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- We’re very excited to be speaking today with acclaimed Los Angeles-based rock duo extraordinaire Movie club; greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, could you each say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?
JV: Hey! Thanks for having us. I’m Jessamyn Violet, the drummer half of Movie Club. I’m originally from Boston and I’m an author as well.
VC: Vince Cuneo here! Guitarist for Movie Club. Grateful to be here and chat all things instrumental psych rock.
- Major kudos and accolades on the December 12 premiere of your amazing sophomore full-length album Great White! Vince, what inspired one of the very best LPs of 2023?
VC: Thank you! The goal of this band has always been to “keep producing” and always challenge ourselves using new sonic elements. The beauty of being an instrumental band is that we don’t feel bound to any specific genre. I feel this album is a great representation of where Movie Club is as a band and also where we are headed.
- Jessamyn, who was the producer on Great White and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like in the studio while putting the new LP together?
JV: Vince and I have co-produced all our albums so far. We definitely enjoy other voices chiming in, and often ask the engineers for input. We’re absolutely open to working with producers in the future, it just hasn’t come about yet. Hoping the perfect situation comes naturally in time, like IDLES asking Nigel Godrich to produce their next album after doing a From The Basement session (which is an unbelievable listen).
- Vince, how is Great White similar to Movie Club’s first album? How is it different?
VC: All of our records are a timestamp of where we are as a band and also where we are personally. When we wrote and recorded our first full-length album “Black Flamingo” it was the beginning of the pandemic. We had zero shows on the books so we wrote new music everyday. “Great White” was written and recorded while we were planning our first national headlining tour. When I listen to both, it takes me to a very specific time. I think that every listener goes through a similar experience with music they listen to over and over. For instance, we all remember the first time we heard The Beatles. We remember how old we were, where we heard it, and how it made us feel.
- Jessamyn, Great White features the return of honorary Movie Club member Tim Lefebvre on bass. What was it like reigniting that particular creative collaboration?
JV: All I can say about Tim is that he is the Tom Brady of bassists. We’re both from the Boston area, and it’s just so refreshing to be able to say that someone of his talent and status “keeps it wicked real,” as we like to say from those parts. He’s incredibly cool to work with. His bass parts for our songs always get us even more excited and add a certain level of inspired sonic psychedelia that we never take for granted. We can only hope to one day have the budget to take him on tour with us. What an epic throwdown that would be!
- Vince, speaking of collaborations, Great White is full of ‘em, especially in the form of the contribution of special guest David Ralicke on horns and flute. In your opinion, what indefinable and magical thing does David bring to the party?
VC: David Ralicke is not just a legendary horn player, he is a legend of sonic exploration. He has an undeniable technical skill, but his tone takes Movie Club’s sound to a whole new level. From day one, Jessamyn always mentioned collaborating with David. I met him for the first time when he came to record on our Fangtooth EP. He showed up with his fur hat, custom effect rigs, and a truck load of horns. From that day on, I knew David will always be an honorary member of this band.
- Jessamyn, Movie Club just wrapped up a successful Psychedelic Circus residency in Hollywood – Congrats! Can you talk about how that went over and whether fans can look forward to an encore in the future?
JV: Thank you for this question. As a two-piece, there is a certain level of sustainability in our project. However, we love the variety of acts that can enhance our music. It’s like getting to be in a band with anyone who is into our sound and cause. When we got a residency in Brooklyn at C’mon Everybody in 2022, we decided to pull a Frank Zappa and invite a bunch of different types of performers to sit in on different songs. It went so well that when we got a Hollywood residency, we decided to do it again. It gave us a chance to connect with writers, vocalists, instrumentalists, clowns, magicians, dancers, and many more types of artists who were thrilled to showcase their art in a different manner than usual. When we put the lineup of sit-ins together, I Googled “rock n roll circus” to find inspiration for the fliers, and found out that the Rolling Stones had previously done a very similar thing in 1968. It was time for a resurgence, it seemed, and the turnout was great. The audiences seemed to love it. People said it reminded them of a New York show, or that they had never seen any performance like that in LA and were surprised by that as well. It went so well, in fact, that we hope to one day be able to put together a whole national and/or international Psychedelic Circus Tour featuring local artists and performers at every stop. It’s such a fun way to connect with new people, reinvigorate many facets of the current live performing arts scene, share a mutual admiration for assorted talents, and plant seeds for future collaborations. Plus it keeps each show different, fresh, and exciting.
To read/see more of the Hollywood residency, there is a published review with video clips and photos here.
- Who inspires the two of you musically?
JV: I have always been inspired by Dave Grohl because he plays what the song needs in a minimalist yet extremely effective way, with feel and with his own unique groove. He also has incorporated many of his other talents into his career in very cool and inclusive ways, which he absolutely doesn’t have to do but does anyway. He also is a great leader, as proven by the way he’s kept his band intact for so long and shares all songwriting credits and profits, which he also does not have to do at his level but is extremely refreshing to see. He’s an incredibly inspiring, positive and prolific personality, who also somehow has managed to preserve his own down-to-earth-ness alongside the many decades of fame and stardom. He carries himself discreetly. He’ll talk to you like a regular guy. He’ll still be modest about his musicianship.
VC: It all started when I saw Derek Trucks play for the first time. His guitar playing took me to a place I didn’t know existed. But, the amount of rock bands that keep releasing new records blows my mind on a daily basis. Bands like Osees, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Smile, Frankie and The Witch Fingers, Warpaint, Blonde Redhead, and Khruangbin are inspiring me to pick up my guitar to work on our next record.
- Vince, in the wake of the December 12 release of Great White, can fans look forward to catching Movie Club on the touring/performing circuit in 2024?
VC: We are excited to hit the road hard in 2024. There have been talks of a Summer U.S. Tour and we are hoping to make it overseas soon. The mission of Movie Club is to create music that is universal. Since we don’t have lyrics, it has been incredible to see new fans from all over the world discover our music.
- Jessamyn, in your humble opinion what differentiates Great White from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?
JV: I think what we are doing is pretty original. We make dynamic instrumental music for everyone. Great White features slow, moody tracks as well as hard-hitting bangers. There’s no limit to your audience when you don’t have lyrics. You can put this album on to contemplate, meditate, write, read or any other activity in which lyrics might be distracting to the creative, imaginative, inner-world-building processes. We make energetic music to inspire others, and truly believe that there is a certain value to music without words. Instrumentals don’t have to be sleepy, lengthy or jammy; they can just be a to-the-point powerful vibe.
