Interview: The Alternates

“I believe that music can be used as a powerful tool to remind people about some of the issues and problems in the world”, exclaims Spencer Livingston, front man of enthralling Los Angeles six-piece The Alternates.
“Sometimes the truth can be painful to hear - but it needs to be said and I am not afraid to say it.”

It’s a confident retort from Livingston, but you wouldn’t expect anything less judging by the band’s alluring debut Spiders and Webs EP – a sprawling six-track fizzing ball of energy that wraps the raw, curious vigour of early Bob Dylan with the blistering sincerity of Neil Young into one of 2011’s best kept secrets.
Their skilled musicianship shines throughout the album but it’s not surprising.

The six-strong pack are long time friends, and have been playing together since 2003.
Livingston, whose searing vocals at times splice the unmistakable growl of Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill with the haunting croons of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, is joined by twins Kevin (bass) and Erwin Solis (drums), guitarist Tristan Esmundo, Matt Walker and multi-instrumentalist Jake Craven.

“Back in 2003, Matt and Spencer began playing together, then a little while later I began playing bass and that was the initial formation of The Alternates”, said Craven.
“From 2005 on, we began developing our sound little by little, by writing, recording and playing shows around Los Angeles.
“Finally, in 2009, I rejoined the band to play keyboards and we were set. At that time, we really came into our own musically and were able to find a voice that was truly ours.”

Like most bands, The Alternates put in the ground work in the hope of finding that breakthrough and, thanks to the wonders of the internet, a successful fundraising campaign via the kickstarter.com website led to the recording of Spiders and Webs – and thank the lord they did.

The EP is awash with different styles, from alluring folk-rock to rock-driven tales of modern hardships, and this was always going to be on the cards for a band full of varying perspectives on modern life.

“There’s so much going on in terms of the identities within the band”, admits Craven. “This results in everyone offering a different perspective on how something should or could sound.

“Luckily for us, we feel that is a strongpoint and we enjoy writing different songs that sound unlike our other stuff. There are no set guidelines for how we are supposed to sound, so we allow each song to develop naturally and form its own identity.”

It’s easy to sit back in 2011, take notice of what’s going on around you and fear and impending global collapse. From the middle-eastern uprisings to the catastrophic earthquake in Japan, or the global financial institution that’s akin to a teetering Jenga set, more and more people are waking up to the struggles and crisis facing the planet, and Spiders and Webs’ opener The Modern Way is extremely prevalent in terms of hardships currently facing modern world consciousness.

“I think that is definitely true about The Modern Way”, observes Livingston.
“I usually try to write songs based on observations and experiences. Most of the time I try to write lyrics that have double meanings and sometimes when you write that way, a song’s meaning can become more abstract.
“I think The Modern Way was my attempt at writing lyrics that are a little more straight forward or ‘accessible to the listener. It seems like I did a pretty good job because your interpretation was pretty dead on.
“It is important to stay up-to-date with what is happening.”

What’s next for The Alternates? The band say the EP received a fantastic reaction and there are aspirations to cross the Atlantic and perform in the UK. The world really is their oyster.
According to Craven: “We feel that in order to carve out a niche for ourselves, we need to find our finds wherever they may be. So, there is no specific place that we aim to break in.
“If there turns out to be a community of people who potentially could enjoy our music in Japan or New Zealand, then we want to do everything we can to get our music to those places.”

The Alternates have a devout belief in following their music’s path and remain true to the grounded messages jam-packed in Spiders and Webs; and there’s little doubt the six-piece can build up a loyal fan base thanks to their humble personas.
“Being a band that is working to establish itself in the industry, the journey is really an adventure”, believes Craven.
“As long as we are still making music and getting our songs out to people who enjoy them, we don’t care where we are – two bit dives in Walla Walla Washington, or festivals in the south of France, as long as we are doing what we love to do everything will be OK.”

Interested in checking out The Alternates? Check out these cracking tracks from Spiders and Webs EP below. You won't be disappointed.

The Modern Way by The Alternates

Slow And Steady by The Alternates