It’s always nice to see bands that enjoy meeting their fans. Indie-pop band the Mowgli’s really love their fans. The band recently brought the happy clappy indie rock heat to a secret show at the headquarters of Kansas City clothing company Charlie Hustle. Their songs sounded wonderful floating through the breeze. The energy and joy in the Mowgli’s music is infectious.
After the set, a young girl was talking to vocalist/percussionist Katie Earl about how she had wanted to see them live for so long. “Welcome to the family,” Katie said as she hugged the girl. Really sweet and kind.
The Greeting Committee is an up-and-coming Kansas City-based band. They are signed to Harvest Records, which also features artists such as Glass Animals and Best Coast. They played SXSW and are playing Lollapalooza 2016. I go to a lot of shows, I’ve interviewed a ton of bands over the years. The Greeting Committee has something special. Their well-crafted indie rock and joyous live performances are gaining them fans nationwide.The future is bright for this band. The Greeting Committee features guitarist and lead singer Addie Sartino, bassist Pierce Turcotte, guitarist Brandon Yangmi, and drummer Austin Fraser. I recently sat down with the band to discuss the insanity of SXSW, signing with Harvest and their creative process.
I’m here with the legendary Greeting Committee here, up-and-coming, soon to be legendary, in my opinion, but they already know that. How did you all get started?
Addie: I wrote and performed music as a solo artist and I decided that it wasn’t fulfilling enough. I’d previously written music with Brandon Yangmi, our guitar player. When it came time to make a band, I knew he was the first person to call and from there he got Pierce Turcotte, our bass player, and Austin Fraser, our drummer.
Your EP, It’s Not All That Bad, is out now and doing well. You’re getting radio play, you’re really growing. How does your song writing process work? Do you start with lyrics first, melody first?
Brandon: Usually, it starts off with the music. Someone will bring an idea, me, Pierce or even Addie. One of us will bring an idea and we’ll kind of build it off of that. Usually, it’s like one idea and bringing in the rest of the band. We then mold it together as a whole band. We just kind of jam on stuff. Then, lyrics go on the top of the music that we’ve already written.
You guys really dig into your songs and that’s a beautiful thing to see. You’re really focused and I see a lot of bands that are not focused. You guys are locked in and that’s awesome. How often do you find yourselves writing?
Addie: Writing is more of a continuous project. It’s harder to write while we’re on the road. Since we’ve been on the road a short amount of time, it’s not that difficult. I would say writing is a continuous process and not something that we take breaks from. If we have an idea, we go with it. If not, we don’t put pressure on that.
That’s the thing about being creative, you just have to let it flow. You guys are signed to Harvest Records. How did you get hooked up with him? How did that happen?
Addie: The first email we got was from Republic Records and then Atlantic Records. After that, we spoke with Lazlo, who’s our manager, and he kind of made the connection with Harvest. He’s been best friends with Jacqueline, who is the general manager. They’ve been close for about 20 years or so. After having meetings with Republic, Atlantic and Harvest, it was just kind of clear which one was the best fit for us personally. Harvest just felt like home.
That’s awesome. There are some heavy hitters on Harvest, Best Coast and Glass Animals. These guys are melting kid’s faces off. You’re going to melt their faces off too. Have you guys started tracking your debut album yet? Are you writing right now?
Pierce: We have been writing, but not tracking anything.
Austin: We haven’t recorded anything, but we have been getting ideas and stuff. I think we’re going to record it over the summer. We haven’t recorded anything yet.
The Greeting Committee, 4/9/16
Do you have favorite quoted motto that you live by?
Addie: Peyton Marek and I, she’s our tour manager, we just say, “Be a girl boss,” all the time. I don’t know if that works for the guys. I don’t know if they have their personal motto.
Austin: “I like Dirt.”
You’ll be seeing those boys soon enough. Are you pumped for Lollapalooza?
Addie: I am really excited for Lollapalooza. A lot of my favorite artists that I haven’t gotten a chance to see, like Daughter is on the same day as us. I am really excited for that.
