07 February 2011
When Alex Ebert, the mastermind behind Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, strolls into the TMN offices looking like the Second Coming, with partner in rhyme and life, Jade Castrinos in tow, labels like ‘cult’, ‘mushroomers’, and even ‘messiah’ seem understandable.
The L.A 10-piece have just completed the Sydney leg of the Big Day Out tour, and as far as hare-brained first impressions go, Edward Sharpe (inspired by a novel Ebert gave up writing eight years ago) copped a beating; largely due to his stylistic shift from bratty vocalist of ‘90s indie-rock band, Ima Robot, to the tree-hugging string theorist he created.
Yet, after delving into the story of the couple’s rebirth; from drug addiction through to their love-one-and-all ethos, this is one opus I’d sacrifice my first born to be a part of.
“I remember the first time I saw Jade, I was like ‘who the fuck is this badass, awesome girl?' Spinning around, smiling and laughing hysterically, doing cartwheels everywhere, cartwheeling into the party.”
The L.A 10-piece have just completed the Sydney leg of the Big Day Out tour, and as far as hare-brained first impressions go, Edward Sharpe (inspired by a novel Ebert gave up writing eight years ago) copped a beating; largely due to his stylistic shift from bratty vocalist of ‘90s indie-rock band, Ima Robot, to the tree-hugging string theorist he created.
Yet, after delving into the story of the couple’s rebirth; from drug addiction through to their love-one-and-all ethos, this is one opus I’d sacrifice my first born to be a part of.
“I remember the first time I saw Jade, I was like ‘who the fuck is this badass, awesome girl?' Spinning around, smiling and laughing hysterically, doing cartwheels everywhere, cartwheeling into the party.”
Ebert speaks animatedly in between bites of his burger about how him and Castrinos came to found the band that’s now a worldwide touring entity, since the warm reception of their debut, Up From Below in 2009.
Castrinos, sprawled on the couch opposite him, is nursing her coffee and beaming from head to toe. Apparently, she’s now the polar opposite to the girl Ebert ran into again in 2007 on the sidewalk of downtown L.A.
“I was having a weird night, I didn’t wanna talk to anybody,” remembers Castrinos.
“She was a little reluctant but I had it in my mind that I really really wanted to be friends with her and help her,” says Ebert, recalling their battle after rehab. “Of course then she helped me, and we helped each other.”
“I had gotten out of rehab,” laughs Castrinos uncomfortably, “and I was having a really difficult time talking to anybody about it, but I knew that he had gone through the same thing so we connected in that way, and with music. Our fates were intertwined.” Her hands weave through the air before her.
According to Ebert, the pair bonded at a similar crossroads where they both faced the same dilemma. “[We had] to make a decision to either suppress all of that wild energy and fall in line with what societal pressure would dictate that you’re supposed to do…or be a complete renegade and live on the streets! But there are other options and I think that’s sort of the tunnel that we flew through,” Ebert smiles at Castrinos. “Music saves lives,” she smiles back.
It was shortly after this, in the Californian summer of 2007, when Ebert and Castrinos wrote the single Home, which made the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2009. Although the high rotation on America’s NPR (National Public Radio) certainly kicked off the bands success, it’s their unique aesthetic that has garnered the most attention.
“Our shows were, and are, full of as much expression and momentary bliss or upset, it’s not always joy,” say Ebert, now on the floor struggling to open a tomato sauce sachet. “Oh I see how this works, it sort of feels sexual.”
Castrinos chuckles and finishes for him, “Everyone has really different, awesome input and colour to add to it to make it what it is.”
Amidst a lucrative summer tour, Edward Sharpe have already added a few layers of colour to their sophomore effort, which Ebert says will only build further onto their debut. “Up From Below was some kind of amazing blueprint of our base and where we were gonna go.”
To some, they’re headed straight for world domination, they’ve even finished the third installment of a 12-part, Vimeo broadcasted, video series. However, to others they’re still a traveling cult, but trust Ebert to see the lighter side of the epithet.
“To cultivate something like that with my friends and whoever else wants to do that would be very very high on my list of things to do.
“Hopefully it will be something musical and with this band. Fuck, one of these days we gotta get a dragon to fly our tour around; all these things are possible!”
Tour Dates
Sunday February 6: Big Day Out, Perth
March 10-12: The Old Vic Tunnels, London, UK
Castrinos, sprawled on the couch opposite him, is nursing her coffee and beaming from head to toe. Apparently, she’s now the polar opposite to the girl Ebert ran into again in 2007 on the sidewalk of downtown L.A.
“I was having a weird night, I didn’t wanna talk to anybody,” remembers Castrinos.
“She was a little reluctant but I had it in my mind that I really really wanted to be friends with her and help her,” says Ebert, recalling their battle after rehab. “Of course then she helped me, and we helped each other.”
“I had gotten out of rehab,” laughs Castrinos uncomfortably, “and I was having a really difficult time talking to anybody about it, but I knew that he had gone through the same thing so we connected in that way, and with music. Our fates were intertwined.” Her hands weave through the air before her.
According to Ebert, the pair bonded at a similar crossroads where they both faced the same dilemma. “[We had] to make a decision to either suppress all of that wild energy and fall in line with what societal pressure would dictate that you’re supposed to do…or be a complete renegade and live on the streets! But there are other options and I think that’s sort of the tunnel that we flew through,” Ebert smiles at Castrinos. “Music saves lives,” she smiles back.
It was shortly after this, in the Californian summer of 2007, when Ebert and Castrinos wrote the single Home, which made the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2009. Although the high rotation on America’s NPR (National Public Radio) certainly kicked off the bands success, it’s their unique aesthetic that has garnered the most attention.
“Our shows were, and are, full of as much expression and momentary bliss or upset, it’s not always joy,” say Ebert, now on the floor struggling to open a tomato sauce sachet. “Oh I see how this works, it sort of feels sexual.”
Castrinos chuckles and finishes for him, “Everyone has really different, awesome input and colour to add to it to make it what it is.”
Amidst a lucrative summer tour, Edward Sharpe have already added a few layers of colour to their sophomore effort, which Ebert says will only build further onto their debut. “Up From Below was some kind of amazing blueprint of our base and where we were gonna go.”
To some, they’re headed straight for world domination, they’ve even finished the third installment of a 12-part, Vimeo broadcasted, video series. However, to others they’re still a traveling cult, but trust Ebert to see the lighter side of the epithet.
“To cultivate something like that with my friends and whoever else wants to do that would be very very high on my list of things to do.
“Hopefully it will be something musical and with this band. Fuck, one of these days we gotta get a dragon to fly our tour around; all these things are possible!”
Tour Dates
Sunday February 6: Big Day Out, Perth
March 10-12: The Old Vic Tunnels, London, UK
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