1090 Club Interview

A great record was made this year, flying dangerously below the radar, by 1090 Club. Natural Selection proved to be a wildly dynamic and a completely catchy album. I was able to throw a few questions to 1090 Club’s guitarist and vocalist, Sean Lynch.

Delusions of Adequacy:  What made you decide that you wanted to incorporate violin into your punk-style? It’s certainly a very distinct sound that really do wonders for the songs.

Sean Lynch: I had played in bands with violins for quite a few years before 1090 Club. It was just a natural progression, and I kind of got used to it. There are too many “rock” band setups out there; that format is pretty used up.

DOA: You say that you had been in other bands in the past? How did all of the members of 1090 Club get together? Was this a style of music that you all had passion for, or was there a primary force creatively?

Lynch: When I moved from Portland to Montant, I put together a local compilation and decided to write a song for it. I assembled a few folks to play in on it, and thus 1090 was born. People seemed to enjoy the song, so we made a band out of it.

DOA: It’s interesting that you mention that the “rock format” has been overdone, which you’re correct, so how do you see you guys pushing yourselves further to carve out an even more distinct sound?

Lynch: Every day we play together, we become stronger as a group. I see us pushing ourselves by maximizing the instrumentation we already have in the group, and writing songs that take advantage of that.

DOA: Steve Fisk produced you guys, correct? He has a really impressive resume with Nirvana and Soundgarden. How did you guys get hooked up with him? What influence did he bring to this new record?

Lynch: We ended up sending Steve an email a few years back. I have been a huge fan of his work since the mid 90’s. Steve like what he heard and came out to see us play in Seattle. He agreed to mix (debut album) SOS, and then we went back to him for Natural Selection, which was a great thing. Steve is a master of getting an accurate representation of the band, and still having it sound so good!

DOA: Do you feel like you guys are expanding more, in terms of an audience? Certainly having Steve Fisk backing you up seems like a giant leap in terms of exposure. Do you see 1090 Club becoming a player in the indie community, where people all over are listening and talking about your music?

Lynch: I always hope for the best, and yes, I hope we can break into the national indie circle. I think we can definitely appeal to a different section of listeners.

DOA: How demanding is the touring and promotion right now at this stage in 1090 Club’s career? Would the added stress of a high indie profile be something that you guys would even welcome?

Lynch: We have toured steadily over the last few years, and we have started more on the promotions side of it this time through. It’s a really big country, and it’s difficult to make an impact everywhere at first. We’re focusing on regional tours right now. I think being a high profile artist actually gives you less stress than a struggling artist. You can choose your tour plan around your schedule, and call the shots instead of being subject to other’s schedules, etc…and hopefully pay your bills in the meantime.

DOA: I always get pumped to put in the CD because I know “ITSON” is going to start. A buddy of mine puts “Things Inside” on repeat. Do you have a personal favorite from Natural Selection?

Lynch: I personally like “Off My Mind,” but “ITSON” and “Things Inside” are also favorites of mine. Each for different reasons or moods.
 
DOA: What’s some of the music you’ve been listening to lately? Does any of it become conscious influences in your own music?

Lynch: I’ve been re-exploring indie rock for the mid 1990s. I had forgot how good a lot of that was! Recently, the Grifters, Drive Like Jehu, Rex, and Aminature.
 
DOA: The art inside the album’s sleeve is pretty sleek looking, with a lot of chaotic designs sprawling everywhere. Who did you get to come up with the art? Is any of it symbolic, or were you just looking for something that looked good?

 

Lynch: We went for a specific artist named Will Baker, a guy from MT. The only thing we gave him were the songs, and thats what he felt/created from hearing them. We gave him no specs. 

DOA: How does the writing process take shape? Is 1090 Club one of those bands who experiment with new material at their shows, or is there a more conventional method to how you approach new material?

 

Lynch: We never really experiment live; we write most of the songs at practice and in a studio setting. I have a small home studio that allows us to work on vocals in a more objective setting. We “tighten” everything up from there.  As far as writing, one of us will bring in a basic idea, and then we formulate the song(s) for the band.