Arriving early on the first day of Lollapalooza, I made my way to one of the smaller stages and found myself beneath a canopy of trees to watch the Austin-based Electric Touch. The band brought a respectable crowd to the shade and turned the heat up considerably with a hip-shaking amalgam of British arena rock and Texas boogie.
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Electric Touch
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 Entertainment
Art
Lollapalooza, BMI Stage
Chicago, Il
August 1, 2008
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Slinky, black-clad attitude and real song craft made for a winning combination, and the tunes “Don’t Be Afraid,” “Saved” and the Thin Lizzy-worthy “Breakdown” won the audience over. Other highlights included “Love in our Hearts” (the chorus is a mile-wide hook that is absolutely golden) and a faithful cover of the Fab Four’s “Come Together.”
After the set, I was able to touch base with front man Shane Lawlor (ex-IV Thieves) to set up an interview while his band mates, Christopher Leigh, Louis Messina, Jr. and Ross DuBois, graciously met with fans. The following Q&A was done via email before the band played a club show at Reggie’s on Saturday, August 2nd.
Electric Touch has been playing the summer festival circuit and has hit some of the big ones. Can we discuss highlights? Do you tailor your set differently when you are playing an outdoor festival? How so?
For a group of guys who grew up watching bands from the front of the stage, to see our name on the same bill as Radiohead, Prince, Beck, etc. is just amazing. Right now, every moment is a highlight. We give everything we've got at our show, whether we're in front of thousands of people or 5 people because we simply love what we do. We don't change our set from club to festival - you might say every club show of ours has the excitement and vibe of a festival set. I can't describe the feelings that run through my mind in the moments before we hit the stage. Looking out and seeing a sea of faces is the most fantastic experience. Playing a big festival is like sex, but with 10,000 people at the same time...
What does Lollapalooza represent to the band? Have you followed the history of the festival and which bands are you looking forward to seeing?
Lollapalooza is the biggest show of our life. It's a chance to play for literally thousands of people who have never seen us before, and Lolla is such a huge event that people come from all over the country, so we feel like we're playing to an extremely diverse audience with a common love of music - that's a beautiful thing. All we want is for people to have a good time at our show, that's what we are all about.
What can you tell us about recording your debut album with Chris “Frenchie” Smith in Austin? Were you familiar with his work going in? What can we expect from the finished product?
I've known Frenchie for a few years and have worked with him before so we knew what to expect from each other. We would come into the studio with demos, grand ideas, things we wanted to try, so we had a good vision of what we wanted to create and Frenchie helped us realize that vision. Working with Gavin MacKillop was great also (additional production and mixing in LA); he brought a lot to the album sonically and it was awesome to work with someone with his years of experience. The band was founded on pretty strict musical principles and we (have) stayed true to our dream of creating an album filled with love, excitement…vigor (and) passion. There's no bullshit on there, it's real and it's from the heart. I like to think of it as 10 songs of ordinary life which anyone can relate to presented in glorious Technicolor.
How does the music scene in Austin reflect Electric Touch's sound? How does the band balance your Texas roots with the British rock elements that you bring to the table?
The scene in Austin does not reflect electric touch at all really. You won't see us in the rock and roll bars hanging out because we'll be at home working on our show, rehearsing moves, writing new material, directing our own videos and doing what we love most. Rest assured we work very hard to give people the best show we can night after night. I write the words so there's a lot about England in there, but the themes are all universal. I grew up listening to a lot of American music (Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly), as well as a staple of British greats such as The Beatles, Stones (and) Kinks, of course, so I feel at home musically with my Texas brothers. If you came over to our house you might find British gravy served with Texas BBQ, but my parents are Irish so you won't find a union jack hanging anywhere! We wanted to create something fresh and exciting and our diverse upbringings and experiences help us to do that. I can't think of any other American band with a British singer so there are no cheap comparisons to be made. We are taking a new path, un-trodden, so we just do what we do. It all seemed to come very naturally.
What's next for Electric Touch?
Our debut album comes out August 26th in North America (on Justice Records), and we go on a nationwide tour with The Fratellis, we've got ACL Fest, V Festival and Monolith Festival, so we are going to be busy, busy, busy, and that's just how we like it.
Electric Touch is on tour through mid-October. For more info, check out
www.electrictouchmusic.com
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Awesome Stuff
Written by Guest on 2008-08-05 07:16:52
Love It! |
Article and Photos
Written by Guest on 2008-08-05 16:34:53
Good stuff! |
Great Photos
Written by Guest on 2008-08-05 17:40:37
 That photographer rocks |
Wow.
Written by Guest on 2008-08-06 15:37:18
I am so proud of these guys. I saw them at one of their first shows in February with the Bravery and I've been a huge fan ever since. The attention from Lolla and their upcoming tour is well deserved. |
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