Oberhofer Interview

Sarah: How are you doing?

Oberhofer: Doing all right! Just getting everything together because I'm leaving for a tour tomorrow.

S: Where are you right now?

O: I'm in Brooklyn.

Robin: Very cool. So are you doing a show today or tomorrow? Soon?

O: Well we're leaving for the tour tomorrow. And pretty much we're going to be on the road until the end of February.

S: Are you looking forward to it?

O: Yeah, definitely! But I'm just wrapping up classes at school, got some stuff I need to finish by tonight.

S: Oh wow, you're still in school?! You're at NYU, right?

O: Yeah, I'm at NYU.

S: So how are you juggling things? Like between school and music?

O: Um, I just, you know, turned in a paper to take a year off. So I won't be juggling this year. It'll be nice.

R: So we were looking at different websites. Like you know, facebook and myspace and stuff, seeing what the band is about. We saw different classifications or genres people assigned you to. So how would you describe your music?

O: I really don't feel the music should be labeled in any way.

R: Yeah, I like that!

O: I think it's just, uh, my experience.

R: Very cool.

S: So on the EP, what were your biggest influences? Like your "experiences," how is that showing up on there?

O: Well, I  like riding my bike a lot. I really love my dog. Those are some things you can hear on the record, in the music.

R: I LOVE MY DOG! So on tour, are you looking forward to visiting any cities in particular?

S: Say Cleveland!

O: I really like Chicago a lot, whenever we go there. And right now, whenever we go through Ohio we stay at our drummer's parents' house. One time I was there, and I went running through these cornfields and there was a creek. It was really pretty, so I'm looking forward to doing that again. And then also, I'm looking forward to going to Montreal because I love Montreal.

R: Aside from you guys making music, what kind of music do you guys listen to?

O: Now, I'm listening to this Motown Compilation CD.

R: So what are songs from there? Give us some examples.

O: Let's see...I like that song, that's like "Baby, baby..." by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

R: Oh yeah, classic.

O: And I  really like "Love Machine" also. It's my favorite one.

R: (Laughs) We used to listen to that when we were little. My mom's really into soul and stuff like that, so it brings back memories.

S: Do you have top 5 records of 2010. Or are you against top 5 lists?

O: Um, I didn't really listen to that many records, but I really liked the Beach House record a lot.

R: So can you tell us more about how the band got started?

O: Yeah, the band was just me, pretty much.  And my friend Jason, who was friends with another kid at school. And then I met this guy Andrew who I played music with. And then we played a show. I mean the band had different formations; like you know, it's been a different guitarist, different drummers. And then, you know, eventually I stumbled into all these guys and they turned out to be perfect for what I was doing.

S: So I read in some interview that you personally started writing music in fifth or seventh grade as a freestyle rapper. Do you still do that?

O: Yeah, definitely. When the mood strikes me I really go at it.

S: Do you have any shout-outs you want to make?

O: Oh yeah, I've got all kinds of shout-outs! Shout-out to my dog Boomerang, hanging out in Tacoma right now. And shout-out to my Grandpa George  and Grandpa Leonard hanging out in heaven right now.  So that's my shout-out.

R: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us!