ACL Music Fest 2014 Friday Interviews – Second Weekend
Grilling TGIFriday ACL performers – again!
By Luke Winkie, Fri., Oct. 10, 2014
Chrvches
4:15pm, Honda stageChvrches are a Scottish trio making some of the most life-affirming electro-pop in the world right now, equally indebted to Lauren Mayberry's spitfire vocals and Martin Doherty's quicksilver programming. We asked the latter why he always wears those black hats.
Austin Chronicle: How long have you been wearing those hats?
Martin Doherty: I had a few years in my late teens where I'd dye my hair black and got really emo. Naturally, I started wearing the hats.
AC: How did your interest in emo transition to electronic music?
MD: They co-existed. The first music I was interested in was happy hardcore music, rave. I was born in 1982, so by 1992 that was the music of the counterculture where I grew up. I got my first keyboard when I was about 12. I've a longstanding interest in electronic music. Alternative rock came later, when I was angrier, 14 to 18. I actually just found out one of my favorite guitar bands of all time, American Football, just got back together.
AC: Were you into peer-to-peer early on? A lot of rave music used that portal.
MD: I'm going back even before that. In school, we would trade rave tapes, like actual cassettes. That's how you found out about new music. You'd trade tapes. Filesharing or Internet music didn't have as much of an effect on me. It was only like 10 years ago that I even learned that you could download music off the Internet.
AC: What are your thoughts on Scotland independence?
MD: I think not to comment on this sort of thing, because well, I've got a really strong opinion on the matter, but I don't agree with people taking advantage of their position and influencing people who might go along with someone because they like their music. So I'd prefer to stay quiet.