Ahead of Green/Blue’s performance at First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2019 in the First Avenue Mainroom on Saturday, January 25, we got to ask guitarist Annie Sparrows a few questions. Read what Annie had to say below:
Olivia Riggins: After being involved with other successful projects around the area, how did you decide to meet up and form Green/Blue?
Annie Sparrows: Jim was dropping some art off for me last year when we got to talking and I found out he had been writing and recording a bunch of new songs (playing and singing all the parts himself) at his house. I asked if I could hear some of it, and loved every song. I had some ideas to add here and there and we started playing guitars together in Jim’s basement. Hideo and Jim had been talking about being in a band together for a while too so Hideo came in on bass and Danny, who I’ve been playing with since 2002 was a perfect fit for drums. Those songs that Jim had recorded will come out on the first Green/Blue LP in March, and since then we’ve been writing, recording, and playing shows pretty much nonstop.
OR: How is Green/Blue’s sound different from your previous work?
AS: It’s more melodic and artful than most of the projects we’ve been a part of in the past. The hooks and songwriting take a front seat while still being really danceable and sounding slightly dangerous.
OR: I’ve heard Green/Blue described as “the Belle and Sebastian of psych-rock”—do you feel like that’s accurate, or how would you describe your sound?
AS: That’s something our friend said to us at one of our first shows – he also asked if we had “singing practice” haha – and it was all kind of a joke that we thought was clever. It’s sort of accurate in that the songs are more than just a sound or “music” – they have a tendency to evoke emotion from the people who hear them more so than a lot of other tunes that would fall under an “alternative” or “garage” banner. I think Belle and Sebastian does that – but I think we are offering something just a little edgier, that’s its own thing.
OR: I’ve read that an album may be in the works. What themes or messages are you interested in exploring in future releases?
AS: The first Green/Blue album comes out on Slovenly Recordings in March – our record release show is in the 7th St Entry (more info TBD) with one of our favorite punk bands from here called I.V., and a new band called Snake Whips that you will surely be hearing a lot about this summer as they start playing live shows.
OR: What’s the next step for Green/Blue as a band?
AS: We have some shows both in and out of town brewing this spring and summer, and we’ll keep working on writing and recording.
OR: What are you looking forward to in 2020?
AS: Seeing how the band will continue to evolve!
Blog by Olivia Riggins (Marketing Intern)
