Keyboard rig: Truth be told, we’ve yet to find the right setup. We started out using the beautiful, legendary Yamaha CP70 electric grand piano. Our aching backs soon changed our minds, as it is possibly the heaviest piano we could have chosen. We’ve tried out a few different stage keyboards and right now we’re using this old Kustom 88 which has a nice sound, but is also ridiculously heavy. We’ve recently acquired an old Wurlitzer that we’re fixing up — hopefully this’ll be our answer. For recordings, we use an acoustic piano whenever possible.
Best gig experience: After a bit of an ordeal getting the tour van to start and a long, rainy drive, we arrived uncharacteristically late to a show in a tiny town called Castricum in the countryside near Amsterdam. Upon arriving, we were whisked away by the booker/promoter to a lovely nearby home where a vegetarian feast had been prepared for us. It was cozy, the food was incredible, and the people were delightful. We made some dear friends that night and had a great show, complete with forcefully demanded encore.
Practice regimen: Lately, we’ve spent most practices writing, which involves a volleying back and forth between extended periods of very free playing and detail-oriented discussion and arrangement. Then, when we’re ready, we record loose demos, continue to finalize independently, and further refine as a group. It’s not uncommon for the occasional smoky bar rock jam or comic dance routine to interrupt a practice and serve to keep spirits elevated.
Musical guilty pleasures: George Michael, overproduced electronic dance music, Hindi pop, and Natasha Bedingfield.
By Contessa Abono
Photo by Riki Feldmann