Crystal Stilts are a band who gloriously and continuously amalgamate the light and the dark, creating songs that constantly teeter between malevolence and enchanting pop. They too have managed to overtly reference and not only nod, but even wink at their influences without becoming tiresome or derivative. As coined in a KATP review of their latest album "they are the most original, unoriginal band”. By embracing this - yet still being mindful of the potential dangers - they have created two records that brood with cool, sinister undertones, much like the ones that no doubt transfixed them in the likes of The Velvet Underground and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Perhaps it was their transformation from the sunshine state of Florida to the inner city grim of New York that did it; allowing them to see both the sunshine and the darkness in the music simultaneously. Either way, over recent years there has been a gargantuan influx of bands attempting to do what Crystal Stilts do and while they may not necessarily fail, they feel transparent in comparison. In an attempt to find out a little more about their work process, methods and thoughts I sat down with founding member and guitarist JB Townsend.
We’re at the Indietracks festival, a event covered in this issue and Crystal Stilts are about to take to the stage in a couple of hours. As a result of the baking heat that's been pounding down on the festival all weekend, it has turned into a windswept dust bowl, your tongue faintly tasting of sawdust every twenty minutes as another layer of dust and dirt settles and you have to wash it away with warm beer. We take refuge in a makeshift marquee that contains just as much dust and warm beer, only a little more self-contained.
As we sip on Caffrey’s filled with ice cubes, JB tells me that he still gets “nervous” doing face-to-face interviews. Really? I quip - sincerely surprised - after all these years? “Yeah, I mean not nervous I guess, I just a get a funny feeling in my stomach. I’m just better at doing email interviews, it allows me to think out the answers a little more and sound more intelligent.” He laughs, before continuing “I’m not always very fast on my feet when speaking in person”. JB does indeed speak with a slow, reserved and often quiet tone to his voice, and often I find myself dragging my chair a little nearer to his to hear him, kicking up another hunk of dust in the process. The band’s latest album, along with their debut, was met with critical acclaim - is it something that the band takes note of? “Well, we’re our toughest critics really. Something really has to work to get past us all. So once it’s out there, it’s done, we’re happy with it.” So, is it a tough selection process to get through? Many arguments? “Well, we all get on pretty good, so no arguments. We generally all share a view in terms of where we want to go. But yes, we can be quite tough on ourselves, when it comes to selecting songs.”
I mention the band's ability to manage to reference other bands without sounding plagiaristic, “Yeah, we’re really aware of our influences and I think some other bands are either ignorant about that or choose to ignore it,” so it’s something the band are comfortable to embrace? “Yeah” nods JB. Is it a difficult balance to attain within a five-piece, when it comes to creating songs that lean more towards lighter or darker material? “Yeah, I think it just comes out that way, there’s not really much of a thought process. I think when we’re writing the pop songs, it’s just nice to have that little bit of darkness to go along with it.” Now his self-admission of preferring email interviews starts to creep in, as I often linger for an extended answer to come, rarely it does.
Another side of the band often overlooked is their ability to sound remarkably vintage, as though they are in fact from a long gone era, but again without succumbing to faux-nostalgia or tacky impersonations. I propose to JB that Crystal Stilts are in many senses an analogue band in a digital world, “Yeah, I’d agree with that,” he nods, “We try to record on tape where possible and I like old equipment. It’s something I could see myself really getting into, if possible.” Were any special methods used to get the sound? “Well, at the moment in an attempt to capture the texture and duality of the guitars [on the record], I’m playing through two separate amps on stage, to hopefully give it that double tracked sound”. With having such an idiosyncratic sound, especially with the organ involved, I can imagine that being in the wrong hands could prove troublesome? “Live sound is definitely something we have struggled with as a band in the past. Obviously it’s dependent on the sound man and venue. Ideally, it would be great to find somebody who knows how to capture us and take them out on the road, but that’s just not possible at the minute.”
While it may have been three years between the debut and sophomore album, it seems Crystal Stilts have upped their tempo somewhat, and have a new EP out in November. Is this planned or completed? “Oh, yeah, it’s done and recorded, it will be out then.”
JB seems more comfortable when we chew the fat, or shoot the shit, as the Americans say. His own admission that he prefers to be able to think at length before responding to direct questions, is apparent yet understandable, as it’s ultimately an ethos the band apply to their own creative pursuits and methods. As reported in our Indietracks review, the band is on fire tonight, and simply tear through their set. While JB may have a set up that allows the sound to replicate that of two guitars, he plays with a speed, ferocity and intensity that matches that of two actual players. With a new EP out soon, it would be dangerous to predict where Crystal Stilts will go next, but it’s likely this is a band that will continue to explore the parameters of influence, balance and restraint within their work for some time.