There’s a good chance Public Access TV are most well-known for an explosion in their New York apartment. It’s been a tough few years, but their second album ‘Street Safari’ sees them remaining hopeful.
Hey John, how’s it going? Are you guys in a good place?
Physically, mentally, and spiritually, I’d have to say we’re somewhere between the penthouse suite and the sewers beneath our feet. Come float with us.
What’ve you all been up to since the release of your last album, then?
The hustle of everyday life. As soon as I had a break from touring, I locked myself away to write record two. I’m addicted to working and being busy, so there has really been no gap of downtime. I demoed for about three months then went to record the real thing for a month. Now I’m just trying to be as patient as I can, but I’m dying for this record to come out and get back on the road. The hustle continues.
What’s your take on ‘the state of the world’ at the moment? Do you get caught up in the mess?
I can easily get down in and the dumps and think we are all doomed, but then I remember it’s in times like these that people are radical and come together to make change rather just complaining about things to like-minded people.
Tell us about your new album – what’s it about?
I always write about what I’m going through in my life in that moment. I draw a lot of inspiration from my friends. Some of the new tracks look back retrospectively on our earlier years as a band. Some are about not being afraid to take chances. Remaining hopeful while questioning the present and reflecting on the pass. It’s truly just kind of the inner dialogue in my head. It can be quite hard for me to articulate exactly how I feel in a conversation so it’s with songs that I can listen back and then realise more what I’m trying to say. It’s almost therapeutic in the way that it clears things up in my head.
[sc name=”pull” text=”Haters gonna hate, y’all.”]
If your life calmed down a bit, what would you write about then do you think?
If my life ever got calm… I would just look to the other band members lives for inspiration, cuz those dudes are a total mess. Or just pull a David Bryne and write songs about shit like buildings and lampshades.
Are you guys still feeling the effects of your apartment explosion in 2015, or have you been able to move on from it now?
To be honest, I think we will always feel certain effects of the explosion. Luckily we all have shelter and are stable in that sense… but just this idea that one moment can completely alter your life and everything you own can disappear, makes you think about life differently. Not that I was ever particularly materialistic, but possessions now truly mean nothing to me.
Are you the kind of guys who’re able to shake disasters like that off, or do you dwell on everything?
At this point, so much shit has gone down in our lives that nothing phases us. Knock on wood, but we are very resilient I think and capable of taking bad situations and keep our heads held high. HATERS GONNA HATE Y’ALL.
How did you find the creation process for ‘Street Safari’? Did you hit any unexpected challenges?
I feel like a really saw the record as a whole in my head before actually locking myself away in a basement in the east village to demo it. The most important thing for me is to believe in what I’ve made, and know that I did the best I possibly could. That way there is nothing I can regret. That being said, responsibilities and relationships may suffer from inevitably being a little more selfish than I normally would be.
Album aside, what are your plans for the next few months?
Our plan is the same plan we’ve had from day one, to be a great band. We want to tour, put on great shows, release great records we believe in, and generally put out cool shit. I want to be a fan of our band.
Have you signed up for many festivals this summer?
We’re supposed to headline Glastonbury on the Pyramid Stage next year… so kinda gotta wait to see if we’re allowed to do anything else.
Public Access TV’s album ‘Street Safari’ is out 23rd February. Taken from the March issue of Dork – order your copy below.