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Artist Interviews
Q&A: The Silver Seas
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 31 August 2011
At the heart of Nashville-based indie outfit The Silver Seas’ winsome folk appeal is singer-songwriter Daniel Tashian (son of Barry Tashian, one-time frontman of 1960s cult-rockers The Remains) who, along with producer Jason Lehning, co-founded the band in 2002.
Having released their debut album, 2004’s ‘Starry Gazey Pie’, under their original name The Bees, the band followed up with second a LP titled ‘High Society’ in 2006.
As The Silver Seas prepare to self-release their latest album ‘Château Revenge’ on 19 Sep, they are also booked to play at Camden’s Proud Gallery as part of Music Week’s Breakout showcase on 14 Sep, with another show the following night at London’s Islington Academy. But before any of that happens, official band spokesperson Daniel pondered our Same Six Questions.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
On a piano at my grandparents house, where I learned to play ‘The Pink Panther Theme’. I used to hold down the sustain pedal and play with endless sustain, until my grandpa would yell across the house “let the damn pedal up!” But it was a musical family, everyone played or sang. And something captivated me as a child about both Peter Sellers and Henry Mancini.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Pot, coffee, arrowroot cookies, Belmont Blvd in Nashville, an Epiphone EF-500 guitar, all the relationships I’ve ever had, Peter Sellers and Henry Mancini.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
We start playing the song in a club, like Grimey’s basement, then if it goes over well, we record the basic rhythm guitars, drums, keys and bass at the Toybox studio, then I take the tracks to my garage and add some layers of guitars and vocals, then the band comes and adds background vocals, then Jason mixes it at his studio. Then we take it to Jim Demain and he masters it.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Probably the most constant, long held inspirations I have are Burt Bacharach, The Beatles and, of course, Henry Mancini.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Would you like anything to drink?
Q6 What are you ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
Our ambitions are, of course, to top what we’ve done and show everyone on our fourth record that we aren’t going away. Also, to evolve the sound slightly, but sill stick to our main sound, which is classic Tin Pan Alley stuff, mixed with some plastic soul.
MORE>> www.thesilverseas.net
