popwreckoning updates

Posted: 26 Apr 2009 10:30 AM PDT

There’s a lot I could say about the indie pop act The Little Ones, but this interview was just so bizarre, you’ll have to read it to really understand. So, I’m going to tease you with just one word: snuggie.

Bethany, PopWreckoning: I'm going to have you guys introduce yourself and state your name and instrument in the band.
Lee LaDouceur, The Little Ones: I'm Lee and I play the keyboards and bass.
Brian Reyes, The Little Ones: I'm Brian. I play bass and keyboards.
Ed Reyes, The Little Ones: I'm Ed. I sing and play guitar.
Ian Moreno, The Little Ones: I'm Ian. I play guitar and guitar.

PW: You guys had some problems getting your last album out. What happened there and what do you think that says about the status of the music industry?
LO: It's like a minefield. It's like Iraq. No, no. Basically, It was restructuring at EMI and we were signed to Astralwerks. We were supposed to put out the record and we find out that during the restructuring we were let go from out contract where they gave us our record back. So it kind of gave us hope that we could put it out ourselves, but Chop Shop came along and so the record finally came out in October of last year.
I mean the music industry is in flux. There's success and there's failure, you know? But the one thing you need to realize is that bands will find ways to put out music. And whether it be on a label or putting it out on myspace or doing whatever, the music will be out there. It might not make any money from it, but the music will be heard. If it's good enough, people will come see it. That's what we try to hope from this whole situation.

PW: You guys put on a great live show and I am glad the record finally got out. I know that one of your songs, "Spoke on a Wheel", you guys are redoing for MTVU, is that right?
LO: Yeah, we just did.
PW: What are you doing for them?
LO: I just got one word for you: snuggie.
PW: Snuggie?
LO: You know what snuggies are?
PW: The backwards robe things?
LO: It's a blanket with sleeves. The backwards robe. Haha. That's all it is. It's a blanket with sleeves yeah. Yeah, we decided to do a different version.
PW: Like restructuring it or a video?
LO: We changed the song a bit, sonically. Snuggie. Ethereal. Spacey. Holy. Blissed Out. Wizard. Yeah. Wizard. That's it. Merlin. Magic. Magic. Yeah, that's what it sounds like.
PW: So it’s made of magic sauce?
LO: More of a magic powder. Haha.
PW: When will people hear the new version of it?
LO: Well I think they can hear it soon. I don't know when it airs, but we'll be playing it live probably a couple of times.
We're unveiling it a couple of times. Maybe. If the reaction is nice. We'll see how it goes.
PW: Will you guys wear the snuggies when you unveil it?
LO: No comment on that because…maybe…yeah. We will. Probably.
PW: You should.
LO: OK. We will.

PW: Do you all have snuggies?
LO: Yeah. We do.
PW: I am so intrigued by this.
LO: We have a lot of them. We have them in our bags right now.
PW: Well, when you buy one, you get one free, right?
LO: Not at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Online only.
PW: You got ripped off then.
LO: You know what's funny, though? Here's the thing though. You know how when you see the infomercial it says come with a new book light? You know the book light, right? So when you buy it and purchase it in person, what I didn't know is that it still comes with a book light. So, I left mine completely wrapped up. I got to tell somebody. And we're at the airport. I'm in, where is this? LAX? No, Austin. No, LAX. No, excuse me, San Diego. Where are we from? Anyway, they pulled open my bag and were like, "What is this?" And I'm like, "I don't know. It's a snuggie." And they're like, "Does it heat up or anything?" And I'm like, "Probably. I don't know. It's really warm." I'm thinking wow. Snuggie is so insulated that it heats up and sets off sensors.
So they take it and they run it through the fucking x-ray like three times. So they finally say, "Open it." And I'm like, "Yeah, open it. I don't care." They open it up and the whole problem that kept setting something off is the fucking book light was inside of it and they thought it was some crazy device and they had stuck in that little machine that determines that it was not a B-O-M-B. And then they let me go and laughed. You don't mess with a man's snuggie. You know how they do in China. Red flag. Surprise.
PW: I'm surprised people actually own them. I've really only seen the YouTube commercial thing.
LO: No, people own them. You should get one. You should try it.
PW: I might. Somebody was telling me I could get one for a cheap Halloween costume. Like if you put one on and have a little torch or something, you can look like the statue of liberty.
LO: That's a good one. Yeah. Definitely if you have the mint color.
PW: Yeah, there you go. You guys have your Halloween costume for next year if you already own them.
LO: Where are you from?
PW: Kansas City. Omaha area.
LO: So it gets cold. You need one.
PW: Yeah. But you guys are California, though, right?
LO: Yeah. We need them, too.
PW: Haha, I'm so distracted by this. We've gone off on a huge tangent with snuggies.
LO: Eh, that's OK.

