Lack of sun driving wilting your brain, bleaching your skin and sapping your motivation on the eternal wait for Portland summertime? Soak up some of Portland’s other best season(s) on April 30 when the Banana Stand welcomes Shy Seasons. The four-piece outfit will rock alongside Towering Trees in one of the ‘Stand’s most anticipated shows of the year. Below, guitarist Keenan Olsen and drummer Zach Habbestad took the time to explain how the bands humble origins, wide-ranging influences, and why the Satyricon sucks.

Banana Stand: How long has the band been together in its current form? How did it come together?

Shy Seasons: Well, the ‘ol band has been together for some time now. Around four years, all of ‘em good. We came together like any other good band; dudes dating sisters, makin’ noise, slinging guitars around, eventually you got yourself a band. It happens naturally. Before you know it, we've got a gig and we don't even have two original songs. So that's how we were brought up as a band, doing live shows. Play one gig, “alright boys, we need some new tunes for the next gig,” then we hammer out some jams to freshen up the set. Thankfully for us, the songs were really damn good. So we stuck together.

BS: How would you describe your sound? What are your key influences?

SS: Our sound is like... when you’re chilling in a dark lounge and you catch the eye of a pretty lady, a real bonnie lass. At the same time, it’s like being lost at sea, entranced by sirens. Our influences are wide-ranged. Sometimes we're diggin’ the Rolling Stones or Interpol, Dr. Dre or Wu Tang Clan, QOTSA or RATM, Robert Johnson or Son House, Bob Dylan or Bob Marley, Nina Simone or Thelonious, Radiohead or the Chili Peppers, We just like music. If it's good it's good.

BS: Tell us your thoughts about recording live. What makes you interested in recording live?

SS: Cuz that's what we know best. We started out as a live band, so playing live is just what we're used to. And to have a good night of music preserved on a recording is great. It documents a point in time when people got together to have a good time and celebrate life to some good tunes.

BS: What's your favorite memory of a live show? Least favorite?

SS: There was one show that stands out. We were doing a number called "Campfire Song" at the Hawthorne, and people started singing along to the chorus. Which was cool and strange at the same time, cuz no one had heard it before. At least we didn't think so.

The least favorite award will have to go to a night at the Satyricon. The venue was empty except for other bands and the bums wandering outside. So we said "Fuck it, no more Satyricon", and never went back.


BS: What are your favorite live albums?

SS: Zeppelin at BBC, Mastodon just came out with a really good one, Rage Live at the Grand Olympic, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out. Pixies have been releasing a lot of archived live recordings as well that are awesome.



BS: What other projects are you all involved with?

SS: We have some side projects to pass the time when The Shy Seasons are hibernating. We got Zoo Bomb Crew (Reggae), Laser Light Shotgun (Experimental Funk), Weather (Hip-hop), Feral Dogs (Rock&Roll), and so on. We're also sharing our bassist with the band Funkle Ted. You're welcome Funkle's. He's a precious commodity. 


BS: What are you working on lately?

SS: We just so happen to be in the studio right now. We're cutting our first full-length LP, to be entitled "Socialite". Not to be boastful, but... it's gonna be great. We're hoping to have it out by late May.

 

Thanks to Keenan Olsen and Zach Habbestad from The Shy Seasons for participating in our interview. The Shy Seasons are Keenan, Zach, Chad Miner and Jesse Blair. They'll be recording live at the Banana Stand on Saturday, April 30th with Towering Trees. You should totally be here: RSVP on Facebook.

 

Check out more of The Shy Seasons on Facebook and MySpace.