interview: Linfinity

[l-r] Megan Berson-violin/viola, Josh Collins-guitar/mandolin, Dylan Von Wagner-vox/guitar, Russ Lemkin-drums

Grant Zubritsky –bass

Linfinity are a band from Brooklyn whose debut, Martian's Bloom, I have been digging recently. it comes out in a couple of weeks and I shall post an album review then. for now, here's a sample mp3 and an interview with the band.

Linfinity - Holy Rain [mp3]

What was the first album you bought with your own money?
Dylan – I think—the first Doors record
Grant - I’m pretty sure I bought Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
Megan – Appetite for Destruction
Josh – Green Jello—I don’t even remember the name of the album. They were a horrible punk rock band. I don’t really jam that one anymore
Russ - They were not horrible…I split Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil on cassette with my twin brother with lawn mower money…we fought over it for two years

So how is the band name pronounced? Just like it’s spelled, as one word? Is it supposed to mean “the infinity?”
Dylan- well the derivation of the name, long story short, is I worked at Saratoga Raceway which is a thoroughbred track up north… like Kentucky derby… and there were a lot of WWII, WWI vets…this was back in the early 90’s. And this guy told me this story about trench warfare, and how they used this word to calm the soldiers. They’d tell them to say “linfinity” over and over. Like a mantra.
So you came up with it?
Dylan – yeah I had that name kicking around forever

And it works with the music too…it’s calming in a weird way…not like, soft by any standard but definitely calming
Dylan – and sometimes people think it’s the car

That’s not what I thought at all, but that’s because I drive a Civic. What do you guys listen to when you’re driving in the van?
Josh – we take turns on the ipod…yeah we listen to a lot of our friends’ bands in the van…friends from NY

Like what?
Josh- Lady Cop. Low Redlands—they’re from here actually. From San Francisco. And what was the one you were jamming the other day, the Americana one?
Russ – Basement Band

The music is very well traveled. It sounds very exotic, very worldy. Have you guys been all over or does it just come listening to records?
Dylan – I think we’ve all done some heavy traveling
Megan- I used to play in a world beat band—that was the first band I played in. Being the classical musician that I am, I play a lot of different styles
Josh – I think it’s maybe less about traveling and more that we all have such different influences, and we all have input in the songs. Maybe Dylan will come in with a song that is half constructed or 2/3 constructed and every once and a while it’s finished, and then we’ll reharmonize it, add a bridge, completely change the feel. It’s where the song takes us, rather than “we’re gonna make a song that sounds kind of country”. Whatever develops out of that song. I think that’s why there are so many different genres going on.

Are there any bands that you really wish you could tour with?
Josh – it’s different for all of us-we were actually talking about this the other day. I would—the rest of the band doesn’t think it’d be a good fit—but I think it would be fun to tour with Devotchka
Dylan – I can't think of any modern bands I'd like to tour with
Megan – Dylan would want to tour with Pearl Jam
Do you like the new album?
Dylan – no I don’t, it’s terrible
Good.
Dylan - I’ve been checking out this band—Here We Go Magic. Of the bigger bands…M. Ward
Russ- The National.
Dylan - Arcade Fire would be fun…they’re starting to go out again
Yes! Lollapalooza. With my favourite band, The Strokes.
Grant- I think it’d be cool to go out with Field Music
Megan – I dunno, that’s a tough one. Radiohead.
Russ – Band of Horses
I ran into them at the same time as The National
Russ - Me too. The reason I love the National is because I play the drums and I like their drummer a whole lot. Band of Horses, I had been hearing their name around a bunch and a few years ago they played a free concert in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I went down to go see it, and I had not heard any of their music before and their singer, like, blew me away. That guy’s voice is ridiculous.

