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by Mike Wright
San Francisco’s Scissors For Lefty are four bearded lad’s who have been making music the way they want since their inception in San Luis Obispo. So sit down and enjoy a bite of this “PB and J on Rye.”
Introduce Scissors For Lefty to the readers of Zero, who does what?
Scissors For Lefty is Peter, James, Bryan, & Robby. "PB&J on Rye" Ok, that's a terrible acronym, but it tends to help people in a pinch. At any rate, this band is made up of two last names: Garza x 2 + Krimmel x We've been friends for so long, that we almost considered adopting a new surname all together....but being from San Francisco, the state wouldn't have it. Normally, at shows, you'll find me singing, while giving the guitar a go. Peter'll be the guy finger pecking at the keyboards, Robby on bass, and James on drums. That's the live setup at least. Back at home, or in the studio, you'll find everybody playing musical chairs quite a bit. Robby is actually the best guitarist, while James is a superstar on bass. However, no use showboating, we like to remain in an utter state of anxiety during a show. That's why I play guitar at least.
Having formed the band in San Luis Obispo, what brought you all to San Francisco?
We sucked, we needed a fresh start. Okay, actually San Luis Obispo is a wonderful town, but the weather wasn't condusive to staying inside. Also, we had to leave. They don't tolerate vagrants so well...i.e., we no longer had student loans to pay for our gear, I mean rent, or books rather.
How long have you been on Rough Trade Records out of the U.K.? What’s it like working with them?
We just got the contract today. Pheww....it was a solid golden handshake as of last month. We're very, very, very excited of things to come.
Having played close to a 100 shows, is there one that sticks out as themost memorable? Why?
Yeah, our first!!! We were convinced that we were going to knock 'em dead. Well, let's just say, it sure opened up a lot of time on our socialcalender. People literally were inching away as we hacked away at those tunes.
What is the bands future plans? Is world domination on the horizon?
Well, at this point, we are growing beards. They aren't becoming, but we've decided to sport them until our new album is done. We started last week, and I hope to god that we knock these new tracks out before next week. James, Robby, & I are still single. Growinig beards was Peter's idea.
You just released a new album in titled Bruno tell us about it.
Ah man, you must have got that ancient info from our "what's new" page on our website. Bruno is so 2005 !!! Actually, that album meant the world to us. It was our first chance to experiment. First time turning knobs, singing under blankets, etc... We did the whole thing in our hallway, bedrooms, etc... Drove neighbors bonkers, I'm sure...but in the end, it gave us a great sense of accomplishment.
What were some of the highlights during the recording session for Bruno?
I for one, really felt good about capturing Peter's piano on the track, "Honeybee." All the windows were open, sun was down, and blue christmas lights strung about. I know the song rarely gets a listen, but it really symbolizes the transition of us playing acoustic songs into more orchestrated tunes. James had a good time laying down "Marsha" on drums in my parent's garage. Peter cooked a lot of good food while Ghetto Ways was coming together. Robby, wasn't in the songwriting process yet, but he was helping us out for live shows. You'll hear his influence on our upcoming album presently titled, "Underhanded Romance."
Here’s your last chance to plug the band, shows, tour or just any advice you just might want to give.
Well, we're not one's for advice, but take our advice, and remember to always think twice. We'll be at Bottom of The Hill February 4th. New album is in the works. I'm in love with this album. It's all we've been focused on this month. So much in fact, that we have no internet connection at the studio to distract us. And so, in order to writethis, I'm presently sitting in a random truck bed a couple hundred yards away, tapping into some poor fools unprotected wireless. I'll jump right back in the studio after a little MySpace fix.
Lastly, we've never been to the UK, can't wait to get spanked by all the great bands, and most of all, we are ecstactic that people seem to be putting up with us. Cheers....
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