Austin: I’m glad you got the “I Like Dirt” reference. Did you notice us go into it when we played MGMT’s) “Kids?”
Yeah, I did catch that. It was nice. You had a spacey jam segment.
Pierce: I just wanted someone to catch the “I like Dirt.”
You did throw it in there. You’re loose enough too that it works. You guys are really in the moment live. It’s all about being good live. You’re going to rip Lollapalooza apart. Did you enjoy South by Southwest too?
Pierce: Yes, it was a lot of fun.
Austin: South by Southwest was insane. It was definitely a new experience. Besides the venues, just the whole city and the people. It was a great experience. We got treated really nicely. We played a Stubb’s Showcase where a notable artist, Charli XCX, was playing outside. That was a really fun performance. Everything was really fast paced. I’m glad we only dd two shows because I felt like if we did more, then there would have been a lot of things that we wouldn’t be prepared for.
You don’t get burned out. I know people that have done like 12 showcases. They feel like they’re going to die. I went a few years back. You feel great, but you’re falling asleep at the Korean taco truck. It’s like a Hunter S. Thompson music fest put on by Taco Bell. I’m watching Youth Lagoon and people in flannels are shoveling Taco Bell in their faces. It was confusing.
Brandon: That’s the life. People go down to South by Southwest just to sell stuff. They know tons of people will be down there.
So many voices all shouting. What advice would you give to the artists who just starting out? You guys are still young and you got the future in front of you.
Brandon: We are still starting out.
Addie: Play as many shows as you possibly can. You’re never too good or too above anything. Just play music and have fun doing it.
Austin: Practice a lot. Chemistry in the band is one of the most important things for a band.
Pierce: There can be very special things about each individual, but it’s also important how everyone kind of gets together and kind of bonds with the music too. Put in the work and stay humble.
Austin: I think it’s also important to really show off your individuality in the music too, because everyone comes from a different backgrounds. I think it is very important.
Brandon: You shouldn’t set roles for yourself. You shouldn’t be like, “No one else is doing this, I probably shouldn’t do it.” You should do do whatever you feel like you want to do.
The Greeting Committee at the Power & Light District, 4/9/16.
The Greeting Committee is a young indie rock band on the rise. The Kansas City-based band recently played SXSW and they are playing Lollapalooza 2016. The Greeting Committee features guitarist and lead singer Addie Sartino, bassist Pierce Turcotte, guitarist Brandon Yangmi, and drummer Austin Fraser. All of the band members are still in high school. They are signed to Los Angeles-based record label Harvest Records, which also features Best Coast and Glass Animals on its roster.
I recently caught the Greeting Committee’s headlining set at local radio station 96.5 the Buzz‘s Homegrown Buzz Music Showcase. Live, the songs have even more power and Addie’s vocals soar. I go to a lot of shows and the wonderful joy the Greeting Committee have playing is infectious. Those indie rock happy sensors go off in your body and gets you fired up. Their single “Hands Down” is a tight, well-crafted indie-pop song. It’s so inspiring to see a young band having fun doing what they love. The future is bright for the Greeting Committee.
Big Gigantic brought their live electronica jams to the Midland April 2nd. The Colorado-based drums and sax duo represent a fresh take on dance music. Big Gigantic’s sound is a mixture of dubstep, house, hip-hop and jazz. Their instrumentation and sound is a nice change of pace from the standard DJ playing beats. The songs flowed effortlessly and the mix of bass drops and breezy sax lines got the crowd moving.
Big Gigantic at the Midland, 4/2/16
A lot of the set was focused on remixes and covers. Their remix of Major Lazer’s “Wave” was a highlight. It was a quality evening of party music. With their mix of sax and hard driving beats, Big Gigantic kept the crowd fired up and hype all night.
Canadian bass music DJ and producer Excision brought the Paradox Tour to Kansas City on March 25th. He sold out the 3,000 capacity Midland Theatre. There was no chill. I am not a big dubstep/bass nerd, but the energy and passion for electronic music showcased on the Paradox Tour couldn’t be denied. It was a joyous night of stunning visual production, quality mixing and 150,000 watts of bass mayhem
Bear Grillz got the show rolling with a diverse mix of tunes. He smashed through a set while wearing a bear costume. So much (literal) beasting. Damn y’all, Snuggle goes hard!
