Review Fix Exclusive: Tan Sister Radio Talks ‘Hat Trick’

Review Fix chats with Tan Sister Radio’s Aaron Dennis, Andrew Ware and Max Greenhaigh about their new album, i”Hat Trick,” as well as their influences and goals for 2014. A “Mystery Punk” bad, their sound definitely has their niche, but is definitely intriguing enough to appeal to larger audiences.

Review Fix: How did the band come together?

Aaron Dennis: It sorta fell together from Andrew and I being childhood sweethearts and Max taking me to parties in high school and us all becoming friends and relentlessly playing music in Andrew’s garage cause we knew we had to get better. Just little boy stuff.

Andrew Ware: At one point we were competitive Super Smash Brothers brawlers, but eventually we buckled down and started making some music.

Review Fix: How would you classify your sound?

Dennis: It’s song-centric white boy style rock with all yer basic rock band elements. But we serve the song, not a lot of moving parts.

Ware: We used to be little angsty wannabe punk rockers, but we went from Nirvana t-shirts to Dirty Projectors t-shirts, and now we just go shirtless and listen to Hop Along. Metaphorically speaking.

Max Greenhalgh: It skips around a lot, but I would say this album is sort of song driven electric folk rock with some pop and progressive elements.

Review Fix: What was your creative process behind Hole You Live In? Is there a story behind the track?

Greenhalgh: I had a groove, melody and lyrics, brought it to the band, and it turned into something new altogether. I feel its rather self explanatory lyrically, maybe not, its kinda about the irony of how people tend to put themselves down intentionally and habitually and the lifestyle that comes from that.

Dennis: We worked on the lyrics a little and after Andrew laid down that genius drum track I built up the whole thing around it in the studio. It’s a super guitar song, and real different from how it started life. I had fun singing the back-up harmony’s on it.

Ware: Max came up with the groove, and we try to just hold that groove for as long as possible, just bubbling up under the surface, and then we just let it let loose.

Review Fix: What’s your favorite track off your new album and why?

Dennis: Baby Blue has horns.

Greenhalgh: Wake Up Time. It’s very straightforward lyrically and there’s not a single musical element that is extraneous. It just came together nicely.

Ware: War on Self Projection was a lot of fun because we took the live version and completely dissected it, and stole all kinds of samples from the Who and Stevie Wonder and built the song up around the resulting beat. We end up with a stripped-down version that’s more potent because of it.

Review Fix: What song do you think may get overlooked but is just as cool? Why?

Andrew W: Peter Pan is on my top 3, but it’s slower to start so people might get bored and skip over it. The lyrics have helped me through the winter, even though I didn’t write em.

Greenhalgh: Elvis. There’s a lot of really rad ideas in that song you just gotta search for them.

Review Fix: What are the Band’s goals for 2014?

Ware: We’re gonna release this album, keep playing shows, and getting songs together for the next album. Usual suspects.

Dennis: Just to get some good living in. Keep doing the work. Keep valuing our friendship. It’d be nice to see some of the road and play shows for people. Coming to a town near you.

Review Fix: What do you think you guys have to do to get more mainstream attention?

Dennis: Wear ladies underwear, seek a fame shaman, take press photos at an indian cemetery, do interviews, chew gum, hunt and fish like men, get cool jackets, get a haircut, eat healthy, know yer value, do good gigs, chewing tobacco, eBay.

Greenhalgh: I think the best contribution an artist can make is to provide an experience that people can connect to. If this experience is one that a mainstream audience can relate to, and you have proper representation, as well as just being in the right place at the right time then attention will follow.

Ware: We’re kind of weird kids and usually the mainstream likes to put weird kids in lockers. It’s okay though, we’re telling our own personal truth and trying to find others who believe it.