PW: So what do you guys think of being compared to acts like The Shins and the Beach Boys? Are there other influences or other people you'd rather be compared to?
LO: Yeah, like Tom Waits maybe. That would feel good if somebody said we sounded like Tom Waits. Probably that. Who are these guys in the tuxedos? Sorry, now I'm getting distracted. No, it's a compliment when people compare us. We like those bands. Those are cool bands and we like them, so that's good. We're influenced by other stuff. We like pop music in general.
PW: Like who?
LO: Oh, like Britney Spears?
PW: Really?
LO: Nah, really. Sometimes. Sometimes. Like "Toxic" is a good song. If it is something catchy and it gets your attention then it is OK.

PW: Would you guys cover something like that?
LO: Yeah. We covered Lily Allen one time.
PW: Which Lily Allen song?
LO: Was it… "LGN"? No, "Smile". Oh yeah. "Smile". We did that. It was OK. It was for some BBC thing. They love that shit.
PW: Oh right, I think I remember the cover.
LO: I'm sorry. I have no filter on today.
PW: I can edit out curse words if you want.
LO: No, put it on there. Fucking shit bitch. Cotton balls su…No, I'm kidding.
PW: That's going to be fun to transcribe.
LO: Yeah. Haha.
PW: I'm going to have to have somebody else transcribe this. They'll end up calling me, "Why do you guys say 'Fuck shit titties?”
LO: Haha. That was you. None of us said that. We didn't see that. You have Turrets. Bethany said that.
PW: Haha. It is the free alcohol they have here.
LO: That's right. You were drinking at the Carrera thing. Haha, probably getting loaded. How many of their hard lemonades did you have?
PW: Haha, only two.
LO: You driving home tonight?
PW: No.
LO: OK. Good.
PW: Besides, it would take a lot more to get me drunk.
LO: Oh, really?
PW: Haha, yeah. Two is nothing.
LO: Nothing?
PW: We could go party after this.
LO: Haha. This is not the real me. Let's go drink and I'll show you the real me. This is not really me. I'll show you. I know you're trying to do the interview and we keep getting you off track and saying you've been drinking on a bender for four days.
PW: This is actually the first day I have had anything at all, I've been working all week and this is the first day I've been able to celebrate. This is my first time to SXSW and it can be overwhelming.
LO: Yeah. I would say so. It is life-affirming.

PW: Is this your first year here or have you been here before?
LO: This is our third time. Yeah, we're like totally veterans. Yeah, I'd say so. I said that earlier and I just felt totally stupid and I was like we're veterans. Haha. I think you only have to do this once and that's it. It doesn't matter. You're a veteran right there. If you make it through one, you'll make it through them all. Then the second time you kind of learn from that so you're more strategic. By the third time, you're just like, what are we? Fucking b…No, I know, I got it. Effective.
PW: Effective?
LO: The sponsors come in cycles. That's the only thing that changes. The music is always awesome.