Bear Grillz in Kansas City, 3/25/16
Bear Grillz was followed back-to-back by Figure. The Indiana-based DJ really got the crowd moving with his hard-edged version of EDM.
Figure in Kansas City, 2/25/16
Excision hit the crowd hard with his heavy take on bass music. His hour and 30 minute headlining set proved why he is one of the best mixers in today’s dance scene. The production really helped to create a fully immersive show. Excision played a lot of the tracks from his excellent Shambhala 2015 mix. The balcony was bouncing with joy to his vicious tunes.
Excision in Kansas City, 3/25/16
I’ve been a fan of electronic music for a long time. It’s wonderful to see people getting down, having a good time and raving hard. When it comes down to it, quality dance music is all the joy it brings you. The Paradox Tour filled the Midland with a glorious evening of bass music.
I recently received my ceramics box from Kansas City-based House of DeBoer. House of DeBoer is comprised of Brock and Colleen DeBoer, a husband and wife design and manufacturing team. I donated to their Kickstarter. These ceramic works were created using a 3D printer. It was exciting opening up the box and seeing what surprises awaited under the bubble wrap. Brock and Colleen are an artistic power couple. The trippy vibes of the pieces really speak to me. It is always inspiring to see local artists creating art that is sleek and has such a strong visual appeal.
Molly Munyan in her Royals-inspired balloon dresses (image credit: Bo Flores Photography)
Molly Munyan is a Kansas City-based balloon artist. She is known for her handcrafted balloon outfits. Munyan recently held a balloon fashion show. Molly discussed how she became interested in crafting balloon outfits, her creative process
Did you come from an artistic family?
Somewhat, my parents met through doing theater in college. They are artistic, but more on the performance side. I am definitely the child that is the culmination of the most artistic aspects of both of my parents. I am definitely the only one to try and make a career out of the arts. My two older biological brothers, neither of them are terribly artistic. I kind of got the lotto on the artiness.
What was your first memory of making art growing up?
I don’t really know, but I was always the kid that had my hands in something. Wrestling and soccer after recess, that wasn’t me. Staying late after art class, that was always me. I was always doing something. I haven’t had that much inclination towards 2D. It’s been origami, ceramics and Play-Doh, dumb shit like that. I’ve always been doing something like that.
What inspires your personal fashion sense?
Someone asked me, “If I was a combination of two icons, who would I be?” Easy, Pee-Wee Herman and Beyoncé. Getting dressed, I follow the motto of, “If I look like I would look good in a music video, I’m good to go.” Not all music video looks look the same, but they are extremely whatever they are. I want to look extremely whatever I look like. Just never settle.
What got you interested in creating balloon art?
I really just stumbled into it as a kid. I learned how to when I was bored in my parent’s basement. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I picked it back up. Everyone sort of asked me at once if I do parties. I was like, “Uhhh, I can.” The way I became a business professional is that I called Chick-fil-A and told them I’m a professional if they would hire me. They said yes, so I became a professional.
What was the first outfit you created out of balloons?
I was homecoming queen in high school. I made my homecoming dress out of balloons. I prototyped it a couple of times, but that was the first outfit I made. It’s what got me into it.
What is your creative process for crafting balloon fashion?
Making a balloon dress. Step one: Caffeinate. My creative process for the balloon dresses kind of varies. Sometimes, I’m like sitting at a stoplight and think, “This would be a great skirt design.” Then, I sketch it and I have it in the bank when I want to make a balloon dress. Other times, I sit down with a blank mental canvas and say, “What am I going to go for?” A lot of times, I have sketches in my balloon dress sketchbook. I pull from them, I pull from ideas that I’ve had. It always ends up a little different than you could ever plan. On paper or in your mind, it will never look the same as on the form. There are changes you do make along the way, but I do have a plan for it. Always.
