Patio Block Party || Preview
On March 3, We're Trying Records is partnering with the University of Texas Campus Events + Entertainment Headliners to bring the students of UT the inaugural Patio Block Party. The main purpose of the event is to make students more aware of the artistic and musical talent that makes up their community.
At the Patio Block Party*, local artist Lindsey Redifer will be showing off several pieces of her work and talking with students about the local art community, while Kindatheart and Hyperreals take center stage. If that isn't enough, Voodoo Doughnuts will be within a hand grasp away.
We caught up with Lindsey, Kindatheart, and Hyperreals to discuss how they got into their art, where they eventually want it to lead to, and how the Austin community has influenced them.
After growing up and attending college in Indiana, Lindsey decided she needed a change in scenery. She packed her bags and left for Austin to follow her passion of painting, which she discovered after taking an art elective in high school. "At some point I realized that I was kind of good at it. My teacher was really supportive and got me into her painting class. The rest was history," Redifer said.
Upsidedown Reflections
Since moving to Austin, Lindsey has found the art culture to be broad but creatively stimulating. It has allowed her to be cultured in many areas she wasn't before moving, and gave her tons of outdoor locations that have inspired a few of her oil paintings.
No matter what happens with her painting career, Lindsey will eventually be living in France. "Hopefully my painting career will help me get there, but if not I’m still going," Redifer said. "As long as I’m happy and I can support myself, I don’t really care where it ends up."
One piece of advice Lindsey has for young artists is, "Success is a daily action." This phrase alone has fueled her to follow her dreams and take many leaps towards becoming the artists and person she wants to be. Other helpful suggestions she offered were making friends with local artists, do the kind of art your passionate about, and take every opportunity that comes your way.
Calculus often times brings out the worst in us. Whether it's throwing everything you own on the floor because a problem has stumped you, or giving up on studying because you know you're going to fail anyway. This wasn't the case for Kindatheart's vocalist/guitarist Jack Scheffler. "I began writing songs during my sophomore year after meeting Garrett Lay in Calculus freshman year and having him convinced me to start sharing some of my songwriting ideas. Originally they were pretty raw and meant for someone else to sing, but both he and my friend Dennis Phelan told me to keep writing and to even try singing my own songs," Scheffler said.
Not even two weeks after assembling a band and recording a few songs via Garageband, Kindatheart was on stage at Austin's well-known venue, Hotel Vegas. "Thankfully it was a 30 minute set because I only had 9 songs," said Scheffler. Kindatheart's lineup has gone through its changes with several members graduating and moving away, but the influence that past members have had on the band has remained and has made the group what it is today. As long as the band continues to feel like a small group of friends who enjoy making music together, they'll will be fine.
As for major influences, life in Austin has been the biggest. "I've written songs about things I hoped for and things I've been reflecting on. Most of the time songs come when you least expect them. I remember writing the lyrics for "Rose Petals" off our Perception EP on a piece of notebook paper before one of my accounting finals," Scheffler says. "Everyone is down to Earth and venues are willing to give small bands a chance. Without Austin, there would be no Kindatheart."
The band is expecting to get back into the studio to finish their second EP sometime this year, but until then you can get their first EP Perception on their Bandcamp.
With a deep interest in hyperreality and a home recording kit, Kate Westby (vocals) and Chris Guevara (guitar) began their musical endeavor, Hyperreals — a dream-punk band from Austin, Texas. The band has been heavily influenced by the likes of Joy Division and Beach House, who incorporate strong, lead-like basslines and guitars that function more as a textural device rather than a dedicated "lead" or "rhythm" instrument. All of which has led to a sound that is self-proclaimed as "drippy with scrumptious layers of ringing guitars and washy vocals to make a delicious dreamy punky ice cream sandwich."
As for nonmusical influences, short stories by Aimee Bender has had a large role in the band's creative thinking. "She writes fatalistic short stories, with prose like Ernest Hemingway on acid," Guevara says." I guess that could be a better way of describing our band and its sound."
When asked how the Austin music scene differs from any other in the nation, the band said it's electric. "It's a good sign when you can have a "weirdo punk" scene coexist alongside no-bullshit rock and roll bands like Sweet Spirit," Guevara mention. "There's also a lot of party punk, dream-pop, and pretty wild electronic acts like Total Unicorn. It's almost overwhelming how much talent and how many voices there are in this town. I don't think any other scene has so much to offer."
Besides the obvious cop-out answer of "wanting to get as big as they possibly can," Hyperreals has set up several goals including starting a circle pit, creating a fashion line, evaporating due to too much psych rock, and starting a cell phone company. Until all of those dreams come to be, the band is focused on the release of their EP Litany, which will be available on their Bandcamp early this Spring.
The bands hit the Union Patio stage at 6pm! UT students, RSVP here.
*Free for UT students and a guest with a valid UT ID