In Conversation with Tambourines: Sometimes Nostalgia is a Little Rough Around the Edges
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Tambourines’ music backs time of introspection with psychedelic rock guitar riffs playing through a pair of headphones. Since 2013, this LA-based quintet have been sweeping listeners into instant nostalgia. With Miles West on drums, guitar, and vocals, Juan Uribe on guitar and vocals, Alex Rogers on keys, guitarist Joey Briggs and bassist Will Sturgeon, the band has created a progressive rock influence that transports you. Their creative expression also bleeds into visual animations which further places their social media followers and listeners into the Tambourines’ universe.
As parts of the world slowly begin to open back up, we once again can (safely!) enjoy a summer of beach trips and park picnics. The Tambourines make a perfect addition to any post-quarantine plans.
Isabel Padilla: Hey! I know you are a quintet, can you introduce us to all the members of Tambourines?
Miles West: We met in high school. Juan met the rest of the guys in school and through mutual friends. From there Juan brought them into the jam room.
How did you all meet in Los Angeles and come to form the band?
Juan and I grew up outside LA in Thousand Oaks. The rest of the members that complete our live band moved here for school (USC), where they met Juan.
I was first introduced to you guys by your song “Sunny Side”, which is super upbeat, nostalgic, and reminds me of taking a road trip to the beach with the top down. Do you guys have an interesting story behind a certain song that is particularly noteworthy?
Thank you! That song is a favorite to play live. Our song “Busted Up” started out as a bass and drum thing I did at home — when we hit the studio, Juan and I decided to take it further and add lazer sounds and muffled dialog to create a bunch of crusty noise. Made for one of our favorite and most creative studio days thus far.
“My past/other projects have a similar sound and we thought it’d be fun to experiment with some heavier themes.”
How are the visuals and animations that you guys post on Instagram an extension of your music?
I use Instagram just as a tool to get my weirdo ideas out there. It gives you something to watch to sort of build a visual around the idea and mood of the song. I use the Adobe [Creative] Suite to stitch all these ideas together.
Do you feel that social media has been of any benefit to you in the identity of your band?
Like all artists, I think it helps us express ourselves, release ideas and stuff we've been working on. We can take it seriously or have a more relaxed approach to it.
Do you have any specific bands or artists that have directly influenced your psychedelic/progressive rock sound?
Lots of different picks! Some include The Kinks, Ween, Dungen, Chris Cohen, Ariel Pink, R. Stevie Moore, Iron Butterfly, The Beatles, Neil Young, etc. Some other favorite genres are Afrobeat, Ghanaian Blues, Zamrock, Deep Funk, Film/TV Soundtracks, etc. For visual art, Ren & Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life are two of my favorite cartoons that influence my art regularly. If it’s not provocative or wasn’t provocative for its time then it’s not that interesting IMO.
Your most recent release of the EP Activate definitely has a darker post-punk sound — what elicited this change in sound?
Those songs were written and recorded in my bedroom — mostly stream of consciousness and under the influence. My past/other projects have a similar sound and we thought it’d be fun to experiment with some heavier themes. I love albums that have feedback and things that make it sound ugly. Oh, and the Activate EP was recorded sans metronome on my Tascam 244. But that makes it organic!
You have a lot of varying styles in your music which appeals to a lot of different listeners — is switching up your style a conscious effort or something that just comes from the creative process?
It's part of the creative process. We have so many different influences. We write all sorts of music and at the end of the day when the best stuff sticks we will go forward with a release. I think growing up listening to a band like the Ataris while also listening to a band like Led Zeppelin (religiously) made for a wide spectrum of musical style.
What does collaboration look like for you guys in the songwriting process?
One of us brings an idea or a fully-fleshed-out track and the other will suggest possible parts to add if we hit a dead end. Our live show is a chance to try songs out that may not be fully finished, using shows to try different parts/endings/transitions. The guys elaborate to keep songs interesting live and sometimes those elaborations work their way into the recorded track. Everyone we play/has played within Tambourines are genius-level musicians: currently, the live band is Alex Rogers (keys) Joey Briggs (guitar) Will Sturgeon (bass) Juan Uribe (guitar and vocals) and Miles West (drums/guitar/vocals).
“The guys elaborate to keep songs interesting live and sometimes those elaborations work their way into the recorded track.”
What is your dream industry collaboration?
Brian Wilson or Syd Barrett.
If your songs could soundtrack one movie what would it be?
Any Spaghetti Western. I’d re-score “EL TOPO” (if a re-score wasn’t considered to be sacrilege).
What comes first: the riff or the lyric?
Mostly the riff. But “Activate” was my mantra for a bit. Like, don’t be lazy. So the idea and lyrics came first for that one.
Do you guys have any advice for aspiring or up-and-coming bands?
Focus on the songwriting. Play with anyone and everyone you have a chance to. Learn as many styles of music as possible. Learn to read music if you can wrap your head around it, but McCartney doesn’t know how to read music so really, I guess, who gives a hoot if you learn to or not. Most importantly, have your own identity and to hell with the competition!
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