In the beginning their was just one. Stephan Stanzel.
Ten years ago the Beatles and folk-rock fan decided to start a band of his own. A Life, A Song, A Cigarette (ALASAC). In the course of time his musical influences and the bands psychological geography slowly morphed into a style of its own. A style that has made the band an important influence in the Austrian music scene.
Although the band’s sound is frequently described with terms like “Alternative Country” or “Americana” ALASAC has managed to fuse the sounds of the prairie and open roads, of places where the American Dream is always just beyond reach, with a very distinctive Austrian feel. It is a simultaneously hopeful yet somehow melancholy sound.
Now, with their most recent album, they have put together a band lineup that could earn the title “Supergroup”. “All That Glitters Is Not Gold” isn’t just their fourth album. It is a milestone in the band’s history.
Austrian Americana
A term that perfectly describes the sound of their most recent album. An album that layers borderless emotions on top of delicate rhythms and subtle undertones. The album also showcases the work of a group of very talented musicians. Zither player Karl Stirner and producer Stefan Deisenberger are just two of the many people who helped create the dense sound of the album.
It isn’t a new sound for the band, but it is more refined…
Anne-Marie Darok spoke with A Life, A Song, A Cigarette about their sound, their style, and their most recent release, “All That Glitters Is Not Gold”:
Are You a live band or a studio band?
ALASAC: We are more of a live band. Standing on stage, playing together, never knowing whats going to happen next, the reaction from the audience, the tension before and euphoria after- Thats’s what it’s about and why we do this.
What’s next?
ALASAC Now we are rehearsing for concerts. For the first album, the live set-up wasn’t an issue because we mostly played live in the studio. That was different with this album. If we wanted to play everything live the way we recorded it, we would have to form an ALASAC orchestra. That won’t work so we have to really think about our live arrangements.
In the video for “Blindhearted” we see moving polaroids of apparently private moments. Are you looking back at your communal past a little bit with that song?
ALASAC: The song is about relationships and separation, although it isn’t about band relationships. The polaroids are meant to highlight and show scenes from a relationship. We still like to look back at our band history though, because our time together was great. We aren’t thinking of breaking up though.
In the description of your music, terms like “Alternative Country” or “Americana” are frequently used. Both categories are very American. What impact has your being an Austrian band had on these musical styles?
ALASAC: The music isn’t as dependent on place of origin as one might believe. It might be possible that there are people in Nebraska who can write good Wienerlieder- They might just no know that. Our origins do have an influence on our lyrics. That’s because they frequently deal with very specific places that have some kind of meaning for us. And these places just happen to be in Simmering or in the pub around the corner.
Links:
Wohnzimmer Records
A Life, A Song, A Cigarette (Facebook)
Photo: ALASAC (c) Andreas Jakwerth