Editor’s note: Some answers were edited for length and clarity.
Austin-based band Shivery Shakes’ infectious, glitzy, surf pop entertains Austinites throughout the year. During South By Southwest, Shivery Shakes will headline Riot Act Media’s Tuesday showcase at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Their latest album, Three Waves and a Shake, sets a beachy, chill backdrop to this year’s festival.
Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell named June 27 “Shivery Shakes Day” after the band gained serious acclaim in the community. The Daily Texan spoke with the band about their SXSW showcases.
The Daily Texan: Is this your first year performing at SXSW as “official” performers?
Shivery Shakes: This is our first year performing at SXSW officially as this band. A couple of us have done South By officially in the past in other bands or as “hired guns,” but it will be a different experience with this project.
We’ve been working really hard on this band for the past couple of years, and, while it might not be the ultimate measure of success, it’s cool that we were accepted.
DT: Are you guys working on a new album? If so, when would it come out?
SS: We put our last record pretty recently, and we are still doing the best we can to get it out there. We have a few new songs in the works and preliminary recording on our next record is on the horizon, but we’d like to do our best to get our debut album out there before we put it behind us.
DT: Do you think Austin shows local bands enough love during SXSW?
SS: Honestly, I think SXSW is a little harder on local acts. However, Austin is generally hard for local acts. It has become a hub for international talent year-round, so local bands are measured against national talent way more thoroughly than anywhere else.
That being said, I think it pushes local bands to be very hard-working and well practiced. We are stoked to be a part of SXSW and other festivals around here, but we also have our own scene and friends to enjoy.
DT: What is the best/worst part about SXSW?
SS: The best part is all of our friends from out of town come here; the worst part is all of the people we aren’t friends with come, too.
DT: Can you describe your sound/your goals and aspirations as a band?
SS: Our debut record sounds pretty surfy and poppy. We enjoy that musical genre, but, for whatever we do next, I think we’d like to evolve and transcend genre. We like pop music and also music that we naturally gravitate toward. I think any aspirations we have musically will occur without effort. Other than that, our main aspiration is to get a van, stay on the road and keep making music that we like to listen to.
DT: Do you guys like touring or sticking around and playing shows in Austin more?
SS: They both have their pros and cons. Touring is a total blast because you get to show different people your music for the first time, which usually gets a very honest reaction. That’s something you never get at home, and it’s usually very exciting.
Playing at home is just as sweet though because it’s very relaxed, and you get to play with all of your friends’ bands. We have so many great bands in Austin right now, too. It almost feels like we’re on tour when we play on different bills because everyone here has a very unique voice.
