An Interview with Lynne Angel from Tartufi

Posted by on Aug 14, 2012 in Local Musicians, Music, Performance Art, Visiting Musicians

An Interview with Lynne Angel from Tartufi

Tartufi returns to the LG, they play Mt. Emily Ale House Aug. 30, Lynne Angel takes time to answer some questions…

The San Francisco power trio Tartufi will return to La Grande once again on August 30th to change lives at the Mt. Emily Ale House. The show begins at 8 pm and local group Correspondence School will open up.
Tartufi, who plays complex, often loop based, heavy, yet goose-bump-inducing beautiful music has thankfully joined the ranks of touring bands who frequently make a stop in La Grande. Their shows are a non-stop revelation, steeped heavily in testing the boundaries of  what a song can be and span the entire emotional spectrum, which have captivated audiences everywhere they go. Over the years they have created a number of superb albums which smack of masterpieces, and are full of songs that are equally worthy of being dubbed masterpieces, and a new one is on the way. They are not only fiercely dedicated to their craft, but to the community in which they live, giving back in ways such as the Rock Make Street Festival, which they put on every year, promoting San Francisco bands and artists.

Lynne Angel from Tartufi

Lynne contemplates

Lynne Angel, Tartufi’s front woman extraordinaire, was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the band, the new record, Rock Make, surviving as a musician and more.

We’re so excited to have you back in La Grande! What keeps you coming back to La Grande, and since you usually pass through on your way to Idaho, what keeps you heading to Idaho?

We are super excited to come back to La Grande!! I think over the years of touring we discovered that a supportive and creative scene is as – if not more – important than an established venue or a good support opportunity. We enjoy spending time with the people of La Grande and witnessing how tight knit the community is. Creatively there is a lot going on as well. I love how collaborative the scene is – that folks will play with each other, be each others backing band, lend a voice on the chorus. It’s pretty inspiring to see that level of interaction happen so often and effortlessly. The same goes for Idaho. Great people – amazing scene – super supportive of our music…there is a ton of rad music coming from that beautiful state right now.

How have things been going for Tartufi in San Francisco since we last saw you? 

Things have been going well! We have just finished a new album and are getting the production machine rolling on that. Hopefully it will be out in March of 2013 so it’s all about getting the assets together now….videos, photos, packaging, merch etc etc. As per usual – the name of the game is CREATE. CONSTANTLY. Which is great.

 I know your Rock Make Street Festival, which I was able to attend last year, is fast approaching, what motivates you to put on such a great event? 

We originally put Rock Make together as a response to some of the larger music festivals that happen in SF throughout the summer. We wanted to organize something that was more grassroots, affordable and highlighted the vibrant music and art scene in the Bay Area – and specifically in the Mission District where we all live. To have a platform for the artists of our community is important – you may not see Neil Young but you will see 12 rad bands and a TON of amazing art for less than a jar of peanut butter.

Tartufi has been working on a new album for quite some time now, how is it coming along and when can we expect it to be released?
It’s done! We all sat around and listened to it the other night in an empty ballroom with the lights low and a disco ball spinning. It was pretty dreamy. Spring of 2013 is when it will come out. We think. Crap…I hope I didn’t just jinx it. Knock on wood!

How has the dynamic of recording and touring changed now that you are three as opposed to when it was just you and Brian? 

Quite a bit, but all for the better. It takes a while to adjust to a dynamic change like that. Brian and I were so adamantly against having a third member for so long. We wanted to prove that we could make as much sound as possible with just two people. Well, 6 years, 2000 watts and a fair amount of hearing loss later – mission accomplished. But we felt we were in a rut for a minute there and Ben’s old band Low Red Land had just broken up. So we snatched him up and bundled him in blankets and hid him in our studio. It is great to have his input. It frees Brian and I up to do less and focus on playing as opposed to being focused on jumping between 8 different instruments, singing, and staying on the loop. I feel that we have become a much better live band because of it.

 Are there plans for a larger tour once the album comes out? 

Yes! We plan to tour Mars. And also the United States of America. And hopefully we can get back to the UK as well. But mostly Mars.

