Illustration: Mary Machin
Think About Life released their energy-charged dance pop record Family in 2009 and has been bringing the album’s hyper-energy to venues across the globe since. We were able to catch up with the band’s lead singer, Martin Cesar, amidst his busy touring schedule to ask him a few questions about the album, dogs, and the future.
The music video for “Sweet Sixteen” seems to accomplish quite a bit of energy with little production value. How did you guys come up with all the wonderful intricacies scattered throughout, such as the girl doing karate moves in front of a pixelated heart?
Martin: Well, I have to give all the credit of that video to my friend Sinbad Richardson who directed it. It was his vision and we went along with it. There are some definitive elements that we were very happy, like the pixelated heart, with and others a bit less. Overall it was a great collaboration.
In that same video you guys don a tri-sweater, a fashion look I’m pretty sad didn’t catch on as it looked like quite a bit of fun. What was the basis behind that stylistic decision?
M: Yeah, I’m very surprised that no one has gotten 2 of their friends to wear a giant sweater with 3 holes for the heads. In 2015 maybe when facebook will be less popular? The design itself was made by my friend Valerie Boxer who is a great local artist. The design also all tied itself into the unfortunate notion: ” Family , we’re in this together”
With your video for “The Wizzzard,” inspiration seems to come from something such as the “weird” aesthetic of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup. Is this a fair assessment?
M: Good assessment but the video was made by me and my friend Mike and Jason , and I don’t think none of us actually watch Adult Swim. I just wanted to make a video with a pool, some battling wizzards, a green screen and lots of sun.
One of my favorite songs of yours is “Johanna” from your last album Family. What is the meaning of that song, and is it about a particular Johanna?
M: Johanna, it just sounds like a great name about a very beautiful and wholesome girl who is just going through some self esteem issues. She’ll make it in the end because she’s a tough cookie. Johanna.
Various dogs seem to appear in a great deal of your photo shoots including the album art for Family. Is there any particular reason for this besides being simply dog lovers?
M: It’s soo strange. Dogs have just seem to pop around us. When we thought about the album art, we really wanted Boady the dog to be on the cover. Boady lives at the recording studio where we recorded a good portion of the album and he’s an emblem of the recording process we went through. That’s him on the cove. He added to that tacky element that we wanted for the artwork, after all, the album is called Family.
As for the other dogs, I just can’t explain it. We showed up for this photo shoot and there were these 2 lil black dogs just hanging out in the photo studio. They really wanted to be on camera.
Another funny thing is that we had asked our friends from Seripop to design a t-shirt for us and they came back with a shirt with a bunch of dogs on it without even knowing about history with the canine friends.
Seripop T-Shirt Design
What was the inspiration and meaning behind the album art for Family? I have my theories, but I am fairly sure my interpretation is way off.
M: Every time I see the album art I just think to myself ”Family crafts night”. I think that’s it says to me. It also cries, ”Take us somewhere warm!!!”. It’s great. Family man.
In an interview you did with Brooklyn Vegan back in 2006 you chanted “blogs, blogs, blogs, blogs” and stated, as if this chant had not already made it very clear, that you all love blogs. Do you have any particular favorite blogs or other websites that you follow religiously?
M: I don’t think we actually knew what blogs were at the time. We just liked the word . I really like this blog called Advanced Style . It’s a fashion blog that mostly covers ”old people” and the great clothes they wear. I wish there was a whole blog about the tv show ”Taxi.”
You guys have gone through a few member changes in the last year. Do you feel as if there have been notable changes in your sound with the new lineup?
M: Well, Caila and Greg are the 2 new members. Matt Shane had to go back to art school. We’ve had the chance to sit down and start to write new songs. The live energy of the shows have pretty much remained the same from when we started. We’re bros for life.
I am trying to collect as many answers as I can to this next completely open ended question. Lady GaGa?
M: Caila looooves Gaga. The rest of us think that she’s okay. She’s got that cool song with Beyonce. I think it’s called Telephone.
