THE SILKIES - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Q: Explain the origin of the band name and how you decided it was the one.

Jake: We had a running list, and I have a running theme of ‘Silk’ inspired stuff in my life, ever since I got a couple dogs whose breed is ‘Silken Windhounds’. We threw the name on the pile, and it kinda just felt right. Kind of had a timeless quality to it. Somehow there wasn’t another band we found with the name, which was a surprise. That pretty much sealed it. 

Q: Was forming the band intentional, or did it happen organically?

Jake: It was intentional. Pierce and I have been in other bands before, and I had not played in a band since the pandemic ended another band Pierce and I were in. I had been focusing on my recording studio work for several years, but couldn't resist the pull to write, record, and play songs with a group of my own. 

Q: Is everyone from Cincinnati originally? If not, where are you from?

Jake: I grew up in Richmond, Virginia! Moved to Cincy to start a different band with Pierce years ago.

Pierce: I was raised in Cincinnati. I left around 2006 and came back around 2013. 

Joe: Cincy born and raised 

Michael: Lexington, KY

Q: What has been everyone’s favorite city to play in so far?

Jake: I have really enjoyed Davenport, Iowa! It was where we played our first show, so there's some sentimental connection there. Also has a really solid coffee shop called 392 we love. I don't think I can really narrow down a favorite. Every city we've played we've met really kind and generous supportive folks, and found something to love about the city itself.

Pierce: I think Indianapolis might be my favorite. It’s close enough to feel like a second hometown and the people at every show have been just phenomenal. It’s a really slept on city. Which is kinda funny because I believe one of its nicknames is Nap Town. So that rules. 

Joe: My favorite city is Davenport. Our first show was at Raccoon Motel in Davenport. It feels pretty special there. There’s so many good places to hang out at and eat. I really love the Allied Barber Shop. 

Michael: Indi has really felt like a comfortable place to play, always have a great time there.

Q: Which city has had the best coffee? 

Jake: At the moment, best coffee probably has to go to Metric in Chicago.

Joe: Chicago has the best coffee by far for me. Metric is one of the best in the world. I was nerding out pretty hard there.

Q: What parts of performing make you nervous? What parts feel natural now? 

Jake: I don't love when we have a new song in the set, and I still feel like I have to think about the parts instead of just being in the moment. Generally I usually feel pretty at ease.

It does get deeply stressful if the monitors on stage sound bad or are feeding back on us.

Pierce: Performing in general makes me nervous because my brain often seems to wipe itself clean minutes before we start the first song. I just gotta hope that it all magically reappears when I put my fingers on the strings or open my mouth. Usually it works.

Since we collaborate on all the songs (more or less) I feel really comfortable with the parts that I’ve written. They’re more in my skin than in my brain so I almost can’t help but play them right in a way. 

Joe: I’m always afraid that the vibe just might be off. Sometimes a tough crowd can fuel me, sometimes it can crush me.

All of it feels really alien and really natural at the same time. I think playing the songs is pretty easy. Bringing the energy is the true challenge. 

Michael: Actual playing feels very comfortable, but audio issues/tech stuff that's out of control is the worst. 

Q: What is the main goal/objective of The Silkies? What does that look like for everyone individually? 

Jake: Ultimately our original vision was to make music we enjoy, and have fun together. 

Pierce: The goal/objective is to have fun and connect with people. People people people. That’s all we want to promote is how awesome human life is or can be and that making stuff together is the best use of our time.

For me as an individual, I’d say I also want to show my kid that it’s good to pursue things that are hard, scary, thrilling, risky, and that you don’t feel prepared for. Doing a thing for love is really really necessary to feel anything at all. 

Joe: Probably just to have fun. For me it is a very internal thing. I want to be able to make a connection with my music in a live setting.

I think for the other guys it’s more in the vain of connecting with an audience. For me that’s nice, but not what I get most out of it. 

Michael: Make fun music and have a good time with friends. It’s really a self absorbed endeavor for me. I just want to have a good time, and if others like what we’re making, that's a huge bonus.

