The mellow vibes of Slightly Stoopid invade Detroit August 4th.
Throughout the past 15 years, the music of San Diego based band Slightly Stoopid has been custom built for summertime, beaches, and for things not-so-family friendly. The punk/reggae fusion band spends at least half their year on the road, spreading those vibes to fans across the States and Europe.
After two releases in as many years in 2007 and 2008, the band is already starting work on their upcoming album, which is due out sometime in 2011. Even though the band is recording, it hasn’t stopped them from getting out on the road for their summer tour. This year’s summer tour will also include dates with Cypress Hill and a spot at Lollapalooza in August, with the U.S. tour wrapping up with the Austin City Limits festival this fall.
Before the tour’s opening gig in Portland, I had a chance to talk with Slightly Stoopid drummer Ryan Moran, and discussed the success of the single “2 A.M.”, and the grind of the yearly summer tour.
Here’s my interview with Ryan:
AM: Over the years, the band’s sound has shifted from more of a punk background towards reggae- what was the main inspiration for the shift?
RM: With us, as musicians and artists- the sound of the music normally changes with what we’re listening to at that particular moment of writing and recording. Our musical output has definitely changed over the years; early on- the band was influenced far more by punk music, way more aggressive music. In the past couple of years, we’ve really started to listen to a wide range of music. We’re just trying to fun with whatever we do and not trying to take things seriously- hopefully, the fans enjoy it.
AM: Do you feel that the single “2 A.M.” has been the band’s shining moment so far?
RM: I think so. It really got people into the band that normally wouldn’t listen to us, or haven’t heard of us before. We were really, really stoked about the reception and staying power of the song so far.
AM: How was working with the late Guru on the “Chronicitis” album?
RM: It was a really great experience. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to do the song in person with him, but we had a lot of a contact with him on the song. We ended sending him a bunch of tracks, and he was feeling the vibe on “Other Side” and we went with that. It really helped the feel of the song. It was a total honor to have him on the song and he was gone too soon.
AM: What is the toughest part about being on the road all summer, every summer?
RM: We love being on the road, but there are always going to be hard parts about being in this industry. We’re on the road anywhere from 5 to 7 months a year, and it can make things tough- a couple of guys are married now, and so on. I think the familiarity of being home is the biggest thing you miss on the road. Having the familiarity of a routine- knowing where to grab a coffee and so on is a big thing. You just want to do normal stuff and you search for a balance when on the road and you yearn for simplicity. Also, having your independence when on the road is tough, especially when you have 12-15 guys on the bus that you see day in and day out.
AM: The band started out touring with groups like Sublime- what is your take on the band’s “reunion” tour?
RM: I think it’s great. They’ve been out of the limelight so it’s great to see them get back on tour. I’ve heard the new music, and it’s going to be exciting to see them bring it to the people. I am sure it’s gonna be successful, but there’s always gonna be issues. There are always going to be those purists that think that it’s not the same and won’t listen to it. But it sounds awesome and I’m in full support of it.
AM: With albums out in 2007, and 2008- where is the band in the recording process for the next album?
RM: We had recorded a lot of new material back in 2007 and a lot of the material went onto the “Chronicitis” album. We worked on a few new songs for the 2008 album “Slightly Not Stoned Enough…”. In 2009, we decided to take a break from recording. But at the moment, we’re about 50 to 60 percent done with the writing for the next album, but we don’t feel pressured to record. We plan on having the album out in the first half of 2011.
Slightly Stoopid play with Cypress Hill at the Fillmore Detroit on Wednesday, August 4th. Tickets are $29.50 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional tour dates and band info can be found at www.slightlystoopid.com.
