Interview: Carly Krantz of Shouting at Satellites

Today, we have an interview with Carly Krantz, former vocalist of Love Like This/Kenotia. We talk her about time her new band, Shouting at Satellites, musical influences, being unsigned, and more.

For the record, what’s your name and what do you do in the band?

My name is Carly Krantz and I sing/play piano and synth for Shouting at Satellites.

What was the very first concert you attended and how much of an impact did that have on you musically?

The first show I ever went to was at The Roxy in LA, and it was Lisa Loeb. A friend of mine had an extra ticket and didn’t want to go alone, so I tagged along. After the show I bought every one of her albums. She holds a special place in my heart. Seeing her play kind of made me realize there ARE talented people out there who can just get up on stage, no gimmicks, no props and just play the shit out of something. It gave me hope for music in general.

“Close to Home” finally comes out on July 4th– what’s the meaning behind the album title? What’s the concept behind the album overall?

The album is called “Close to Home” for a good reason. We have been working on this album for almost a year, so there is such a range of emotion in the songs. I wanted people to hear it and identify with it, whether it’s a more upbeat song or something much darker. The lyrics are all about things I’ve experienced the past year; a friend passing away, anxiety, giving up on music, thinking about my future, and even though some of the specific details won’t match everybody’s situation, the themes behind the songs are all things everybody experiences. It’s definitely not a happy record, but that’s okay sometimes.

What would you say your biggest influences are on this new album?

We’ve definitely been listening to a lot of 30 Seconds to Mars, Greek Fire and a little bit of U2…which is weird, but you’ll definitely hear their influence on one song in particular. We wanted to listen to bands that kind of throw away the standard formula for how a song should be written.

How do you think the Kenotia fans will react to the new material? Are any of the songs things that could have been Kenotia songs?

So far people seem to enjoy the music. It’s the first time since Kenotia that people seem okay with me being in a new project, so that’s exciting. Hopefully. it will catch on even more. None of the songs were ever something that I wrote for Kenotia but there is a piano outro that I wrote around the same time but never had a place for it. It found its way onto this album and it works perfectly.

What’s one thing that you can tell us about the album that everyone wouldn’t know on their own?

I want everyone to know that we did this all on our own, from writing, to recording to producing, it was me and Shawn in our living room, from the get go. And the sound affects you hear, like the rain and thunder, were all recorded on our porch during a storm. We used cell phone buttons and all types of stuff. The whole thing was really just a great learning experience.

Do you think you’ll end up signing to a label at some point or do you want to see how far you can get on your own? Although, the cool thing about not being on a label is that once you record the music you can put it up the same day or whatever.

At this point we aren’t too worried about labels, we can pretty much do everything ourselves. Our goal was to finish the album and have something to show everyone before we even start playing shows. And I think when you focus so hard on getting signed; you lose the heart of all of it. It becomes mechanical. This was and is something that we wanted to do for ourselves. But who knows? I won’t say that if we were presented with a good deal we’d turn it down. You never know…

How would you say you’ve grown as a musician just from the time-span between Love Like This/Kenotia and Shouting at Satellites?

I think this is the best place for me. In Kenotia, I got a taste of what this whole process was like but for multiple reasons, never got to try some things that I really wanted to experiment with. Shawn and I are kind of the perfect storm, he lets me try every idea that pops into my head and he’s talented enough to execute it all. Needless to say, my ideas aren’t always platinum but he lets me figure that out. I’ve been very involved with everything from drums, to guitar and I’ve gotten to use every sound effect and synth my little heart could desire. So by trying out all this stuff, I think I’ve really come into my own with songwriting as a whole and not just lyrics and melody. I’m very proud of this record and I wouldn’t change a damn thing.

What other bands do you see yourselves touring with in the future? What other bands do you guys recommend for your fans to check out?

I think I speak for both of us when I say Greek Fire. Greek Fire, Greek Fire, Greek Fire. If you haven’t checked them out, you should. They’re just damn good at what they do and you can tell they just do it for the love of doing it.

Do you have tours lined up for this year?

Right now nothing is lined up because our main focus was the album. Now that we’re coming up on putting it out, it’s probably time to start thinking about shows…..

What are some of your favorite venues/cities that you like to play in? Any standout experiences that you’ve had (good or bad)?

I love to play L.A. I used to live out there, and there is just a cool vibe to that city and I love to see old friends. My favorite venue I’ve ever played was probably the Whisky. I also had a great time in Chicago and Vegas. The one place I’ve never played is New York City, so that’s on my list. I have the fondest memories from the A Skylit Drive and Dance Gavin Dance tour. 52 dates. Lots of crazy things happened.

On that note, what are the best/worst run venues from a production and band point of view?

Personally I don’t like venues that don’t have a real stage and/or sound system. Hearing is the main thing I need to make sure I can sing on key and to know that the people watching can hear me. So I would definitely say I’m not a fan of shows that aren’t put on in a venue made for live music. Will I still play them? Of course, but it makes things difficult.

Last question: What is one book AND one band that you’d personally recommend to anyone that listens to SAS and what reasons do you have to support your choices?

For a book I would say, hands down, Seize the Night by Dean Koontz. It’s such a mind screw book and it deals with everything that was going through my head while writing for this album. I’ve actually been meaning to go back to the library and re-read it.

As far as the band goes, I don’t want to sound like a broken record and say Greek Fire but I kind of have to. We listened to that album every day that we recorded. It got us pumped up and it also gave us some ideas. So if you haven’t heard them, you’re cheating yourself.

And to add to that, I would say, give local bands a chance, man. I know there are 10.000 bands but from experience, all the most talented people I’ve met in the past year have been local musicians and nobodies. Look deeper. There is great music waiting to be found.

Today, we’re proud to premiere a new Shouting At Satellites song called “Shouting At Satellites” Head to their Soundcloud or listen to the player above to hear this beast of a track.

With 2 of the 3 members coming from Atlanta rock band, Kenotia (formerly signed to Sumerian Records) and the addition of a guitar player turned music producer, Shouting At Satellites is sure to come up with some interesting stuff. Keep an eye out for upcoming shows!