How long does it take you to complete an outfit from start to finish?
It depends on what I’m making. A lot of the process is the creative process. Me sitting there going, “What am I going to do?” If I made a look and made the exact same look afterwards, it would take two-thirds of the time. It cuts out the creative process and I’ll I have to do is make balloons. Around 15 hours, often more, rarely less.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome in your career?
Honestly, my biggest challenges are just sort of being a real person. Responding to emails, being places on time, staying on top of the little things that aren’t fun. I’m much better at big artsy projects that I’m excited about. It’s always been hard for me to get shit done when I’m not passionate or inspired about what I’m doing. That’s a big challenge, getting things done to get me to the place where I want to be. The big art projects, the exciting, new things.
Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?
“No one can be uncheered with a balloon.” -Winnie the Pooh.
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases from being shared.” -Buddha
Also, “Be here now” is a thing I think about a lot. Living every moment to the fullest and that bullshit. My watch says now on it, so I can look down and remind myself that the time is now. No time like the present to be happy and make others happy.
What advice would you give to designers just starting out?
This is a piece of advice that I received from my favorite poet Steve Roggenbuck, “Make art that you like. If you make art that you think is going to attract the most people, you’ll find that your audience Is watered down with people that don’t like the real you or interested in the real you.” He also says that over time, you can’t fake passion. Do what you’re passionate about, things that you love. Your inspiration will never die if you’re still excited about what you are doing. You can even see with my Royals and Chiefs dresses, they were like marketing pieces. I don’t see them as sellouts because I loved what I was doing. I was excited about every part of the process. They were totally fun to make. I wasn’t making them for anyone but myself. It was fun.
Molly in her Chiefs-inspired balloon dress (image credit: Bo Flores Photography)
I recently attended my first balloon fashion show. The show, Pop Couture, was held in the hip Crossroads section of Kansas City, Missouri. The show was put on by Kansas City-based balloon artist Molly Munyan. Munyan is the co-founder of Pop Culture Sculptures. Molly is a whirling dervish of joyous energy. The passion and innovation within Molly’s work is inspiring.
Nicole Leth, owner and creator of Sex and Ice Cream.
What does the future look like? Probably a lot like Nicole Leth. Nicole is the creator of Kansas City, MO-based fashion line Sex + Ice Cream. She is opening a boutique in Kansas City, also called Sex and Ice Cream, in May. Nicole recently discussed how she became interested in fashion, her creative process and the qualities she looks for in innovative designers.
Did you come from an artistic family? Were your parents artistic?
Not really artistic, more creative I would say. Both my parents were in the medical field. My dad was a doctor and my mom is a nurse. I would say I got most of my creativity from my dad though. He was brilliant, like a literal genius. He wrote books on the side and made jewelry all while being one of the top anesthesiologists in the country and traveling the world. I definitely have his brain and learned how to be driven from him. He was an amazing human being.
What first got you interested in fashion?
I was always, always, always a fashion buff. As a kid I would read fashion magazines and then doodle the clothes on Sailor Moon look-a-likes in my journal and make up scenarios about where she would wear the outfits. When I got older I would mow lawns all summer long to make money and save up to buy some of the designer clothing I saw in magazines. I had it all calculated out. I knew that a Marc Jacobs bag = 7 lawns or a Kate Spade top = 3 lawns.
What inspires your personal style?
Everything. A lot of the times, its my mood when I wake up in the morning. You’ll know I’m having a good day based on how colorfully I’m dressed. Songs inspire me too. I’ll listen to a song and all of a sudden have an idea for an outfit based on the way the song made me feel. Lately, I’ve been really into the Beach Boys and have been putting together outfits with a lot of sheer neon, gingham, and kind of tropical-vintage silhouettes- all things the Beach Boys make me feel.
Who are some of your favorite designers and why?
Someone who influenced me very early on was Betsey Johnson. I remember the first time I stepped inside a Betsey store and was blown away by the patterns and unapologetic femme edge to everything. As I got older and started to make fashion my career I started to find more designers / brands with brains like mine that really influenced me and helped me grow in my own way. Peggy Noland, Seth Bogart, Emma Mullholland, Jeremy Scott, and Lazy Oaf have been some of those for me.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome in your career?
