As the scene on Bowery is ever evolving, few are the places I can call a second home and Bowery Electric is one of those places. With a velvet curtain welcoming you at the door, there’s no telling what mischievous adventures you’ll get into.
Radiator King started the sweet, summery night with some memorable folk punk songs captivating the crowd. With a wide range of music, King’s tunes keep you engaged from beginning to end. Ranging from songs about troubles with the law, gospel influenced, and the interesting tale of Sammy – I won’t ruin the story as you’ll have to hear it live. Walking through the crowd was the best part – seeing the people immersed in the band’s cohesive playing and great stage presence as smiles were given in unison as each played. Recently debuting their album, A Hollow Triumph After All, has a raspy, soulful element that you’ll enjoy over neat bourbon drink or over a lucky ol’ number seven.
Scarlet Sails is the music crush worthy band that is not only a pleasure to meet but to see live as well, their tale as a band is intricate and beautiful. It’s pretty much a rock-fairytale hearing how they met where there coincidentally met at Bowery Electric. Donning Freddie Mercury like inspired outfit that I can only dream of owning, Sails’ lead Olya rocked the stage with a loud and impressionable attitude. Backing up that loud-as-hell stage presence was drummer and husband Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls, Violent Femmes) who had played a set before with Radiator King – quite extraordinarily.
Scarlet Sails
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Playing songs from their debut album, Future From The Past, there’s an element of passion, classic rock, and let’s kick some kick some ass attitude breathed into these songs that make them extremely relatable and catchy. I couldn’t help but singing along when they started, “Boy, You’re Wrong,” a song that without a doubt will be stuck with you for days and definitely not a bad thing.
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We caught up with Scarlet Sails to talk about their story.
Interview with Scarlet Sails
You guys get to play the venue where you met!! How does that feel?
Brian: Oof!! Beautiful! We just took a picture where I was kneeling down offering my still beating heart to the girl who captured my heart and my dreams. I mean, it’s fantastic. It makes you realize how much has happened in just the few short years that we’ve known each other. It’s overwhelmingly beautiful for us.
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Best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Stick to your guns and do what’s in your heart.
Best advice you’ve ever given?
(both laugh together) Stick to your guns. Either that or don’t eat that sushi!!
Favorite song to play live and why?
Olya: I love playing “Spell My Name” because it’s fun and everyone gets to dance. I love playing “Boy, You’re Wrong,” cause it’s really powerful and robust – you can really rock out with it.
Brian: I love playing “Alive” because it catches people off guard too, it’s a very powerful song. I also think “1,2, Fear” is also really kind of fun too.
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When it comes to songwriting, is it a collaboration or does Olya take the reign?
Brian: It’s mostly Olya.
Olya: I kinda write a song, lyrics, and music – bring it to Brian and we jam on it so the song is living its life. It’s being taken into Stage 1, Satge 2, and then Stage 3 to the band , and final Stage 4 which is live.
Albums always have a significant meaning behind their title. What does ‘Future From the Past’ mean to you guys?
Brian: The title refers to two things – one thing being the sort of the sonic and musical references of when I first heard Olya’s music, it reminded me of an era of David Bowie and Queen in a certain kind of song craft. In the sense of chords that were very evocative, not theatrical, but that brought about that real strong feeling and image and also wanting to put a fresh spin on it which I felt that her songwriting did just that.
Olya: You take what you love from the past and can create something modern with it
Brian: And also the second meaning behind it – the future from the past is now. The present, the image that you project of yourself when you were a small kid or the dreams that you have. You arrive finally at that moment and you look back from what you can from those past experiences and you try to create what you can and manifest the things that you hope for and worked for in your present.
Scarlet Sails
Article: Karen Silva
Photos: Liz Maney
