Everyone has experienced a great piece of music accompanied by a poor video, or conversely an underwhelming song elevated by an inspired visual. But when an equally imaginative filmmaker and a group of songwriters combine their crafts and creative visions, the result is pure harmony. That’s what we’ve got for you today: a collaboration between a few of the only genuine rock songsmiths left in New York City and a young director whose work has already been recognized by Werner Herzog. The band is Earthquake Lights. The filmmaker is Minu Park, a prolific Korean-American artist. They’ve brought their talents together for the first time and the result is “Moonlight,” a haunting clip for an eerie, unforgettable song.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Myles Rodenhouse - Vocal and Piano

Stephen Helms - Drums

James DiGirolamo - Bass

Cam Underhill - Multi-instrumentalist / Backing Vocals

Evan Douaihy - Guitar

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Earthquake Lights? How long has the band been around?

We all met through various jazz groups in college, and after recording a few demos that would eventually become part of our first EP in the music department there, we formed the group roughly in 2010-11. Though we all met up while studying jazz/ classical at college, most of us also played with high school/ college rock bands at some point too. We released our EP "Bangups and Hangups" in 2012, and have been slowly figuring out how to function since!

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Earthquake Lights comes from a natural phenomenon (that may or may not exist) where lights appear in the sky around massive earthquakes. We originally called the band "Kids With Guns" after the Gorillaz track, but it wasn't a particularly popular name for a variety of (somewhat obvious) reasons, and we weren't crazy about it either really! So after spending some time brainstorming new names before our EP, we came across the phenomenon on the internet and decided to name ourselves after it.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Myles is the primary songwriter for most songs, but the tracks are really fleshed out and evolve with the full group. Melody and harmony tend to take shape first, and the band writes lyrics together to fit the vibe of the music after. A lot of the record takes inspiration from the ocean, though not all, and we called the record Distress Signals because it captured both the maritime vibe, and the overall mood of the tracks. Distress!

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Radiohead has sort of always been on the list of inspirations for the band. But we found a lot of inspiration in local acts in NYC / BK for this record, including Grizzly Bear and Mark Guiliana's projects. A lot of Distress Signals was massively inspired by great Jazz artists, like Robert Glasper and Hank Jones. The songs and arrangements also took inspiration from Frank Sinatra and Joao Gilberto recordings - the old greats of songwriting.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

There were a few I think! But at the risk of (I see it coming) sounding like a broken record, Radiohead is pretty much at the top of the list. But that maybe is better described as a band that pulled together a lot of previous influences for us, and kicked off many many more!

What do you do to prepare for a show?

Mostly we just pick up all of the band gear at Myles' recording studio, Douglass Recording, and then drive it up to the venue early. Grab a bite, and maybe a beer depending on the mood, and try not to think about the show until we have to really. 

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

We've had some really incredible experiences while making the record. Probably the most amazing was recording the 23 piece string orchestra at Abbey Road studio two - the Beatles room. The orchestra sight read our arrangments and absolutely crushed it. Got through the whole record with just a few takes on each track. Not to mention, the sound in the room was truly killer. I really think we captured that on the record, and it's a big part of what makes it special.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

I said something about a broken record, right? Radiohead! It's music that's inspired us so much. And on top of all that, think of the exposure and credibility from opening for them on tour!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yea! Distress Signals is really worth a few listens. We spent a lot of time learning and writing this record, and we think that it comes from an authentic place. If you're willing to give it a few tries, you might get more out of it and understand where we're coming from! Thanks Kill The Music! You rock!