The Sufis interview with Calvin Laporte and Evan Smith

The Sufis released a record, that is really something "special". The LP reflects dreamy sounds of the 60's very well, but what impressed me the most is, that they found some ways to stay on their own path, doing their own thing. They are from Nashville and are for sure one of the best in the current "psych" scene or whatever you want to call it. Check this brand new interview with Calvin and Evan from the band.

Interview:

Thanks for taking time for It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine! I think you are one of the hottest psych bands in current scene... and it is a must to interview you and to discover more about your background. You are from Nashville, right? Are you all from there?

Calvin Laporte: My parents are from India but I grew up in Dubai and other places. I’ve been living in Nashville for the last 6 years.

Evan Smith: I grew up outside of Cleveland and Jon’s from Kansas City. Jay’s the only one from Nashville.

What were some of your early influences?

Evan Smith: My dad took me to see Bowie when I was thirteen and around the same time gave me the first Velvet Underground album. I inherited his and my uncle’s records too which was great.

Calvin Laporte: Listening to Beach Boys cassettes or watching my dad play guitar and sing. Nirvana was a big deal for me when I was young, and I still listen to them quite often. Kurt Cobain is one of my favorite songwriters, and he turned me on to my favorite record, Philosophy of the World.

How old are you guys and were you in any bands before forming The Sufis?

Calvin Laporte: Evan and I are twenty-four and we’ve been in many bands before, Malkauns being the most recent. Jay and Jon are twenty-five or twenty-six.

Your sound is really amazing! I would say "pastoral" and it makes you think, that you are listening to some late 60's psych LP, but still you are not cloning anything. You sound fresh and fairly unique. How do you manage that?

Calvin Laporte: I’m not sure. I just try to come close to the sounds I hear in my head. Evan and I listen to so much music that the records end up sounding a combination of so many different kinds of music.

Can we talk about your gear? What gear do you guys use?

Calvin Laporte: Lots of different gear! Some are borrowed from our friends and others have been collected over the course of time. I really like my LA2A and 1176 compressors. I can’t record without my RCA ribbon microphone. I just started using guitar pedals for the next album, which is a big step for me. I used old oscillators and tape machines for all the effects on the last LP.

Evan Smith: For the next record, I’ve been playing a lot of harpsichord and piano. We’ve accumulated a lot of awesome percussion too.

Calvin Laporte: Yeah, we have an intense tambourine collection. We have old tambourines from the 20s and really rare ones from the 50s/60s. But my favorite tambourines are the cheap homemade ones from the 60s or 70s.

RCA 77BX

Do you know each other from before or how did you got together and started the band and why the name 'Sufis'?

Calvin Laporte: We used the name because we thought it sounded good. I started the band with Evan and Dylan in 2011, while Jon was living in France. Over the course of the year we started playing more with Jay and less with Dylan.

Evan Smith: Calvin and I met our first semester of college. We met Jay and Jon at some point in school. Calvin, Jon and I lived and played together all the time. We met Dylan at a SUNN 0))) concert.

Is there any concept behind the band or perhaps the album you recently released?

Calvin Laporte: I guess the band is really a guise for me to record with my best friends. The Sufis aren’t really a band where everyone has fixed roles or members. I do most of the stuff myself, but I rely heavily on the guys. For example Jon mainly plays woodwinds, but he’s so important to the whole process because of his opinion and taste. Similarly, Evan helps me by hanging out while I’m recording and telling me what sounds good or not. In a way he’s co-producing and shaping the next record.

Tell us about producing and recording album. First there were two different releases in all formats possible, one on Ample Play label and the other one on Burger Records. Where can we purchase the vinyl/cassette/CD?

Evan Smith: Calvin directed us for the most part because he knew what sounds he wanted. I think the LP sold out, but you can still get it on CD and cassette from Ample Play and Burger.

What inspires your songwriting?

Calvin Laporte: It really varies for each song. But, I generally like to write about the things around me. It’s a way for me to document my life I suppose.

Any particular more obscure albums you would like to mention?

Evan Smith: Our friends Mike and Jeff, who run Phonoluxe Records in town, have turned us onto some amazing music like W.L. Horning and The Pleasure Seekers.

Calvin Laporte: Mass At Dawn’s Triangular Approximation of the Dimensional Axis and Jesse Roy’s Cellophane Recordings.

Are you playing any concerts or will be doing a tour or something?

Calvin Laporte: Probably not, we’ve played shows and toured before but we’re just recording right now.

One thing, that slipped my mind are your videos. They are brilliant!

Evan Smith: Our friend James Cathcart made the promotional video for the album, I think it turned out great!

Calvin Laporte: Thanks! We really don’t have much to do with the videos. We’re just lucky to have talented friends.

What's currently on your turntable and what are you reading?

Calvin Laporte : Safe at Home, Face to Face, In Utero, The Village Fugs and Beach Boys Today. I recently read the Dave Davies autobiography which I found extremely funny.

Evan Smith: Larry Williams, Haha Sound, Elvis’ Sun Sessions, Billy Nicholls.

Any future plans for you? New album?

Calvin Laporte: Yeah, we just started working on a new one. I just recorded a great track that’s put the next album in focus. But, I’m always recording with my friends and working on different projects.

Thanks for stopping by. I wish you good luck with the band. Would you like to send a message to It's Psychedelic Baby readers?

Evan Smith: Cranberry sauce

Calvin Laporte: Thanks for having us!