Mother Falcon is a collective of 12 to 20 members with a big assortment of instruments including cello, violin, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, accordion, drums, bass, lots of singers, guitars, and bassoon. They created a huge buzz during SXSW 2013 and received praise from NPR, USA Today, NYLON,Paste, and more for their latest album You Knew. Relentless touring throughout 2013 garnered additional press accolades; along the way Mother Falcon collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Amanda Palmer, Alejandro Escovedo, Jherek Boschoff, Ben Sollee and Tony Trishka.
As a lead-up to South by Southwest, The Noise Room is talking to bands and artists performing at SXSW. Here’s what violinist and backing vocalist Maurice Chammah of Mother Falcon had to say:
What do like most about playing at SXSW?
The anarchy. Unlike festivals that stay contained in a small area like Bonnaroo and Coachella, during SXSW there’s just an energy in the air because every bar, cafe, hotel and restaurant becomes a music venue and you can never predict who else will be on a bill with you, who will be in the audience, and what kind of crowd you’re going to get.
Are you out promoting anything?
Our last release was You Knew, a full-length album that came out in May 2013. On March 18th, 2014, right after SXSW, we’re releasing MF Computer, our reinterpretation of Radiohead’s classic album OK Computer. Until we took on this project last year, we’d never spent much time covering songs by other bands, and we’re really excited to share these adventurous arrangements.
Are there any bands or musicians that you are looking forward to checking out?
A lot of bands we’ve met while out on the road are coming to the festival, and many of them are playing at a big show we’re hosting on Monday night right before the official festival starts (details below). Some of these bands are: The Melodic, Bright Moments, And The Kids, Ha Ha Tonka.
What are the challenges for you or your band when playing at SXSW?
It’s all logistical: we have lots and lots of gear and people, so just getting everyone parked and into every show is always a crazy time.
Do you have any survival tips for those attending SXSW?
Don’t worry too much about the official events. They are harder to get into and you can usually see the same bands during a day show. Also, don’t waste lots of time in transit; find one event where you want to see a bunch of the bands and hunker down.
Are you more “stick around, check out music and enjoy the scene” or “play as many shows as possible then get out”?
Definitely the former. We play as many shows as possible, but we also enjoy hanging around the artist lounges, meeting other bands, and exploring all of the millions of shows around the city.
What are your SXSW Show Times?
Monday, March 10, 11pm Spider House Patio “That Little Party” curated by Mother Falcon
Wednesday, Mar 12, 3pm HOPE Outdoor Gallery
Wednesday, Mar 12, 5:30pm Spider House Ballroom “UNITY Party”
Thursday, Mar 13 5:15pm Up Collective Attendance Records/Punctum show
Thursday, Mar 13 11:30pm Central Presbyterian Church “Red Ryder Official SXSW Showcase”
Saturday March 15 3pm Peckerheads on 6th St “The Future of Pop Music”
Saturday, March 15 5:30pm Austin Convention Center “Brooklyn Vegan Presents Flatstock”
Sunday, March 16 time TBA HOPE Farmer’s Market
Best way for people to contact and connect:
www.motherfalconmusic.com
www.facebook.com/motherfalconmusic
www.twitter.com/motherfalconmus
