INTERVIEW: GIANNI AIELLO - NAKED GIANTS
INTERVIEW: GIANNI AIELLO - NAKED GIANTS
Hailing from Seattle comes three piece psych-punk trio Naked Giants. Comprised of bassist and vocalist Gianni Aiello, guitarist and vocalist Grant Mullen, and drummer Henry LaVallee, they come together to create a sound very much their own. Pulling influence between them from the Talking Heads to Frank Zappa, their sound reflects each of their angles, while coming together into what is Naked Giants. The guys released their six track EP titled R.I.P last month, and have been on the road supporting Car Seat Headrest on their fall tour. I caught their set in Dallas last week and was totally blown away by their unique brand of blistering performance. They rocked so hard they literally broke a string in the first song. The crowd ate it up. Tracks like Pyramids and TV are infectious, really they all are and I can’t wait to hear more from these guys. I had the chance to catch up with Gianni and get the scoop on how to band came together, what their process is like, and what we can expect next. Check out the full interview below…
Sloane: “How was Naked Giants born? Have you guys known each other a long time?”
Gianni: “Grant was born first, and then Henry and then myself. Grant and Henry went to preschool together but had a falling out and didn’t start making music together until late teenage years. I was in a different band at the time, and we played a show together and met there. The rest is history and mystery.”
Sloane: “Have you always been interested in music? Or do you remember when you decided that was something you wanted to pursue?”
Gianni: “We all really picked up on music in our early teens. I guess from there we each realized that there that there was no going back to a non-music life - it’s like a weird whirlpool in that way.”
Sloane: “What’s the story behind the name?”
Gianni: “Henry thought of the name - his big brother has a habit of walking around the house in nothing but his unders, and Henry decided he looked like a naked giant. It’s also rumored to mean something about being comfortable in your own skin, confident in your vulnerabilities, but I believe it’s mostly the underwear thing.”
Sloane: “You guys have been described as ‘psychedelic punk’, what would you say some of you biggest influences are sound wise?”
Gianni: “We all have kind of different influences which bring us all together. Some common ones are late 60’s/early 70’s bands like Velvet Underground, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Who and the like. But our personal tastes go from Talking Heads to Creedence to Zappa to Diablo sauce from Taco Bell.”
Sloane: “You’ve done a bit of touring recently, including currently supporting Car Seat Headrest on their fall tour. How do you like life on the road? Is that something you guys hope to do more of?”
Gianni: “Touring is really awesome - we’re trying to do as much as possible and play everywhere. We meet tons of interesting people wherever we go. So many people have been very generous in letting us sleep at their houses. We’re probably eating way too much fast food but we try to work it off on stage as much as possible.”
Sloane: “What is your writing and recording process like?”
Gianni: “Our writing process is a team effort. One of us will come up with some kind of musical idea or a concept for a song or something, and we’ll all just get together and play whatever comes out naturally, then keep playing it over and over again until it sticks in our heads. We really thrive on playing live shows but we’re working on recording some big concept albums as we putter along. Right when we get back home we’re going to go into the studio and try to bust out some demos…”
Sloane: “Do you have a favorite show or standout memory from being on the road that you can tell us about?”
Gianni: “Our first show of the tour was on Halloween in Boulder. Playing in costume was a pretty fun experience, but i suppose we’re all in costume a lot of the time. After the show we got to stay over at a friend’s house and watch the Rutles and play Super Smash Bros, so that was a really nice way to start the tour.”
Sloane: “If you weren’t a musician, what would your dream job be?”
Gianni: “We would probably all move out to one of the San Juan islands in Washington and open a handcrafted soap and candle store.
9. Each of us has a different one - Henry has had the dream of playing the Yeti stage at Sasquatch for years. Grant wants to play Iceland Airwaves festival. I would be really into playing a show in virtual reality.”
Sloane: “What’s the number one venue or festival that you guys hope to play one day?”
Gianni: “Each of us has a different one - Henry has had the dream of playing the Yeti stage at Sasquatch for years. Grant wants to play Iceland Airwaves festival. I would be really into playing a show in virtual reality.”
Sloane: “What can we expect to hear coming from you guys in the near future? Any new music or shows you can tell us about?”
Gianni: “We have a music video that’s gonna come out pretty soon after we get back from tour - we made this one ourselves and are pretty excited about it. We’re also working on a big concept album and an associated tour and a short film to go along with it. We still have lots to do but we’ve got some good ideas floating around.”
Check out this live performance of Ya Ya from October here:
And keep up with the guys on their FaceBook here:
https://www.facebook.com/NKDGNTS/
Photo Credit: Anissa Amalia
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