Stilts
Web exclusive interview, 2004
S&S: What inspired you to start a band and have you always
been interested in music?
Matthew: Well, I guess what inspired us to start a band was simply
our love for music. It is something that defines our lives; it gives us
a soundtrack to what is going on at each moment in time. Yeah, we have always
been interested in music. I have known David for basically my entire life.
We grew up in the same town, listening to the same music, going to punk
and hardcore shows, watching MTV, and always passing on new bands that someone
else had found. Jim grew up in a different state from us, but in the same
sort of town: a small town like us, a railroad town, so he had the same
experiences as David and myself. Emily grew up on the west coast in a small
town as well, always listening to music, and playing music as well. So,
with the 4 of together now, we all had the same upbringing, just at different
geological positions on the earth, yet having all the same experiences,
which brings us pretty close together when we talk and think about music.
S&S: What makes your band different from every other band out
there?
Matthew: Well, for starters, I don't think we are a typical band,
simply for the fact that we don't really act like a band. [We act] more
like a family; we talk to each other every day and spend 99% of our free
time together. We know pretty much everything about each other that there
is, and we don't really play music to be in a band. We play music because
it is the thing that we do best; it's more like a vocation to us. We don't
have set positions in the band; we all play every instrument, and we switch
up instruments depending on what song we are playing, where we are playing,
and with whom. Our songs are more of solidifications of time, or moments,
feelings, thoughts and or ideas. Our songs tell a story, the story of our
lives, what we have gone through, what we are experiencing, and what's going
on with us. They are more of testimonies of our existence.
S&S: Have you always had the same members or have their been
some changes?
Matthew: Our line up has never been the same for too long. The only
solid person would be myself; I started Stilts a long time ago after having
been in hardcore bands, goth bands, metal bands rock and alternative bands,
etc. I got tired of playing electric and sold all of my stuff and picked
up an acoustic bass. I had already had an acoustic guitar, and I started
playing coffee shops, campfires, and parties. From there, Stilts just kind
of grew, from myself to literally about 50 people or so. We played a lot
around New Brunswick, NJ, at Rutgers College, where I was living at the
time, and eventually the first real Stilts recording was made with Dave
and his ex-girlfriend Jenniphur. It was a somewhat dark, jazzy instrumental
cd, 3 songs. Then, David and I started playing together a lot more and we
kind of solidified Stilts as a band. We had a melodica player (sandbox),
keyboards, electric lead guitar, percussions, flute, and sax. We went through
a gigantic line up. Then, we went to the Rainbow Gatherings and stayed with
them for two years, traveled across the country, and played music everywhere.
After a falling out between David and myself, we ended Stilts for a while.
When I moved out here to Montauk, I started it up again after meeting Jim.
Dave had moved to the west coast where he met Emily, and after a short time,
they both moved out here to play again. The history of Stilts is entirely
too long to discuss now, but we have a history book. Actually, [we have]
a few of them describing pretty much every moment of Stilts.
S&S: Why did you choose the name Stilts for the band?
Matthew: The name Stilts came to me one day while I was traversing
the Scandinavian front. Why it came to me, I don't really know. It just
sort of popped into my head and stuck. It seemed to describe the experiences
I was having at that moment in life, and the experience one feels while
playing music; at least for me and everyone else who has played with us
and has seen us play. It is a feeling of riding a wave, as David likes to
say. What we do is more than just play songs; it is more like magik to us.
We hold these songs and feelings very close to us; they are a part of us,
and will always be. So, when we play, we try to conjure up those moments
that inspired us and we attempt to make others feel the same as we do. There
are a lot of people who really don't get what we do, but there are a lot
who do, and when they can ride the wave as we do just by listening, they
get it. We end up talking to people after the shows and performances, and
they can tell exactly what we were trying to do. It is these people who
we are playing for.
S&S: Who are your musical inspirations?
Matthew: Our influences? That would be everything in the world that
we experience as humans: feelings, thoughts, emotions, ideas, the ocean,
the wind, the earth, landscapes, sounds, nature, whatever. As far as musical
influences go, I would have to say Jane's Addiction, The Doors, Faith No
More, Sunny Day Real Estate, Dinosaur Jr, The Cure, Nirvana, Dead Can Dance,
Enigma, Enya, gypsy music, egyptian music, foreign and middle eastern music,
carnivals, ambient music, classic rock, classical music, 80s metal bands,
Mogwai, Jimmy Eat World, Bauhouse, Mike Patton, John Frusciante, Concrete
Blonde, Tool, Jeremy Enigk, a lot of independent bands, and a good amount
of progressive music. Our ties are with all types of sounds and music; we
dont want to fit into any specific genre, if any genre it would be Stiltic.
S&S: What are the band's plans for the summer?
Matthew: Our plans for the summer are pretty much our all year round
plans: to play music and never to stop. We have a lot of shows lined up
and we are the house band at the Stephen Talkhouse here in Amagansett, NY
every Monday night. On Sunday nights, we play with our friends, The Paleroom.
We play Friday nights and Saturday nights as well. So, we are pretty busy.
We also play on the beach at night; [we] set up a big campfire and have
all night long jams with percussions and our acoustics. So, our plans are
just basically to spread and play music everywhere and to anyone who will
listen.
S&S: Is there a certain message you want to send out to people
who listen to your music?
Matthew: Of course, the typical thank you; we do mean that from the
bottom of our hearts. Without those who listen to the music, we would be
nothing. Know yourself, and remember who you are at all times. The world
really isn't as bad as it seems. If you play music as well as listen to
it, learn some of our songs and contact us. If we play near you, we would
love to have you come up and join us for a moment in time. Thank you, thank
you, and thank you again.