jersey and NYC because you go up to Toronto and you’re afraid to tell people you’re from Buffalo...
AB: (laughs) It’s like that! Are you guys Bills fans?
bB: We are huge Bills fans.
AB: I respect the plight of the Buffalo Bills. Even though I’m a Giants fan and I apologize for what happened. But it wasn’t really our fault though. I have a good friend--my best sports fan friend--we watch football together all season and he’s a huge Bills fan. He’s from Rochester. I feel for you guys, growing up and never seeing a Super Bowl win. I would love to see it happen for you guys.
bB: Longest playoff drought right now. Haven’t been since ’99!
AB: But you were so good though! Well, I think it could be a good year for you guys.
bB: Do you frequently attend Giants games?
AB: I went to the biggest game of the regular season last year. It was the win-and-in game against the Cowboys. I’m a huge Giants fan, have been for life, so obviously stoked about last year.
bB: So are you doing any more songwriting with The Freaks right now?
AB: Yeah, I’m actually finishing up a new Freaks album right now. It’s like 90% done and it’s going to come out around January.
bB: What are your strongest influences with The Freaks?
AB: Neil Young is probably the single, most immediate influence and Little Wings too. I had a vision of Little Wings being backed up by Crazy Horse (laughs), and that’s pretty much what the record is, if you think about it. But also in the way that the album was recorded...I was reading Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography at the time, and there are a bunch of great passages about how he recorded. He’s just like, “No Bullshit, all soul! Get directly to tape as quickly as possible! Get a live sound. Get the group going.” And that’s basically what we did for that record and it was recorded in one day, really fast. There are even some mistakes in there that we kind just left in. And it was mixed really quickly. We recorded all the music first and then I overdubbed the vocals and that was pretty much it.
bB: What’s your favorite Neil Young record?
AB: It’s really hard to choose but I love Zuma, On The Beach, Tonight’s the Night, and After the Goldrush--come on, everyone knows that record’s incredible! Those are the big 4 for me. I’ve been into Trans, but that’s a little different. I’m just a huge Neil Young fan.
bB: Is there any possible Ducktails collaboration in the works or is that essentially Real Estate?
AB: Ducktails has turned into like it’s own separate thing at this point. Matt’s working on a new record too. He’s almost done with it. His will probably be out a few months before mine. You know the band Big Troubles?
bB: No.
AB: Big Troubles is a band from Ridgewood, NJ, and they’re just a really great band. Check them out. Matt sort of drafted those guys into helping him write and record his next record.
Alex Bleeker: Yeah, we actually didn’t play last year, but we were here because it coincided with a tour we were doing. We did a summer tour and we thought, "Well everyone’s going to be out for the festival," and it was sort of a ‘if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em’ kind of thing. We got a couple of passes from friends to come here and check it out and then we played an after-party.
bB: Are you guys playing any after-parties this weekend
AB: No, not this year. I don’t really know what's going on tonight but I’m hoping to go to one and hang out. The vibe here is just incredible.
bB: I saw you guys on your last tour in Cleveland with The Babies. Having never heard them, I was seriously impressed. Of course you guys did an awesome job as well. How was that experience?
AB: It was great. That tour was amazing. We only toured with The Babies for a week and a half, so there was no time for it to get into a tired, grueling tour-mode. It was just a total love fest. We were just starting to get along, and we were having a great time and then it was over. It was like kind of bitter-sweet because we weren't ready for it to end, but it will always be this pristine, perfect memory. They’re really good friends of ours; we love them.
bB: So I assume when you tour you’re driving everywhere? How is that?
AB: When we do like a long tour we drive. We have our own van. We’re doing it the old fashioned way. Just huffing it.
bB: I feel like that would be the best way to do it.
AB: It’s great. It’s a good way to travel and see the country and meet new people.
bB: Has touring together made you all best friends?
AB: Yeah, and we have been for a long time. Martin, Matt, and I have known each other for more than ten years now and we all live in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. We hang out all the time.
bB: You’re originally from Jersey, right? How was that growing up?
