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1.) Vents is happy to welcome celebrated indie rock band Me Like Bees; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we begin kicking the proverbial Q&A pumpkin down the early Autumn path, could each of you say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-lovin’ readers?
I’m Luke. I sing and play guitar in Me Like Bees and my heroes are Fred Rogers and Patrick Lavon Mahomes II.
Hello – I’m Jake and I play bass for Me Like Bees. I love rap music and roasting coffee
I’m Pete Burton and I play lead guitar
Hi I’m Ben and I play drums and have lots of tattoos
2.) Major congratulations and kudos for your upcoming October 14 sophomore album, Disco Two Step! Luke, what was the genesis of this new album, is there a VH1-Behind the Music story you could share with us?
If you were to watch a VH1-Behind the Music special about this record, you would have to start with Pete who wrote most of these songs in their entirety. This album is his and so much of what he writes about is the dichotomy of the highs and lows that come with any pursuit done in earnest. It’s been really natural to learn and sing these songs because so much of what he’s written about resonates with our experience playing music together for so long now. I’m really proud of the record and can’t wait to share it with our fans.
3.) Pete, how is Disco Two Step similar to the band’s first album The Ides? How is it different?
I think it’s similar in how dancy it is. Disco even more so. Which it better be since it has disco in the title.
I think it’s different in that The Ides talks a lot about dealing with grief and tragedy whereas Disco is more about doubt and struggle. Sound wise, I think the ides has darker feeling than this one. Disco to me just sounds a bit happier.
4.) Jake, who was the producer on Disco Two Step and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like in the studio?
The record was produced by us as well as Jeff Smith from Studio 2100 in Springfield, MO. That partnership has served us really well in the past, he also produced our debut album The Ides when we were just starting out. We love Jeff and his whole process in the studio. He’s quick to get to work, but at the same time knows when to let us chase an idea down.
One of our favorite stories from recording D2S was, during the song Square Jaw Luke is like layering tons and tons of guitars on top of each other, it’s so great cuz Jeff is just like… “another one?” And Luke responds, “yep” and then when we’re listening back he kinda gives a classic Jeff chuckle and goes “haha man… that’s great… it’s stupid but it’s cool” so that’s kinda been our motto going forward. Me Like Bees: It’s Stupid but It’s Cool haha
5.) Ben, Disco Two Step is comprised of eleven gorgeous and rockin’ tracks that, taken as a whole, really tell a big and cohesive story (though each tune can be enjoyed independent of the others). Was that intentional on the group’s part?
Really, you write a bunch of stuff for a record, and we think about the different dynamics that you will need while listening to an album. So the answer is yes, and no sort of. A lot of the songs were written in a vacuum but once you’re piecing a record together you start considering the album as a whole. For example, we wrote Square Jaw as an album reset and based on where it fell in the record.
As far as the cohesive story, I think we really wrote about themes and sort of tried to put them in a certain order to really flesh that idea and feeling out. So glad it worked out and people are picking up on that!
6.) Luke, what made The Right Stuff the best choice as one of the tracks off of the new album to see release as a single?
For me, it’s one of those songs that passes the eye (ear) test for a single. While The Right Stuff may not end up being your favorite song after listening through the record after a while, I think it’s one of the tracks that you’ll like the most at first.
7.) Pete, did Me Like Bees have complete creative control over the music video for The Right Stuff?
We did. Jake actually did most of the music video himself. In fact all the videos for this album are ideas we came up with.
We have a friend named Wes Walker who’s a video guy and he kind of takes our ideas and helps make them a reality.
8.) Jake, what distinguishes Disco Two Step from all of the other records released by other artists throughout 2022?
This is a great question. I think we’d like to say sonically it’s different but so much of the indie rock out there sound similar these days. So it could be that it sounds like everything else but I definitely know we’re writing from a pretty, like…. Unicorn perspective. It’s so unique to be a band that has stuck around this long without their “big break”. I mean, we all love this and Me Like Bees has been around since 210 but we’re still here. We’re still pushing through all the good and the bad that comes with trying to do this full time. And the music landscape has changed so much since we started, that we really just kind of dug deep inside ourselves and wrote about that this whole journey has sorta felt like. So I’d say just that topic and that perspective really sets D2S apart.
And I think the emotional pull of the album and the individual tracks is enough to relate to everyone. No matter what you want to do or ARE doing, it takes drive, it takes self awareness, it takes sacrifice, and all that – and the record touches on that and so much more.
9.) Ben, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving Disco Two Step a couple of dozen spins on their hi-fi systems?
I hope they have the desire to spin it a couple dozen times more, ha. That means we’ll have done our job and the most important part, which is connecting with people, was a success.
10.) Luke, on the heels of the release of Disco Two Step, can fans look forward to seeing Me Like Bees on the touring circuit in the weeks and months to come?
Absolutely! We’ll be playing a series of release shows (you can buy tickets here: http://www.melikebees.com/tour) and we’ll be looking to tour again early next year.
11.) A question for all of you: Musically who turns you on?
Luke – Recently I’ve been listening a lot to Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In The Airplane Over the Sea”, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear’s “Skeleton Crew”
Jake – Tyler, the Creator, Djo, The Killers, Bleachers
Pete – Lately I’ve been listening a lot to the new Pixies and the new Death Cab. Arctic Monkeys have been putting out some new music as well. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I think I like it.
Ben – David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix
12.) Pete, Me Like Bees is based out of Joplin, Missouri. How do those particular roots inform the sound of the band?
I would say the support that the band gets from Joplin is the biggest thing. It’s not always easy to have confidence in yourself and what you’re doing musically.
But having your hometown support you by going to shows and enjoying your music definitely makes a difference. It gives you just enough of an ego to think, yeah I can do this.
13.) Final – SILLY! – Question (For all of you!) – Favorite movie about the music scene: Almost Famous, This Is Spinal Tap or Walk the Line?
Luke – Between those three “Almost Famous” takes the cake. Overall, I would put “That Thing You Do” or “Whiplash” as my top two music films
Jake – Walk Hard which is a spoof of Walk the Line so I’m allowed to answer with that
Pete – I love Almost Famous. But I also love Green Room. Hard to pick just one.
Ben – I’ve never seen Spinal Tap, but I really like the other two!
