When searching for a way to describe local band The Stationary Set, I can't help but think of the word emo, but thanks to terrible whiny bands in eyeliner, the term emo—once associated with a melodic breed of bands whose song structure often shifted from soft and delicate to loud and epic, and whose lyrics took an intelligently emotional approach—may now forever be tainted. The quintet's sound is heavily influenced by Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral, the bands who laid the groundwork for the genre long before Dashboard Confessional and others came along to give the genre a bad name, but to tag them as emo could now be considered insulting. The Stationary Set are reviving the lost characteristics of the genre at a time when you have to be a little fearless to do so, because music trends in NYC's scene are as far removed from those music philosophies as they've been in a long long time. Then again, the plates do seem to be shifting a bit of late with the recent success of Cymbals Eat Guitars' throwback to early '90s guitar-focused indie rock and The Drums' refreshing pop sensibilities. With the right combination of those 2 bands, you might find The Stationary Set's blend of pop songs written with an emotional core by a group of talented musicians with a full grasp of their instruments.
The best recorded example of their potential comes on their EP closer "This is Our Nature," which slowly builds in an epic direction, with a series of shifts back and forth between simple, delicate melodies to much bigger, dynamic U2-influenced guitar theatrics. But having seen the band a few times in the past few months, it's safe to say this is only a hint at the more epic sound awaits.
NY Press recently asked Andrew Lutes (vocals/acoustic guitar/piano) and Josh Hoisington (guitar/kyes/backvocals) about finding their place in the New York City music scene and the stigma surrounding the term emo.
The Stationary Set doesn't really fit directly within any particular movement or scene in NYC/Brooklyn. How does that effect the band's approach towards booking and generating buzz?
We think The Stationary Set's approach to playing out and promoting shows actually works well in Brooklyn and NYC. We've been able to play some really diverse shows by not hopping on some scene-wagon for the sake of a built in crowd or blanket press opportunities. For example, playing with RZA of Wu-Tang, a Morrissey 50th Birthday Party with Kaki King, a Park Slope Street Fair, an acoustic set at Rockwood, headlining some packed shows at Mercury Lounge, and curating our own nights and band line-ups all within a year is pretty satisfying for us.
You could be classified as emo, which these days is a bad word in indie music, but Sunny Day Real Estate is back. Could this be a sign that people are ready to once again embrace and correct the image of the genre that has brought us Sunny Day Real Estate, Rites of Spring and The Promise Ring?
This is a tough one, but i think as far as melody goes in our songwriting I would drop what I was listening to at that time, namely Mineral, then later the Gloria Record and an amazing band called Elliott. I hadn't even heard the term Emo until Dashboard Confessional came out which I believe to be one of the first bastardizations, for me, of the term that originated, I guess, as post-punk. I would love to see what would transpire if Mineral got back together. Bands like them and Sunny Day are still more than viable right now. Listen to Elliott's False Cathedrals, and if you can draw a line between them and The Stationary Set, I'd personally be proud of the emo tag.
You've opened for such diverse acts as All American Rejects, The RZA and We Are Scientists. Who's fans gave you the best response? Who is the band you'd most like to open for?
Ha, I'd love to tell you that 1,200 Wu-Tang fans went completely insane for us, and although the response was good, I'm gonna have to say for certain that the We Are Scientist supporters have an easier time getting down with us. We'd love to open for Crystal [you fill in the blank], the 1989 Chicago Bulls and J.D. Salinger. But seriously, Oasis, the Police, Frightened Rabbit, R.E.M all came up in the band poll.
The next record is on its way. What can fans expect?
We are so excited for this record. Expect a Stationary Set that wants to dance, that knows what it wants to say and how to say it, and who does so with the epic-like-nature of bands like Muse or Radiohead while sub-sectioning like Bloc Party or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
When I listen to Stationary set, I hear an intelligent balance of both hush melodies and big towering buildups. What do you guys think are the main characteristics that define The Stationary Set?
Our focus has always been on the nuclear level of songwriting. We think that a strong spine as far as melody and structure allow one to flourish verses and refrains without a limit on creativity. It's a great place to be when no matter how weird, poppy, heavy, soft, electronic or organic you try to get, it is impossible to alienate yourself from your own sound because of simple elements that are always there in the songs.
Not only is The Stationary Set is hard at work in the studio with TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith finishing up their first full length record, they've also got a busy week ahead of them during CMJ with 4 shows scheduled.
October 21 at Rockwood Music Hall, Free Acoustic Show, 8pm
October 23 at Arlene's Grocery, No Pulp Blog Event, midnight
October 24 at Fontana's, Flea Marketing Showcase Day Party, 3pm
October 25 at The Bell House, Black Market Media Showcase, 8pm
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