#turnipking

Turnip King consists of Lucia Arias, Christian Billard, Cal Fish and Nick Kivlen. I first heard them play at Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium earlier this month. Their early music reminds me of Beach Fossils’ first eponymous album from 2010. Similar to other bands in the DIY music scene, they are not pigeonholed into one genre. Some of their more recent music is more lo-fi basement punk than their previous efforts. Each member has a clear intention and a passion that allures you. If you have been to shows in Brooklyn, you have probably seen them around, as they play frequently. I was able to interview them after their show at the Palisades a few weekends ago.

B-Side: Who are your musical influences?

Cal: We all definitely listen to Sonic Youth and Pink Floyd. We all also have our own stuff. I listen to a lot of Drone, Ariel Pink and Slowdive.

Lucia: For me, Helium, Polvo, and very early Cat Power.

Christian: I only like that one part in that one Pink Floyd song… you know, when he hits the guitar. That one note that echoes.  

Nick: That’s “A Saucerful of Secrets”.

Christian: No, that one note that echoes.

Nick: Oh yes yes, that one where you think he’s gonna bend it but he goes way up?

Cal: And Krautrock.

B-Side: How has your music evolved? In particular, how is your more recent music different from your earlier music?

Nick: We grew a pair of fucking balls. I’m just kidding. Me and Cal went through puberty and that was awesome.

Christian: It changed a lot though.

Cal: The first songs were all songs that Lucia pretty much had written, exclusively.

Lucia: I feel like we’ve kind of formed accidentally. It wasn’t our goal to go out and play shows. I had written some songs. I knew that someone could accompany me, and I knew that Christian played drums. So it was all just rough drafts and trying to figure out how everyone worked.

B-Side: How do you all know each other?

Nick: We all went to the same high school.

Lucia: Christian and I were in the same grade.

Nick: Me and Cal would eat lunch and Christian sat behind us

Christian: I didn’t talk to them until six months after I graduated.

B-Side: When did you form your band?

Lucia: 2011?

Christian: October of 2011.

Nick: We recorded a demo where I played a trashcan with spongebob on it.

B-Side: How did location affect your music when you were making it in the beginning stages, as you’re not in the city like your peers?

Cal: At first when we were making music in the suburbs, it felt like it was for the sake of listening to it. Lucia was writing songs and we were playing in the creative arts studio in our town... it was just a smaller thing. And then me and Nick went to a bunch of D.I.Y concerts and we were kind of inspired by venues like 285 Kent and Cheap Storage, and we were like, “we really want to play these”.

Nick: We got lucky… 2011 was a really great time… 2012 too. I probably wouldn’t be doing this with my life if I just started now.

Cal: There’s definitely a lot of lucky circumstances that sucked us in.

B-Side: What is your go-to karaoke song?

Lucia: “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretenders.

Cal: “Champagne Taste” by Univore.

Nick: “Steal My Sunshine” by Len.

Nick: Or “Space Oddity”.

A stranger walking by: “Do You Remember” by Pulp.

B-Side: Do you want to continue music further in the future?

Nick: That was our last show, we quit (laughs).

Cal: We’re just not going to make any sound ever again.

Christian: That’s the new art.

Cal: I don’t think any of us have any other lives to live.

Nick: Except for Christian.

Lucia: I feel like if I decided I didn’t want to do music, I’d still be involved in some way.

Cal: If it’s not music, I’ll be making sound.

B-Side: What are you currently listening to on your iPod?

Cal: I’m listening to a lot of Ariel Pink and Slowdive.

Nick: I just got the new The Due Diligence album.

Lucia: I’m listening to a lot of Speedy Ortiz.