Seth Gile (vocals/guitar) Arms Aloft
What is your name and band/label/etc?
Seth from Arms Aloft.
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- Propagandhi - Failed States
- Lucida Console Presents - Dog Days Audio Zine
- Worthwhile Way - Love Is All
- Wonder Girls - "Like This" Single
- John K. Samson - Provincial
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
Superchunk. Our other guitar player Alex plays a lot of indie stuff in the van that I usually just nap through, 'cause it doesn't do anything for me. Pavement and Sebadoh and stuff. Well, actually Sebadoh rules. I just hate goddamn Pavement. Anyway, Superchunk was the first band he put on that I immediately was like, "Whoa. What the fuck is this?!". They're the best fucking band. Best songs. Punker ethics than most punk bands, too. I feel like a dipshit for not knowing that before now.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
I did a really bad job of keeping up with new bands this year. We toured a shitload, and spent the whole time listening to Fastball and Built To Spill. And Motown. And Taylor Swift. I don't know. So I guess rather than records or whatever, I'll remember this year for all the rad shows we got to play and bands we got to see along the way.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
Not sure yet. Hopefully we'll write some more songs soon and record 'em. Our LP came out this year, but we wrote most of it over the last two years. So we're pretty into putting together some new stuff.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
Shit, I don't know. Hopefully good, new ska? 2012 wasn't very rude. Hopefully Calvinball will finally put an LP together, too. That'll be my favorite album, if it happens. Mostly just always excited to see what my friends write and release.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I could go on forever about this. Short answer: I think crowd-funded releases are a great idea, and maybe the best way for bands and supporters to connect directly, without any gate-keeper-types. Be it label people, or bullshit blog-hype or whatever. So I hope it shapes the way things move forward. I think it has a real potential to help bands that are out there on the road, busting their butts for a basement full of kids a night.