Q: What’s the largest crowd you’ve ever played for? What do you want the crowd size to look like? Arenas, venues, festivals, etc? 

Jake: With The Silkies, probably a sold out show with Being Dead in Columbus, about 200+ people.

In a previous band, over 1000. It's ideal to play for a lot of folks, but I'd rather play for 10-15 people who are very engaged and having a good time vs. a huge crowd who is very disinterested.

Pierce: Uhhh, maybe 150ish for Silkies. I’ve personally played in front of crowds of maybe 1500 or more in other projects. I think that’s right anyway. Maybe it was closer to 1000. Either way it was hard to count.

Crowd size for a band as new and scrappy as we are doesn’t matter all that much. If there’s anyone watching/listening then that’s just phenomenal. It’s nice when there’s a few more people than a handful because they can more easily pump each other up but even when there’s a full room of strangers who don’t know who you are it can take a lot of work to make everyone feel comfy and engaged. When you feel the turn though, and you can tell people are uncrossing their arms and having a good time, it’s pretty intoxicating.

Festivals are often really fun. I love playing like 300-500 cap rooms. They’re exciting when they’re full and they usually don’t have as big a separation between the bands and the crowd. 

Joe: I’m not sure what the largest crowd. I would prefer a small crowd who’s into it as opposed to a big one that just stares at you.

I think a really big crowd would be nice. It would feel easier to disconnect my nerves from a sea of people. They are almost a unit as opposed to a bunch of individuals. 

Michael: 500ish? festivals sound like the most fun, everyone really wants to be there to listen to music as a whole

Q: What would you change about the music industry? 

Jake: Helping people realize how the streaming services generally exploit artists. You'd have to stream a song about 6000 times for a band to make $25. Absurd.

Also, the consolidation of smaller/mid level venues (where bands like us get our start and grow) under large conglomerate umbrellas. The types of venues that used to sustain artists actual careers, and contribute to a healthy local and regional music community. I'd love to see those venues more supported and protected with legislation to prevent monopolies. 

Pierce: Oof. I’d change streaming being the primary way that music is listened to. It’s a great way to share music and curate it, but it’s a terrible model for sustaining a career as an artist as it puts so many more barriers up to getting paid for your art. I’d also make sure Ticketmaster/Live Nation got broken up. They extract so much value from music fans and put musicians in a really difficult position when it comes to having any control over shows and pricing. I also wish things were easier for promoters/bookers at small to medium-sized venues. They’re often overworked and underpaid and there aren’t very many good/proven models for doing their job well. You have to have a preternatural ingenuity to get people to come to shows, especially for bands no one has heard of. And there’s not great metrics out there these promoters can rely on. They get blamed for a lot but they’re spinning lots of plates. Thank your local promoters that are doing a good job. It’s tough out there. 

Joe: I’m not sure. The music industry is what it is. I have no illusion of fame and fortune. I just wanna be proud of what I’ve done. If that reaches people that’s great, if not I’m totally fine with that. 

Michael: How artists are discovered and almost forced to interact and keep up with social media. 

Q: What’s next? 

Jake: We have a full length album coming out soon, and are just gonna keep chugging along playing shows and writing songs! 

Pierce: Our first album will be released later this year with the help of Like You Mean It Records out of Nashville and we’re super proud of it. I know we want to play as many shows as possible this year, and keep making friends with other bands in our town and in the towns we play in. We’ve kinda collected this really wide breadth of musicians that we have played with and I love eclecticism of our little gang. We also can’t get enough of the people who actually come to the shows. It’s unreal the depth of good humanity we’ve encountered over the last year. Truly stunning the excellence of people that enjoy live music.

We want to write more songs, record the recent ones we’ve written, work on other media and make our live show as unforgettable as possible. 

Joe: I’m working on another solo record. That should be fun. I’m working on it with band friend Joey Joesph. Other than that, continuing with Silkies stuff and playing shows! 

Michael: Album, more shows, writing songs I’m excited for, and making connections with listeners.