(Photo Credit - The Canvas People)
We interviewed The Canvas People for an Artist Spotlight feature. We're really excited about this group from Austin, Texas as they have their debut LP dropping September 13! However, they've already been making waves here in Texas and are getting ready to start a national tour in September/October!
1. How long did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
We formed in 2014, so we've been at it for five years. Myself (Kyle) and Wes (guitarist) recruited Luke from a country band Luke and Wes were playing in at the time and then later poached Pat (drummer) from Luke's sister's band lol - no bad blood though.
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
Typically, our process starts with me (Kyle) writing a song, sometimes just a piece of a song. I'll typically write a song over the course of a month in bits and pieces, recording parts on my phone. Lyrically, I draw inspiration from really anything, it's just establishing a theme and diving in. When I feel like I've got something coherent enough structurally, I'll show the band at band practice and we begin developing and molding the song in various ways. We give each other feedback as we craft our individual parts for the song. Eventually, and with some luck, it becomes a song.
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
We're kind of all over the place with this one but some that we have in common are Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Dawes
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc) that you love to use? If so, what's the story on them?
Our lead guitar player leans heavily into delay pedals, specifically Catalinbread's Belle Epoch recently - if you listen for it, I think it's literally in every song lol. We've been experimenting with synthesizers a lot more in the studio too, big fans of the Juno-106, lots of great records made with that beast. Kyle uses a Korg for live performances though.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a live show?
An ideal Canvas People show has pretty energetic, dynamic vibes, and everyone is locked in. Those shows are always the most fun and the easiest, because everything comes so naturally and we're hitting on all cylinders. We want the audience to feel that way, too, like they're experiencing the ride with us.
We definitely enjoy having great quality sound first and foremost, with a capable sound tech. It makes the experience of playing the show so much more enjoyable knowing that it's sounding the way that it's supposed to.
6. What is one thing you want the public to know about your music?
Our music is out there, everywhere. Get with it public!
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would live fans to know about?
We are releasing our first full length LP, Garden Party on September 13th at the Mohawk and we couldn't be more excited to get it out into the world for folks to hear. We hope all of our Austin homies can make it to celebrate with us!
Upcoming Shows:
September 13 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Album Release Show)
October 11 - Plano, TX @ Legacy Hall
October 15 - Washington, DC @ Pearl Street Warehouse
October 16 - New York, NY @ Berlin
October 17 - New York, NY @ SoFar Sounds
October 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kungfu Necktie
October 26 - Dallas, TX @ Sundown at Granada