Is it musical overload to celebrate National Record Store Day at Coachella? Pop up store Zia Records (located on the festival premises) proved it is not. Although the store drew many bands on the festival lineup for special signings, Record Store Day drew even bigger crowds than usual, with attendees stocking up on hard to find vinyl and artist signings. According to Zia staff, Childish Gambino's Camp was the best selling album of the day, with the longest line for autographs.
Before their set on Saturday, we caught up with Red Bull Records band
AWOLNATION and talked about first albums, inspiring albums and their thoughts on vinyl.
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OC Weekly: What was the first album you ever purchased?
Aaron Bruno (vocals): Run DMC's Raising Hell. They had two different colors, red
or green, and for some reason I got the green one, I have no idea why,
but I loved that tape and I wore it to the ground. It doesn't even work
today, even though I wish it did. Also, Metallica's Binge and Purge box
set. All VHS and cassettes.
Drew Stewart (lead guitar): Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses.
Hayden Scott (drums): I'm not 100 percent sure, but it was probably Pearl Jam's Vs.
or Silverchair's Frogstomp. There was also Smash by The Offspring and I
got a Prince box set for my birthday, I remember that. I couldn't really
tell you, but from my childhood, those were some smashes.
Kenny Carkeet (rhythm guitar): Beastie Boys' Check Your Head.
David Amezcua (bass): Michael Jackson's Bad and the “Enter Sandman” single by Metallica.
Being Record Store Day, what are your thoughts on bands recording and releasing on vinyl?
Bruno: Vinyl is great and it always sounds better, but I want
as many people as possible to have this music. That's why we keep our
options open to all things, and why we have both CDs and vinyl for sale.
All the hits always sound better on vinyl as opposed to the digital
era.
What are you go-to listens to get the creative juices flowing?
Scott: It really depends on the moment. Right now I have a
thing for the Gorillaz' Plastic Beach record this past week. It's really
a nice record and I'm really enjoying it. But it all depends in the
time and place, but with Plastic Beach, I feel like it's one of those
records you can listen to and do a bunch of things at the same time.
I've been drawing a lot and that's why, just listening to that record is
really nice.
Amezcua: I think that's the beauty of music, that phases come
in and out. There are phases where I'll just listen to Hall and Oats and
Chicago. But then, wherever you're at in life, or whatever you're
experiencing, you'll gravitate towards something else. Right now I'm
listening to a lot of metal or country. But that's why music is awesome.
Bruno: The thing is about this project is that we don't really
believe it's one genre or another. Clearly it's alternative. But
there's never just one genre that I listen to more than another because
I go through different phases. I always listen to Neil Young when I
wake up in the morning, I really like listening to that, usually Harvest
or After the Gold Rush.
