EastScene

Just a few days ago, Sergio Otaegui (awesome name, we know) of Thieves and Villains, was awesome enough to sit down and answer a few questions from EastScene’s Shelby Wilson. As with most interviews, down low information on the band was let loose. Sergio’s great, heartfelt and seemingly well thought out answers give all fans a new insight. High points, low points, influences, commencement; EastScene has it all.

Shelby Wilson: How did you guys form?

Sergio Otaegui: Chris Pennings (guitar/vocals/piano) and me had met through the Hudson Valley NY music scene in 2005 when we were in different bands. At the start of 2007 our bands broke up and we decided to start playing music together. We grabbed some friends, started recording/touring right away, and here we are.

SW: Was it intimidating being signed to Victory Records and recording an album so soon after forming as a band?

SO: Intimidating isn’t even the word for it. It came really really quick and we weren’t even sure how to handle it at first. Right after signing we did a short run with The Atari’s and it was crazy to be at those shows feeling like every eye in the room was saying “okay, who are these kids & whats all the fuss about? they better be good.” We were so nervous before those shows and really stressed out about putting an album together so quickly. I think it definitely showed in the quality of the album because we were too unsure of ourselves to really stretch out creatively and take risks. But soon after, we became comfortable with our position and really made up for it on our upcoming sophomore album “South America”

SW: ”Thieves and Villains” as a name kind of embodies a negative connotation; is there any meaning or significance behind it?

SO: Oh yes, of course. When starting the band, we decided that we wanted to always run it with good/honest intentions. We really wanted to, and still do, treat everyone kindly in our business interactions and because of that we figured we’d call the band “thieves and villains” so that we as people wouldn’t have to be.

SW: There’s been some line-up changes throughout the history of TAV, do you feel that the music has changed at all with the members? Did the change make you all stronger as a whole?

SO: Chris Pennings (guitar/vocals/piano) and myself are the principle songwriters so we’ve always really controlled the vision/sound of the band. I play drums and bass as well, so when it came to writing I would always dictate the parts that those instruments played, regardless of who was in the band. But things just weren’t working out personality wise with anyone that we had played with and we realized that in order to carry on we’d need people that we felt close to and could really expand with. So in Spring 2009, we effectively started over with two close friends: Chris Competiello (Bass) & Joseph Penna (drums). It was the first time that we had members who were actually real friends of ours and once that happened, everything just took off amazingly. I’m still just as involved in the arranging of the drum & bass parts, but Chris & Joe, really bring their own flavor to the table and just mesh with us perfectly personality wise & business wise. We’re beyond happy to have finally found the perfect lineup and can’t wait to see how we grow together over the years.

SW: Growing up, did any of you think you were going to be/want to be in a band when you got older?

SO: We all started playing music between the ages of 11-15 and we’re all similar in that it became our main interest right away. At that age its too hard to tell where you’re going to end up in life but by high school its safe to say that all of us knew music was what we wanted career wise. It was definitely a dream and a long shot but I had faith in my abilities and knew that my work ethic was strong, so by age 17 I just knew that this is where I’d end up. Though I didn’t think it would have happened within my first 2 years after high school like it did.

SW: What sparked your interest in music?

SO: I always enjoyed music like anyone else but when I was about 9 or 10 my older cousins introduced me to Sublime and a lot of the 90’s skatepunk bands. I got really into it once I realized that there was a whole world of underground bands out there for me to discover. I started playing guitar when I was 13 and became obsessed with music, practicing/writing/studying for 8 to 9 hours a day, between school, work, & soccer.

SW: Do the fans have an influence on your guys’ music, or do you just write with the hopes that the fans will have a positive reaction to what you all came up with?

SO: We actually never even think about that. We just write things that get us excited and assume/hope that other people will enjoy them too. It’s also our job to push the envelope in order to hopefully expand the tastes of our listeners. If we can make them feel a bit uneasy or surprised by something, then we’re doing our job.

SW: Have any of the bands you’ve toured/played with had an influence on you? (Positively or negatively)

SO: I’d say that everyone we’re involved with, whether its friends or bands, influences us in one way or another. Whether its their policies on life, business, or art we always try to approach things like a sponge soaking up information. You can really learn something from everyone and we take advantage of that everyday.

SW: Has anyone/anything outside of the music world influenced/inspired you?

SO: Oh absolutely. I take just as much influence, if not more, from people in the literature/arts world. Some of my favorite authors: Hemmingway, Kerouac, & Bukowski really played a part in influencing my writing of our new album. And I also gained tons of insight on pushing my creative limits by studying the work of great artists like DaVinci (whose notebooks are a key source of inspiration to me), neo-expressionist painter Jean Michel Basquiat, Raymond DuChamp, & more. Now that I think about it, authors/artists inspire how I think about and approach music a lot more than musicians do.

