If you didn't already know by now, then The Afternoon Naps album 'Parade' is probably the finest record released this year. You can buy it now at the Happy Happy Birthday to Me records website.
Here's a little interview I did with Tom. Is that an appearance at next year's Indietracks he's hinting at?
How happy are you with Parade? I think it's probably the best album made this year.
I am very pleased with how it turned out. It took a while to finish and was a lot of work in some parts, but the end result i feel is a good representation of us.
What's the difference between your first record and 'Parade'?
The biggest difference is the sound quality. Sunbeamed was recorded in a basement with semi-decent equipment compared to what 'Parade' was done on. It was produced by the same guy, and he has a great ear for getting good sounds no matter what he's using. Stylistically weve grown a lot since then. We were only a band for 3-4 months when we made the first record. With Parade, we constructed an LP over a years time, plus the arranging had gotter better. This time around, we wrote and arranged in the studio and really took our time.
What's the scene like in Cleveland? Who are you favourite local bands?
Its a pretty fun scene here. Kinda random. Lots of good bands doing their own thing. Not a lot of indiepop bands like us. As Clevelanders I think alot of us have an Us vs The rest of the World mentality... ha!
Do you think you'd be more famous if you were from Brooklyn?
Hmmm... maybe that's a "the grass is always greener" sorta thing. I think living seperate from such a massive scene of music, like that one, was good for us in a way 'cos it allows us to develop on our own. Brooklyn/NYC is such a big crazy place that I'm sure lots of great bands probably get lost in the shuffle there. But on the other hand the opportunities there are big, too.
Will you come and play in the UK, please?
I would love to come play the UK. That is in the works actually. Hopefully we can make it happen next summer. I'm pretty sure it will so look out!
Tell me a secret about the band that no-one knows.
Here's a few: Two of us are massive sports fans... two of us work in hair salons... one of us collects pez dispensers... Leia puts on puppet shows for her solo project... and Orange Paw is named for my cat, who has one orange leg.
2 comments:
Whoa! I never would've expected the Afternoon Naps to show up on a post here, but I guess I'm not used to seeing local bands show up on blogs. The Afternoon Naps are a real delight. I've seen them play a few times (they opened for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart a while back, it was a really fun show). Tom is right, there aren't many indie pop bands in the Cleveland area. It's nice to have the Afternoon Naps cheering the scene up a bit.
This is my favourite album right now.
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