PW: What is it like to play a private showcase like this? Everyone is RSVP list here.
LO: It is?
PW: Yeah, you have to be on the list to get in and you've had a pretty good turn out.
LO: Yeah, it feels good. I mean, I guess we feel special about it if it is so exclusive. You know what I mean, I guess. No, it feels good. If we have anybody in front of us playing, it is good. It's all about beer and chicks. This is not the real me by the way. Just wait. It gets better. Just wait until four. He's better.

PW: What is the craziest or coolest thing you guys have seen or heard at SXSW?
ER: Brian and Lee wrestling, probably.
PW: Who won?
LL: It's a draw.
BR: After we had a draw we decided we want a tag team.
PW: Tag team? So you guys (Ian and Ed) get in on the tag team?
ER: No, we decided to watch.
IM: We commentated.
ER: First you have to know my brother has no real responsibility in the band.
BR: Cause my brother is the lead singer and when your brother's the lead singer you can do whatever you want. I can literally show up to the show like five minutes before. I only play bass, too, so that's only four strings.
LO: It's only four strings?
BR: Yeah, it's only four strings. Unless you are in Dave Matthews and then you have five strings.
PW: Yeah, there are five string basses.
ER: So he can do whatever you want. Have unprotected sex, get gonorrhea, whatever. No responsibility.
BR: Yeah, it's true.
ER: Unprotected sex probably is all that happens at SXSW.
PW: No, I think people walk around too much and use too much energy for stuff like that.
LO: No, it totally happens here. Yeah they have those totes with condoms and beer bottle opener. There's more alcohol, free alcohol, than condoms.

Enter PopWrecker Joshua Hammond.

Joshua, PopWreckoning: I was supposed to come up and embarrass your drummer via Stacy Clark, but he isn't even here.
LO: You could, but he's not actually here. He's out having sex. Haha, yeah, unprotected.
PW: I don't know. It is like 80 degrees here, he probably pulled out a snuggie to get even warmer.
JH: Those things are fucking terrifying.
LO: We have them.
JH: Snuggies? Are they the greatest thing ever?
LO: They're terrifying. But a good prop.
JH: I'll pay you ten dollars to wear them at your next show.
ER: Really, you'll pay us? That can happen. We have them.

Girl shows up and offers sandwiches.

ER: Will you really pay us? Like ten dollars each?
JH: Remember the time that she came over and was like there's food and you were like fuck this interview.
ER: That's 50 bucks.
BR: Yeah, yeah. I want a sandwich. Where's my dri-ank?
PW: Haha, we can be done and you can go eat.
ER: No wait! But then, seriously?
BR: Where's my drank?
ER: No, if you pay us ten dollars each, that's fifty dollars because there's five us. That's just for wearing a snuggie at our next show. Haha. We're totally whores. So, we could do snuggies.
JH: You're so focused on those.
LO: Well, you offered to pay us.
JH: You've already done so much for us. You already grabbed the gig pig.
LO: You can't give a Phillipino a pig, dude. We'll eat that. There's a thing called lacharron. What is this thing called? What is a gig pig? I just thought it was a pig. Ian gave him a pig.
IM: No, I did. I put it on my, well, I was going to put it in my mouth, but then I realized I didn't know where this thing had been. Yeah, I was like this would be really funny. I'll be like, “Aah.” I'm kind of glad I didn't, but it would have been funny. You don't know.
JH: You don't know that that gig pig hasn't had unprotected sex at SXSW.
IM: What? Haha. That's true. So, I would have taken the gig pig, put it in a condom and then put it in my mouth. I'd have wrapped it in saran wrap.
PW: Haha, we actually do have a little blue jay in my car that it was with.
LO: That gig pig is a slut.
JH: It is a slut. This is the greatest interview that has ever happened.
LO: What's your last question? Was that your last question?
PW: Yeah, we'll make it the last question.
LO: Haha. Thanks. Thank you guys. Good to meet you.