Q&A: Shark? digs dancing, Nirvana and the missing manatee emoji

Aug

27


We checked in with Shark? to get the inside scoop on their love of music: music making, the music they love and why their music matters. They’re on the bill for our third installment of On The Rise at LPR Wednesday, September 16! Weigh their inspirations and favorite tacos below.
 
LPR: Tell us a bit about your use of punctation and how Shark? got together.
 
Shark?: I usually use punctuation to end, continue, or specify changes in the tone of a sentence. In the case of this band, I use it to add uncertainty to a blunt image (a shark).
 
We’ve been playing together for 6-7 years, and it’s hard to really know what brought us together, but what keeps us together is the love of making music and the undying belief that what we make is good, true, and real “art.”
 
Favorite tacos in NYC?
 
I really like Tacos, like, a Lot, and my favorites are in Bushwick at a place called Tres Hermanos.
 
On The Rise is meant to showcase new talent around NYC. You guys have been around for a bit, but still keep pretty under the radar. What do you do when you’re not making music?
 
We all have jobs that we more or less tolerate or enjoy. Jared’s may be the coolest, as he designs and builds his own effects pedals for his company L0-Rez. Kevin imports and distributes high-end cider from Europe and from the United States. Andy K. works in production for a very important company, he builds amazing things with his hands and is also a really awesome father to his 7 year old daughter. Andy S. lives in the woods or something.
 

 
People have compared Shark? to Ted Leo, Pavement, The Strokes, and more. How would you describe your sound?
 
I like those comparisons. I myself take a lot of influence from bands like Pere Ubu and Husker Du and the Minutemen and Nirvana. I like bands that take themselves seriously without taking themselves seriously. I believe Jared recently described us as “Smart-dumb, or Dumb-smart” We like singing about important topics and situations from an ironic or tongue-in-cheek standpoint or POV. I also think our music is loud and fun to listen to and occasionally I see people dancing.
 
Best show you’ve seen this year?
 
Best show I’ve seen this year was probably Parlor Walls at Aviv.
 
Most underrated emoji?
 
I think it’s a crime there there is no manatee emoji.
 
Tell us in 140 characters or less just why people should come out on September 16th.
 
Ok, so here’s my elevator pitch, or in modern terms, my twitter pitch: “You think you know Shark?, But You Have No Idea”
 
Check out Shark?, Crushed Out and Crazy & The Brains live at LPR on 9/16!

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