Much anticipation has been building for Braids and their recently released Native Speaker, an album forged from high school friendships and the struggles of growing up. A rash of winter weather has slowed their current tour (see tour dates below), but keyboardist Katie Lee gave melophobe an enthused look at the makings of Braids' first record.
Ian Doreian for melophobe: How are you guys doing?
Lee: We’re kinda bummed; our last two shows got canceled, and today’s is getting canceled, too. I’m a little bit skeptical, because in Canada it snows a lot, but things still happen.
melophobe: Easy with the Canada, what with your universal health care and attitude toward snow.
Lee: It’s OK; we understand there aren't the same measures for snow here in Little Rock.
melophobe: Guess there’s not much joy for your snow days, not like back in high school?
Lee: It kinda sucks, because that means you go two days without being paid. But the shows we had in Canada were really great, so we’re just covering our travels down to Dallas.
melophobe: What’s the end destination for the tour?
Lee: There isn’t an end destination. We’re hitting up many of the same cities twice; it’s touring for about two months and going back home to Montreal at the end of that part. Then, head down the west side of America, like a big U. This is a real big ramp-up for us with touring.
melophobe: What’s been a defining moment for the band in these recent tour dates?
Lee: When we played CMJ, we had played seven shows in four days. And on the last day, it was three shows in a row, so after we played through that, we felt ready for SXSW. You realize you’re playing with some of the best people in the world; it's nice to be with your friends.
melophobe: These connections in the band, how are they tested by touring?
Lee: Being a band with the same people for long periods of time can be a little annoying. Like right now, Raphaelle and Austin are making fun of what I’m saying to you.
melophobe: So who’s behind the wheel while on the road; who controls the CD player?
Lee: Taylor does most of the driving, so usually has the first pick. But we all usually suggest what to play in the van. We’re pretty fair with each other. Though last night, I suggested something, and he said he wasn’t in the head space to listen right now; I need to keep awake.
melophobe: Is there a sigh of relief with the release of Native Speaker last week?
Lee: For sure. We’ve had this on our hands for the last year; now, we're finally moving forward. I think we’re really comfortable with these songs. They’ve been played so much that we’re ready to find something new, and a new way of writing and recording the next album. On tour, we’re trying to write on the computer, and trying to collaborate in the van. Once we go back to Montreal, it’s tweaking and perfecting it, then having to translate to a live setting what we have on the computer. Native Speaker was written entirely live, and the challenge was trying to record that process. This will be trying to do the opposite and see if it works out.
melophobe: With Montreal now as your base, how was the transition from Calgary?
Lee: It was a bit difficult. At that point, we had just taken a year off after high school. Leaving the comforts of our family homes, it was tough coming to a new city. Taylor and Austin went there first, but with school, I really didn’t get to see these guys. After a year of getting our bearings, we eased into the city, because Montreal is really accommodating. A lot of that struggle is translated into Native Speaker, as that’s when most of the material was written.
melophobe: Does the album title connect with having to take French lessons?
Lee: That question’s always asked! It means, well, because that move was difficult as friends, different things come out. Having to deal with those changes, that growth as a group was important for our writing. It was communicating these changes in music; it’s our way, our native tongue.
melophobe: That connects with the band name, the idea of strings together as a braid.
Lee: Exactly, you got it.
melophobe: Was music a break from your studies, or was it an extension of your readings?
Lee: It was more of a break from what we were doing, a comment on the mess we were experiencing at that time. I guess the new songs are more influenced by what we learned at university. I had taken architecture; after two years in that, I'm really interested in its relationship with music and have started to explore that. Our music works very well in that realm. Taylor has been studying philosophy, and that gets into the music; Raphaelle has been reading a lot of Sylvia Plath, so there’s the song “Plath Heart.”
melophobe: Do you see a difference with the architecture of the songs as they are recorded versus as they unfold on stage?
Lee: That’s what was difficult with Native Speaker - trying to get the emotion into a recording session. Live, it’s very easy. When we started the first recording, it sounded a little too clinical.
melophobe: One last question: melophobe means “the fear of music,” and our site is all about sending people out to concerts without fear - even in the middle of snow storms! Do you or the band have any places that you fear?
Lee: I guess when you become an adult, there are lot of choices that you have to make, so being young it’s the perfect opportunity to be doing all these things on the road, especially with three of my best friends. You know, it’s hard to think that someday maybe all of this could come to an end; that’s, I guess, something I fear. But it’s poignant, that thought. What we’re experiencing right now is really special.
melophobe: Like it’s too good to be true?
Lee: Exactly.
Catch Braids' North American Tour:
02-07 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade *$
02-08 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder *$
02-09 West Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern *$
02-11 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel *$
02-12 Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory *$
02-13 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *$
02-16 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge *$
02-17 Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall *$
02-18 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore *$
02-19 Toronto, ON - El Mocambo *$
02-21 Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner *$
02-22 Urbana, IL - Canopy Club *$
02-23 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's *$
02-24 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry *$
02-25 Madison, WI - Der Rathskellar (University of Wisconsin) *$
02-26 Chicago, IL - Subterranean *$
03-01 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
03-02 Portland, OR - Holocene *
03-03 Arcata, CA - Jambalaya *$
03-04 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop *
03-05 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
03-10 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar %
03-11 San Diego, CA - Casbah %
03-12 Las Vegas, NV - Neon Reverb Festival %
03-13 Phoenix,AZ - Rhythm Room %
03-14 Santa Fe, NM - Corazon %
03-21 Tempe, AZ - Sail Inn !~
03-26 Kennewick, WA - The Red Room !~
03-28 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret !
03-30 Calgary, AB - Grand Theatre !
03-31 Edmonton, AB - Pawn Shop
04-01 Saskatoon, SK - Caffe Sola
04-02 - Winnipeg, MB - The Royal Alberta Arms Hotel
04-06 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop !
04-15 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 !
04-13 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head !
* w/ Baths
$ w/ Star Slinger
% w/ Asobi Seksu
! w/ Toro Y Moi
~ w/ Cloud Nothings