5 Questions With: Artsick
Christina Riley from the indie pop band stops by to talk about the Bay Area music scene, playing overseas, and more.
Good morning!
Today we’re talking with Bay Area-based indiepop trio Artsick
If you don’t want to hear Hall & Oates or hits from the 90s & today nonstop, hitting scan on your radio can be a frustrating experience up here on the frozen tundra.
There are a lot of plusses to this place, but good radio isn’t always one of them.
Luckily, I also live in a college town, and the university’s radio station is a nice exception. One of my favorite shows is called “Red Planet,” and it bills itself as an “indie nouvelle” show-a fancy way of saying they showcase new music from indie bands.
And that’s how I found Artsick.
I was driving home from work when the band’s “Restless” came on. With a good dose of jangle, a solid beat, and catchy hooks, I was sold. The band quickly went into my heavy rotation, and their Fingers Crossed record landed a spot on my AOTY list.
From the review:
After stumbling through 2020 & 2021, we needed this year to start on a bright note.
Enter Artsick. The members of the group read like a who’s-who of East Bay bands. Together they kicked the year off in style with “Fingers Crossed,” a fun burst of melodic indie pop.
With a driving sound and sharp (and occasionally blistering ) lyrics, Fingers Crossed was the record we didn’t know we needed.
I recently chatted with guitarist/vocalist Christina Riley, and we covered everything from the Bay Area scene to Slumberland records. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity & flow.
To start, can you color in some of the band’s background(s)? I know the three of you are all scene vets and played in Burnt Palms, Kids on A Crime Spree, and Lunchbox (among others) before coming together in 2018. Is that date correct? Did any of the 3 of you play together in those earlier bands?
CR: Yes, you got it right! Mario’s band is Kids On A Crime Spree. Before that, he was in From Bubblegum To Sky and in Ciao Bella. Donna is in Lunchbox and Hard Left. None of us have played in the same band together, but my old band, Burnt Palms, used to play shows with their bands.
Kids On A Crime Spree and Burnt Palms shared a cassingle release in 2016 on We Were Never Being Boring Records.
Reading reviews for Fingers Crossed and then again ahead of this chat, it felt like I couldn’t find a single article that didn't draw a line between Artsick and K Records. I grew up in Portland and saw bands like Beat Happening play. To my ear, there’s a parallel there. I’m curious about what the three of you think about that.
CR: It’s funny how that happens! People hear what they hear, and I’m charmed by the lines drawn to such icons. I don’t think about it really, but K Records is so influential I think the influence is impossible to avoid. It comes in subconsciously over many years of absorbing music. I just focus on what’s in my head and what comes out!
Slumberland felt like they couldn't miss this year. While reading up before sending these questions over to you, I saw a couple of articles mentioning that it’s your label (as in, you run it). I did some digging but couldn't find anything to confirm/deny that. Maybe I was reading them wrong. Could you please clear that up for me?
CR: Yes, Slumberland really smashed it this year! So many great releases.
And oh my gosh, that is bonkers! I don’t have ANYTHING to do with running the incredible Slumberland Records. Mike Schulman has been pouring his heart and soul into running it for many years - since ’89 (whilst I was in Kindergarten in Canada, ha!).
Maybe people are confused with Oakland Weekender 2022? Mario and I put that festival together to celebrate both Slumberland and Emotional Response Records. Mike (SLR) and Stewart (Emotional Response) helped out with the bands and duping cassettes. It was an amazing event - a really special time.
What’s the Bay Area scene like today? In my mind, it’s still 1991 with bands like Jawbreaker, J Chruch, and Lookout records (I’m old). Can you give a brief overview of what it’s like today? Still cooperative? Thriving? Are bands priced out of the area?
CR: The Bay Area scene has exploded over the past couple of years. There is no shortage of amazing bands - it’s hard to name them all. Pretty much every night of the week, you can catch a great show, and there is always new music coming out of the area - whether it’s on Slumberland, Emotional Response, Dandy Boy Records, Paisley Shirt Records, Speakeasy Studios, Recorded Psychic Readings… no end in sight.
It’s very cooperative. A fan recently made a Bay Area bands family tree which is pretty incredible. You can see where a lot of us all cross over.
Artsick recently played some shows in the UK. Was that the first time overseas for the band? How was the experience?
CR: Yes! We made our first trip as a band overseas because Chickfactor asked us to play their 30-year anniversary shows in NYC and London! We were/are so honored that Gail O’Hara (who co-founded and runs the “indie nerd bible” Chickfactor Zine) interviewed and included us in issue 19, which came out this year.
I am so thankful to have had the experience of playing those shows. It really made for the best year of my musical life so far. The London gig was a dream come true. We opened the festival and played with Sacred Paws and Rachel Love (of Dolly Mixture), with a surprise set from Dolly Mixture! It was so much fun and very special.
We also played in Glasgow and Leeds, which were great too. Chickfactor is a really iconic force in the indie scene, and I can’t thank Gail enough for making it happen for us!
What’s next? Back to the studio? Out on the road? What’s 2023 look like for you?
CR: We have a handful of new stuff I’d like to work through and record, and I have been working on some new songs that I’m hoping to bring to the band to record this year! That’s sort of what I want to do next, and play some shows too, of course, but right now, I’d say I’m more in the recording mood!
5 Questions
1. Describe your style in one sentence
Riley: Black and white stripes, mostly
2. Growing up, what was playing in your house?
Riley: The Who, Carol King, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel, The Rolling Stones, Classical music, Cat Stevens, The Temptations, etc., etc. My mom used to blast music and sing at the top of her lungs, windows wide open, haha! She’s the best.
3. What are you listening to these days?
Riley:
Alvvays - Blue Rev
Torrey - Something Happy
Nervous Twitch - Some People Never Change
Blues Lawyer - All In Good Time
Galore - Blush
Flasher - Love Is Yours
The Clean - Getaway
Broadcast - Tender Buttons
4. What are your 5 Desert Island Discs?
Riley: Always hard question for me!
My Bloody Valentine - MBV
Sloan - Twice Removed
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
REM - Murmur
5. If you could collaborate with anyone/group, who would it be?
Riley: I feel pretty lucky to be collaborating with my current and past bandmates in Artsick, Boyracer, Burnt Palms, and Drownded…. I am a very fortunate person. Besides them, I would probably choose to collaborate with Sloan - I have been obsessed with them for many, many years…. They are a Canadian gem and have greatly influenced me.
Artsick- Fingers Crossed
(Click the record to listen on your platform of choice)
To connect with the band and purchase their music, please go to the following:
Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Slumberland Records | Spotify
Thanks to Christina from Artsick for stopping by, and thank you for being here,
Kevin
Great taste! Love reading an artists list of faves!
Sitting here in deepest Derbyshire, the Bay Area scene initially sounded like quite a remote concept, but then I listened to 'Restless' and liked what I heard, so I read on with your interview ...
... only to find Christina relating a tale of playing on the same bill recently, in London, with Rachel from Dolly Mixture, a band I went to school with in Cambridge many moons ago.
What a small (musical) world it can be!