Dark Sounds From the Lost City of New Orleans

APVR Plays in Austin Sept. 7th at Carousel

As with the Crooks & Nannies interview, this was completed about two weeks back from a nice, dry city. On tour as we speak, APVR is the dark jazz-haunted piano songs of Miss O. with the reliable Kid Twist on drums. They'll be in Austin Sept. 7th for a much-anticipated return.

Listen to APVR on our compilation.

W & A: How long you two been playing music together?

Kid Twist: Since about a year ago. We lived apart for a year before that and only played once in all that time. I remember it felt special and easy even that one time. So it seemed natural that once we lived together we would experiment. I don't think either of us thought we would necessarily become a band though.

How did you meet?

Miss O: Mutual friends, coincidence (do I really believe in that?) yeah, sure. I was bundled in a coat and two lovely ladies, and an ex-boyfriend, but we managed to share a cup of coffee and a cigarette (which he doesn't remember).

K.T: New Year's Eve, 400 acres, fireworks, wild boars. I tried to steal a picture of Miss O from her friend's car, I'm glad I didn't.

What are your backgrounds?

Miss O: It's a really vague question, in the sense that there are many facets of a person's background. But musically, I studied classically but didn't learn much theory. Then I met a jazz teacher that taught at the same place as my classical teacher, and we mostly talked about improvisation and my social life. Then I thought I wanted to go to music school, tried out, and was rejected three times. I gave up on music temporarily, until I met Renee, a friend who had little music background and wanted to play piano. We lived together with my keyboard. Renee and I learned how to write music together. We have hours of strange 4-track recordings, lots of oohing and aahing and creepy piano loops.

K.T: I wanted to play trumpet, they made me play the drums. Twelve years later, I quit to travel instead. I learned from morally degenerate geniuses how to do very little very happily. Then I moved to New York to live with Famous and Felix (mother and daughter respectively), and when William Parker (jazz bassist) was giving a workshop, I signed up. I tried to get myself out of it, but Famous said she'd kick me out if I didn't go. When I moved back to N.O., I found the Second Line and other kids who were into marching bands. I've been playing steadily ever since.

You used to live in Austin, how would you characterize the big differences between the music scene here and in New Orleans?

Miss O: Austin is very much a college town, at least where i lived it was, and the hyper- sexualization of most college towns affects the music scene deeply. In New Orleans the music is hot. It has less to do with your physical attractiveness. It's more important that the music be attractive or sexy. Also, in Austin the South by Southwest festival presents this almost attainable goal (record label cred) that a lot of musicians strive for. That can cloud the reasons that you play music. Most people here know this is a black hole of culture, and you either have to go out and play music all over, or decide to just be known here.

K.T: Plenty of people make a good living playing music here. That's rare for any city. Also there is a respect for the tradition because the tradition is so good. N.O. is full of music all the time, even in the way people say "good morning" and "good night" on the streets. Austin is a divided city in many ways, I-35, North/South, rich/poor, etc. Nobody is expected to interact with each other and I think it shows in the music. Also, what else you gonna do when it's 115 degrees and 99% humidity? stay home, make music.

I've been pretty blown away by New Orleans the times I've played there. It has a character like no other town I've seen. How does life in New Orleans affect your music?

Miss O: There are more musicians in New Orleans that want to and have time to play a lot. That helps when you are trying to put projects together. So many people play multiple instruments, so if you want horns or strings on a couple of songs, it's possible to hear that, make it real.

K.T: People in New Orleans will make dance music out of anything. I don't think we would have ever become what we are without that.

How did your upcoming tour with Crooks & Nannies get set up?

Miss O: Me and Jay and Internet did it.

K.T: We love Walt and we could tell because we saw our unborn children in his eyes (that's how Bryan Adams says you can tell). Also it's more fun to do shows with your friends.

Who else in New Orleans do you feel fits in with the kind of stuff you guys are doing?

Miss O: Everybody fits in, and no one is doing what anyone else is doing.

K.T: We like to play with Cielo del Cinnamon, Ratty Scurvics' Singularity, and the unstoppable Matthew Varvil. All our friends do something creative and we enjoy creating along with them. People who fit in with what we're doing aren't just musicians or even artists, for that matter.

Where would you like to be with APVR a year from now?

Miss O: I want to be living on Walrus Island, serenading seagulls.

K.T: Writing subversive songs for pre-teen comedies or feeding pie to our 93 year old landlord, Mr Jake. (Happy Birthday Mr. Jake!!!!, please don't kick us out!)

What's your favorite part of the process: writing, recording, performing?

Miss O: It changes. All parts of the process can be as exhilarating as they can be boring and exhausting.

K.T: Performing, I love making people dance (weirdly), or make out (weirdly).

Music/recordings you're into or influenced by currently?

Miss O: The last music I was into heavily was Nina Simone, about two months ago. Since then I try to sit in silence as often as I can. Both my roommates listen to a lot of music and practice a lot as well. When I'm by myself in the car though I listen to college radio and 92.3 (it's for the Diva in me!)

K.T: As always, Prince and whatever our neighbor Paul is blasting from his front stoop. (Happy Birthday Paul!!!)

What's on the horizon? Tour plans, recordings, etc.

O: Five years probation for me, we'll see what happens.

K.T: We're going west this summer, and I want to figure how to get out of the country, and play for people who don't understand a fucking word we're saying.

O: Yeah, me too, let's go to Italy and Bulgaria.

K.T: And Mongolia and Ghana!