Has there been any other particular bands you’ve been listening to lately?
M: Right now I can only listen to Camaron de la Isla who was this amazing romani flamengo singer. Caila’s other band, Shapes and Sizes, they’re great. Chet Baker is also another favorite.
Do you have plans for the future at this point? Another album hopefully? World domination? A life at sea?
M: Tour tour tour, Write write write. Record record record. Swim swim swim. Life is beautiful man.
Family is out via Alien8.
Go check out Think About Life on their tour!
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Mar 18 2010 1:00P
Austin @ Side Bar (SXSW Nail daytime showcase) w/ DENGUE FEVER Austin, Texas
Mar 18 2010 8:00P
Austin @ Paradise (M for Montreal SXSW showcase) w/ WE ARE WOLVES Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2010 1:45P
Austin @ Galaxy Room (Main stage – Brooklyn Vegan / M4M SXSW daytime party) Austin, Texas
Mar 21 2010 8:00P
San Antonio @ White Rabbit San Antonio, Texas
Mar 23 2010 8:00P
Tucson @ Club Congress w/ SURFER BLOOD + TURBO FRUITS Tucson, Arizona
Mar 24 2010 8:00P
Los Angeles @ Spaceland w/ GAROTAS SUECAS (Club NME night) Los Angeles, California
Mar 26 2010 9:00P
San Francisco @ Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, California
Mar 28 2010 8:00P
Portland @ Dante’s Portland, Oregon
Mar 29 2010 8:00P
Seattle @ Crocodile Cafe Seattle, Washington
Mar 30 2010 8:00P
Victoria @ Lucky Bar w/ SLAM DUNK Victoria, British Columbia
Mar 31 2010 8:00P
Vancouver @ Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 2 2010 8:00P
Edmonton @ The Brixx Edmonton, Alberta
Apr 3 2010 8:00P
Calgary @ The Palomino Calgary, Alberta
Apr 21 2010 8:00P
Cleveland @ Case Western University Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 22 2010 8:00P
Pittsburgh @ Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Apr 23 2010 8:00P
Washington DC @ DC-9 (Liberation night) Washington, Washington DC
Apr 25 2010 3:00P
New York @ WBAR-B-Q – Barnard College (afternoon show EARLY) w/ COLD CAVE, US GIRLS New York City, New York
Apr 25 2010 8:00P
Philadelphia @ Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 27 2010 9:00P
New York @ Mercury Lounge New York City, New York
Apr 29 2010 8:00P
Boston @ TT the Bear’s Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 30 2010 8:00P
Burlington @ The Monkey House Burlington, Vermont
May 6 2010 8:00P
London UK @ Upstairs at the Garage London
May 7 2010 8:00P
Sheffield UK @ Bungalow & Bears Sheffield
May 8 2010 8:00P
Dublin IR @ Whelan’s (upstairs) Dublin
May 10 2010 8:00P
Newcastle UK @ Head of Steam Newcastle
May 11 2010 8:00P
Edinburgh UK @ Sneaky Pete’s Edinburgh
May 12 2010 8:00P
Nottingham UK @ Bodega Nottingham
May 13 2010 8:00P
London UK @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (Oh Inverted Club) London
May 14 2010 1:00P
Brighton UK @ Komedia (The Great Escape Festival – afternoon show) Brighton
May 14 2010 8:00P
Brighton UK @ Digital (The Great Escape Festival) Brighton
May 15 2010 8:00P
Utrecht NL @ Klub Radar w/ DAN LE SAC & SCROOBIUS PIP + OLAFUR ARNALDS Utrecht
May 16 2010 8:00P
Middelburg NL @ De Spot Middelburg
May 17 2010 8:00P
Amsterdam NL @ Paradiso Amsterdam
May 18 2010 8:00P
Berlin DE @ Magnet Club Berlin
May 19 2010 8:00P
Hamburg DE @ Fundbureau w/ BACHELORETTE Hamburg
