March 31, 2006 -

See PHOTOS from the Two Gallants Noisepop 2006 show at Bimbo's (3-31-2006)

Two Gallants have been pretty busy lately.  Having just returned from their 2nd South by Southwest where they were playing and promoting their newly released sophomore album, “What the Toll Tells”; they’re headlining our local version, Noisepop, for a Spin Sponsored show at Bimbo’s tonight -- all the while preparing for the supporting tour that will take them across the US, Europe, and Asia in the next year and a half.  This is actually the second epic tour back to back… plus they have to see their mothers.  Yes the two-man band named after a Joyce novel and made up of Tyson Vogel (drums, vocals) and Adam Stephens (vocals, harmonica, guitar) are native San Franciscans, and Tyson took time out of his busy schedule to do a phone interview with Ovahere.com. 

Tyson Vogel:  Sorry about the delay, but I'm at my parents house and I don't get any cell phone reception, sorry I missed your call.
OvaHere:  No worries, I'm attempting to do this at home, you should see me right now trying to hold the microphone to the earpiece of a cordless home phone, let's hope some of this comes out.* 

OH:  With the new album, “What the Toll Tells” -- did you guys write all of the songs?  How long did it take you to put it all together?
TV:  Yeah, we wrote all of the songs.  The album is a collage of songs we've written over the last 5 years, it's probably half and half, old and new.   “16TH ST. DOZENS” was written almost 5 years ago, while some were written fairly recently.  It's kind of an "all of the above"

OH:  You seem like you write quite a few story-telling songs a la The Grateful Dead or Johnny Cash or – are those inspirations of yours?  Or other, maybe punk influences?
TV:  I can say that the Dead were, well, I've never really listened to them.  I think it's a little bit of everything.  Part of it might have been inspired by Cash, but also bands like Operation Ivy and Skip Janes, to Clifford Brown and Max Roach, to Tchaikovsky - they all had a hand in it. 

OH:  I was listening to “The Throes” recently, and in it your voice sounds a little reminiscent of Cat Stevens – ever heard that before?

TV:  Ha, you know Adam actually gets that a lot, more so than me.  It's funny you say that though, because I listen to “Tea for the Tillerman” all the time.  I like to come home after a night of a little drinking and zone out listening to it.

OH:  With the two-piece band made popular of the garage rock thing – do you characterize yourself that way? 

TV:  Well we never set out to be a garage rock band, Adam and I have known each other since we were 5 years old, we started playing music together when were 10 or 11, so the inspirations has shifted over time, and we didn't really have one genre that dictated our moods, they were all instrumental in shaping our maturity.  I mean, we did start out playing in a garage, so I guess you could call it that, but it wasn't purposefully "garage rock".  We actually tried to bring a bassist in a while ago, but it was hard to find the right fit, because we have this history, so eventually we just gave up, and went forward with the sound we had.  It just so happens that that sound has been popularized by other bands as well.

OH:  What part of the city are you from, and what high schools did you go to?

TV:  Uh, we both grew up in Pacific Heights ...  I went to Drew and Adam went to Urban

OH:  According to your bio, 16th Street BART station was the place where you guys began performing.  Do you ever get back there now to reminisce and to see if anyone's following your lead?  What do you think about the current state of the city?
TV:  Definitely, I go down there all the time.  We are in the Mission now mostly, but it seems like things are changing all the time.  The ratty street corner where we used to play no longer exists, it's been replaced by a gentrified street corner.  I mean, it still holds the same charm to me, but it seems like those who are in charge are pretty out of touch with the area.  Overall that seems to be a common theme.  Then again we haven't really been around with the last tour lasting all of last year.
OH:  Now giant religious revivals seem to be the only music.

OH:  Do you guys have a favorite neighborhood? Restaurant? Bar?
TV:  That's hard to say.  There are so many things I love about this city.  We definitely spend a lot time in the Mission .  We used to hang out at, and really got our start playing in front of crowds at The Attic on 24th and Mission . 

OH:  Your name, "Two Gallants" is a literary reference (Joyce) -- being an avid "reader" is kind of counter-intuitive to the rock and roll lifestyle?  Do you guys pick up books after shows?

TV:  Without coming off as too "nerdy", yes, reading is still something I enjoy.  Being on the road actually gives you ample opportunity to enjoy it.  There is a lot of downtime traveling.

