RO: As far as promotion goes, technology seems to change pretty quickly these days. How do you guys plan to handle the promotion of the new album (or have you gotten that far yet)?
MR: We've not gotten that far yet. I mean, when we started the band five years ago, there wasn't a YouTube, and MySpace was still in its infancy. Now, it's completely different than it was even two years ago. We don't really use our MySpace anymore as it's a magnet for Spam, and really difficult to manage.
It mainly serves as a hub or portal to all of our other places on the Web: iTunes, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. We always encourage people to contact us through our
gmail account as it's considerably easier to manage. I also like how you can now manage certain things through your phone. I would've never guessed that when we started the band, ha!
RO: The show this weekend has a good line-up, with sIngs, Young Mammals, and B L A C K I E also on the bill. Are you pleased with the amount of bands (and talent) that have hit the scene in the last year or two?
MR: Yeah, it seems like more bands are taking initiative and doing more things themselves. After the Proletariat closed in February of '08, the scene did seem to stall somewhat. Most of that seems to be remedied by Mango's, though, which has been great. It seems they are always packed, and most importantly with new people, which is always good to see. Omar [Mango's owner Afra] has really done a lot for the scene in the last couple of years. Dude knows how to hustle!
RO: What are some of the more recent bands that stand out to you? Any favorite local releases yet this year? I am digging The Jonx's latest a lot...
MR: Black Congress and Balaclavas are the first things that come to mind. 'Roman Holiday' and the new Black Congress 7"'s are absolutely killer. Just another example of Chris Ryan's fine work at Dead City Sound. And of course, The Jonx's new record is great. Their song, "I'm Getting Really Good At Tetris," often gets stuck on repeat at my house.
RO: You guys are also on the bill for this year's Free Press Summerfest in June. It's great that the city's finally getting a sustainable festival of its own, with an impressive line-up. Are you pumped to play the festival? Did you make it out to last year's fest?
MR: Totally. It's going to be great for Houston, and should be an awesome time. We did go to the Summerfest last year. Actually, Phil worked as a roadie on the main stage. When we were there, we all kind of went, "Uh, yeah, we should play this next year."
Melissa and I went and saw The Flaming Lips this past NYE in Oklahoma City and it was amazing. It was funny, I remember on the ride home we were like, "It'd be cool if they played the Summerfest this year." Then, lo and behold...
Rollin also says the band has no firm plans yet for releasing its new songs. "We've thrown around a few ideas as far as how we'd like to release any future material, but nothing solid," he says. "We tend not to announce anything until it's finished or confirmed--it's just easier that way."
Catch Sharks and Sailors at Mango's 8 p.m. Saturday night with sIngs, B L A C K I E and Young Mammals. The band also plays Saturday, April 24, at Dean's Credit Clothing in downtown Houston.
