The Soft Pack when they were called The Muslims. They were the talk of the CMJ Music Conference and had all the buzz a band could ask for.
They made good on it too, with an incredible live show that earned them slots at Coachella and Lollapalooza.
At the time they were based in San Diego but have since moved to LA, so I wanted to catch up and find out what has been going on since their 2010 self-titled release.
They play a free show at the Hammer Museum TONIGHT as part of the Also I Like to Rock series, sponsored by KCRW, with opener Hanni El Khatib and here is an update from guitarist Matty McLoughlin.
1) What have you been up to since the release of your album in 2010? Which directly relates to the next question…when can we expect some new music?!?
Well, we went on tour a whole bunch and began writing for a new record (after the last record came out). We have been recording at Kingsize Studios in Highland Park for the last two weeks and will have a new LP out early next year.
(He also told the UCLA Daily Bruin that they’ve recorded 10 songs for the album, scheduled for release in January, and it’s a more dynamic collection of songs: “The new album has definitely progressed, it’s not as stripped down as before. This time we’ve included the sax on some songs and the clarinet or organ on others.”)
2) What is the weirdest place you’ve ever played? How do you feel about playing at a museum?
We played a remodeled subway toilet in London once. It was the worst show ever, we all hated it.
We are SUPER excited to play the Hammer Museum and have been looking forward to it for awhile. Playing in bars almost all of the time sucks. Just the thought of that smell of ammonia and pee and beer makes me gag…Gross.
3) Who is your favorite painter/photographer/visual artist or favorite piece of art?
Brian Hill (our drummer) really likes David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Gary Glitter.
4) Aside from seeing music, what is something folks from LA should definitely do when they head down to San Diego?
We have been living in LA for 3 1/2 years and have been loving it! A great thing to do in San Diego is to get “nakes” at Blacks Beach. Maybe play volleyball, maybe skim board.
RR