So Sunset Junction was a bit rampant with chaos, and the hype was spreading faster than a Justin Bieber twitter update.  Between the heat, parking chaos, and the band performing pre-Saint Motel, I was lucky enough to get the ever angelic and fiendishly charming boys of Saint Motel (A/J, ASharp, Dak, Gregory) backstage for a little 411 sesh, and we were forced to get up close and personal.  And I mean- up close- huddled in a tent yelling over the sound, I was all up in their grills, grilling them on what’s next for the band recently catapulted onto everyone’s radar.

BNB:  I know you guys always like to have a theme at your shows & performances, what’s today’s pick?

SM:  It’s not about themes, it’s about just pushing the boundaries of what is a potential show, and just doing things that are out of the ordinary.  Sometimes that’s in the way of a zombie prom, sometimes it’s in the way of having five screens projecting videos.  But today we’re gonna try something different- we’re gonna do a hundred balloons!

BNB:  You guys just did a remix with Sam Sparro for your song “Dear Dictator”- and I know he’s on the Sunset Junction lineup somewhere- can we expect a surprise onstage collaboration?!

SM:  WE WISH!  I think he actually plays tomorrow.

BNB:  Can’t blame a girl for asking- wasn’t sure if he was floating around here somewhere!

SM:  Well we’re doing an event in early September- which we can’t really talk about right now- but hopefully, we’d love to play with him- maybe a live mash up.

 

BNB:  You guys also just got done touring with Band Of Skulls- you guys are kinda all over the map right now!  What’s up next for Saint Motel!?

SM:  We ARE recording!  We just finished the basic tracking and we’ll be going back in next week for more more more!  But we have a lot of stuff going on!

ASharp:  We’ll be doing my guitar next week, so it’s gonna be a big week.

SM:  You know, you’re kind of a big deal!

ASharp:  Right!  But the basic tracking sounds amazing and we just have some guitars and vocals to do- and we’re really excited about the new tracks!

 

BNB:  If you could tour with any one artists- who would you want to go on the road with?

SM:  QUEEN!  We’d have to pull some serious magic.  Some voodoo shit.

BNB:  Well if anyone is gonna make that happen it would be the charming Saint Motel.

SM:  You know, Neil Diamond is doing some touring, that could be fun.  They asked Neil Diamond in an interview recently if you could tour with one band, who would you pick to tour with- and guess what he said?  Saint Motel.  So that’s pretty much gonna happen.

BNB:  That would be quite the symbiotic lineup.

SM:  We’re also in talks with Justin Bieber’s manager right now, trying to get that in the works.  You know, we’re gonna bank off the whole Bieb fever.

BNB:  Bieber fever.

SM:  We got the fev, for the Bieb.

 

BNB:  So what show’s coming up next- aside from the show in September we can’t really talk about?

SM:  You mean the super, super, super secret show?

BNB:  Yes, the one that nobody knows about except for all the B-N-B dot com readers now.

SM:  You know where you can hear about that show?  September 10 we’re going to be on “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on KCRW- we’re doing a live set with Jason Bentley- so we’re going to make that special announcement on the tenth!  And there will be shows soon after that, through Fall!

BNB:  Nice so we will all have to stay tuned!

 

BNB:  And what one artist are you amped to see at Sunset Junction?

SM:  Excited to see Bad Brains, Ghostland Observatory, Shiny Toy Guns, Dawes tonight- and of course- Sam Sparro!

 

BNB:  Closing Remarks?

SM:  WOOOOOOOO!

 

Wrapping up just in time for them to get their stuff onstage, I worked my way through the crowd to land a prime spot to watch their famous onstage antics.  About two seconds into the opening song I heard every lyric mirrored around me- and turned around to see about 15 tweens and teens rocking out to their latest obsession- which soon had me feeling like I’d landed in the middle of some series surround sound action.

 

The crowd was hyped on everything, but when they rocked the classics “Dear Dictator,” “Butch,” and “To My Enemies” the contagious energy was now unreal- like a pseudo pop/rock rave!  They announced yesterday that they’ll be adding a repeat performance in a week at the famed Sunset Strip Music Festival- and naturally, I’ve added them to my ever evolving “don’t miss list!”  It’s no wonder the boys have rocked their ways into the hearts and radars of Generation Y!  The cyber savvy Gen Y can catch the kids at www.myspace.com/saintmotel!

 

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