Tartufi plays some of the more complex music around, yet I’ve read that the earliest version of Tartufi was more straightforward. How did that evolution take place? 
Looping looping and more looping. Waaaay back in two-aught-aught-five we had a 3rd member of Tartufi who left the band. Once that happened, we got a ton of pedals as opposed to replacing them. Our musical sensibilities were leaning toward more expansive, heavier music at that time and we began experimenting with looping and everything changed. Verse, chorus, verse? What’s that? Part, part, part! That’s how you build a song, sillies! We started with this 20+ minute song that we named The Giant Human. It felt very different from what we were used to but it was pretty thrilling to go through that transition. Listen up kids! 20 minute songs are the future! Radio stations LOVE them and your record label will know exactly how to market you…waaaaaaaiiiiit a minute……
How do your songs begin, as far as writing goes? Do you begin them on guitar, form them together with Brian and Ben, or is it different all the time?

It’s different all the time. Usually someone will have a part that everyone loves and we all play on it for a while until we are happy with what we are doing. Then the challenge is moving out of that part and into another.

Do you guys all still keep day jobs?  

We do. I book live music at a venue in SF, write music posts for a local blog, and bartend. Brian began a music school called Rock Band Land and he teaches and runs the crap out of it. Ben is the owner of Sneaky’s BBQ – the best dern Carolina-style BBQ in the city.

After all this time of playing in a band, being on the road, having to balance day jobs, and all that goes into trying to sustain a band, which I know first hand is very exhausting, how do you stay motivated to keep at it? 

I couldn’t not do it. I get so much satisfaction from playing I think I would be a very sad giraffe without it. I have been playing music for twenty years. It’s just a part of what I do and how I live. But it really helps to go through places like La Grande a few times a year and share your work with people you admire and respect. Getting feedback from our peers – and downing a few pitchers at the Longbranch – is motivation enough.

What’s your advice to someone who might just be starting out in 2012, trying to survive as a musician?

I’m telling you! 20 minute songs! Weird time-signatures that people can’t dance to! Strange stops and starts! Overly loud solos! Long intros! This is the wave of the future people. Everyone on Mars (everymartian on Mars?) is doing it. Seriously though – surviving as a musician is difficult. If you want to make money solely from your talents then you need to find a way to make your talents marketable. Teaching music is a great way to do this. Or find a way into writing scores for film and television. Look into recording, engineering or producing. Do not assume that you will be paid for the effort you put into your own music. Unfortunately it typically does not work like that. As a musician you will be under-appreciated, under-paid and over-looked. There are millions of others trying to do exactly what you do. So get creative! Try to build a career involving what you love and make sure to leave time to continue to create on your own.
Oh – and write a hit song immediately.

You work with a lot of pedals, what’s your favorite? 
I love delay pedals. Love love love. I have this old Arion SAD-1 that – cosmetically – has seen better days but I LOVE the warmth of the tone it puts out. I also just got this Strymon El Capistan tape echo delay that is an absolute beast. I need to tame that sucker a little before I can add it into the line-up. And – totes obvs – we wouldn’t be the band we are without the good old Boss RC-20XL Loop Station. The workhorse of the looping world.
Finally, name the top five albums you’ve been listening to lately. 

Well – I just joined the 21st century and got myself on Spotify so I have been listening to a lot of everything! But in terms of top 5 I would say:
1. Wye Oak - Civilian  Love her voice, love her guitar playing, love that they are a duo. “Plains” is one of my favorite songs of all time.
2. Beach House - Teen Dream is still my favorite album but “Myth” off of Bloom is a great song. Again – LOVE her voice.
3. Austra - Feel It Break  This is a little more electro than I typically go but I really like how woo woo these guys seem. And she was a classically trained opera singer before she abandoned her career after seeing a punk show. How rad is that?
4. Russian Circles - Empros   Super sick drummer. Tight riffs. Heavy but also some great space in there.
5. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation  I love the innocence that floods from this album. It is also somehow super familiar from the first listen – comforting and comfortable. Also — FROM BOISE!!!!!  WHUT WHUT. Represent.

As an honorable mention I have been listening to “Mercy” a lot by Kanye West and am really enjoying the bass-shaking that goes on whilst in the car or van. I do like a good bass-shake.

For more on Tartufi, view our full ARTICLE on them from when they passed through in March, and visit their WEBSITE.