HEALTH making noise in Los Angeles

August 15th, 2006

About a 2 months ago I was trying to put together a show in Downtown Los Angeles. I was working with the infamous commander of Fort Cool and guitar player of Holy Buffaglow, Billy Gray and he recommended I contact this new band called HEALTH. They said they were too busy to play so orginally I said, “EEEFHHH this band!” Anyway I went to see them at Fort Cool the next week, to see what they were all about. They blew everyone’s mind. Then I knew why they were too busy. There is an incredible unsigned band in LA that would play for free, of course everyone is trying to book them. I ran into the bass player a few weeks later at a show at Zamakibo in Downtown LA, we shot the shit, bought burritos, and gold chains off some random dude in the street at 2:00am in downtown LA. Surprisingly they had never been interviewed so last week after a night at the Il Corral in East Hollywood we sat down and had HEALTH’s first interview:

Randall: The name HEALTH, why HEALTH, How did you get that name?

John HEALTH: HEALTH wasn’t the first choice. We came up with a bunch of names we thought were awesome, but they were all taken. Originally we wanted to be called “medicine”, but it was already taken by an LA shoegaze band from the 90s… HEALTH really isn’t a good name, it ends in a soft sound but we figured that if an awesome band was called HEALTH it would be an awesome name when associated.

Randall: Was there a concept to the band before putting it together?

John HEALTH: When we first started our sound was totally different. We had, like 6 or 7 songs that were way more traditional, but that we weren’t pleased with. We weren’t sure how we were going to do it but we all felt that we had to drastically change our sound. It started to come together when we wrote Get Color, which was a more conceptual piece, then we wrote Girl Attorney and went off the fucking deep end.

Randall: Los Angeles Community the scene what do you think of it?

John HEALTH: Amazing support, amazing people, amazing venues. I mean we go to il Corral every Monday regardless of whose playing, just to hang out. The energy here is totally positive and most of all FUN, which is so awesome because the vibe at Il Corral especially is this totally unpretentious party atmosphere for EXTREMELY experimental music.

Randall: Is that just the east end or what’s your opinion on the Westside?

John HEALTH: Do shows happen on the Westside?? I don’t know. I only go there to go to the beach.

Randall: Do you feel an Image is necessary to make it as a band?

John HEALTH: I think image is just part of being a band, another thing that makes bands exciting. A lot of bands like say “fuck the image, maaan” but you’re gonna have one no matter what. I mean you can go really out of the way to portray yourself as unpretentious as possible, but ironically that’s your fucking image. I don’t see anything negative with a band thinking about their image, y’know their aesthetic their sound, artwork etc.

Randall: So what’s up with the Lance Armstrong thing you guys are pulling on stage?

John HEALTH: PHHHHH?!??!?What? HAHA

Randall: You know the tank top all that:

John HEALTH: That was just a one time thing. We usually never wear shorts, but it’s just been so fucking hot lately, and it was even hotter when everyone crammed into the Corral. Yeah that was the only time we’ve all worn shorts simultaneously.

Randall: And the tank top?

John HEALTH: Dude that tank top’s fucking awesome! But yeah we don’t have this Lance Armstrong work out thing.

Randall: I was thinking maybe the HEALTH thing had something to do with it?

John HEALTH: No, No Jesus Christ. That would be retarded.

Randall : Which bands do you feel are hot and to watch at the moment locally and worldwide?

John HEALTH: Crystal Castles! Fucking best band! They’re from Toronto. Locally, Captain Ahab, Anavan, Cock In Black, Tik//Tik, Holy Buffaglow, A++, I could go on for a while.

Randall: Plans for the Future?

John HEALTH: Were going to record a full length and go on a US tour in October.

HEALTH is playing next week Monday August 14th at the Silverlake Lounge in Silverlake with the Antarticans. I highly recommend seeing this show it’s FREE

HEALTH: Myspace

(taken from musicglob.com)

Entry Filed under: Interview