Crack

Givers have been building up a steady head of steam since they set out touring for their debut effort In Light earlier this year, and have valiantly laid stake to more and more of our collective ear space.

Underlying their overt appeal to the indie connoisseur, Givers’ cajun roots rock foundations hold a delightfully contagious rhythm and vigour. Their musical cup is positively overflowing with upbeat vibes, the polished production of their first full-length release obscuring the frenetic jump-up stage attitude that is integral to their live appeal. Crack caught a word with the Louisiana five-piece in the build-up to their set at Start The Bus after a week-long riot-related hiatus caused the cancellation of their two previous dates. Givers are: Tiffany Lamson (vocals, percussion), Taylor Guarisco (vocals, guitar), Kirby Campbell (drums), Josh LeBlanc (guitar, bass), and Nick Stephan (keys, flute, sax).



What brought you together musically and got you to this point as a band?

Josh: Probably the first thing that motivated us was just each other, rather than just music. We liked each other as people before we started playing music together.

Taylor: I think what really motivated us to form a band was the chemistry we had when we played together. We weren’t a band when we started playing together, we were just a group of friends.

Tiff: Yeah we were just improvising, and it was something that was just so special and unique and it was a natural thing. We were just like ‘woah’ we should do that again and that was totally the first spark of this whole fire.

Taylor: That’s what encouraged us to become the band, it was the chemistry we shared just improvising music together.

Now you’re here in the UK getting a lot of positive press, how do you feel about the attention?

Tiff: Yeah well everyone’s got an opinion and were just kinda sitting here being witnesses to all that. I guess we hear about some things…

Taylor: It seems like people like it. We are young enough and dorky enough to read some of the reviews and it seems like people like it, which is cool, but we know that’s not where it’s at. It’s much bigger than just one person who has a blog or an article, you know? No offense to your article! [None taken].

In Light is extremely upbeat and really hangs together well as a whole - did you have an idea of the sound you were going for when you started recording?

Josh: We didn’t really have this big grandiose vision of the album as whole. These were really just ten songs that we had played live and we had liked enough to arrange in a way that they just kept growing and evolving. The sound of the album came as it came. It’s the sound of these ten songs next to each other. There’s no overall theme or concept behind the album.

Tiff: You know, we had a bunch of other jams and stuff and these were the ten that felt good and felt right and that fitted together. And then getting them mixed to get them to meld together was good. I guess these are the songs that reflect the time when we were growing and becoming the band we are. So I guess that’s why they all fit in together nicely, because it was that time of our individual and group growth.

Josh: It certainly was a development; they definitely weren’t like that in the beginning. But the worst thing to put expectations on is music, so the only thing we could do was go with it month by month.

How did hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana open up your musical influences?

Josh: Well that part of Louisiana has ties indirectly to other parts of the world, so just being in that culture opens you up to African music, to Haitian music, to all different types of music. Just being from where we’re from it’s natural to want to look into other things because it’s a very music based culture.

I guess the cliché ‘melting pot’ crops up quite a bit?

Josh: Gumbo!

Tiff: Yeah, but it makes sense, it totally makes sense, I think that’s what it’s about!

What have you been listening to while touring then?

Kirby: Today’s been a new music day. I just got to download music the other day, so I got to hear the Celebration record. That’s awesome!

Tiff: I’m kind of stuck on Bon Iver still, can’t get enough – it's like ... it's like a constipation or something.

You guys mentioned the chemistry and fun you have playing together, which are your favourite tracks to play live?

Tiff: Oh man! Hello.

Taylor: Mine would be In My Eyes.

Tiff: Yeah that one’s fun to play.

Kirby: I was gonna say that one!

Josh: Yeah I was going to say that one, but maybe Atlantic?

Tiff: Every night I think I have a new favourite. If I could pick percentages of how much I can let go and be in the moment in each song, it’s whatever song where I can be the most there and in it at the time. It's like - that’s my fucking favourite song. Fuck!

Josh: My favourite one to play is not on the album, It’s called 101 It– that one hasn’t been released yet.

Is that one on the cards for tonight then?

Josh: Ahh, I don’t know, depends how crazy it gets!

Kirby: It might happen!

Taylor: All is yet to be revealed.

Josh: That one hasn’t been released and if you listen to the whole album and get an idea of what we’re about and what we sound like, 101 It would be that song where you’d suddenly be completely confused. All those things wouldn’t make sense.

Tiff: No expectations.

Josh: Yeah it’s totally different. It’s got a very punk rock vibe – it’s just very rock ‘n roll.

What would make a gig the most enjoyable for you?

Tiff: Just people being fully present in the music and in themselves, that always fucking helps.

Josh: Yeah that can happen with 20 people in the audience, or it can happen with a packed room full. It definitely has to do with the reciprocation of energy between the crowd and the band. I mean you can have a shitty soundcheck, a shitty drive over, a shitty everything, but if that moment with the crowd is perfect then it’s all worth it

Tiff: Yeah, like you said there can be five people, it doesn’t matter.

Kirby: If they’re having a good time it’s great!

Tiff: We’ll play our asses off.

Visibly eager to release their pent-up musical frustrations, an aural treat was definitely in store for all in attendance. It took a dispersed Start The Bus crowd a couple songs to cotton on, pile in and get caught up in the energy of the band, but once entangled they had no problem letting Givers’ infectious exuberance run over them. Unfazed by some initial minor sound difficulties and the accompanying stalling between songs, the band's cheerily excitable disposition was inextinguishable.

The crowd were clearly mesmerised by Tiff’s subtly husky voice, effortlessly coupled with her fevered percussion. At times her arms became entirely different entities, trashing out the beat with no regard for her still impassioned voice. Taylor’s turns leading the vocals added to the already ample dynamism of their stage presence with jokey face pulling and ecstatic bounding.

As they hit their stride it became ever more apparent all topics discussed beforehand were not merely interview patter, but had been a disarmingly honest account of what makes them work as a band: A group of friends playfully doing their utmost to lose themselves in their music and performance. Clearly well-drilled and naturally in tune with each other, Givers went from strength to strength, buzz building to the sparkling finale that was Up, Up, Up.

When the bouncing subsided, ubiquitous encore shouts compelled drummer Kirby to step forward, 101 It face on, and after convening a fleeting band meeting, readied himself for what was to ensue. It certainly made the crowd reassess what it had witnessed up to that point, but the reality of it was consistent with the bands pleasingly raw live presence vis-à-vis their studio efforts. With cymbals demolished at the swing of his guitar, scaling and kicking down the floor tom, Josh underlined 101 It with a rock ‘n roll jolt, closing out Givers’ thoroughly uplifting musical jaunt.



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Words: Aaron Willson

http://www.myspace.com/givers

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