for questions, comments, an interview or photo inquiries please contact Ashley

original site launched April 1, 2004, .com relaunched October 1, 2004

Special THANKS to all the bands, managers and publicists who have helped contribute to the site. Your help is appreciated, and your feedback is always welcome.
home
photo
gallery
submissions
links
staff
wigpr
myspace
calendar
press
locals
editor's note
archives
SCISSORS FOR LEFTY
With Underhanded Romance our favorite San Francisco band joins the big leagues
Interview by Dagmar Patterson, intro by Ashley Graham
06.11.07

On June 12, Scissors for Lefty unleashes on ze werld the album for which we've been wait-wait-waiting months (years? our whole life?). We're in love with this band, and confident that Underhanded Romance will convert you to our side of the spectrum. In fact, we're pretty confident that within just a few months the entire world will be in love with Scissors for Lefty. (We called this, just remember.)

We were first graced with the presence of these boys in August 2005 when they made their debut in Seattle. This was one of those shows that changed your mind about music. Scissors for Lefty became one of our bands. Ever since we can't help but feel a pitter patter in our heart for them every time we see them achieve something new. Now these boys are releasing the album that is going to launch them, and we could not be more happy, or more proud.

Here's an archived interview from December with the boys to celebrate. Enjoy.

Q: Have you been to the Marine Mammal Rescue Center in your hometown [San Luis Obispo]?

Bryan Garza: You could always hear the seals behind these walls and wonder, are they okay? Yeah, I’ve been there before. I had my bicycle stolen out of my car while grabbing lunch right near there. My friend and I thought we’d left them somewhere. Within twenty minutes someone had broken into my car assembled the bikes and took off on them. So, Merry Christmas.

Q: Do they let you look at the animals?

BG: Yeah. There’s a large seal population over there. There was actually a lady who got chomped by a Great White who liked to swim with seals, for years. Then one year she didn’t come back.

Q: How did they know what got her?

Steve Garza: She came back, in half.

Q: You went over to the U.K. this year?

James Krimmel: We went once in May and then again in August. We’d never been there before.

SG: I made this foolish remark that it was so great to be in Europe. And of course the U.K. is an island outside of Europe. So they were like, you jackass.

Q: How did you sign on with Rough Trade?

BG: They came to a few shows, without us knowing.

Peter Krimmel: They liked our live show and they wanted us to cut a record. It was really pretty quick and easy.

Q: So now you’re able just to do music?

BG: When we go to the U.K. they pay enough so we can eat and stay the night somewhere. We’re in the indie genre, which is not known for its cash-flow. We always sell enough merch. But it’s mostly your own cash, your own credit card. We don’t feel as in debt (in the U.K.) as in the States.

Q: [To the Krimmels] Your mom is a Malaysian singer, does she still sing?

PK: Not really. She sang a lot when she was 19 and then she met my dad, who was in the Peace Corps. That was back in the 60s.

Q: So you’ve visited Borneo?

PK: Yeah. All of my mom’s side is still over there. We get the whole locals’ tour.

Q: Did she teach you any of the languages?

PK: No. And I figured out why. So she and my dad could talk right in front of us without us knowing what they were saying.

JK: Occasionally there won’t be a Malaysian equivalent to an English word. So every once in a while there will be yadda yadda yadda . . . loser kids. We tried Pig Latin but they figured it out pretty quickly.

Q: Is your dad a linguist type?

PK: Yeah, he kind of is. He went to France and learned French, then to Germany and learned German. I was surprised.

Q: Did you pick up that skill?

JK: I took four years of Spanish and it didn’t really do any good.

Q: What’s happening with the second CD?

BG: We cut it the same time we went to the U.K. We love this album. This album is way more reflective of what you see live. When we recorded Bruno we were learning to record and didn’t have a feel for how to capture upbeat songs. It’s a very playful album. It still has its story, its arc. This one’s a lot more upbeat and playful, and higher quality of us. I don’t want to downplay Bruno – it has its own personality, it was what we were. 

