interview: 05.30.01- aveo
(photo credit: counter commons)
How long has Aveo been together, and how did it commence?
Aveo has been playing out for about 9 months and started a time before that. The long winded version of how it commenced: Jeff and I had been playing together for several years in a multitude of bands. One of those bands was a band called Eastonbridge in which we played with William and another friend. That went along for a short time with good success, but then it ended and we went our separate ways. Jeff and I ended up coming back and playing together again and William moved to Boston and then Las Vegas, (his hometown, but more on that later). About the time that we needed to move on from our last band William moved back to town and gave us call.
Where did the name "Aveo" come from (not the tech company, I assume)?
Aveo is Latin meaning "to desire." It came from the Latin dictionary.
How did you guys end up in Seattle?
Jeff did nothing, I went to school and William the Vegas native came to make his way in this hard cruel world.
What are your songs about?
Our songs are just about people.
How would/did you respond to the Smiths/Morrissey comparisons?
How do you respond? We play music that is hopefully interesting and enjoyable to listen to. The Smiths/Morrissey have been a large influence on people in the band, but easy to see the differences in your own music, and considerable more difficult to see the similarities. We certain don't strive to emulate the Smiths or Morrissey, but we don't alter our music to avoid comparisons. I can't say that that we completely disapprove, but we certainly want our music to be thought as sounding like aveo.
Who have been completely supportive to you guys from the start?
Maia Driver, Jessica Olstad, Christopher, Jeff Hellis, quite a few people really.
Is there a sense of unity within the music community in Seattle? Do you feel a part of it. How do you feel about it?
We certainly have many friends that play music and enjoy playing with them and seeing them play. As far as a unified music community, I think that has a feeling of being much more fragmented than it does in a smaller town. There are too many bands, too many agendas, and too many different styles to get everyone completely supportive. It's also different when you have people that are trying to "make it" in music. It makes things very competitive, and then people get jealous, etc. All that being said, I really think that Seattle has a very good scene with a good variety of very good bands.
What do you listen to that may or may not be influential to your writing? What is currently influential (music as well as other factors)?
Carissa's Wierd, S, Badly Drawn Boy, Powderfinger, Blonde Redhead, lots of stuff.
How do you guys feel about turning a profit on the music someday?
What could be better than playing music all of the time? I sure that it's better that doing what I'm doing right now. (yes, I am doing this interview at work.) Although, I am much more in favor of playing music than the work that goes into selling your band as a commodity that would allow you to play music all of the time.
Do you think that the general attitude of negativity towards bands who sign to bigger labels or license their songs for a promotional ad is fair? What are your own thoughts on it?
It's hard to see music that you love being sold. There is a piece of me that wants to hoard the music I love and not share it with the masses. It's even harder to see music that you love being sold to sell something else. It's definitely compromises what you feel.
On the other hand, it's difficult enough to make a living playing music, and it is really hard if you don't sign to a major label.
Ultimately, I wish everyone the very best that signs to a bigger label and hope that they are very successful. Music is for sharing.
What have you guys been reading lately (periodicals are okay)?
I've been reading 'Moby Dick'.
Is style/fashion important to music?
Yes. We all dream about the fantasy of music and other lives. No. When you listen to music it really doesn't matter what the hell anyone looks like.
How do you feel about your day jobs? Happy or hate it?
Would rather be playing.
If you had to play music for someone without the aid of musical instruments, what household items would you employ?
I personally like the rubber band.
How seriously do you take your music? (This is not meant to insult- incredible music comes without much effort for some.)
As a band we have good chemistry that makes song writing relatively easy.
Would you be pissed off at seeing Aveo songs on Napster?
No. Music is for sharing. For us, the more people that hear it the better.
How did your relationship with the people who are putting out your record (Brown, right?) come about?
Jeff Hellis, the Carissa's Weird keyboardist, accordian player, was my roommate for about three years. He had just started playing with Carissa's and knew aveo and coordinated us playing together. When we played together our bands hit it off right away. We both love the other band musically and the people who were in them. Ben the drummer for Carissa's started Brown before he joined the band, to put out the first Carissa's Weird. After a few months of knowing them he asked us if we wanted to put something out and we said yes.
What interesting or special things should we or might we want to know about your debut album? Such as someone special helping you guys with it, or how you guys ate donuts every single day you worked on it...
First, I must say that it was great working with Phil Ek. He has produced and recorded most of the Built to Spill records, plus he has done Modest Mouse, 764-Hero, J. Mascis, etc. etc. etc. He is like working with your best friend who happens to be very good at what he does. He pushed us to do things that we wouldn't have done on our own and was willing to work with everything we wanted to do. Other than his expertise, this was a collection of songs that we had written that we felt that we should record.
I just hope that it some people listen to it and get something out of it.
Had you guys recorded anything prior to working on this album?
We had recorded a demo that has songs that are on the album.
Are you guys very politically aligned or impassioned by social causes? How do you feel about bands that are?
We are, but don't choose to focus on them in our music expression. When bands do express their political or social causes, it's cool when it's meaningful. Tiresome rhetoric becomes boring all too soon, and unfortunately burns out people that have the same beliefs. I'm not really cracking on political band, I just think that it is difficult to express yourself without resorting to slogans.
Do you watch PBS?
Occasionally.
Aveo's new album will be out June 2, to be commenced with a CD release party the same day, at the Sit and Spin in Seattle, WA.
Information can be found at Brown Records. Or you can just read the Stranger, because the columnist of "It's My Party" mentions Aveo at least once every two weeks!