#zempels

This hard rock band of brothers have been playing their “forest punk” tunes around the city for some time now. I got to chat with the Zempel brothers, guitarist and singer Graham, bassist Jack, and drummer Joey about their sound, attitude, and why they do what they do. 

Smooth Talkin’ Perverts stand out amongst the St. Louis music community for a variety of reasons. One being that you are a straight up rock band that isn't a massive cliche of itself. Where did the groundwork for the band come from?

Joey: The groundwork for Smooth Talkin’ Perverts grew from different areas, and over quite a long time, actually. We come from a very musical family. I was in high school, living at home, with these guys, and we all we did was play shows and party- sometimes it was at a venue, but usually it was at our own house. Our basement was previously soundproofed by our father when he played in bands and threw raging parties in the 80s, and he was always supporting our musical endeavors; letting us throw our own shows, and house parties. Jack and I were in a hardore-punk band called Gang Control since 2009, while Graham was in a blues-rock band called The Grasshoppers until…?

Graham: The Grasshoppers lasted a year or two, and we were also very loud, and in-your-face; maybe a bit of a cliché of itself, meaning we were huge stoners. That’s about when it started for me, I think. I was writing music about having fun, getting in trouble, and just generally not giving a fuck, because that’s what life was at the time. When I turned 21, I moved to Long Beach, California to produce hip-hop beats for my friend Yahken, the same rap artist who would later put down a verse on Smooth Talkin’ Perverts new single, “Just You Wait.” I moved back in 2012.

Joey: So Graham came back, and wanted to start Smooth Talkin’ Perverts with us. At the same time Muffy [guitar, Gang Control] was in 431, and Jackson [bass] was in Mother Meat, so Gang Control wasn’t going to last much longer. With Graham’s background in rock, blues and hip hop, and Jack’s and my background in punk, we thought we could really have some fun. When we first played together in 2013, we started by learning a few covers, and 3 weeks later, Luca, we were in your dad’s basement recording our first original 3-song EP.

In both your music and your live performances you give off a strong "don't give a fuck" can you speak to that and the importance of attitude and stage presence in your music?

Graham: We live it. I always loved being on stage because I could make a complete ass of myself and entertain people, if not make them feel okay doing the same stupid shit. I feel like Smooth Talkin’ Perverts reflects that perfectly. We wanted to set the bar so low that people could come to see us and feel better about their own decisions.

Each performance, even each practice is a different beast. I, personally, am constantly experimenting with my vocals, finding other places on my guitar to play the chords of whatever song we’re playing, and overall, keeping things spontaneous. We never wanted to be a band that has only one kind of performance. We’ve played in drag, we’ve played naked, we’ve played in the woods in both blistering heat, and falling rain. All of our favorite bands have one thing in common: their live performances have considerable differences, and are often more exciting versions of their recorded material.  

You recently played a Beastie Boys cover set. How did that go?

Jack: Good times! I don’t even remember whose idea that was, but we love the Beastie Boys, and knew people would eat that shit up. We just threw two covers into our normal set, and dressed like them, so it was a fun little tribute that we took as far as learning each member’s lines while playing our instruments. We practiced the shit out of those songs so we could play them anytime we wanted in the future.

Joey: Beastie Boys were maybe the tenth band we considered for a possible cover/cover set. Our first covers included “Ballroom Blitz” by The Sweet, and “I Love Livin’ In The City” by Fear, so we had considered bands from the same general time period like The Bangles, Kenny Loggins, and even considered getting The Dogtown Horns involved for Oingo Boingo covers.

Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with our choice to do Beastie Boys because it greater reflects our band’s attitude, and at the same time allows us to step outside of our genre a bit.

Your debut full length “Show Me” has been out for some time now. How has the reaction been so far?

Graham: The reaction has been good. We threw a really fun CD Release party at 2720 Cherokee, and actually walked away with some extra cash. We’ve had such a great amount of support from our local scene, and we couldn’t be more thankful. After the release we kept playing out; trading, selling, and often just giving away our merch. While supplies diminished, we continued to write and record, trying to evolve our sound.

This album, for us, wasn’t exactly about the people’s reaction. It was, in a way, our reaction to the garbage in the mainstream. I tried putting that lightly, but so much of the music I hear; when I turn on the radio, or look for new music on the interwebs; seems lifeless. I find a trend of minimal lyrics with little to no meaning, and I won’t rant, I promise, but I feel that with mainstream music, nothing is sacred anymore. The value of poetry diminishes, while the value of image kills the radio star.

This album is still very young, and we’re still very proud of it, but we’re not just going to sit on it. The only way to go is forward, and since the album was released, we’ve been in and out of the studio working on new material, collaborating with other artists, and finding ways to keep connecting with people in a fun-loving, positive way. Dancing is important to us.

Ultimately, what is Smooth Talkin Perverts to you?

Graham: I feel Smooth Talkin’ Perverts is just a small part of something much greater. My brothers and I have been active members of the St. Louis local music scene for a nearly a decade, and I wouldn’t trade anything for the love we’ve shared, the hardships we’ve endured, the lessons we’ve learned, and each person with whom we’ve shared these countless experiences. Living in this city, and knowing its artistic community so closely has taught us a great deal about acceptance, and it’s shown us the best, the worst, the weirdest and the straightest sides of people. Though our city is very diverse, and cultures tend to clash in ways that end in loss  and sorrow- the artists in St. Louis are united by the idea of progress, and are unconditionally supportive of those who suffer through the growth of acceptance in our own culture. Call it a silver lining.

In our years playing together, we’ve focused our energy toward organizing shows and working with other local artists. We, as a band, don’t preach. We sing about having fun and sarcastically recognizing b.s. while we dress up in suggestive outfits and bring joy to people by being weird. Our message is simple: Be weird, take risks, and break down all barriers. You won’t know your limits unless you test them.

Any plans for the future or anything you are particularly excited about?

Jack: We’ve been writing and playing around with new ideas since we released Show Me, and our new material is solid. I can’t wait to record it, but I’ll be honest - it’s a slow process. All three of us have our own day jobs, and our own lives - which, still being honest, have been a mess since before we even started the band. We’re currently in a place where we can work towards bettering the local music scene, and continue to bring artists together using our influence, and the influence of things like Barnfest.

I guess if there’s anything in particular for us to be excited about, it’s Barnfest. Those festivals are the highlight of every summer for us, and it just keeps on growing. Barnfest is beautiful because it offers a platform for musicians and artists who would otherwise go unnoticed, and it advocates that idea of social progress, an idea which we believe is holding our entire music scene together.

Luca Torretta

BSTL

Check out Smooth Talkin’ Perverts here: https://www.facebook.com/SmoothTP/