Lazarus
Friday, July 08, 2005
interview with William Trevor Montgomery by Andrew Iliadis

Andrew Iliadis:  Is Lazarus ever happy/if so what brings Lazarus happiness?

William Trevor Montgomery:  Lazarus is capable of unknown levels of happiness. The valley opens to the sea, the hills line the sides and there you climb when you reach the top you notice caterpillars have been climbing with you both finding your way thru to the top where sunshine and chrysalis combine.

AI:  You’re press sheet references the folk of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom to help describe your sound.  I think I would definitely describe your sound as folk, but more of a modern, suburban folk.  I don’t hear any harp and your voice is almost tolerable upon first listen, so I think that comparison was a bit off.  I keep you beside Hayden in my CD collection.  Respond to this anyway you like, seeing as how I didn’t really ask a question.

WTM:  The comparison is off, comparisons are off in general, we live in the same town, we possibly eat at the same restaurants??? Let the music stand on its own two feet!!!

AI:  How was your tour with the Castanets?  SXSW?

WTM:  It was a true and tried road odyssey, six snow storms, sing alongs, college dorms, house shows, babies born, through and through until we lied our heads down in the Florida sands with three dollar sunglasses and sighed. Ray castanets is of the furriest, friendliest, and interesting songwriters of the west and these times.
SXSW was the last stop. We stayed at casa REY w/Adem, Castanets, Lazarus
and there were many instruments lying round. Much music to be had on living room floors while Kelly put terror to the streets of the TV. Beauty songs about the possibility of breakfast.

AI:  I like a lot of the instrumental, sometimes electronic nuances on Like Trees We Grow Up To Be Satellites, the tiny background sounds/melodies.  Are they all added after, or do you know what you want in the songs beforehand?

WTM:  I wrote the songs beforehand.
Scott Solter (praise!!) and myself spent a few days with each song listening, adding, listening, removing, drawing, playing, Being.

AI:  Did you plan all along to release the album with the initial demo recordings too?

WTM:  Nope this was JDV's idea, he is the mastermind of the heart with wings cult.
What did ya think??  [I think it was a cool idea and a kind gesture].

AI:  “Singing to the Thieves” is the album’s only straight up pop song.  Would you say your writing is heading in any one particular direction right now?

WTM:  Lazarus has grown to four people
It is heading in four directions.
Adventures in between.

AI:  Are you working on any new material or possibly another album sometime soon?

WTM:  Yes, yes, yes!!!

AI:  What has recently been in your stereo?

WTM:  I sold my stereo and all that it came with.
At work I have been listening to King Tubby.

SILLY QUESTIONS:

If you could travel in time, where would you go and what would you do?

I would walk around and take it all in in in......
new orleans/ civilwar era
paris 1967
summertime at sand creek early 1700's
the prehistoric, dinasours,giant plants, of course of course!

Have you ever killed anyone in a knife fight?

no

What freaks the hell out of you?

american politics
christians
spiders
malls at christmas
yuppie girls and their perfumes

If you could date any movie star (dead or alive) who would it be?

the chorus...
scarlett johanson

What becomes of the broken hearted?

they jump the east side of the golden gate or they get stronger.

Where’s the party?

mt. tam

If you were an animal, which one would you be?

a wolf

What have you been dreaming about lately?

the ocean

What do you look like when you wear a tuxedo?

sleazy

Have you ever killed anyone in a knife fight?

YES!!!

www.myspace.com/williamlazarus
www.williamlazarus.com
www.temporaryresidence.com

/sept 1st 2005/