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5 Questions With: Typesetter [SXSW Edition]

Included in our “50 Acts You Won’t Want To Miss At SXSW”
feature, Typesetter’s punk/indie rock sound had us interested upon first
listen. We spoke with the guys about their signing to Black Numbers last year,
preparation for South By, and some performances they were able to catch. Check
out our interview with the band below!

Last year, you guys
signed to Black Numbers and released your debut album in October. The album has
been receiving great responses, being referred to by some as an album that
you’d have on constant repeat, and we completely agree with that. What was the recording
process like and what was your favorite aspect of it?
Recording Wild’s End was a crazy,
wonderful whirlwind. Black Numbers took the plunge and signed us, we were
touring consistently, our drummer had decided to part ways and we had about 6
weeks to finish writing and get Stephen up to speed. About a week before
tracking, our engineer, Peter Carparelli, called me to let me know that he had
a brain tumor. Being a total bad ass, Pete said “so we might have to push
it back a week or two.” Pete is literally tough as nails, he’s got screws
in him from a bike accident and he still rides daily, but we didn’t have any
time to push back. We contacted Jeff Dean, who plays guitar in All Eyes West
and has produced a ton of awesome records, and I distinctly remember him saying
that he wanted to do the record as much for Peter as he did for us.

Wild’s End is a collection of tunes that were written as far as 18 months
before recording; it’s a messy sporadic ride through the first two years of a
band finding themselves, and I love it. We took a lot of chances in the
songwriting and tried every idea that came to mind. Tonally it’s fantastic,
Jeff and Jon Drew (mastering engineer) did an incredible job. Everyone
involved, in every step, from our first drummer Adam, to Dave at Black Numbers,
has put a touch on it and we couldn’t be prouder. And Pete’s fine; Wild’s End
is dedicated to him.

This was your first time performing at South By Southwest. Did you guys prepare
differently for South By versus playing any other show you would normally play
at?

Typesetter approaches every situation differently, whether it’s a city or
festival we’ve played a million times before, or a melting pot like SXSW. We
always focus on making every single show that Typesetter plays the best show
yet.

Typesetter had never been to SXSW, so
it was definitely a wild learning experience. We had a total blast, got to
party with some homies and see our friends bands, wander around Austin, drink
Lone Star and slam vegan food from trucks. Shout out to Arlo’s, Frank and the
Vegan Yacht. One of the highlights of South By was the Ground Floor Booking
Showcase. Rey from GFB does a great job booking and every single band was
amazing.

You guys have been touring quite a
bit lately and even announced that you would be releasing another batch of tour
dates later this week. What keeps you guys so driven to tour nonstop?
At a very basic level, we’re all
driven to play music every day. Even on our days off when we should relax, we
lament not getting to play. There’s also an aspect of wanderlust, of desiring a
nomadic lifestyle, of meeting new people and seeing new places. Practically,
however, consistent touring is the way that bands survive now. You make money
and spread your name by playing out and selling merch; you have to bring your
records to people rather than assume a label or store is going to shove it in
their face. To us it just makes sense: it’s what we want to do and what keeps
propelling us forward, to new fans and friends. We strive to write awesome tunes
and put on a great show, and we want to bring that show to everyone.  

Being that South By Southwest is
filled with tons of incredible acts, were you excited to catch any artists in
particular? Did you stumble across any new artists that you are now a fan of?

All Eyes West, Lifted Bells, Creepoid, What Moon Things, The Spits, Alaska,
Daddy Issues, Hard Girls, Closet Drama, Paul Cherry, Sidewalk Chalk, Mild High
Club… homies old and new. I wish I would’ve gotten to see Run the Jewels,
Waxahatchee, Chance the Rapper and BoneLang.

What can we expect next from Typesetter? Possibly new music in the works?
There will definitely be new
Typesetter music this year. We have a lot of plans and will be releasing music
in a variety of formats this year. There will definitely be a split with a rad
New York band. We’re playing Pouzza Fest in Montreal, Death to False Hope Fest
in Durham, The Fest in Gainesville again and we’re touring Europe this year.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and catch us at a show – we want to hang out
with you.

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