AB: I love New Jersey. We have a lot of pride, you know. Well, you probably feel it in Buffalo right? Everyone makes fun of you for coming from Jersey. And so it makes you bend the other way and you just love it even more. It’s like, “Fuck off, Jersey rules!” I’ve felt that vibe from a lot of people coming from Rochester and Buffalo and Western New York too.
bB: Yes, it’s very similar. Especially with Buffalo’s position to Toronto. I feel like it’s similar to Jersey and NYC because you go up to Toronto and you’re afraid to tell people you’re from Buffalo...
AB: (laughs) It’s like that! Are you guys Bills fans?
bB: We are huge Bills fans.
AB: I respect the plight of the Buffalo Bills. Even though I’m a Giants fan and I apologize for what happened. But it wasn’t really our fault though. I have a good friend--my best sports fan friend--we watch football together all season and he’s a huge Bills fan. He’s from Rochester. I feel for you guys, growing up and never seeing a Super Bowl win. I would love to see it happen for you guys.
bB: Longest playoff drought right now. Haven’t been since ’99!
AB: But you were so good though! Well, I think it could be a good year for you guys.
bB: Do you frequently attend Giants games?
AB: I went to the biggest game of the regular season last year. It was the win-and-in game against the Cowboys. I’m a huge Giants fan, have been for life, so obviously stoked about last year.
bB: So are you doing any more songwriting with The Freaks right now?
AB: Yeah, I’m actually finishing up a new Freaks album right now. It’s like 90% done and it’s going to come out around January.
bB: What are your strongest influences with The Freaks?
AB: Neil Young is probably the single, most immediate influence and Little Wings too. I had a vision of Little Wings being backed up by Crazy Horse (laughs), and that’s pretty much what the record is, if you think about it. But also in the way that the album was recorded...I was reading Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography at the time, and there are a bunch of great passages about how he recorded. He’s just like, “No Bullshit, all soul! Get directly to tape as quickly as possible! Get a live sound. Get the group going.” And that’s basically what we did for that record and it was recorded in one day, really fast. There are even some mistakes in there that we kind just left in. And it was mixed really quickly. We recorded all the music first and then I overdubbed the vocals and that was pretty much it.
bB: What’s your favorite Neil Young record?
AB: It’s really hard to choose but I love Zuma, On The Beach, Tonight’s the Night, and After the Goldrush--come on, everyone knows that record’s incredible! Those are the big 4 for me. I’ve been into Trans, but that’s a little different. I’m just a huge Neil Young fan.
bB: Is there any possible Ducktails collaboration in the works or is that essentially Real Estate?
AB: Ducktails has turned into like it’s own separate thing at this point. Matt’s working on a new record too. He’s almost done with it. His will probably be out a few months before mine. You know the band Big Troubles?
bB: No.
AB: Big Troubles is a band from Ridgewood, NJ, and they’re just a really great band. Check them out. Matt sort of drafted those guys into helping him write and record his next record.
bB: What can we anticipate with that record?
AB: It’s different for Ducktails--it’s almost like a 70s Steely Dan, smooth-rock type of record. It sounds really good. And they’re sort of becoming a solvent ducktails band now, rather than just Matt’s solo thing. That record is chock-full of guests. I’ve been hanging out in the studio a little bit while they were
AB: It’s different for Ducktails--it’s almost like a 70s Steely Dan, smooth-rock type of record. It sounds really good. And they’re sort of becoming a solvent ducktails band now, rather than just Matt’s solo thing. That record is chock-full of guests. I’ve been hanging out in the studio a little bit while they were
making it. Martin’s actually on the record, he helped a little bit. I might end up on it a little. When the record finally comes out, there will be a lot of names you’ll recognize on there.
bB: Last, but not least, have you guys started writing new material for Real Estate?
AB: Yeah, we just started writing for the next record. We’re working on 2 new songs right now, and trying to get them ready in time for today’s show, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. We’re doing a short August tour and I think we will be playing some new stuff during that.
bB: Last, but not least, have you guys started writing new material for Real Estate?
AB: Yeah, we just started writing for the next record. We’re working on 2 new songs right now, and trying to get them ready in time for today’s show, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. We’re doing a short August tour and I think we will be playing some new stuff during that.
Photo by Tom Dennis
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