Psych-gaze is a neat genre-fication for New Age Healers; combining the best of both worlds, they’re a slick outfit that I compared to a crack commando unit on their latest album Debris (reviewed here). They’re a bit like the Bunnymen in sunglasses and fuzz mode (but not quite the full Mary Chain). Listen to and buy their stuff here>
https://newagehealers.bandcamp.com
I caught up with the band recently to ask important questions – harsh, probing questions on the big questions in life. What the fuck would happen if New Age Healers got stuck on a desert island?
Tell us who’s in the band, what they do and something interesting about them.
Owen: We’ve had a few changes in the group; new drummer, new guitarist (our old one moved away), and we’ve added a keyboard player. Our bass player Allen Murray runs a video game company, Keyboardist Farkhad says “I have a side job as an informant for FSB (former known as KGB),” (which explains a few things), and is a project manager for an engineering firm. Our drummer Adam says “tell them i do a lot of excel and powerpoint, and email.” Kyle, our guitar player is worried that he’s being “demoted.” He says he’s a research scientist. He also has a killer mustache. Like totally murderous. Tom Selleck level sexy. I produce the morning show on KEXP and also work for the American sports network ESPN in their radio division. I am the sixth most smartest person in the band, and it’s not even close.
So, returning home from a New Age Healers get marooned on a desert island. It’s time to consider your survival… Who do you elect leader?
Hmm, likely Allen as he’s a wonderful fellow who runs a company, has a computer toilet and a military background. I think he was an admiral in the Air Force or something. Oh, and a cool beard.
Who’s in charge of sewerage disposal?
Fuck. Probably me. Sigh. But I am VERY good at cleaning a bathroom.
There’s one wild boar on the island. Do you embrace it and keep it as a pet or kill it and eat it? If the former, what do you call it? If the latter how would you catch such a beast?
We do not need to kill the beast. Instead we befriend it, name it “Dr. Harold Metzger,” and teach it how to play fetch…and poker. “Doc” then shows us it’s secret garden full of delicious curry dishes.
Yum. You find a shipwrecked game of Monopoly. How does that go?
It ends up like every practice; all of us half-naked, screaming incoherently, in tears and one of us face down in a pool of baked beans. Who’s most likely to lose their shit? Sigh. Me. I’m working on it, but it is what it is. But, I think the more important question is “who will find their shit?” Again, me. You lose something, I will find that fothermucker. When I was a kid, we played a lot of baseball in my front yard, and we’re constantly losing our only ball in our neighbors shrubs. So one became good at finding them cuz no ball, no game. As a side note, the lady across the street was an immigrant (Hungarian maybe?) who came to the U.S. after world war 2 with her sisters. They never learned English, one was mean as hell, but she was really nice, and she would collect balls while walking her dog and give them to us.
Food gets tight, who’s most likely to be skinned, cooked and eaten?
Dr. Harold Metzger, who, by the by it turns out is NOT a doctor! WTF?! And here’s another question to ponder; where’d he get the monocle?
Luckily a passing cruise ship picks you up. To pay your way you’re all set to be pot washing until they discover your a band. What song do you play to win the passengers over?
After a series of missteps playing our own material, we sing “leather and lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. It goes well. Like really well. Like Brian-Adams-Robin-Hood-well. In the audience that night is famed record producer Bruce Dickinson who hears it, “gets us,” and helps us explore the space. I mean really explore the space. I need you to love me I need you today Give to me your leather Take from me my lace Really makes you think, y’know?
If you keep the boar as a pet, do you take Dr Harold Metzger with you? How do you explain it to the captain?
Oh, that liar can stay on the island. “Doctor,” my ass. Turns out that wasn’t curry…I don’t want to talk about it.
After your return, do you never talk of your experiences, or write a concept album about it?
Uh, I just answered this. Are you even listening to me? Concept album. We call it Sgt Peppers Satanic Rituals of The Fables of the Deconstruction, form a drum circle and bang away in 6/4 like those dirty hippies in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park who ruin everyone’s weekend with that dreck.
Don’t forget to check out New Age Healers on Bandcamp!
colourhorizon 