Hey man, you left your heart on that stage.
A
Oh, is that why I have a stomachache?
Archer Oh’s syrupy garage rock meets post-hardcore drive halfway, breathing new life into 60’s surf. Hailing from Moreno Valley, the group consists of Diego on lead guitar, Pedro on skins, Juan on bass/backup vocals, & Archer on rhythm guitar/lead vocals.
A
I moved to MV in high school & met these three shortly after. We became friends & started jamming on songs I’d been writing. Over time, the group formed naturally.
I’m aware Archer Oh started as an acoustic singer-songwriter project; what influences has the band brought to the sound?
J
I’d say we’re each other’s biggest influences. We all come from different musical roots that bring something new to the table.
P
After Archer presents an idea, we’ll take the reigns for the most part. I’d cite The Mars Volta for dynamics; I’m still playing indie surf rhythms, but I can draw power when I need to match Archer’s vocals.
D
We’ve definitely become more well-rounded since playing with each other. Historically, I’m a metal guitarist; I got really deep into bands like Death when I first started playing. Applying that to major keys makes for interesting lead melodies.
Songwriting inspirations?
A
Life. People I used to know, situations I’ve found myself in. I like storytelling; I draw more inspiration from emotions than direct references. Easy Eyes for example; when we were starting out, there was this one band that would always blow us off. We played a lot of shows with them back then & they’d never even say hi to us until we started getting attention. Like, we had to prove ourselves to be friends? That’s what got the ball rolling.
Any interesting live stories?
P
At our first gig at The Smell, we got to our last song Red Clouds & the room was ridiculously hot. No circulation, you’re basically breathing in everyone else’s breaths. I started feeling woozy mid-song & threw up on stage. Archer had to clean up after the set.
A
I hopped on drums for the last minute of the song. That mop hadn’t been used since the 70s.
Last thing, why do you play music?
D
It’s really fun. Music’s a good break from my day-to-day. I enjoy it & I love playing with these guys too. They’re my best friends.
J
As a little kid, I’d always tell my brother, ‘Hey, let’s start a band.’ We tried it a couple of times with people we knew, but it wasn’t anything like this. This band is four friends who turned out to be naturally compatible musicians. It’s perfect.
P
Continuing on that, I’d say it’s very much a pipe dream. You grow up being told music isn’t a real job, then you find the right people & suddenly you’re being asked for autographs & photos. It’s surreal. You’re conditioned to think it isn’t possible, yet here we are doing it.
A
I love how I feel when I’m playing with my best friends. I love music & it’s what I’m best at. It’s beautiful.
Read our other interview from the night: Makeout Reef on Growth since Existential, Garden Amp 10/7
More Archer Oh at https://www.archerohband.com/.
