An Interview with The Pop-Rock Band, THE CUCKOOS!

Meet the talented young psych band from Austin called The Cuckoos!

The Cuckoos are four very young guys (the oldest is just 21), yet their music sounds like it’s straight from the 1960s.

In fact, Classic Rock Magazine christened their psychedelic garage sound “spectacular,” declaring the band “hip young dudes who mine the late sixties acid rock scene for inspiration, but sound so authentic you’ll think you’re having a flashback.” 

They recently released their self-titled debut EP, of which Relix said, “[It] builds on the band’s captivating blend of genres, evoking the 1960s through a contemporary lens.”

Imagine The Doors, Joy Division, and Rick James writing songs with Tame Impala to begin to get the picture, but be aware, The Cuckoos are carving their own path, hungry to become more than the sum total of the music that has inspired them. Recently, the band started exploring elements of electronics, funk, jazz and blues to create a totally nostalgic and retro vibe, while remaining incredibly fresh and new. The Cuckoos also recently completed a successful first-ever run at SXSW and aren’t slowing down any time soon, booking shows across their home-state and in the UK.

Connect With The Cuckoos Here:

Website: www.thecuckoosaustin.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecuckoosaustin
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheCuckoosATX
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecuckoos
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/the-cuckoos

Learn more about The Cuckoos in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What are some words you would use to describe 2017 so far? How differently did you approach this year? What have been some highlights of this year so far?

Thank you! I’d say this year is flying by. We’ve been playing lots of shows and traveling a lot more. We went to England. That was cool. We played in New York too, which was groovy. It’s been a great year so far.

Looking back on how you all decided to form this band, what do you think first made you all think you could do this and make music together?

I started seeing lots of other modern artists begin to make music that I was really into, like Tame Impala and Mac Demarco, that made me feel like if they could do it, so could I. Me and the guys just love making groovy tunes so we figured we’d give it a go.

How did you all first meet each other and come up with your band name? What other band names were you considering?

We all kind of met through different mutual friends and stuff. Dave came to one of our earliest shows when I was jamming with some other fellas and he joined right after that. Just happy little coincidental meetings. I met Cole and Eric through Dave.

Let’s talk about your self-titled EP that you released in March. What was the inspiration for this collection? What was it like making it? Did anything surprise you about the process to make it?

I think just living everyday life, finishing high school, growing up a bit, and experiencing different things along the way inspired a lot of it. A lot of stuff was going on during the recording, like breakups with girlfriends, Prince and Bowie passing away… I think all of that influenced the EP a lot.

What was the inspiration for the songs on this EP? Typically, how do you go guys go about putting a song together? How did one go from being an idea in your heads to a full-fledged track?

Well at the time, we decided to go into the studio to record some new material, and I had a group of 10 or 15 songs or so that I was starting to work on at home. It’s a little different now, the other members of the band are starting to write and we’re starting to collaborate more on things, but at the time I would pretty much write songs at home and record little demo versions of them, then we’d jam them at practice and the other guys would add stuff until it morphed into something we liked.

What was it like performing at SXSW for the first time this year? What other shows do you have lined up this summer?

It was a lot of fun. SXSW is always a little hectic but we had a good time for sure. Like I said we just got back from a tour in England and recently played in New York. Next, we’re playing some more shows in Austin.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

Honestly all of it. Recording, playing on stage, and everything in between.

Who are you all listening to these days? What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

Lately I’ve been listening to lots of Connan Mockasin and Soft Hair, Mac Demarco, Talking Heads, Ariel Pink, and Homeshake. Joy Division, The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd and Prince have been big influences as well. Madonna, Kate Bush, Bjork, The Smiths, Bootsy Collins, Rush. All the good ones.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? What do you hope is the message of your songs?

I just hope they have a good time and that they feel something from it. Musics helped me through a lot of things and I’d like to do the same for others.

What advice would you give to a young band just getting started today?

Practice practice practice, play your ass off, and be professional and respectful.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves or your music?

Stay tuned for more from The Cuckoos soon. Keep your eyes peeled.