Ty Segall is one young, talented guy who gets a good amount of buzz that is, thankfully, not Justin Bieber. For all of the awesome noise he creates, he's a humble dude who more than deserves all of the attention he's received.
His last LP Melted, released on Goner Records, ended up on Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Spin's best of lists last year, and his shows stir the crowd into a frenzied, intoxicated mess. You'll get the chance to experience his talent firsthand when he performs in Miami this week at the Bruise Cruise kick-off party at Grand Central.
Segall was kind enough to entertain us with talk of board games and life on the road.
Crossfade: You are a surfer, I understand. You surf?
Ty Segall: Yes
Was there any incentive that you get to be on the ocean, for going on Bruise Cruise?
Oh, yeah. I grew up by the ocean, always lived next to the ocean, think I will always be living next to the ocean. I grew near kind of warmer, beaches, and I live in San Francisco now. Any chance to to go hang out in a warm climate for something cool, I am there. But the Bruise Cruise is just a ridiculous idea. So we were just like, I'm in.
You get a really good reaction from the audience at shows, and some people don't. I wanted to know what you thought about it, besides the obvious answer, that the music gets people energized, what do you think it is that makes you as a performer so successful?
(Laughs.) Oh, man. I don't know. Thanks! We always try our best to really put everything we can into when we play. I don't know, it's an honor that people get psyched. There's bands that I really love to go see and I get that into it, and not everybody gets super stoked, when they play and honestly like people just stand there and watch and take in the music in and like that just as much.
To me, I like doing that more now like watching and taking everything in. I don't know. I have no idea what makes people shake and move, you know, freakout. But it's totally awesome sometimes when people do.
I saw you at Gonerfest last year, and you had two ladies playing with you (Emily Rose Epstein and Denee Petracek). I wanted to ask if you thought it was a different experience touring and playing with women than men?
Um, yeah, honestly, some dumb dudes can be more of a pain to play with. Just gross, gross dudes out there. I haven't had too many experience with it. That's the only difference I've noticed when I've gone on a tour with a dude that was gross. (Laughs.) In the sense of like trying to get girls and stuff. It's just like man, it's weird. But like, I don't see gender as playing a part, really, it's just, they rip. It's fun.
It's actually pretty funny, when there's been a couple of times too when like some drunk dude, like, "ohh, girl drummer," and then it's like, Emily is a super shredder, and he's kind of like dumbstruck. That's like so funny to me and it's like, again, men are such idiots sometimes. It's like, man you're such a moron, she's awesome. I don't know. There's weird preconceived notions with people sometimes about that kind of thing. And that's pretty funny for us to run into that side of things here, and be like, OK dude, just hold your horses here, let her play for a second, you drunk, drunk male. (Laughs.) It's pretty funny.
Do you ever feel protective over them?
They can hold their own, man. I mean my girlfriend's the bass player. I've had some pretty funny experiences with dudes walking up to her before they knew she was my girlfriend. It's also just funny. Never anything to punch somebody over. 'Cause anybody who makes a fool out of themselves that's just what they're doing is making a fool out of themselves.
Have you had one moment that has really defined what it's meant to be a musician on the road?
I think it's a strange combination of driving. This weird relationship with the road and the culture of the road and traveling all the time and being very like transient. Now, what I'm seeing is really cool is just people getting very excited when we come to new places that we have been to or when we go back. It's this weird kind of, you've been in the car so long that you lose your perspective for a while and then you kind of show up somewhere and you get like a crazy reaction for even showing up and playing. Which is really cool, so that's what I've been experiencing lately. And that's a really positive effectively awesome compliment. There's like a relationship to traveling that's really musician based, I think. Relative to being a musician today, you just have to tour a lot.
What are some of your favorite bands from the Bay Area?
Thee Oh Sees, Sic Alps, my buddy Charlie (Moothart) plays sick guitar for us now, his band called the Culture Kids, and this hardcore band, my friends the Royal Baths are really, really great. They're super evil, evil tunes. Those are really my favorite bands that I would go see every time they play. I mean I love the Mantles and this band called CCR Headcleaner. There's a lot of really great bands.
I saw somewhere that you like boardgames. Is that true?
That I like boardgames?
It was on something online. (Laughs.)
Well, yeah, I love boardgames.
What's your favorite board game, I have to ask?
(Laughs.) I don't know. You can't beat Monopoly. Although Monopoly, people either love it or hate it so much they can't bear to play it. But I really like Monopoly, I end up playing that game for like six hours till it's actually over. It's like super fun. Also that game Risk, have you ever played that game?
Yeah.
I love that game, too. Scattergories is pretty cool.
That's my favorite.
That's a great one; it's super funny. Clue's great. I'm not too into Scrabble. I like it, but it's not my preferred game. I'm down to play any board game anytime.
It's possible you'll have time to play on the cruise ship.
Yeah. Totally.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
Yeah, nothing for awhile. Just finished an LP, but that's not coming out until June, there's going to be a single for that and that comes out in May. And I'm super excited about that record. Yeah, that'll be cool, but it's not for awhile.
Bruise Cruise with master of ceremonies Ian Svenonius and the Black Lips, Vivian Girls, Surfer Blood, Strange Boys, Thee Oh Sees, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin, and Jacuzzi Boys. Friday, February 25, to Monday, February 28. Carnival Imagination, boarding at the Port of Miami, 1015 N. America Way, Miami. SOLD OUT. Visit bruisecruisefestival.com.
Bruise Cruise Kickoff Party with the Black Lips, Vivian Girls, Surfer Blood, Strange Boys, Thee Oh Sees, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Ty Segall, Turbo Fruits, and Jacuzzi Boys. Thursday, February 24. Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. The party starts at 6 p.m. and tickets cost $20 via wantickets.com. Ages 18 and up. Visit bruisecruisefestival.com.
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