SW: What would you consider your lowest and highest points in your careers as musicians?

SO: I would say that our lowest point was in April 09 after we had gotten back from a 3 month tour. Chris P and me were at absolute odds with our bassist/drummer and knew that we needed to change literally everything if we wanted to last as a band. The sad thing was, popularity wise we were at an all time high, so we knew that if we took some time to change our lineup we’d lose that buzz and have to rebuild.  Thankfully we made the right choice in rebuilding, because popularity aside, it was only a matter of time before we would have fallen apart. And our highest point would have to be sitting down and listening to the final finished copy of our new album “South America” and realizing that we made it through our awful 2009 and really achieved what we set out to do in this band since day one: make a creative record with great friends that we can be proud of.

SW: Is there anything un-assuring or scary about being in a band?

SO: Oh, of course. The music/entertainment industry is ever evolving and shifting. What’s hot now wont be hot tomorrow and because of that we all have other side businesses ranging from recording/songwriting/production to screen printing. We’ve all taken up other trades within and outside of the industry in order to maintain a constant stream of revenue that’s entirely independent of the up’s & downs of our career in Thieves and Villains.

SW: What is your #1 goal that you wish to accomplish as a musician or as someone who other people look up to?

SO: I speak for myself and all of us when I say my only financial goal is to be able to make just enough money off this to live comfortably while being able to fully take care of my parents and one day a family of my own. Aside from that, our artistic goals are to constantly push/challenge ourselves while making music that really speaks and connects with people. Very simple…we don’t want to be rich & famous. We just want to be good at what we do while making sure our loved ones are secure.

SW: Has there been any particular time in the lifetime of TAV that you will always remember? If so, what was it?

SO: We’ve been lucky enough to have countless amazing experiences in this band. And aside from trivial stuff like hearing ourselves on the radio or seeing ourselves on TV, I’d have to say that the entire process of recording our new album was an experience we’ll never forget. Our producer, Tim Gilles, is so experienced and wise when it comes to life in general, that it was truly a privilege to be able to make music with and learn from him.

SW: I know that some bands have admitted to this, so, if you weren’t in your band, do you think you would listen to TAV’s music?

SO: I wouldn’t have listened to our first album because it was the sound of a rookie band warming up, but I would absolutely listen to and be very into our new record.

SW: In March you all finished recording your sophomore album, how does it compare to your first album?

SO: We were like nervous rookies on our first album. We were new to the game and scared to go out there and really mix it up. Now that we’re comfortable and confident with who we are, we weren’t scared to take risks on this record.  It literally sounds like a new band, but I really believe that people who liked the first record will LOVE this one and that people who hated the first album will really really appreciate this one. Back in 2009 we took a glance at what our peers were doing and became disgusted. So many bands adopted the whole “neon color” image and dumbed down their music in order to get big quick. What they didn’t realize is that they aren’t REALLY connecting with people and while success may have come easy, it surely won’t be lasting. We wanted to raise the bar on this record to remind fans of what actual creativity and effort sounds like, while hopefully inspiring some of our peers to do the same. People are applauding mediocrity these days and that needs to change. We hope to help be a part of washing away a lot of this B.S in the same way that Nirvana and the other early 90’s punk/grunge bands helped get rid of cheesy 80’s hair metal.

SW: How does it feel to have your music featured on really popular shows such as Gossip Girl and The Hills?

SO: While we don’t watch the shows ourselves, its cool to get that kind of mainstream exposure and our friends/families love it. It makes us a little sad to be a part of the dumbing down of America via these silly shows, but our band isn’t in a position to be picky with this kind of stuff and the checks from it keep the lights on!

SW: You guys share a label with bands such as A Day To Remember, The Audition and Bayside. Do you look up to any of your label mates and is there ever any competition between any of the bands?

SO: We absolutely LOVE our Victory Records family for all that they do for us and we consider the other bands to be family. When we signed we immediately hung out with Silverstein and A Day To Remember. And Bayside (who we had previously known) hit us up to congratulate us and offer their support. We’re super inspired by the bigger bands and really want to establish ourselves as a big band on the label.

SW: Lastly, if you could create the tour of a lifetime and be a part of it, who would be on the line-up?

SO: Hmmmmm. That’s really tricky but lets just go with something old: Red Hot Chili Peppers, something new: Vampire Weekend, and something blue: The Blueman Group

A HUGE thank you goes out to Sergio for taking the time to answer these questions. Sergio and all the other guys in Thieves and Villains are out on tour this summer. Make sure you go check them out!