interview: Set Sail.

this 3 or 4 piece [depending on the gig] indie/folk rock band hailing from sydney/newcastle australia has been wow-ing folks all over the sydney cbd, and with their ep due to be released in the midst of the near-future, you better watch this space [[or theirs]]! upon hearing them at pitt st mall in the sydney cbd, i immediately fell in love with their clever use of a baroque instrument [[they have a violin!]] and popular rock instruments. so here's my interview with josiah-the violinist regarding set sail.

Brandon- Guitar

Josiah- Violin

Josh-Drums

Bo- Bass

- Josiah (violinist)

1*How did you come up with the name?'

Haha, the name... That has been the hardest part of being a band so far. We spent about four months trying to find a name, at first we were 'Cutty Cab,' off of a type of boat. That didn't fly, so we opened the question up on the street, which led to suggestions like 'I kissed my sister.' Tempting as the suggestion was, we ended up using a name Brandon suggested, Set Sail, and that's what's stuck. 

2*Who usually writes the lyrics?

Brandon and I are the primary lyricists in the band, though a lot of our songs have contributions from Josh as well. We find that the mixing of the different styles helps give a unique and fresh feel to the music. 

3*When did you first form as a band?

Set Sail started when Brandon and I first met in college, Brandon had been busking for a month or so and I'd never played violin outside of an orchestral setting before, so playing on the street intrigued me. We started busking, having all sorts of crazy adventures and playing around the city until Josh joined the band in May 09. After that we kept busking, but have gradually shifted to playing more shows and gigs as a band. 

4*Why did you choose to incorporate violin into your music?

It was mostly because of how Brandon and I met, if I had played xylophone, Set Sail would have become a guitar and xylophone busking band. 

5*Where do you hope Set Sail will be in 2-5 years?

Playing on Letterman. :)

6*Now for a question about each individual.. when did you all start playing your instruments?

I've been playing violin for about ten years classically, a year and a half in the contemporary style. Brandon's played for six years and Josh for three.

7*Who/What are your influences?

Josiah- Broken Social Scene, M83, Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, Death Cab for Cutie

Brandon- John Butler Trio, Noah and the Whale, Donovan Frankenreiter

Josh- Miles Davis, John Mayer, Muse

8*What message do you want your music to convey?

Life. Joy. Seeing people smile, dance, and laugh to our music is the best, we wouldn't give that for anything. 

Thanks a million!

xx rena.

check their music out on myspace or facebook.