Q: Are you a fan of Pulp? You get a lot of comparisons to Jarvis Cocker.

BG: We’ve heard that a couple of times, and it’s only flattering. Pulp’s pushed a lot of the boundaries for male flamboyancy. It’s not our intention. Our vocal range is kind of in the similar area. Half the time we’re trying to rip off female artists but no one seems to catch up with that.

Q: Like who?

SG: Like Kelly Clarkson.

PK: Girl groups from the 60s.

BG: We don’t like to try to sound like butt rock. It’s never been our schtick. We try to be a little more lighthearted and more playful or clever if we can be. When you stray on that path, people think, British sounds. I think we’re San Francisco rock 'n' roll. We’re a flirtatious pop band, and if we’re compared to Jarvis Cocker, that’s great. Keep up the good comparisons. I think we write a little less about adultery. If I had my way we’d write more about that.

Q: You mentioned the girl groups from the 60s. Which ones do you like? The Crystals?

PK: Yeah, the Ronettes or the Shirelles. The Supremes.

SG: These guys are really focused on melodies.

PK: Girl-fronted groups: the Cardigans, CSS.  We come from all these really different angles.

SG: There’s a lot of stuff we grew up dancing to and learning to have a good time to. The hard part is that there aren’t a lot of male artists that fall into that category. I have a hard time identifying with the personality types [of males] – too insecure.

Q: When you were a teenager what kind of shows did you like to see?

SG:  Milli Vanilli and Information Society. We had horrible music. Everything was early hip hop, grunge. It definitely shifted gears when we left home. We’re not music snobs.

BG: For our first [Scissors for Lefty] show, I convinced these guys I was gonna conjure up lyrics. And I lay on the floor and nothing came to me. The audience started creeping backwards. A lot of our music was a lot more somber in the beginning. The bands we have always loved have had a lot of variety. We don’t try to have one signature sound.  James is actually a really good bassist. We kicked him off and made him play drums when we lost our drummer. Peter used to play guitar only. We play a lot of musical chairs. Sometimes your strength isn’t always your strength live. It’s better to do something that allows you to have a good time.  It keeps you from having, like, four All-stars that don’t get along. Instead every one is always in a state of utter fear.

Q: What’s the scariest place you’ve stayed?

JK: A cemetery.

PK: We didn’t realize it was a cemetery at the time.

BG: We pulled over on the road and fell asleep. We just don’t like the mediocre. One day you won’t even spend a dollar on a soda, but you’ll buy a $1,000 toy for your band gear. It’s like, I don’t want to buy that sweater, I don’t care if it’s freezing outside. I’ll run in circles. If I only have one glove, I’ll put the other hand in my pocket. Turn your underwear inside out.

PK: Don’t wear underwear.

Q: Which countries have you liked a lot?

PK: Germany. The people there are cool. They don’t get jokes though. They just sit there.

BG: London is great. Scotland – I always have a good time in Scotland. But San Francisco is our favorite place. It’s kind of half-Euro city, half-American. We play little towns like Fresno or whatever and we have a lot of fun. I couldn’t believe how much fun we had in Merced. Kids were asking for autographs.

PK: We found a dog.

JK: We saved a dog.

SG: He was running across the highway . . . and I ran out and nabbed him. Peter got him a collar. The dog started farting.

PK: We stopped giving him treats after that.

BG: It’s kind of like that marine rescue you mentioned, except this was under-bite rescue. That dog had a terrible under-bite.

PK: It was really cute. But we can’t have a dog. Our apartments won’t let us have dogs.

SG: We ended up giving him to a couple.

BG: We’re humane when we can be.

Underhanded Romance is available now on Eenie Meenie Records.

More on Scissors for Lefty: www.scissorsforlefty.com / www.myspace.com/scissorsforlefty.