Allah Las
Matthew Correia
Will never be able to forget the first time I came across to Allah Las' music back in 2011, when I had listened to their first ever single, Catamaran/Long Journey. It was an absolutely love at first sight situation. That love became stronger with their second single Tell Me (What's On Your Mind)/Sacred Sands some months later, and finally became a... fatal love affair with the release of their self-titled debut in September of 2012. Four years later, I consider that record as one of the best of the decade so far. The news that the guys were coming to Athens for a gig in May of 2013 blown my mind away and having the chance to chat with the band's main vocalist, Miles Michaud, shortly before that gig was a great honour for me (check the first Allah Las interview for BSMNT here). That interview was only the beginning of my heroic bonding with the band from LA, California: In the 28th of May, I accidentally met them in the gig of Thee Oh Sees outside An Club in Athens, and we ended up drinking and dancing at a nearby rock club... And 3 days later, they showed up in BSMNT's party after their epic and flawless live show in Fuzz. We really had a great time, it was an unforgettable night full of laughs and dance (and tons of alcohol...). The same happened 1 1/2 year later, on the 1st of November 2014, after their second coming in Greece and their live show in Fuzz again. We had again organised an after party and the guys were there. too...This time they had on their luggage their second album Worship The Sun, another surf/garage psychedelic gem, not so easy to 'access' and absorb relating to its predecessor, but still a magically crafted piece of music art.
If Worship The Sun was not what we call a 'mainstream' and a radio friendly album , when it comes to their latest release Calico Review, things are becoming even more 'anti-commercial', as the band decide to walk to even more precipitous and difficult music paths. In any case, Allah Las' third album establishes them as one of the most interesting and influential psych garage rock bands of the decade, and makes them one of the most credible and inventive bands of the 60's revival movement that we witness over the last 4-5 years. Shortly before their fourth visit and tour to our country (10/11 - Thessaloniki, 11/11 - Volos, 12/11 Athens), we had the honour to interview the band's drummer and vocalist Mathew Correia. That's all from us, here are the very interesting and illuminating words of Matthew.
The Basement: Hi Matthew, welcome to the Basement! In November you are visiting Greece for the fourth time in four years. Looks like that you guys love our country and of course Greece loves you. What are your memories of your previous visits ?
We love Greece. We’re lucky and honored to be so welcomed. Greece feels like a lot like home to us as the terrain and weather looks and feels so similar to Southern California. Maybe the reason we have a following in Greece is that our music translates to that type of environment. More than anything else I think our music has distinct seaside feel to it and so does the traditional Greek music i've heard. Environment reflecting music and vice versa. We have lots memories from Greece we won't soon forget. Visiting Poseidon's temple, swimming in the Mediterranean, many seafood feasts, watching the sunset from the Acropolis to name a few. We love visiting Kafka at En Lefko and Zaharias Records when we come to Athens.
The Basement: What should we expect this time ?
We're gonna have a good time, we're gonna have a party. We want to get on a boat and explore the islands as soon as possible.
The Basement: This is the perfect chance for the BSMNT team to thank you for coming to our after parties that followed your first two gigs in Athens. Did you have a good time with us back then ? Would you come again if we organized another one in November ?
Thank you. Those after parties have always been a lot of fun with great music. Lets do it again.
The Basement: Could you describe your three albums using just a sentence for each one of them ?
No thank you
The Basement: In some of your new songs, we can spot a continuing doubt for everything around. For example on the closing “Place in the Sun”, you say "There’s no time to reason why, it’s gotta be this way, Once it’s gone we can’t go on, There’s nothing left to say”. Is this disappointment an indication about something ?
All these songs have meanings to us or relate to our lives personally but we feel that its important to let the listener interpret these stories for themselves. Deciphering lyrics and forming my own ideas and relations to songs is what makes music mysterious and timeless. I will say that this song has to do with learning lessons and making light of a dark situation.
The Basement: There’s a more folky sound now in “Calico Review”. In times, i think i hear some Velvet Underground as in “Could Be you”. Was this a change of music route or another side of yours ?
Just another side of our influence. Excited to hear what other things people hear.
The Basement: What is the meaning of the album title Calico Review and how it connects with its content ?
Calico is a loose term that means a lot of different things. It’s a type of fabric, it’s a color scheme, it’s the name of an old Western ghost town in California, it’s also a term thrown around in a lot of song tittles and lyrics. To us Calico feels like an old western term that people don’t use anymore. As lost and forgotten as the American West itself. We realized that the name fit because this sentiment and that the calico color scheme (gold, yellows, browns, black and white) is a lot different colors that come together to create something that is one and our record can be described that way too.
The Basement: How have Allah Las changed since the early years of their existence? Do you think publicity, touring etc.had an impact on your personalities and behavior ?
Touring has definitely given us more influence and perspective on life, art and music.
The Basement: Radio producers will struggle to pick a song from the new LP, that can make sense on air. I mean, it’s not a purely radio friendly record and I like that. What do you think of that ?
Thank you for saying so. It’s a good question. People have shorter and shorter attention spans for music these days and because of that popular music is being dumbed down so heavily. Its can be fun but its also pretty sad if you actually read into what most popular songs are actually saying. We always have and will continue to make records that we believe in. I think our first record is probably more accessible to the masses compared to Calico Review. We realize that as our songwriting progresses our records may be harder to absorb but most great records, books and films that last the test of time take time to absorb, understand and get into. All of my favorite records took multiple listens really feel. We feel that Calico Review is our best record yet and we’re gonna keep doing what we feel impelled to do. What?, Where?, Why? is all for someone else to say
The Basement: Psychedelia feeds the feet to dance and the head in thinking. Do you think you achieve this in the new LP ?
People say they like DJing our records. Others say they enjoying listening to them at home or in the car or whatever. We never imagined what people would do with these songs but were happy that people have been enjoying our message and the world we created with each album.
The Basement: “Allah Las’ debut triggered the whole 60’s thing during the 10’s and they pushed a lot of other bands to regenerate the music of that decade”. This is what a friend of us said during a music conversation we had about two months ago. Do you agree ?
I've heard people say that. I do see more and more bands of a certain type and style these days. At the time when we were starting the band it wasn’t cool to be into those records. We were the outsiders. Now its the current trend. Whatever we help to start wasn’t intentional. We’re not the kind of people who wish we lived in the ’60s or something cliche like that even though we get painted with that brush continuously. There’s plenty of music from every decade and genre to dig into and if you know us and know a lot of music you’ll be able to read those influences in our records too.
The Basement: Which moments would you choose as the most difficult on the 6 year history of the band so far. And, on the other hand, which moments would you pick as the most crucial and significant for the band’s progress?
Touring can both amazing and difficult. There’s no rules, guidelines or handbooks about being in a band. It’s a lot harder than most think.
Our relationship with our friend and producer Nick Waterhouse was crucial for us getting our first recordings done. He believed in what we were doing before we had anything on wax. Our relationship with our lifelong friend and manager Robert Combs has been crucial for us as a band. He continues to be a strongest guiding light. He’s our Brian Epstein, our Andrew Loog Oldham. I think Calico Review is significant moment for us. We’ll see where is record takes us. I know it will be good. Join us!
Thank you Matthew, thank you Allah Las!
