Quiet Color

by pelly (photos by stuart sevastos)

Australia in the summer is pretty nonstop, blurry, and a sh*tload of fun. That description would fit Southbound Festival in Busselton, Western Australia and it works for power duo Sleigh Bells. We caught up with Derek from the band, amidst the 3-day fest down under which also featured hometown favorite Tame Impala (Perth), Joan Jett, Public Enemy, and The National.  On the fest’s final afternoon, crowds were still singing along to Sleigh Bells lyrics as Derek and Alexis set it off, an occurrence that has been constant since the band’s formation, regardless of location…

Quiet Color: SB has toured globally over the past 12 months, at any point do you miss the obscurity? Does popularity f*ck with your creative process?

Derek of SB: We never really had a moment of obscurity. We were pretty awful our first few shows, but we had a little crowd by the third one, and I think by our 20th show we were playing before Bone Thugz at the Fader Fort. We were by no means ready or deserving, but it happened quickly…a little more obscurity might have been good for us!

……….…Popularity has little do with the creative process. It’s an internal thing, like a battle I have with myself. I’m rarely impressed with anything I do, and I’m always trying to prove to myself that I have even an ounce of talent somewhere in my body.

Artist: Sleigh Bells Song: At The Beach

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QC: Sleigh Bells has traveled lightyears since you guys played the QC show at Market Hotel in Oct. 2009. What’s been the biggest life change for you personally since the band blew up?

Derek: The biggest changes have happened outside of the band, in my personal life. The real challenges have put the music thing in perspective. Sometimes it’s hard to find meaning in circling the globe, playing the same songs over and over. But most nights I enjoy it. And it’s better than my old job. I’m thankful.