How has your music consumption changed? Do you still go to a lot of shows?
Josh –the rest of the band turns me onto so much new music. I find myself paying more attention
Megan – me too
Dylan - the van is the best part, when we’re driving you guys put on other stuff, and I’ll play my ipod in every once and a while
Grant- we kind of wait in line to plug in our ipods to show everybody what we’ve been listening to. you wouldn’t learn about it otherwise, it’s like “maybe I’ll go buy that”. Also, when I’m at home, there’s not a weekend that goes by and a friend doesn’t play, so I try to support that

When I heard your music, I couldn’t place it and couldn’t believe that you were from Brooklyn. Do you feel that your music is separate from the Brooklyn music scene?
Dylan – I don’t think we’ve ever thought of it like that. I certainly don’t think we’re a part of any scene, I think we’re in a room and we all have our personalities and that happens in the room, and there is no exterior motive. We are not actively trying to be a part of anything.
Grant - I think that if everyone in the band was really into, say, The Strokes, we’d sound like The Strokes, but we all listen to such different music. We are all rooted in our own like, sound, or background. I think that it’s not necessarily we need to sound like XYZ
Russ- But you’re right, there is a healthy scene in Brooklyn. A lot of bands, a lot of our close friends…the whole cluster is trying to help each other out and do stuff with each other but not everybody is trying to sound like each other

I feel like in Brooklyn, everyone’s trying to sound “different” but it all sounds similar.
Russ - I know what you mean
But you guys are so out there
Josh – there is so much music going on and unfortunately, some of it has become so inclusive. That trashy sort of sound. And some people do it very well, they kill it, but some people end up just mimicking the same old sounds over and over

How did the band come about?
Dylan – [before the band formed] I had the name going and I put out an acoustic record
Were any of the songs recycled?
Dylan – we took some of the songs and redid ‘em: “MSG”, “Choo Choo”
I wanted to ask about "Choo Choo". It’s so fun and so different. Where did you come up with it?
Dylan – really late at night, just banging on the E string. I’m a really poor musician and I thought that sounded cool.

What is the most interesting instrument you’ve ever used?
Josh - the dilruba
Megan- oh! The dilruba! It’s so cool, it’s this Indian instrument, you can play it like a cello, with a bow, kind of like a sitar
Dylan – her husband plays it on our album, on a song called “Babel”…you’ll hear it, in the beginning, that “zoo!”

Have there been any new music releases that have really shook you?
Russ- Local Natives
Josh - Yes, the Local Natives album.
Russ – The Pink Floyd cover of Dark Side of the Moon…er, not Pink Floyd! I meant The Flaming Lips. It was cool that they had the balls to even do it.

Any really great books you guys have read recently?
Grant – I read The Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne which was really cool. Like, when he was touring the world in the 80’s, he took a bike that would fold into a suitcase. Most of it was not talking about sound check…it was talking about all the different things he saw in different countries he was going to, like all of the different cultures. That’s something that’s really appealing to me about touring and about playing music on the road is that you get to take in so much of places you might never have been. Like, today. I had been to San Francisco before but it was fun to walk around and see tons of stuff that’s new to you.

Josh- there is a book I am excited to read, it’s a series of short essays by John Cage –the classical composer about the space in music
Grant – it’s called Silence
Dylan – I’m more of a newspaper/magazine whore but I did read that Malcolm Gladwell book…the one about success
Outliers.
Dylan –Yes, Outliers. He had some interesting theories, I believed some of it, especially the birthday thing, the 10,000 hour rule…I think it’s common sense also
Well the thing about Gladwell is he takes common sense…
Dylan - …and he breaks it down

Do you guys want to do anything music related outside of being musicians, like producing or owning a record store or a label or anything?
Dylan – If I were to get in a position of power or success, I would like to do something to help musicians get health care, to help the community, because we’re kind of left out
Josh – to tell you the truth, I’m kind of stoked about being a musician
Grant – I think it’s tough, at least I find it tough in NY, everyone is trying to be focused on being their best at one thing and for all of us it's being the best musicians and songwriters we can be. It’s like, nobody is trying to produce four albums when they get home, everyone’s just trying to play at their highest level.
Dylan– I think that’s what a lot of New Yorkers make the mistake of-- spreading themselves too thin
Russ- “actor/artist/musician”
Grant – it’s just unfocused. If you take that energy and it’s unfocused, it’s not gonna produce an amazing product. At least I think so.

Any embarrassing things you guys have put on mix tapes?
Russ – I think I’m still fascinated by Phil Collins
Dylan – I was abused by Phil Collins…my mom owned all of his records
Russ- my girlfriend yells at me every single time I listen to Phil Collins
Good. She needs to keep doing that.
Dylan – I think we are in agreement that he can come up with a hit, though.

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