It was a very special night for me. Not only did I get to interview the lovely lads of Welshly Arms thanks to ARTNOIR I also got to be their Merch seller. Read more about by adventure by clicking here. After they finished the sound check they came to greet me and the interview could begin.
I’m always interested to know about other venues. So where was your most special venue and what kind of venue was it?
Sam Getz: There is a couple that really stick out and one that always makes top of the list for interesting venues to play is one we got to play last fall called Red Rocks in Colorado, US. It’s a natural amphi theatre carved into this mountain with red clay rocks. So it’s really really amazing and it holds about 10’000 people and they are just sitting up the mountain and you are playing to this mountain of people. It’s a bizarre almost spiritual type of experience.
Mikey Gould: I have one that I’ve been in a few times but I’ve been never able to play in and that’s the Ryman in Nashville. It’s one of the most accoustical sounding places in the world. I would enjoy to play there someday.
Sam: Rock am Ring was a really cool place. It’s not always a venue. We played it 2017 when they brought it back to the actual racing ring. So you could tell people were really excited to be back. That was a really fun stage to play.
As a fan I noticed quite a few differences in the fan culture depending on which country you’re in. Do you notice it as well and what are the differences?
Sam: We had a fun night in Solothurn in March – not to long ago. It was a really fun crowd in a smaller room which was jam-packed. Those are the shows that I tend to have the most fun at because everbody that goes in is all-in it together. We’re all going to walk outta here kinda sweaty and grose and smelly but you know what? The guy next to me smells but I smell too so it’s fine. When people embrace that then we have a really fun show and those stand out to me. So Solothurn was awesome and I really enjoy the Swiss fans. They are really fun. They sing a long to songs and I love that.
And that’s unusal?
Sam: I wouldn’t say it’s unusal. It’s becoming more normal but it’s something that will never get old.
Mikey: Maybe a little unexpected.
Sam: Especially in a new country. That was our first time playing in Switzerland.
There are little differences in different cultures for instance in Germany at Rock am Ring there was a moment when they all sat down in front of us and started synchronised rowing. It realy freaked me out because I thought it was one of the things where they didn’t like the show. So this was like we are trying to get out of here and they’re rowing to the next show. You guys just leave. But then I found out later that this was a very good thing. It meant that they were enjoying it and this was like an honour to have. You have to learn the different cultures things. In Switzerland they were calling for an encore and we had no idea what they were saying.
Mikey: Oh yeah I remember. It was probably just encore.
Maybe they said Zugabe? It’s the german word for encore.
Sam: Maybe I just don’t remember it.
How important is fan contact to you? What is your way to connect? You just wrote me on Instagram actually 🙂
Sam: Oh yeah? Cool! So yeah we try to use Instagram which is our favourite. Because it just feels like you can do so much. They say a picture is a thousand words so it really does feel that way. You can say so much with just snapping a picture of what we’re up to or where we are playing tonight or how the crowd looked tonight. Those kinda things say so much to the people back home who maybe couldn’t make the show. The live stream videos have been a really cool way too.
Mickey: Facebook seems a bit more formal like you are asking something. „Hey, we are looking for a merch volunteer tonight!“
Yeah, like me.
Mikey: Yeah, exactly. It’s like a forum. Instagram is just fun. If you want to see what we’re up to and what we’re doing it’s the best way.
Sam: It’s usually pretty easy for other people to comment or have an interaction with us. It’s my favourite way. Facebook is also good because it has such a big network. Social Media and Live Videos are ways that we’ve been trying to stay in touch with fans.
You had one of your songs featured in Tarantino’s Hateful 8 – which I loved – how did this happen? Did he call you and said I love your song?
Sam: I wish that we’d received a call from Quentin Tarantino pesonally but it was more his people called our people. The publisher who handles our music catalogue does a really good job getting it in the hands of producers and directors. They did their job there.
When we found out that there was interest from them in our music it was such a huge honour. He is one of those special directors – whether you like the style of his films – you still respect it.
Talking about movies, maybe you’ve already seen it. The Zurich Film Festival is just outside.
Sam: Yeah, that’s great!
I read that Jimi Hendrix is one of your musical influences. Who are currently your favourites?
Sam: That’s a good question. We’ve been enjoying the lastest record that spoon put out.
Mikey: Back! A lot of his stuff.
Sam: Yeah we’ve always been fans of Back. I enjoy bands like Cage the Elephant and that are stirring it up a bit or have the rock n roll spirit and doing it in a fresh way. I like to think that this is part of our agenda too. We try to keep rock n roll alive to some degree but doing it in our own way. The Killers we enjoy, they are keeping rock alive too.
So „Legendary“ I have to ask. How did it change your musical way and how has it affected you?
Sam: It certainly had its influence. When we decided to release „Legendary“ we knew that it would change a little bit of our musical path and the sound. It was a little bit of a departure of what we had been doing up to that point. Legendary is little bit more modern leaning on the production side.
Maybe a little more mainstream?
Sam: Yeah, maybe a little as far as the theme of it and the melody. But it does also lean really heavy into some of those gospel things that we love. It changed our musical path a bit or at least expanded our platform and we’re able now to do some song like „The Only“ and similar ones. And then what it did for us is being able to tour Europe. It opened so many doors for us that we are really thankful for. That song definitely changed some things.
So you are grateful for it.
Sam: Very grateful for it. Just so grateful that people have been so open to it and welcoming the song so much they come see us live and get to see the whole picture. That’s what I enjoy the most.
You’re here the third time now. What do you like most about Switzerland?
Mikey: The chocolate for one and I got to say your cheese here is tremendous. I am big cheese fan, I love cheese. The views! Beautiful mountains and we keep talking about going out snowboarding.
Sam: Yeah, it’s so so beautiful. Last trip we came here we got to stay the night and we went to a really great restaurant and had cordon bleu because our European tour manager, David, lives in Zurich. I’ll never forget that meal it was amazing.
That was it. Thank you so much for the interview!
Sam: Our pleasure and thank you for signing up to do the Merch tonight.