The biggest challenge, by far, has been being taken seriously as a professional. I’m a 23-year-old girl who embraces her sexuality but also has her own business – which is apparently a hard concept for people to grasp (and it shouldn’t be). A blonde in a crop top and hot shorts who is ALSO a motivated businesswoman, store owner, writer, artist, and has an 4.0 GPA!?!? WOW WOULD YA LOOK AT THAT!!!!?!? But all jokes aside, it’s been a struggle to work with people and have the respect factor there. I’m a very trusting person and its been a huge challenge to realize that people may not always be what they say there are/may not have your best interest.
How did the concept for Sex + Ice Cream come together?
It all started when I was 18 and going through a bad break up. I was absolutely heartbroken after I found out (who I thought was) the love of my life was cheating on me. I wanted to do something to empower myself and build something that would belong to me, and only me, for the rest of my life. So I decided that I wanted to start a clothing line. That boy and I used to do a thing where we would eat a pint of ice cream after we had sex and he would always tell me “Nicole sex and ice cream is OUR thing, you’ll never be able to do this with anyone else.” So that night when I decided that I was heartbroken and decided that I was going to start a clothing line I immediately knew that I wanted to call it “Sex + Ice Cream.” It was my way of telling him “No, sex and ice cream is MY thing and you can NEVER take it away from me.” I’ve obviously moved on since then and I haven’t talked to (let alone thought about) that guy for years now but to me the name “Sex + Ice Cream” is less about revenge now and more symbolic of a teenage girl choosing her dreams over a boy for the first time in her life and believing in herself for the first time in her life.
What was the first piece of clothing you designed for Sex + Ice Cream?
It actually all started with some fabric I designed with bras all over it. I did these little doodles in my journal of these bras that reminded me of some of the powerful female friends and family and then screen printed them all over yards of fabric. I absolutely fell in love with the process of taking personal drawings and turning them into repeat patterns and designing textiles. I ended up making an entire collection of clothing out of that bra printed fabric and showing them at my first fashion show when I was 19. I still get emotional when I think about that first collection, it represents so much to me.
You are opening a Sex + Ice Cream store in Kansas City soon. You are featuring clothing from female designers from all over the country. What qualities do you look for in the work of designers you are going to be featuring?
I’ve been picking brands that have been influential to me, my personal style, my womanhood, and my artistic career. I made a list before I ever knew I was going to open a store of brands and designers I wish were sold in Kansas City. They range from small scale independent makers I’ve found on Instagram to big-time clothing brands that I’ve been shopping online from for years. Its important that their aesthetic fits with mine in some way and I’m really excited to create a retail collective of pieces and objects that are meaningful to me!
What is your creative approach to designing fashion?
I design based on what I am experiencing at that given moment in time. Much like my personal style, the clothing I design reflects who I am, what I am thinking about and feeling and what I am interested in at this exact moment in time. I’m interested in the narrative qualities of clothing and treating it as a visual diary. I think about designing the fabric first and then I think about what type of garments I want to make from the fabric.
Do you have a quote or motto that you live by? What advice would you give to designers just starting out?
The most important thing you can ever do when something negative happens to you (whether it be in the professional world with your business/job or in your personal life with a romantic partner) is turn it into something good — something that you can learn from or better yourself from or just let go of. I’ve realized over the past years that a bad thing can only be bad if you let it be, but once you take the power away from the bad and turn it into something good that you can ultimately use to better yourself. You are capable of anything. This is empowering yourself. Knowing that nothing can ever break you down completely is a very stabilizing thought. For example, when I was 18 and going through that break up I thought that my life was over. I thought nothing good could ever possibly come from that. But without that bad break up, I wouldn’t have felt that fire to decide to chase my dream and start Sex + Ice Cream. That incident helped me see how strong I was and believe in myself more than I ever had before. And that’s the most important thing.
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