Here’s our second collection of musicians’ memories from 2012 and a look ahead to 2013. Click here to read the first round. There are also two installments over on Relix.com, here’s part one and here’s part two.

ANDREW BARR—THE SLIP, BARR BROTHERS

What will you remember most about 2012?

I will remember the year that I don’t remember at all! It was a whirlwind trip around the globe for The Barr Brothers and at a certain point you become like this Zoetrope that is spinning super fast but all you are seeing is your hands slowly hitting drums and it seems like you are standing still! That and the year that Barak Obama was re-elected by a huge majority.

What album or albums have you listened to this most this past year?

Kishi Bashi 151a

What was your favorite show or tour in 2012?

Impossible to pick. Too many great nights and great audiences. One I particularly loved was our set at Pickathon in Oregon. They set us up on a stage that looked like a giant birds nest in the middle of the woods and it was during a gorgeous sunset. A few thousand music loving people gathered in this natural amphitheater to listen. I remember that the sound was incredibly warm and rich on stage because you could hear the acoustics bouncing around this old grove of trees. That was a highlight of 2012.

What emerging band should readers watch out for in 2012?

Kishi Bashi

Any big plans in the works for 2013?

Yes, all surprises! Stay tuned.

2013 marks the 40th year of Relix Magazine. Do you remember the first time you read Relix? Is there an article that stands out for you?

Oh man! My brother and I grew up in Providence Rhode Island and there was a little shop called Henry’s Hideaway. It was a little “head shop”, an oasis in our neighborhood of overpriced antiques and “old people” restaurants. We used to go in there to buy incense and hacky sacks and all the fun stuff a 12 year old burgeoning Hippie kid might need. I remember seeing Jerry Garcia on the cover of this magazine and thinking “Wow, there’s a magazine for us!” I loved Michael Jackson and I loved Led Zeppelin, but they were untouchable to a young kid. This magazine and this shop seemed like a portal to a real scene of real people that gathered together at these giant Grateful Dead shows and actually experienced more than a $50 ticket, a Pepsi and a concert t-shirt. There felt like something interactive and alive and Relix seemed like a way to get closer to that community. That was over 20 years ago and I think Relix is still looking to reveal a community behind the music industry – the links that different music shares, and that our love of music can unite us, rather than separates us. The often fabricated separation of genres is all to easy of a marketing scheme for most of the industry. I applaud Relix for it’s 40 years of trying to connect people through music.

***

PAUL HOFFMANGREENSKY BLUEGRASS

What will you remember most about 2012?

This question seems implied to be about the band but also a test. Honestly, I have a hard time with quantifiers like ‘most’ or ‘best’. A stand out, non the less, comes to mind. I (with the band) visited Hawaii and Alaska this year. They were both so unique. Everything is like you’d imagine but it doesn’t make the impact any less spectacular. Thankfully, I enjoy traveling and experiencing new places. I’m certain many moments from my first trips to the 49th and 50th states will stand out forever.

What album or albums have you listened to this most this past year?

A few months ago I would have been more proud to be on the Lumineers train. Like so many young, acoustic songwriters, I thought they’d get swept under the rug. Nope. I was wrong. 3 Grammy nominations. Good for them. It’s an awesome record and the writing is spectacular. It sorta draws to this phenomena that is happening. The music I like is becoming popular. It’s a good thing ultimately but like all those underground indie fads, I’m a little less proud to boast. I find myself searching my listening catalog for that ‘unknown’ artist. (As I typed this answer, the friend who is promoting my show tonight has never heard of the Lumineers. Guess I stand corrected)

What was your favorite show or tour in 2012?

Attended… Hmm. U2. 360 degrees tour at Soldier Field. Awesome. Completely rocked. I love the band and left a bigger fan than I came. I like the small shows in a coffee shop with only a few quiet listeners and the huge spectacles. I’m not one of those musicians who will say those big multi-million dollar tours aren’t about the music or they aren’t art. It’s all about entertainment, art, and making people happy. I dig it all.

Participated… In the beginning of 2012 we did this epic 8 week tour. We went everywhere. Ski hills, Hawaii, southern Cali sun, sxsw and spring fest in FL. I felt like the kid from Flight of the Navigator when we got home. It was a new season. It might not be our best tour ever (I wouldn’t know how to decide that, really) but what an epic undertaking and we survived.

What emerging band should readers watch out for in 2012?

You mean in 2013? Us!… I hope. Emerging last so much longer than those who desire it would like to admit. I’m kind of stumped inky listening right now. I might be going thru some type of nostalgic phase and I don’t feel like I’ve even got a lead on the pulse. So… Watch out for us.

Any big plans in the works for 2013?

Yeah. To be that emerging band in for mentioned answer that you need to watch out for. Kidding. Sort of. We are making another studio record though. Starting at the end of January. I’m really excited about a lot the material and so much of it is brand new and undeveloped which leaves many possibilities. We will ultimately release it sometime in 2013 as well so I can look ahead and say ‘the new album is definitely big plans for 2013’


2013 marks the 40th year of Relix Magazine. Do you remember the first time you read Relix? Is there an article that stands out for you?

I remember getting the magazine in high school. Still a predominately grateful dead publication if memory serves me correctly. A specific article though? That’s tough. I think Garcia was on the cover and, if I looked, I could probably find it because I remember the shot. I spent more time in those days cutting out the photos for collages on my school books than reading the articles. A gift that would later translate to creative selection for an ‘album’ cover for nearly every piece of music in my iTunes collection. Congrats on 40 years.

Pages:Next Page »