OH:  Any books you've read on the road recently that you really enjoyed?
TV:  On the last leg of the tour, I think I went through 10 books, and again, not to sound "nerdy", I read this great Virginia Wolf book, "Jacob’s Room".  I'm really into her modernist themes, her writing is really amazing.

OH:  Do you ever read anything modern or local, like Eggers?
TV:  You know, I've been told that I should, but I just haven't yet.  You like him?
OH:  I do, his stuff is personal and topical, and his new stuff incorporates the Mission, because of his workshop on .
TV:  Oh really, that's cool.

OH:  This was your 2nd South by Southwest, how did it compare to last year?

TV:  The first year was definitely more fun and exciting.  We probably were able to play 5 shows and were free to check out other bands.  This year was more about publicity for the new album.  It was still cool, but we definitely had more of a schedule. 

OH:  It's been said that this years SXSW was more commercial and "less pure".  Whereas before it was more about showcasing bands -- now it's more about marketing.
TV:  Well, from my limited perspective it's kind of hard to judge, we've only gone twice -- but I was talking to a friend who's a booking agent; and he's gone for many years now, and he expressed that same sentiment.  It has lost a bit of its original intention.  Like you said, before it was about showcasing new talent, and giving new bands a stage to have their music heard.  Now you need to be signed to even get a spot on any stage.  There are some guerilla shows going on though.  I have some friends who drove this Rambler down there, this big beast of a car, and they set up in a parking lot, and played for 4 days straight.  And I heard of some bands playing house parties that weren't affiliated with the festival.  That seems to be more of what South by Southwest is all about.

OH:  Did you guys get to hang out with any of your idols while you were there?
TV:  Nah, not really, we didn't really get a chance to hang out as much as I would have liked.  But Adam got an opportunity to see Ramblin’ Jack Elliot , and he's been a fan of his forever.  So I know he was excited about that. 

OH:  What about our version of SXSW, Noisepop, how does it compare? 
TV:  It definitely has more of grassroots feel to it; obviously it's a much smaller scale.  But it's cool; it fosters an exploration of the city.  On one hand you have a show at Bimbo's, in North Beach , and then on the other side of town at Bottom of the Hill you could catch another show -- it gives you an opportunity to see how beautiful the city is.  For us it's great too, because we get a chance to see some of the local bands we respect like Trainwreck Riders and Pine Box Boys.

OH:  You guys are about to embark on a long tour (US, Asia & Europe) – and you guys seem to have developed a following in ; are their any other countries with rabid fans that you've heard of?
TV:  When we were in Europe, we met you're garden variety Europeans, but I did meet someone who told me that we have a pretty strong following in Croatia, which is pretty cool.  That place is beautiful, I'd love to get there on the current tour --- a little out of the way though. 

OH:  Do you guys get an opportunity to travel while you're abroad, or is it just playing shows?
TV:  Last time we actually had quite a bit of time to travel on our own.  Adam was able to go off and do his thing, and my girlfriend was able to come out.  We traveled through , Holland and , and a little of Northern Europe .

OH:  This question is a little tangential, but based on your other responses, not completely random.  In your travels, have you found a country or culture that should try to emulate – socially and politically?
TV:  I wouldn't say there was one country we should try to emulate; there are aspects of other cultures that wouldn't hurt us.  Take Northern Europe , the health care there is provided without thought of compensation.  I was in and got really sick; I went to the hospital and got immediate treatment.  No insurance card or long line.  It seems pretty foreign to us, but completely ridiculous at the same time.  Education is the other thing.  Northern Europe specifically puts a societal value on it, not a price tag.
OH:  To them, education is about learning, as opposed to our country where education is a means to a high powered career?
TV:  Exactly.

OH:  I had some great questions in the vein of sex, drugs, rock n' roll, but with your earlier girlfriend comment the groupie question just seems inappropriate... so I won't ask them (said in the most passive aggressive way imaginable).
TV:  Thanks.

OH:  So anything else you would like to impart to San Franciscans?
TV:  Just that this place is our home and that we love it here.  There's really no place we'd rather be.

You can buy the new Two Gallants album here:  www.twogallants.com

* This is not a completely verbatim transcript.  Unfortunately the phone interview bulk of the interview sounds like my labored breathing (having to hold the microphone next to the earpiece of the cordless phone and scroll through my questions made the process daunting), and outside construction noises.  Sorry Tyson, but I did capture the spirit of your responses...